Ostrav

Ostrav is one of the few Arcatan towns not located in the mountains or foothills. On the border of the Duchy, and close to both Bloodstone and Brandiar, Ostrav is a natural stopping point for caravans traveling to and from Bloodstone Pass.

While overtly friendly to outsiders, the people of Ostrav are tight-lipped when asked about themselves or their community. Once a small farming village, Ostrav grew rapidly when House Surinak was awarded lordship of the village. A minor house at the time, House Surinak saw Ostrav as a garden estate for its more influential members. The town grew steadily as the nobles brought in peasants to serve its many needs, from farming to ranching to housework.

Long before Zhengyi however, the Surinaks began to dabble in witchcraft and demonology. The peasants of Ostrav served as a steady and clandestine supply of victims. Once the townspeople caught on, they executed all the Surinaks they could catch and drove out the other nobles. Since this time, Ostrav has been ruled by an elected mayor. The mayor is responsible for seeing to it that the Duke of Arcata in Valls still gets his levies and his taxes, but in general, Ostrav has as little to do with Valls as possible.

Shortly after the uprising against House Surinak, the town’s leaders began constructing a wall that soon extended beyond the town, even enclosing some of the farmland that supported its populace. Their intention was to allow the townsfolk to live and farm in peace, and to keep the dangers of the outside world at bay. Indeed, Ostrav’s wall protected the town from most of the Vaasan armies of Zhengyi — the disorganized humanoids simply flowed around it in search of easier targets.

Despite its suspicious populace and high walls, trade in Ostrav has flourished thanks to its proximity to Beaumaris River. While noble visitors are carefully watched and merchants must subject their wares to thorough inspections, the town thrives on the varied commerce that passes through its borders.

Life in Ostrav

The people of Ostrav are generally hardworking and independent, they seem friendly and are always polite to outsiders, but they tolerate travelers and merchants only as long as is necessary to conclude business. Those who decide to settle permanently in Ostrav typically must spend months or even years cozying up to their new neighbors before they are truly treated as fully recognized members of the community.

Within Ostrav, small groups of families and businesses have formed close-knit ties that have lasted for generations. To some older residents, frequently consorting with people from other neighborhoods or walks of life—even fellow citizens—is considered unlucky or even unnecessarily risky, so strong is the townspeople’s fear of the unknown. A common saying reflects the townspeople’s distrust of anyone trying to get to know them: “True friends aren’t too friendly.”

Most citizens of Ostrav are deeply suspicious of magic, especially witchcraft and evil divine magic, though some admit that certain kinds of arcane magic have their merits. In general, though, they see the practice of magic as an invitation to outside forces that cannot be controlled. Practitioners of arcane magic are generally tolerated, if distrusted, but anyone with any ties to witchcraft or evil divine magic is unwelcome within the town’s walls.

On the other hand, the townspeople view alchemy as a practical trade, and they see divine spellcasters of good-aligned deities as holy protectors. Therefore, the town has a few bustling alchemy shops, and Ostrav's temple to Chauntea supports a burgeoning congregation.

Since toppling the House Surinak, Ostrav’s top administrator has been an elected mayor. Sandra Trinelli currently fills this position, though the people of Ostrav quickly lose faith in leaders who fail to keep the world’s evils at bay.

Demographics

Ostrav is predominantly human, with a small minority of gnomes, dwarves and hin. Elves and Elfmarked are made to feel unwelcome due to their association with the arcane. The town has a few native Rageborn, and Rageborn aren't as shunned as in some communities. Ostrav has always had more of a problem with goblinoids than orcish marauders.

Government

The town has elected a mayor since the fall of the Surinak family. The current Mayor is Sandra Trinelli.

Defences

Sheriff Grenta Irontusk leads a force of about 100 militia guards. They patrol the town and the roads of Conerica. She always has ten guards stationed at the Ostrav Armory, under the command of Maldeen Kulcher. Frequent goblin raids has taught the town how to defend themselves, and most guards have battlefield experience.

Industry & Trade

Ostrav revolves around two industries. As one of the most direct paths to and from the Duchy of Bloodstone and its placement on the Beaumaris River, Ostrav has become a trading center for Arcata, and is on its way to surpassing Valls in terms of importance for the Duchy. With the kingdom's governing body relocating to Bloodstone, in fact if not in law, Ostrav's importance as a stopover and trading concern will continue to grow. This may eventually cause the slow-to-trust Ostravians to open up a little, as they see the coin to be made.
The other major industry is incorporated in Ostrav's foundry and smelting plant. All of Conerica County's mining production travels through Ostrav, and the nearby counties of Arcata send most of their production through the town.

Guilds and Factions

Important People

Authority Figures

• Mayor Sandra Trinelli (female human aristocrat)

• Lupia Marietti, town hall archivist

• Sheriff Grenta Irontusk (female Rageborn sheriff)

• Maldeen Kulcher, Head of Security for the Ostrav Armory

• Kidrin Relvaed, dock manager

NOTABLE NPCS

• Garret Graygallow, proprietor of the Graygallow Foundry

• Father Ildris Ruvarra (male human cleric of Chauntea)

• Isaki Farhif, Guildmaster of the Hunter's Bureau

• Meriam Kems, regional scout (female halfling scout)

• Kesten Idliss, manager of the smelting plant

• Headmaster Klemens Dracht, Redcliff Schoolhouse

• Apothecary Majara Pricknettle (female gnome alchemist)

• Seneka Volsadd, shipping magnate (female Elfmarked aristocrat)

• Aahshira (gravekeeper, Aasimar sorcerer)

Geography

Exploring Ostrav

Below are details on the most important and relevant locations in Ostrav. An appropriately labeled map of the town appears on the poster map that accompanies this volume.   Unlabeled buildings represent private homes, businesses, warehouses, minor trade offices, small farms, and various other structures in the settlement. Many of Ostrav’s buildings are built from stone or brick, especially the older ones, which were constructed before the wars. These include the temple, the town hall, and many of the shops. Newer buildings are primarily constructed of wood.   Each entrance via the roads into Ostrav boasts heavily defended guard towers and sturdy gates, which also feature interior wicket gates. In times of peace, the gates are left open, but the mayor reserves the right to close them whenever an outside threat faces the town.    The gazetteer below includes the information and leads that the PCs can discover at each of these locations, as well as the story awards for the different parts of their investigation.

Ostrav Locations

Political and Government

• Ostrav Town Hall

• Old Gallows

• Ostrav's Armory

• Ostrav Jail

• Ostrav North Gate

Temples and Institutions

• Conerica's Bounty (Temple of Chauntea)

• The Triad's Steel

Guilds and Industry

• Conerica Docks

• Migrant’s Welcome Dock

• Graygallow Foundry

• The Smelter’s Vault

• Arcata's Hunter Bureau

Inns, Taverns and Entertainment

• Witches' End Tavern

• The Swaying Yeti Tavern

• The Canary Tavern

Shops and Services

• Ostrav’s Sundries (general store)

• Rutra’s Trading Post (general store)

• Gunty’s Hearty Breads (food)

• Sparkstrike Smithy (blacksmith)

• Dominick’s Reagents and Poultices (alchemist)

• Pricknettle’s Potions and Poultices (alchemist)

• Dependable Drummady’s (Cobbler)

• Petrello’s Haberdashery (hat-maker)

• The Gorenheim Ferry (ferry)

Culture and Sites

• Conerica Paths (road system)

• Nobles’ Folly (road)

• Warehouse Lane

• Abandoned Warehouse

• Ostrav Orchard

• The Gallows’ Graveyard

• Last Shift Graveyard

• Redcliff Schoolhouse

Important Residences

• Gellion’s House

• Cerisum Manor (abandoned)

• Ruins of the Surinak Estate

Type

Town

Population

3,900

Inhabitant Demonym

Ostravians

Included Locations

• Goblin Highfort
• Witches' End Tavern

Owner/Ruler

Sandra Trinelli

Owning Organization

Duchy of Arcata

Characters in Location

• Sandra Trinelli