The keyed locations on the Four Winds map indicate various
districts of the city.
1. Defensive wall: 20 feet tall and 10 feet thick. (hardness 8, 450 hp, break DC 55)
2. City gate: Solid and defensible, constructed of heavy wood (hardness 5, 20 hp, break DC 23)
3. Lord Mayor’s Manor: Oread Vassimore Stonegallow is in the second year of his first term as Lord Mayor of the Four Winds.
4. Embassy district: This district houses dignitaries from all over the continent and sometimes beyond. The most opulent residence in the Embassy district belongs to the Draconian Embassy. The Tiamatian Ambassador is the Draconian Magister Legatio Lepos.
5. Fine Shopping:
5.1 Rock Candy: Sells and buys a wide variety of gemstones. The shopkeeper is an Oread named Brox who has a tendency to eat the product, much to the dismay of the shop owner Catamus Bunk.
5.2 The Mountaineer's Bandolier: Sells survival kits, potions that help you adapt to weather, and various supplies that help explorers get through tough climate situations.
5.3 Furever Homes: Vaniccia Nungoct offers small and under-sized creatures as animal companions and pets. They have the basics, like rats, spiders, etc., but if you have enough money, you could adopt more exotic creatures.
5.4 Buckminser Dome Repair: Architect Buckminser offers home designs and dome repairs throughout the kingdom
5.5 Wourm Silks: Fine silks imported from the far east. Shop is ran by Jang Sang, an older woman that appears to be human.
5.6 The Shocking Truth: The Tengu Deltimore Schauck runs this appraisal business that is renowned for its accuracy and honesty. Anyone that lies inside the shop is said to experience a traumatic shock.
5.7 The Water Seed: This store serves the region with well digging and irrigation builds throughout the kingdom. They are also famous for their "half-weight" water pails. Not only do these pails reduce the weight of water carried inside but they limit sloshing and water loss. The Water Seed is owned by the Undine Mersa, and employs several jinnborn.
5.8 Carruso's: Renowned for their fine craftsmanship and masterwork musical instruments, Carruso's is also the premier instrument repair and maintenance shop for the Magic District. Carruso's operates from a large dome structure, with instruments painted on the stone of the dome by a variety of grateful local artists. The business is ran by Carruso Arras’zur, a drow female of unknown age who has operated this business for at least thirty years. Her patronage in the arts has recently lead to her becoming a Nobel here in Four Winds.
6. Magic district: This district's name is quite misleading as it is filled with theaters, the most prominent of which is a half dome amphitheater called The Half Moon, which regularly hosts musical events. The Four Wind Orchestra plays concerts here the week of a full moon culminating into a masterpiece performance on the night of the full moon.
Most of the other theaters are indoor affairs, varying in size and quality. It is rumored that several of the travelling performers that visit here are spies of one sort or another, usually tracking the movements of other visitors to the city.
7. Noble estates: The estates surrounding the Marketplace are the homes of the noble elite of Four Winds.
8. Wealthy residential district: Where the non political merchants rest their wealthy weary heads and plot new markets.
9. Average residential district: These districts usually have a large amount of construction as well as commercial intrusion. There are rumors of a cult or new faith that has taken up in one of these neighborhoods but so far information is scarce. What is known is that in three of these neighborhoods, new wells of Water Seed design have been built, seemingly for free.
10. Garrison: Four Winds is blessed with a skilled set of city guardsmen. Many members are older former adventurers making some easy coin for their day to day expenses, their homes and livelihoods already secure. Two lieutenants in the city guard carry the title of Dragon Slayer, one of them legitimately.
11. Guildhall district: Civic Works, Stone Masons, The Growth Alliance (farmers), The Bronze Shield (Soldier/Guard), The Golden Trumpet (Bard's Guild), Blaze Hall (arcane casters), Brewmaster Battalion, Carters Garage, Handlers and more fill up this district with self importance
12. The Marketplaces: The Marketplaces north, south, east and west are paved areas of town that are extremely well organized. When you shop here you either wear a symbolic light blue dickey while you walk around , indicating your purchases are cash and carry or you find yourself at the Carters' Stand. There you rent a wagon at discounted price that the Carters then deliver your purchases anywhere in the Rift. The wagon's cost is based on size, required pull team, and distance of delivery. These are just some of the many businesses to occupy space in the Marketplace.
12.1 A Man's Burden: A blacksmith who displays and sells exotic weapons, made using blueprints gathered from across the land. Owned and operated by the human Gordon Mann, the forges creations are crafted by the Jann Kalique Mulaam.
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| Kalique Mulaam |
12.2 The Day to Day is a General Store and Grocery. This particular store seems to change hands between owners frequently. There isn't a lot of profit in a general store.
12.3 Munsters Mash: A tiny gnome named Herman stands at a crate, hollering in broken common to come over. He'll buy your scavenged monster parts (albeit at varying prices) from you. If you give him enough, he'll turn them into an item. It's disturbing, but how can you resist his cute lil' face?
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| Razor |
12.4 Bunions' Boots offers weather proofed footwear for sizes small to huge. Several years ago, a pair of boots so large they marked the ground where they were created with stones, was crafted and shipped off via a wizard's magic! The boots, certainly crafted for the feet of a Titan, were ensorcelled by a wizard, both disappearing shortly after final payment was made. Bunion's Boots is owned by a halfling merchant gambler known as Razor. When other gamblers wish to annoy the halfling and get him off his game, they will call Razor "Bunion". Locals frequently trick visitors into calling the halfling by the Bunion name, a practice he detests.
12.5 Soupies Soaps: A Sylph purveyor of soaps, fur oils, incense and other toiletries. Soupies is always busy. There is a Soupies Soaps in each marketplace.
12.6 On Balance is a small dome building that houses the moneychangers and local appraisers. The Master Money Changer is Dakor Cault of the Black Tar Clan. Appraisers are made up of a variety of races depending upon their expertise. On Balance has the most security of any business in the Marketplace. While exact security is unknown, various incidents in the recent past have revealed summoned creatures and an invisible guard force. A half dozen minotaurs also visibly represent they protections available here.
12.7 Get Smart: Text books, educational aids, scribe services and the rare book of mystery are all offered from this domed structure. Experts and tutors have adopted this business as a gather place for those looking to hire individuals of their expertise. The actual owner of Get Smart is a bit of a mystery but the current manager is a Tengu named Suumik.
12.8 Black Tar BBQ, Its the Pits! They will barbecue anything and their sauce tastes like no one else'. 4 Ovens and Grills dominate the outside of these half domes. The BBQ smells terrific but the choice of meats depends on the day. 1gp gets you a jar of Black Tar BBQ along with a day long access to their buffet of barbecued mystery meat. For an extra silver they include a Black Tar Ale. Believe us when we say you'll only drink one. Black Tar BBQ is the largest central dome in the Marketplace and is easily reached from the majority of businesses. There is one in every marketplace! Strangely enough it doesn't appear many other merchants enjoy barbecue.
13. Temple district: This well paved and cared for section of the city is notable for the unique architecture of the temples. Each temple started out as a large dome but over time several have added on unique structures based on architecture from all over the world. Many find these places of worship to be visually confusing. Several temples have shrines to lesser deities that are recognized by the larger faith.
13.1: Temple of the All Father: Annam is the giant deity of Magic, Knowledge, Fertility, and Philosophy. Also known as the All-Father, is the creator god of the giant pantheon. His symbol is a pair of crossed hands, held palms together with their fingers facing downward. Annam takes the form of a 60' or 100+' tall giant with white hair, wearing a robe of midnight blue.
13.2: House of Infinite Riddles: Diancastra is the trickster-goddess of the giant pantheon. Her symbol is a sea-green streak, which is based on the mysterious mark she bears on her shoulder. Diancastra has many faces and wiles, from a , slender elven maid to a giant. Two traits remain constant in all her forms: her green-flecked amber eyes and the streak of sea-green skin along her left shoulderblade. She is sometimes accompanied by a magical owl. Diancastra is both impudent and arrogant.
13.3: Battledome: Grolantor is the deity worshiped by the hill giant race, as well as ettins, and some frost giants and ogres. His sacred animal is the dire wolf. His holy symbol is a wooden club. Grudges can be settled here in the form of holy battle. Never admit weakness! Crush the weak! Grolantor's priests wear dark brown armor made from horn, and adorn their heads with skulls. They regularly organize hunting parties and skirmishing warbands.
13.4 The Dome of Ash: Hiatea (hee-AH-tee-uh) is the giant deity of nature, agriculture, hunting, females, and children. Her symbol is a flaming spear. Hiatea teaches that Nature is both creator and destroyer, and that admitting defeat is the worst shame a giant can bear. Still, some prices are too high to pay even for victory, for Hiatea is a goddess with tendencies toward good.
13.5 The Dome of Flowers: Iallanis is the goddess of love, forgiveness, mercy, and beauty in the giant pantheon. Her symbol is a garland of flowers. Iallanis appears as a graceful giant, 25' in height with fair skin. She wears a short green dress from which grows living flowers. She is always bare-legged and bare-footed. Iallanis teaches that mercy is to be honored above all else, save the gods themselves. Beauty is to be honored above all else save the gods and mercy. Punishment will naturally come to those who do evil and rewards will naturally come to those who do good. "Kindness is the milk of might; passion is the milk of life."
13.6 The Temple of Record: Memnor is the cloud giant deity of pride, honor, mental prowess and control. His symbol is a thin black obelisk. He appears as a kindly, golden-skinned giant with piercing eyes, wearing a deep blue robe. He is subtle, intelligent, charming, cultured, articulate, and cruel beyond words.
13.7 Sky Dome: Stronmaus (STRAWN-mawz) is the giant deity of sun, sky, weather, and joy. His symbol is a forked lightning bolt descending from a cloud that partly obscures the sun. His avatar appears as an enormous (up to 80' tall) giant with blue eyes and flowing auburn-red, wavy hair, wearing a simple gold-edged white robe. He is normally depicted smiling and reveling. He cannot help but smile, for the energy of life flows through him so strongly that it is hard not for him to express his continual exuberance. He revels in the storms he calls up and in the thunder that booms from his magical hammer.
13.8 The Malice Palace: Vaprak is the deity worshiped by ogres and trolls. Vaprak is also known as "The Destroyer." His symbol is a taloned hand. Vaprak has a humanoid form colored an exceedingly horrid mottled brown and green. He has an elemental, savage quality that endears him to ogres and trolls. Vaprak holds the other giantish gods in awe and respect, however, and fears that his race may abandon him to worship them. He is not a planner or a thinker; he merely destroys, ferociously, as quickly as he can, urging his followers to do the same.
13.9 The Temple of Shrines: This small dome is home to dozens of shrines of giant deities not prominent in his region, such as Surtr or Thrym. This structure is also used for funeral visitations.
13.10 The Temple of the Lost: This structure is always being internally reorganized and is always under construction. The Temple of the lost is a shrine to a variety of non giant deities, including Vishanti Agamotto. The construction and rearrangement is due to the ever changing prominence of faiths practiced by the smaller races.
14. Four Wind Farms provides barley, grains, greens and rices. The farms are maintained by members of the Duskhearth and Lost Clans.
15. Inn/Tavern district: Unless otherwise stated, most Inn's and Taverns occupy clay domes of medium size. Any beverages crafted outside the kingdom are heavily taxed.
15.1 The Dancing Imp: Once a bar of ill repute, where shady deals and even devil worship took place. The legend goes that once a cunning bard called a devil, tricking him by destroying his sigil and cursing the imp to dance until it perished from exhaustion. Nowadays, it goes that demons have never since been found into the bar due to this old superstition. While the truth of this tale is often in dispute, the bar runs a marathon dancing contest on the first Saturday of every month with the winner taking a "devil's share" of alcohol in winnings. The Dancing Imp has twenty simple rooms available to rent. The food is not recommended even by the bar's staff.
The current owner is a Tengu woman named Sheen Salek
15.2 The Giant’s Foot: A dirty bar full of lowlifes and criminals, commonly used for dealings between races such as orcs, goblins and yes, giants. While it's a hive of scum and villainy, where crimes between patrons are met with an uninterested shrug, those who mess with anything within the bar such as stealing glasses are swiftly met with a hill giant guard who nails them by the feet upside-down to the wall to rot, until their ankles break off and only their crucified feet remain. This bar holds a commons area where patrons can sleep the drunk off or wake up from being knocked out.
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| Blank |
The current owner is a Troll named Blank
15.3 The Twin Golems: At the entrance to the tavern two huge clay golems stand, lifeless, their longswords crossed above the door frame. When commanded, such as during a raid or crime, the bartender can tell them a secret command word which activates their defensive procedure, blocking anyone from entering or leaving the building with force if necessary. The golems have been repurposed here, having been once automated labourers in a mine, but have no personality and are comatose until commanded. The Twin Golems has twenty simple rooms, and ten suites available for rent.
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| Zedar Ekran |
The current owner is a Tiefling named Zedar Ekran
15.4 The Portly Frog: A large, open room with a circular fountain and one particular statue of a giant, fat frog at the centre. Rumours say that the frog was a magically cursed prince petrified by a Medusa, though it is impossible to determine its validity. A small quartet of bards can usually be found in the corner, singing beautiful songs and busking for money. Those who cause trouble in the bar quickly find that this band of high-level Bards are also the security of the establishment. The Portly Frog has a dozen simple rooms and one commons.
The current owner is the Half Moon Ampitheater
15.5 The Whispering Web: A bar infamous for hosting criminals and fugitives from authorities, often home to Drow and other evil creatures. Theories go that secrets travel faster than feet there, which may or may not be true: Mirrors hanging on the walls around the bar are used to anonymously conduct business with one another, with each dealer the only person able to see the other. For this reason the tavern in prized for its discretion and has been rumoured as the host to a number of highly influential underground business deals.
The current owner is a minotaur named Shank
15.6 The Grand Dome: This Inn and Feast Hall is the largest, finest, and most expensive Inn located in Four Winds. The Inn has fifty simple rooms, fifty mid size chambers, and twenty five suites. The food in the Feast Hall is very popular due to the strange duo of cooks that run the kitchen. The chef is a gnome with a very long name that locals have broke down into Barnacle. The Cook is a stone giant woman Finlilly Farfaw. Barnacle sees to the upper class clientle and Finlilly cooks for the masses. Their friendship and rivalry provides much of the entertainment inside The Gand Dome.
The current owner is the Jinn Born Rock Island clan member Vailamore Goss.
16. Red-Light district: Changelings, Lycanthropes, Tengu, and Ogres run the brothels of this district with ownership frequently changing hands. Pimps from this district often cause trouble in the slums and shantytown for anyone practicing "The Trade" outside the district.
17. Ancestor's Rest: Four Winds Cemetary: Maintained by the various faiths of the city, only citizens of the kingdom may be buried here. Several wealthy families maintain family plots and mausoleums here.
18. Slum/Tenement/Shantytown district: Many of the individuals in these areas of town are either escaped slaves or prisoners escaped from outside the kingdom.
19. Warehouse/Caravan district: Every clan has a warhouse
Four Winds is surrounded by lakes, including four great
lakes in the rift and is the major trading hub for the central and southwestern
portions of the rift. The city exists for commerce, and it has grown to its
current size as the literal center of its economic region. The city operates
under a charter granted by the King to the Mayor of Four Winds, a powerful and
respected position. Four Winds has a higher gp limit than most cities its size
due to the constant influx of travelers and merchant caravans from all over the
continent. It frequently houses more than 8,000 travelers in addition to its
usual population.
ARCHITECTURE
The major structures of Four Winds are large and impressive,
yet lack any single unifying style. The city’s architects are torn between the
conflicting desires of impressing merchants and dignitaries from distant lands and
avoiding the appearance of bias toward any one culture. As a result, public
buildings reach for a grandiosity they fail to attain, conveying a sense of
pomposity without any real majesty. They appear to be based on descriptions of
other great structures never actually seen by residents of the city. Unimportant
buildings, such as small shops and the private homes of less prominent citizens
are simple, built of inexpensive wood or clay domes. Most are plain and
unadorned, but some feature gaudy décor in a feeble effort to appear more important
than they are.
LAYOUT
Four Winds is surrounded by a single defensive wall, 20 feet
tall and 10 feet thick. The wall is wide enough for guards to patrol and strong
enough to withstand at least a brief siege (hardness 8, 450 hp, break DC 55).
Yet a trading hub cannot afford to make access difficult, and the city has
never needed to repulse invaders. Thus, vast gates pierce the wall at many points,
including on each of the four main roads. Though they normally stand open day
and night, the gates are solid and defensible, constructed of heavy wood
(hardness 5, 20 HP, break DC 23). Each gate has a standing guard of two city
watch soldiers.
The city government
spares no expense in road maintenance, even when cutting costs in other
services. The cobblestone streets are built to accommodate feet, hooves, and
wheels. The main roads are abnormally wide, allowing even the largest wagon to
pass unhindered. Intersections have clearly marked street names, and most major
thoroughfares are lit at night by lanterns or—in the richest portions of
town—by continual flame effects. The layout of the minor streets is a simple
grid, so visitors can easily find their way around. Smaller roads and alleys
are hidden from the main roads behind buildings, ensuring that merchants are
not inconvenienced by trash or beggars.
PERSONA
Ironically, Four Winds’ attempts to remain culturally neutral
have produced a unique personality. Styles and fashions from nearby kingdoms
and farther lands blend to create a riot of colors, garish to visitors but considered
the height of taste by the inhabitants. Foods, music, games, and languages from
the world over are equally mingled—Four Winds has a scent and an accent all its
own.
The people of Four Winds have an overdeveloped sense of
their own importance to the region, but they try to hide that attitude from
travelers. Citizens believe themselves to be cosmopolitan and declare their
tolerance of others, but they actually hold fairly provincial attitudes. They
scoff at unfamiliar beliefs and often mock the dress and behavior of
foreigners—but only out of earshot, since they want visitors to feel
comfortable and thus be willing spend money in the city. This façade manifests as
a sense of brittle politeness, pseudo-friendliness that visitors notice.
Merchants flock to Four Winds to trade—or at least to stop over on their
journeys to other markets—but few foreigners stay long.
In order to make
merchants feel safe and secure, the city government makes a show of rigidly
enforcing the law. In truth, Four Winds has an exceptionally high crime rate,
but so long as miscreants limit their activities to picking pockets and other
petty thefts, the guard grants them some latitude in the name of maintaining
the peace. Should a foreign merchant be harmed or murdered, however, the guard
turns Four Winds upside-down in the search for the perpetrator.
