Otari
Otari is a thriving, diverse lumber town and trade port with
a storied past and its fair share of sinister secrets. Founded
by a group of adventurers over 400 years ago, the town
has weathered attacks from kobolds and strange monsters,
economic woes and windfalls, and cycles of prosperity and
strife. Today, the town is a prosperous community and one
of the largest settlements along the coast, but outside groups
have their eye on Otari’s fortunes, and centuries-old threats
still lie buried beneath the cobblestones!
Otari rarely floods, but the numerous caves, warrens, and
channels dug beneath the town do so regularly.
Though day-to-day life in Otari resembles that in any small
town, its skyline stands out due to the enormous waterwheel
at its eastern edge, the ingenious and enormous flume that
brings lumber down the cliffside for easy transportation,
and a stunning library to the west. The town’s location near
a major highway and its long history as a home to various
adventuring parties lead visitors and travelers alike to seek
it out. Lively trade passing through means unusual wares
(and even magic items) aren’t too difficult to find.
Just over 1,200 people live in Otari, drawn from all over
the world. While most of these residents are humans, some
dwarves and elves also live here. Most residents work in
the local fishing and lumber industries. For the most part,
people in Otari are friendly and welcoming, though they
prefer its small-town feel and make lighthearted fun of
visitors from big cities. Coffee is a mainstay, a favorite drink
among the hardworking and early-rising townsfolk.
Oseph Menhemes, a descendant of one of Otari’s
founders, has served multiple terms as the town’s
elected mayor thanks to his easygoing efficiency and the
townspeople’s general deference to tradition. He also runs
one of the town’s main lumber companies, making him
wealthy as well as influential.
Otari serves as an excellent springboard for adventure as
well as an exciting place for adventures right in town!
Demographics
60% humans
8% halflings
7% half-elves
6% elves
5% dwarves
5% gnomes
3% half-orcs
2% goblins
4% other
Government
Mayor (elected leader)
Industry & Trade
Lumber
Trade Port
Guilds and Factions
The Lumber Companies
The Dock Workers
The Firebrands
Points of interest
- The Giant's Wheel An enormous waterwheel that powers the lumber equipment in the Otari Mill.
- The Loading Flume This long wooden chute takes lumber from the Giant’s Wheel down a flume into the harbor.
- Stone Ring Pond A mysteriously clear pool surrounded by ancient standing stones.
- Wrin's Wonders A peculiar curio shop run by an eccentric woman who collects rumors.
- Gallentine Deliveries A delivery service always in need of fast, reliable help.
- Blades for Glades Otari’s primary smithy, which sells armor and weapons in addition to saws and axes.
- Odd Stories A bookstore run by a fiction-loving wizard.
- Otari Garrison A squat, bunker-like stone building that houses Otari’s civic guards.
- Crow's Casks A brewery and tavern popular among local farmers and merchants.
- Crook's Nook A sailors’ tavern built as a bridge across the Osprey River.
- Otari Market The one-stop shop for food, tools, and other everyday gear.
- Otari Fishery Fishery and shipyard by day, gathering place for games and entertainment by night.
- Ruins of the Thirsty Alpaca Once the largest tavern in town, until it suddenly collapsed in a recent disaster.
- The Rowdy Rockfish A surprisingly calm and quiet tavern.
- Dawnflower Library A large library and temple to Sarenrae, with shrines to many other deities.
- Otari Graveyard A clifftop cemetery that’s mostly quiet but has a sinister atmosphere.
Tourism
A new resort camp has just sprung up, run by a couple of retired adventurers, and is gaining popularity with the wealthy of Absolom.
Architecture
Primarily wooden structures of the Absolom style.
Geography
Surrounded by vast forests, Otari is nestled in a coastal valley between two looming cliffs. The Osprey River flows into the The Inner Sea in the middle of this valley, and the sturdy stone to either side of this river supports hundreds of buildings and a deep harbor.
Climate
Mediterranean
Founding Date
4273
Type
Town
Population
1240
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