Sandpoint

Sandpoint is known as the 'Light of the Lost Coast' and is a small town in south-western Varisia under the influence of the city of Magnimar to its south.[1] Sandpoint remains the only place of note along the Lost Coast, but it has grown considerably in the past few years and is now Varisia's sixth-largest settlement;[2] nevertheless, it still maintains the air of a sleepy fishing town. Sandpoint is most famous for the arts: particularly theatre and high quality glass-blowing.
Resting in a natural cove along the cliff-lined Lost Coast region of Varisia, on the edge of the Varisian Gulf, Sandpoint is a medium-sized town that exemplifies the varied people of the land. While only about fifty miles northeast of the city of Magnimar, and technically under its rule, Sandpoint benefits from its isolated location in its ability to remain fairly autonomous. The most notable feature of the town is the ruined lighthouse that stretches high above the coastal bluffs, a testament to the ancient empire of Thassilon which existed here centuries before the current town was settled.[4]


Founding Four powerful families from Magnimar had designs on settling the region where Sandpoint now stands, and rather than work against each other, they consolidated their efforts and formed the Sandpoint Mercantile League. These four families, the Kaijitsu (glassmakers and jewelers), the Valdemars (shipbuilders and carpenters), the Scarnettis (loggers and millers), and the Deverins (farmers and brewers), sailed north in 4666 AR[5] to claim their land after securing the rights from the Magnimar Charterhouse. Yet when they arrived, they found the place already settled by a particularly large tribe of Varisians, who held the region as a traditional place to spend the winter.[6]
Unwilling to change course, the Sandpoint Mercantile League began a series of talks with the Varisians, promising them an important place in the new township. Unfortunately, after a week of talks seemed to go nowhere, an impatient man named Alamon Scarnetti took matters into his own hands. Rounding up a group of his brothers and cousins, the Scarnettis mounted a murderous raid on the Varisian camp, intending to kill them all and leave evidence implicating local goblins for the deed. Yet the Scarnettis, too drunk and overconfident, only managed to kill five Varisians before they were themselves forced to flee, leaving behind three of their own. The incident caused a several-month delay, but eventually amends were made and the town of Sandpoint was born.[6]
The Late Unpleasantness

The most notable events in the short history of Sandpoint occurred in the winter of 4702, and are referred to locally as "the late unpleasantness." The people of Sandpoint would prefer to put the unsavory disasters behind them, but five years is not long enough to fully forget these events. Within the course of only a few years, a string of murders by a ruthless killer known as "Chopper" and a great fire which destroyed the iconic chapel and many of the surrounding buildings ravaged the town both physically and emotionally. A grand cathedral has since been built and the people of Sandpoint are finally optimistic about their future. [7]
Government While technically a holding of Magnimar, Sandpoint's isolated nature provides a sizeable amount of independence. The town is governed by a mayor (currently Kendra Deverin) but the four founding families of Sandpoint still hold considerable influence, if not politically, then economically.[citation needed] Despite recent crimes, goblin and giant invasions, and other setbacks, Sandpoint has continued to grow, and Mayor Deverin hopes to continue to expand its prosperity in the years to come.[2]
Inhabitants The inhabitants of Sandpoint are primarily human, but like any civilized population center, a smattering of other races can be found throughout the area. The human population is fairly evenly divided between those of both Varisian and Chelaxian descent, and the number of Shoanti making the town their home has increased steadily over the years. Notable personages of the town include Mayor Kendra Deverin, Sheriff Belor Hemlock, and the heads of the other three noble families, Ameiko Kaijitsu, Titus Scarnetti and Ethram Valdemar.[citation needed]
Notable locations For a relatively small town, Sandpoint offers a wide variety of services and interesting locations. In addition to a local Cathedral, Garrison, and Town Hall, the community boasts over half a dozen inns and taverns, a local theater, the Sandpoint Glassworks, and a fair selection of other businesses.[citation needed]
Roads, thoroughfares, plazas, and squares

History

Though Sandpoint is a relatively new settlement, it has had its fair share of notable events in its short history. From the violent nature of its founding to the "late unpleasantness" of 4702 AR, to the goblin and giant attacks of 4707 AR, this quaint town is no stranger to the same (if not worse) terrors that plague larger, more dangerous cities.