Shadowshore

Although relatively small, Shadowshore is perhaps the most notorious of Sunáthüma’s districts. This strip of land nestled in the shadow of Champion’s District has long been a haven for thieves, thugs, and criminals of all kind. Generally, the only people who live here are those poor enough that their homes hold no attraction to thieves or those who can ably protect their property by wit or muscle. The city watch has all but given up on Shadowshore, and as long as nothing particularly destructive arises from the district (such as fires or riots) they generally leave it to govern itself.

The representative noble of Shadowshore changes more often than any other, as the post is traditionally held by the family (or even the individual) strong enough to protect it from his enemies. Currently, the holder of this title is Castor Dracktus—certainly an assumed name. Rumor holds that the Dawn Council would rather have someone less crude and more reliable in this post. Someone like Vasso Barberotis of the Ahedara Trading Concern, perhaps. Yet for now, no one (Vico included) has made a move on Castor.

Demographics

37% Human (any), 20% Halfling, 18% Catfolk, 10% Orc, 7% Trox, 5% Werespider, 3% Other

Citizens

Shadowshore is where the dregs of Sunáthüma seep to. If you grew up here, you had a rough childhood, and may have been forced to kill someone in order to survive. You’ve certainly seen your fair share of dead bodies; they turn up often in the alleys or under the piers. If you’re not the thuggish type, you either spent a lot of time hiding or developed a knack for fighting dirty. You may have been taken under the wing of one of the few semi-legitimate businesses to operate here, but more likely you’re a true child of the streets. Faith is hard to come by here, but if you’re a cleric you probably worship Anansi, and you know that the god of trickery has some presence within these drooping slums.

Defences

City Watch

The true slums of Sunáthüma, Shadowshore is where the desperate come to hide or die. The smallest of the districts, it’s easy for citizens of other districts to look the other way at the trouble that commonly brews here. Members of other watches who prove too unruly or insubordinate are often reassigned to Shadowshore—more of a punishment than anything else. Corruption is rife among the Shadowshore Watch, who only patrol the shoreline and are known to be in the pocket of the ship barons of the district. Only the most blatant of crimes (arson, public assaults, and other highly-visible off enses) are acted upon, making Shadowshore a haven for Sunáthüma’s criminal elements.

Industry & Trade

The Black Market

While Sunáthüma’s markets and shops feature a wide range of goods and services, some are not off ered in the light of day. Those seeking hard drugs, dangerous animals, evil magic, slaves, or cheap (and probably stolen) goods won’t find them for sale in sight of the city watch. Yet this does not mean these goods and services aren’t for sale. Sunáthüma has a strong black market, with venues located in all seven districts. In order to gain access to the black market, a character must fi rst make a DC 20 Gather Information check to learn the current location of that district’s black market. In Azure District and Shadowshore, this is only a DC 15 Gather Information check, while in Champion’s or Noble District, it’s a DC 25 check. The black market is all but supressed in Cudgel District—it’s a DC 30 Gather Information check to find an outletthere. Failing this check by 5 or more indicates that the district watch hears of the character’s interests in obtaining illegal goods and services; the results of this failure depend upon the nature of that district’s watch. Although the black market has no restrictions on the type of its goods or services, it is still bound by Sunáthüma’s gold piece limit of 40,000. A character who wishes to buy something in excess of this value must either travel to a larger city or enlist the aid of an agent or importer to have the item purchased and delivered from elsewhere. An agent typically charges a 5% finder’s fee for such services.

Guilds and Factions

Thieves’ Guilds

A staple of most large cities, Sunáthüma is unusual in that it currently does not host a large, well-organized thieves’ guild. In the years before the Sea Princes took hold of the city, a guild known as the Artful Parrots was Sunáthüma’s largest band of robbers, cutpurses, and criminals. The Artful Parrots were also among the first victims of the Sea Princes, and within a year of their rule beginning, this guild had been obliterated completely.

During the Sea Prince rule, oppressive laws made thieves’ guilds impossible to form. Now that Sunáthüma has regained her independance, though, the city is seeing a renaissance of organized crime. At this point, the dozens of small guilds are more interested in-fighting each other for dominance, and the city watch keeps a wary eye on the activites of these groups but does little to intervene as long as they don’t endanger the city’s citizens. Word on the street, however, is that one group in particular has managed to establish itself as a force to be reckoned with—the Lotus Dragons. While the Lotus Dragons, if indeed they do exist, have yet to make their presence known to the city watch and civilians of Sunáthüma, the fact that minor guild activity has been tapering off over the last year lends validity to these rumors.

Points of interest

1. Shadowshore Garrison
2. Shrine of Brigid
3. The Skinned Man (tavern)
4. The Narrow House (inn)
5. Shrine of St. Kwanan (district church)
6. Honest Brank’s (moneylender)
7. The House of Science (freak show and museum of oddity)
8. Fishlip’s Games (tavern/gaming hall)
9. The Notched Axe (mercenary guild)
10. Coffinsquatters (inn)
11. Neldrek’s Goods (general goods)
12. Dracktus Manor (district representative)
13. Trapmaker’s Guild
14. Gentle Nelli’s (apothecary)
15. The Velvet Hatch (brothel)
16. The Plucked Parrot (inn/tavern)
17. Al-Inara’s Vixens (gaming hall)
18. Ahedara Trading Concern (import/export)
19. Sailmaker’s Guildhall
20. Shrine of Hermes
21. Last Ditch Lovers (brothel)
22. Gondola Waystation
23. It Still Floats! (cheap boats and ships)
24. Black Shield Company (mercenary guild)
25. Shipwright’s Guildhall
26. Shank’s Collectibles (cheap weapons)
27. Sunáthüma Distillery (rum factory)

CN Large town

Corruption +2; Crime +3; Economy +0; Law -3; Lore +1; Society +1

Qualities notorious, organized crime, rabble rousers

Danger +25

DEMOGRAPHICS

Government Autocracy

Population 3,300 (37% Human (any), 20% Halfling, 18% Catfolk, 10% Orc, 7% Trox, 5% Werespider, 3% Other)

Noteable NPCs

• Castor Dracktus (human male): The reprehensible Lord of Dracktus Manor and representative of Shadowshore on the Dawn Council is little better than a bandit lord.
• Gregar Skeen (human male): Master of the Shipwright’s Guild, Gregar has somehow managed to maintain control of the family business and interests despite generations of trouble with local roughs.
• Jatau Jinn (male half-orc): Jalpe Jinn is a likeable-enough man who tends this shrine dedicated to one of Sunáthüma’s most gifted historical figures, the dwarf St. Kwanan(who succeeded in life as a merchant despite her hideous appearance).
• Vasso Barberotis (human male): Why one of Sunáthüma’s richest men lives in Shadowshore is a mystery to everyone but him. Vasso owns the Ahedara Trading Concern, the most successful import/export firm in Sunáthüma.

MARKETPLACE

Base Value 2,400 gp; Purchase Limit 14,000 gp; Spellcasting 5th

Minor Items 3d4; Medium Items 2d4; Major Items 1d4

Type

District

Population

3,300

Location under

Sunáthüma