Sarndt

Situated along a highway linking Nulbish and Torrich, and a natural stopover point for river trade, Sarndt is not the simple market village one might expect. Among its 1,400 people are an enclave of about 90 flinds, which have their own little quarter within Sarndt. They have lived here for 300 years, descended from enslaved troops brought from the Grandwood by a noble who felt that their charisma towards gnolls might be useful in dealing with the forest gnolls and building up a force of humanoid troops.

That plan never quite worked out, but the descendants of the charmed flinds began quietly to take up other activities to fill the spare time when they weren't used as troops or scouts. Now, Sarndt has a few little flind cobbler's shops, flind purveyors of candles, oil, tar, pitch, and more. Flinds lack the physical skills for true artisan ship, but their intelligence (the average flind is almost as smart as the average human) and lawful alignment has made them an effective part of the economy.

They speak a guttural, half-barked form of Common. And while some of the humans of Sarndt detest them, most are reconciled to their presence after generations of coexistence with little trouble. The flinds are wholly urbanized and would not be able to survive in their "natural" habitat now. Many present a comical sight, dressed in the baggy pantaloons and blouses they generally favor, though they don't wear shoes. But they are smart and industrious, and the traveler will find that if he needs to buy food or some simple equipment long after dusk, it will be a flind's shop which will still be open to sell it to him.