FROG GOD GAMES ADVENTURES

Cat’’s Cradle
Cat

SYSTEM
NEUTRAL
TOWN SOURCEBOOK
 Cat’s
Cradle
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Adventures
Frog God Games is: Worth
Winning
Bill Webb, Matthew J. Finch, Zach Glazar, Charles A. Wright, Frog God Games
Edwin Nagy, Mike Badolato, John Barnhouse ISBN: 978-1-943067-84-8
T able of C ontents
Overview............................................................................................................................ 3
Alchemist’s Alley.............................................................................................................. 6
Bricktown........................................................................................................................... 9
Cat’s Keep.........................................................................................................................14
Dockside District............................................................................................................17
The Gold District (aka “Coin City”)......................................................................... 20
The Jade District............................................................................................................. 24
The Old City.................................................................................................................. 29
The Panhandle................................................................................................................. 33
Surrounding Region........................................................................................................36

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O verview
Introduction Five Centuries Ago
The little city prospered, eventually incorporating a small rival village
Cat’s Cradle is a small city with a population of approximately 5,100
— small enough that it is often referred to as a town. In the world of the on the other side of the Quicksilver. Remnants of this rival village can be
Lost Lands, it is located in the Duchy of Saxe, at the intersection of the Gap found now incorporated into Cat’s Cradle’s Jade District. Sometime later, now
Road and the Hyon River, but it can be placed anywhere that a caravan route centuries ago, a strange greenish runoff coming down the Quicksilver alarmed
intersects with a river trade-route. residents and led to the discovery of the ripplestone quarry and the Salchamp.
The most salient features of Cat’s Cradle are the mines of the Salchamp The Salchamp’s discovery forever altered the course of Cat’s Cradle’s
to the north (where various magically infused minerals used in alchemy history, as the alchemical salts in these strange mines — more often referred
are mined), the Quicksilver (a small stream that carries strange runoff from to as the Salt Skeleton — transformed a small, sleepy town into a hub of
the Salchamp), and the town’s main industry: alchemical supplies and alchemical advancement and trade. It is believed, though uncertain, that the
products. Given the town’s location on both river and land trade routes, these inability of long-term Cat’s Cradle residents to become ill stems from the
characteristics should supply you with a place that offers adventure hooks for discovery of the Salchamp as well.
as long as the adventurers choose to base their operations here.
It is also worthy of note that people in Cat’s Cradle almost never seem to get
sick from ordinary diseases, and that a large part of the city is in disrepair due
One Century Ago
to the use of “ripplestone” as a building material, a material that turned out to The ripplestone discovery was less beneficial, as the decorative, marble-like
be alchemically unstable over time. stone eventually proved to not be particularly marble-like after all. In the time
of Baron Scolren, the current baron’s great-grandfather, it was discovered that

History of the Town the wealthiest area of Cat’s Cradle, located between the keep and the docks,
was crumbling dangerously due to extensive use of a poor building material.
Baron Scolren’s tenure was marked primarily by the Ripplestone Exodus,
Seven Centuries Ago during which most of Cat’s Cradle’s wealthy residents relocated across the
Quicksilver to rebuild — with another newly discovered marble-like stone
— to form the Jade District. Jade-marble, unlike ripplestone, was tested
Cat’s Cradle began long ago as a simple keep — still standing and inhabited
by alchemists before being put to use, so most believe that a repeat of the
today — near the center of the city (though much-remodeled from its original
Ripplestone Exodus will not occur.
form). Orshal, its founder and the first baron, and Volemar Assaro, his best
friend, are local folk heroes, though little accurate history is known from their
time. Over the next several centuries, Cat’s Cradle grew ever larger, in part Seventy-Five Years Ago
because the Quicksilver had carved out such a perfect docking area for traffic
on the main river (the Hyon). While the Jade District was still being built, however, Cat’s Cradle’s
docks were hit by a devastating alchemical fire, which caused another major

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4|C at ’ s C radle
blow to local trade. The Panhandle District was built after this crisis, and O-10. Ox’s Labor (major figure)
laws were passed to allow alchemical mixing only in the Baronial Corridor O-17. The Thieves’ Guild (major organization)
along the Quicksilver. O-19. The Upper Crust Inn (point of contact)
O-20. Abandoned Tenement (point of contact)
Fifty or So Years Ago P-6. Dexer’s Rooming House (point of contact)

Baroness Escaulla’s tenure came next, and was mostly about rebuilding, as
well as the growing of other industries in Cat’s Cradle, including brickmaking
and glass-blowing. Though her efforts to restore the city from the disasters
Radical Politics
Given the current popularity of Baron Scale, radical movements in the town
of her father’s time were largely successful, Escaulla died unpopular, both have become less popular and therefore more desperate. A broad variety of radical
because of a perceived disconnection from the common folk of the region and movements from history can be drawn upon: movements toward democracy, away
because of the growing bandit army that attempted, in her old age, to wrest the from democracy, toward or away from religious doctrines of varying kinds, and in
Salt Skeleton from Cat’s Cradle’s control. favor of rights for groups such as apprentices, students, laborers, or the status of
individual professions. The revolt of the Ciompi in Florence and the Gunpowder
Twenty Years Ago Plot of 1605 are good examples of this kind of movement.
There is no specific description of any radical movement in the town, but
Baroness Escaulla’s son was Baron Escallel (Baron Scale’s father). By the this theme is listed in numerous adventure hooks.
time he took stewardship of the city, Cat’s Cradle’s outer wall was complete, Adventure Hooks: A-9, B-9, C-1, G-3, J-9.
and its defenses were bolstered by forces from his liege. He ran a long but
strategically excellent campaign against the bandits (the Salt War), destroying
their leadership and scattering their forces. However, in an attempt to restore
the people’s faith in their baron, he insisted on leading from the front and
Taverns and Inns
Since the location of a place to stay is often the first question adventurers
actually battling the bandits in person. He died in battle with great honors, ask when entering a new city, the following list may save time:
defending the Salchamp and succeeding handily in restoring his family’s
popularity. He was only 46. B-1. The Merry Bricklayer

Year Before Last B-14. Barretti’s Rooms

D-4. The Sailor’s Tavern
G-2. Calibos Inn
Baron Scale is a charming and ambitious young aristocrat, the son of Baron G-5. Salt Ale Corner
Escallel. He has been baron for only two years. He has a wife, Baroness Liera, O-18. Treesa’s Pub
and two small children. Though an excellent leader in his own right, Scale humbly O-19. The Upper Crust Inn
credits most of his success to his wife and his still-living mother, Lady Resla. P-3. The Calico Cat
Baron Scale’s brief tenure has seen major economic and population growth P-6. Dexer’s Rooming House
for Cat’s Cradle, almost entirely due to the baron’s excellent administration.
Scale is working toward the restoration of the crumbling, ripplestone-riddled
(crime-infested) Old City and toward an ambitious bridge project — among
other things — in the nearby village of Gambit.
Magical Resources
Law Enforcement and Equipment
Cat’s Cradle is a major center for alchemy and also contains some
Crime and law enforcement are often the major theme of city-based spellcasters who might be inclined to buy or sell the odd magic item. Since
adventures, that is when cities are not used just as the basic setting for buying this is one of the reasons characters tend to gravitate to a city, the following
unusual equipment or for making contact with patrons. Cat’s Cradle has locations can be used as a quick reference if they ask around.
multiple law-enforcement agencies, which allows you to create adventures
where the law might end up on both sides of a complicated situation. A-3. Ofrenn Vallos Laboratories (alchemical research, not retail)
A-4. Blackstone’s Workshop (alchemical research, not retail)
Law enforcement locations include: A-5. Guild Lab Facility (point of contact)
A-7. Baronial Disaster Brigade A-6. Osenshahle’s Lab (alchemical research, not retail)
B-14. Barretti’s Rooms (a private investigator) A-10. Alchemists’ Guild House (point of contact)
C-4. The City Courthouse A-13. Babbson Goold’s Laboratory and Alchemical Bazaar (retail)
C-10. The Watch House B-11. Perfumer (specific retail)
D-1. Baronial Constabulary G-12. Academy Sales (alchemical)
D-3. Cat’s Cradle Port Authority G-13. The Arcanum (items and supplies)
D-11. Eastview Tower G-18. Avar’s Alchemicals (retail)
G-3. The Baronial Arts Ministry J-1. The Alchemists College (point of contact)
J-3. The Baronial Mansion J-19. Uiregard’s Enchantments (wizard for hire)
J-9. The Jade District Watch House J-21. Wythys and Daughter (apothecary)
J-20. The Westside Courthouse O-7. Niftin’s Knick Knacks (possibly)
P-11. Customs House O-15. Shevekka’s (wizard for hire)
P-8. Alchemical Bazaar (major retail area)

Criminal Organizations
The counterpart to law-enforcement adventures is, of course, criminals.
Organized crime in a town like Cat’s Cradle can drive many adventures,
whether the characters are on the side of good and justice, or are themselves
criminals. Criminal-related locations include:

G-10. The Greens (neighborhood)

G-13. The Arcanum (contacts)
G-19. The Warrens (neighborhood and gang)
J-15. The Officers’ Club (informal semi-criminal organization)
O-2. The Dogs (point of contact)
O-5. Kennock’s Place (major organization)
O-7. Niftin’s Knick Knacks (fence)

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A lchemist ’s A lley
This pleasant strip of greenery lies along the banks of the narrow Quicksilver
A-2. South Bridge
River and is officially called the Baronial Corridor. It is most commonly referred to
by the general populace as Alchemists’ Alley, however, and its location and relative
isolation is as much for general safety as any other reason. In the past, alchemical The two bridges that arch over the Quicksilver River are sturdy, extensively
experimentation and manufacture was allowed throughout the city, but a series reinforced, and regularly inspected as they carry traffic between the two parts
of minor disasters built to a great catastrophe when a massive explosion and fire of the city and pass through the potentially dangerous territory of the Baronial
destroyed much of the Dockside District a century ago. After this event, alchemical Corridor. Loss of either bridge would represent a significant challenge to the
manufacture was limited to the Baronial Corridor, and the river walls were reinforced city, so both must remain standing and in good repair. South Bridge is built
to protect the rest of the city. Sales of alchemical substances and products remained in the style of the old Gold District, with white stone facing and green slate
legal within the city, but the actual creation of alchemicals remains limited to this part decorations. It is a relatively plain span, but many feel that it is quite beautiful
of the city, where baronial inspectors can keep a close watch on procedures and issue in its simplicity.
fines or sanctions if necessary. The entire strip of land is officially baronial territory, Adventure Hook: Who might use alchemy to blow up a bridge? Bad guys,
and those who work here must lease their space from the barony and agree to abide that’s who. Trying to prevent such a plot is an excellent beginning point for
by strict rules regarding the handling and use of potentially hazardous substances. an adventure. The Baronial Disaster Brigade, in particular, might be seeking
help to uncover such a plot … or infiltrators in the brigade might be the ones
A-1. Hyon River Inlet behind it. Or both.

As in the Dockside District, the baron’s strict safety regulations have A-3. Ofrenn Vallos Laboratories
not prevented significant alchemical runoff from poisoning nearby waters,
turning the Quicksilver River into something of a toxic stew, black and often Ofrenn Vallos is a relatively young alchemist noted for his wildly
redolent of bizarre pollutants. Periodic attempts to clean up the mess occur experimental and innovative procedures — procedures that sometimes backfire
when alchemists and assistants venture into the inlet with various chemicals with dangerous results. Though he has been sanctioned and fined by the barony
intended to neutralize the more toxic elements in the water. These efforts are several times, Vallos continues to pursue various wild avenues of alchemical
often inadequate, but at least keep the toxicity to a minimum. research in the hope of revolutionizing the entire trade. Realizing that some of
Such work is necessary, especially after several incidents in which local fish his procedures might be troublesome, Vallos has worked with engineers and
were adversely affected by the pollution and transformed into savage mutants, artisans to isolate his lab space, reinforcing its walls heavily and isolating it from
some of which waded ashore, killing and causing extensive damage. Some his adjoining living quarters. Vallos also paid premium prices for the installation
even go so far as to claim that some of the more troublesome river monsters of an elaborate ventilation and filtration system used in many dwarven forges
are a result of alchemical mutation from either Dockside or the Quicksilver, a and designed to keep fresh air circulating and toxic gases to a minimum, thus
suggestion that most alchemists dispute ferociously. making his workspace a modern marvel of efficiency.
Adventure Hook: The characters might be hired to hunt river monsters Despite his brilliance and the sleek modernity of his lab facilities, Vallos
here, chase one down that appears in the Hyon River itself, or even defend the has a number of character flaws that prevent him from attaining the fame and
city streets against one that emerges onto the shore. notoriety he feels he deserves. Impulsive and often absentminded, Vallos has

6|C at ’ s C radle
been quite lucky in discovering several new formulae, whose sale has kept him
solvent. On the other hand, he is indiscriminate in his experimentation, often A-5. Guild Lab Facility
wasting valuable components on hypothetical formulae that prove to be utter
dead-ends. He is also prone to believe rumors and wild stories, and often sends Not all aspiring alchemists can afford their own manufacturing or
well-paid adventurers on wild goose chases to seek out nonexistent substances experimental facilities, so members of the Alchemists’ Guild can rent
or items with exaggerated powers that prove disappointing. workspace in this large, dark, brick structure. The main floor is devoted to
As a consequence, Vallos has grown increasingly desperate for an infusion large rooms with long tables, with glassware, crucibles, ceramics and basic
of funds, though so far he has not taken practical steps to rein in his excessive supplies available to all. These larger rooms are communally used by several
spending. Instead, he has redoubled his efforts at research and spends late alchemists at a time who work creating non-volatile compounds. Beneath the
nights at the guild library and elsewhere seeking out information on ancient main floor are fortified individual work rooms designed to contain any spills
alchemical secrets and substances, ever searching for forgotten lore that he or fires. The second floor is devoted to meeting space, a library, and offices
can use to get himself out of debt. He has so far found some promising leads, for some Alchemical College professors who maintain separate offices here.
but nothing definitive, and is considering using the last of his funds to finance Adventure Hook: One of the alchemists renting space in the laboratory is
expeditions to seek out rare materials in the hope that they will rescue his working on a project far more innovative than the normal daily grind, and a
slowly sinking business. rival alchemist has realized it. The only physical copy of the recipe is kept in a
Adventure Hook: The characters might be working for Vallos to find lockbox in the lab, and the rival wants the characters to steal it for him.
ingredients, but a more interesting possibility is that he offers them a share
of the profits in a particular idea if they handle the details of putting it into
operation. This might include persuading a supplier, negotiating with (or
A-6. Osenshahle’s Lab
intimidating) criminal elements who are trying to take a cut, or protecting the This disorderly building serves as the research and manufacturing facility
shipping of a valuable commodity on the river or along a caravan route. for the increasingly unstable Osenshahle Warne, a once-brilliant alchemist
whose obsessive personality brought her to the verge of mental collapse.
A-4. Blackstone’s Workshop Though she sometimes conducts illegal experiments at her home in Coin
City and has let the proud manse degenerate into a ramshackle health hazard,
The premiere gnomish alchemist in Cat’s Cradle, Andreanna Blackstone Osenshahle increasingly calls this lab her home. She sleeps on a cot surrounded
maintains living quarters in both the Jade and Gold districts, as well as having by bottles and half-eaten food, shambles to her experimental facilities to work,
an estate outside of town. Her facilities here are thought by many to be utterly concocts strange alchemicals, and mumbles to herself. She drove off all of her
chaotic, though Blackstone herself has absolutely no difficulties in navigating apprentices and servants, and keeping the place in any kind of order proved
the tangle of tubes, glassware, tables, shelves, books, scrolls, bins, jars, and too much for her easily distracted mind. Other guild alchemists have grown
similar objects. To her intensely gnomish mind, the lab is perfectly organized concerned at the lab’s safety and cleanliness but so far Osenshahle’s influence
with everything exactly where it needs to be — in fact, she loudly protests has kept the barony and inspectors at bay. Some believe it is only a matter of
any and all attempts to “tidy up” or otherwise alter her work environment by time before the unfortunate alchemist loses touch with reality altogether and
servants, relatives, or well-meaning visitors. causes a terrible catastrophe.
Adventure Hook: An alchemist this rich and prominent is a prime target Adventure Hook: The catastrophe takes place, requiring the characters to
for kidnapping. The characters might be hired to protect her after her relatives deal with a situation a bit like a fire spreading into the city, but magical in origin.
learn of a threat, while a less-morally inclined party might be hired to effect This might involve rescuing people from buildings, fighting maddened animals,
the kidnapping. or whatever type of weird catastrophe you care to invent. In this hook, the
Baronial Disaster Brigade (Location A-7) is a good resource for you to involve.

A lchemist ' s A lley |7

A-7. Baronial Disaster Brigade A-11. Degra Estate
Among the measures introduced by the barony in the wake of the Dockside The current master of the Alchemist Guild lives and works in this structure,
catastrophe a century ago was the creation of a permanent group of disaster an older building whose rough fieldstone structure belies its comfortable
specialists who were stationed in the Baronial Corridor, ready to respond to interior. Walled grounds contain several outbuildings and storage sheds
alchemical disasters at a moment’s notice. The Baronial Disaster Brigade — where Norda Degra (a half-elven master alchemist) performs experiments
or BDB — is an elite group of 12 alchemists, spellcasters, and firefighters and formulates extremely potent alchemicals. She specializes in rare and
equipped with various spells, equipment, and neutralizing agents intended to expensive substances that are sold in very small quantities in exclusive sites
stop alchemical fires or explosions from spreading or causing further damage. throughout Cat’s Cradle. These substances include poison antidotes, healing
The brigade operates in squads of six, each occupying this squat stone fortress salves, substances that enhance Intelligence, Charisma, and other abilities,
for three-day shifts. The remainder of the brigade, as well as a score of associated rejuvenation tinctures, substances that improve spellcasting abilities, and the
volunteers, can be summoned at a few minutes’ notice should disaster strike. like. A skilled and experienced practitioner, Degra is also a highly law-abiding
The brigade is under the command of Captain Hanrik Kalmester, a veteran and loyal citizen who favors working with non-volatile and less harmful
militia officer chosen for his leadership and organizational skills. substances, and always makes certain to dispose of alchemical waste safely
Adventure Hook: This is a good group for middle-level characters to join as per baronial decree. As a prosperous, successful, and lawful alchemist, she
on an ad-hoc basis for an adventure or two, whether it be a catastrophe like the was a natural choice to lead the guild and has held the position through yearly
adventure hook in A-6 or a law enforcement type of plot like the adventure elections for nearly a decade.
hook in A-2. Members of the brigade might be sent to respond to disasters Degra works alone and has no immediate family but is aided by a number
in places other than Cat’s Cradle, too, if you want the characters to have the of students and servants. Her reputation remains spotless, and she has always
option of traveling a bit. made it clear that she does not create harmful or destructive substances such
as poisons or explosives.
A-8. Rainbow Grove Adventure Hook: Degra remains above suspicion, but unfortunately a
carefully concealed past has finally returned to haunt her, and she has been
This stand of trees is different from the other greenery in the corridor, drawn against her will into a dark conspiracy that could shake Cat’s Cradle to
as it contains trees and plants that were the subject of various alchemical its foundations (see Cat’s Cradle: Fortune Hunters for more details).
experiments over the years, and continues to be the site of test growths and
treatments. Alders cluster near the riverbank, while oak and chestnut grow
farther inland. Though many of these trees look entirely natural, a large number
A-12. Count Mustaf Bridge
have been affected by the various alchemical substances in the soil and now The northernmost bridge across the Hyon River is on the site of the oldest
sprout leaves in a myriad of colors, lending the grove its name. Testing by bridge in Cat’s Cradle. Originally a wooden span intended to connect both
the barony and the alchemists themselves has so far shown that the soil and sides of the growing settlement, the bridge was replaced by a fine gray stone
the trees are relatively harmless, and the grove is a popular destination for structure funded by the civic-minded Count Mustaf more than 100 years ago.
picnickers, sightseers, and those who need some isolation from the daily bustle Mustaf hired well-known artisans and dwarven engineers for the project, and
on the streets of Cat’s Cradle. they succeeded spectacularly, creating an enduring structure that has survived
decades of heavy use and traffic. So well-constructed is the bridge that no
A-9. The Quicksilver seams can be detected between stones, and the decorative carvings — the
blazons of the city of Cat’s Cradle, Count Mustaf, and the barony itself — are
The Quicksilver River is so narrow that it barely merits the name. With as sharp and clear as they were the day they were carved.
effort, alchemists and groundskeepers have kept the corridor itself relatively
pleasant and verdant, but the degree of toxicity in the river itself grows greater
as it approaches the inlet, where the majority of the pollutants are deposited.
A-13. Babbson Goold’s Laboratory
Recently, the level of pollution came to the baron’s attention as several small
fires actually broke out on the river’s surface near where it meets the inlet.
and Alchemical Bazaar
Alarmed, the baron decreed that alchemists must reduce the amount of waste Owing to its convenient location close to the Mustaf Bridge, Goold’s
emptied into the river through recycling or other forms of disposal lest the alchemical store is the best-known and most-visited such location in the city.
trouble spread and cause another massive catastrophe. So far, the decree has Babbson Goold himself is a portly, companionable man with a ready laugh
met with considerable pushback as alchemists refuse to cooperate, claiming and a charming manner, but at the same time he is a skilled businessman who
that they are already doing all they can to keep the river safe. knows how to turn a profit. His unerring instincts tell him when to negotiate,
Adventure Hook: Guarding several wagons of toxic waste might seem when to stand firm, and exactly what prices the market will bear, characteristics
like an easy task, but certain individuals might have a use for it and attack that have been variously described as “uncanny,” “supernatural,” and “kind of
those wagons. Lower-level characters could be hired as guards and end up in creepy, really.”
the middle of the city’s political network if, for example, the people planning The bazaar is considered to be quite an exciting place to shop, as the shelves
to hijack the wagon are terrorists (or criminals unknowingly working for are crowded with alchemicals of all description, and Goold’s “secret bargains”
terrorists). See Radical Politics in the Introduction. are hidden throughout the establishment, awaiting discovery by careful

A-10. Alchemists’ Guild House shoppers. All of the shelves are locked and secured behind alchemically
enhanced glass, accessible only by Goold’s army of halfling and gnome
assistants, who are all friendly and well-informed, with a seemingly bottomless
The alchemists of Cat’s Cradle are a secretive lot, reluctant to share their store of knowledge about the bazaar and its wares.
private formulae and sources. On the other hand, alchemists have few qualms Adventure Hook: Goold hires the characters to investigate and provide
about sharing common techniques and educating students to serve as assistants security for the purchase of a large quantity of alchemical supplies shipped in
or bring alchemical procedures to other regions. Both of these tendencies are well from outside the town. This is highly suspicious, as Cat’s Cradle is by far the
displayed by the Alchemists’ Guild, a trade organization which all practitioners best source of such materials and exports rather than imports them.
in Cat’s Cradle are required to join in order to do business in the city.
The Guild House is a sturdy, thick-walled villa with numerous meeting rooms,
salons, and galleries, as well as an extensive library of common alchemistry
A-14. Westriver Wall
knowledge and guest rooms for visiting dignitaries or lecturers. Regular Flanking the Hyon, the Westriver Wall is twin to its eastside cousin,
meetings take place at which members set prices, negotiate trade contracts, similarly white and carefully tended, with extra stone cladding added to help
consult with merchants, and establish general rules for business within the city. protect the luxurious buildings of the Jade District from any potential hazard
Adventure Hook: The ordinary security force that guards the Guild House originating in Alchemists’ Alley. As it stands guard over the city’s wealthiest
suddenly has a rash of a debilitating illness, which is highly uncommon in neighborhood, it is regularly patrolled and its towers are well garrisoned by the
Cat’s Cradle. The characters might be hired to protect the place (because watch, despite the fact that the entire area is virtually crime-free.
obviously there is something very suspicious going on) or this might even
lead them to investigate whether someone is in control of who falls sick and
who doesn’t.

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B ricktown
Bricktown is the city’s main non-alchemical industrial district.
Most of the buildings here are constructed from the dark red brick for which
Cat’s Cradle is famous. The widespread use of bricks in the district spared it
from much of the devastation wrecked by the mass erosion of ripplestone a Brickmaking
hundred years ago, and the subsequent expansion gave the district its common While obviously volumes could be (and have been) devoted to the
name. Today, brick ovens, glass furnaces, and forges found throughout the history and manufacture of bricks, knowing the basics helps understand
neighborhood contribute to the area’s famed heat, which makes some streets Bricktown and its primary industry. Though it plays a subordinate role to
all but uninhabitable in summer, but which also provide enough warmth in Cat’s Cradle’s more glamorous and profitable industries — alchemical
winter to draw the homeless and the poor from all across Cat’s Cradle. salts and their associated endeavors — brickmaking is an important
The ready availability of forges, ovens, and furnaces makes the area a cornerstone of the city’s economy, one which is not dependent upon the
potent draw for artisans as well, though competition for space is intense and vagaries of magic and the dangers of alchemical manufacture.
only the most successful or influential of artists can afford to live or work Bricks are composed primarily of clay and sand or shale, with
here. Younger and less prominent artisans must make their way in the Old City various other materials added to provide coloration and durability.
where housing and work space come less dearly. Each of Cat’s Cradle’s major brick manufacturers has its own closely

B-1. The Merry Bricklayer guarded special formula, and the bricks have their own unique qualities.
The sand and clay mixture is packed into wooden molds by hand, then
dried for several days and fired in a specially designed kiln, first at
The premiere tavern of Bricktown region, the Merry Bricklayer is operated low heat to remove remaining moisture, then at higher temperatures
by the graying innkeeper Davril Haegeson and his family. The tavern comes to fire and strengthen the brick. Finished bricks are stored either in
by its name honestly, for Davril is indeed a retired bricklayer and -maker who attached warehouses or at the Brickfield, a large facility maintained by
carefully husbanded his fees and salary over decades to realize his dream of the barony, where local manufacturers can store their bricks for a fee
owning his very own tavern. For over a decade now, Davril has run a warm, prior to transportation.
comfortable, and popular business, surviving various economic ups and Cat’s Cradle’s location along the shores of a major lake provide
downs as well as the tragic death of his wife three years ago, but his health is brickmakers with distinct advantages — clay, shale, and sand are
beginning to fail and even his seemingly endless optimism and good nature readily available and can be quickly transported to the city’s various
has begun to flag. Several enterprising individuals have expressed interest in brickyards. Bricks originating in Cat’s Cradle have been used across
buying the tavern, the most prominent of which is Gellor Trendar, owner of the continent and have a reputation for beauty and quality, which leads
Mystic Stone, who has made an extremely generous offer. Trendar hopes to to fierce competition among manufacturers, and in some cases outright
open a series of Merry Bricklayer taverns across Cat’s Cradle and beyond, industrial sabotage.
under his ownership but managed by his employees. So far, Davril has resisted
efforts to purchase the tavern, proclaiming that he would rather die behind the
bar. His six children have responded to this in a variety of ways. Daughters call upon should anyone attempt a daylight robbery (so far no one has, but
Hildra and Edyth love their father with all their hearts and support him, while she is prepared nonetheless). Studi, Agno, and other members of the gnomish
eldest son Sorvan and eldest daughter Sylea both profess affection for Davril community designed these traps, and they are deadly, difficult to locate, and
and urge him to retire in comfort on the proceeds of the sale, but have allowed all but impossible to disarm. Even if intruders miraculously manage to avoid
that he has a right to choose his own future. Davril’s youngest sons Thravan the various spiked pits, swinging guillotines, hidden spears, poison darts,
and Kendro claim to go along with their older siblings in allowing their father falling blocks, and other obstacles, they will still be confronted by a series of
to make his own choices, but in reality they desperately lust after the fortune in locks and vaults to reach Studi’s storage, each one more difficult and elaborate
gold offered by Gellor, which they will share in should their father agree. They than the last. As noted, no thieves have every been able to circumvent Studi’s
have both undertaken an intense campaign to persuade Sorvan and Sylea, or at traps and locks, leading the Kennock Syndicate to contemplate other ways
least one of them, as the eldest siblings will eventually inherit the tavern, and of reaching their goal, including bribing Studi’s staff or even attempting to
can sell out after their father is conveniently out of the way. magically control Studi so that she herself disables all of the vault’s defenses.
Adventure Hook: Thravan and Kendro are not terribly patient about the Like their other schemes, these have all led to utter failure, but the Syndicate
situation, however, for both have been living fairly lavish lifestyles and are feels that the subtle approach may hold more promise than a direct assault.
badly in debt. Should Sorvan and Sylea agree to sell the tavern if they inherit, Adventure Hook: Studi is incapacitated by an accident, which suddenly
the younger brothers may take matters into their own hands and hasten their renders the entire shop completely inaccessible. A patron who legitimately
father’s demise. and legally needs something from the shop hires the characters to do the
impossible: break in.
B-2. Bellsinger Goldsmith B-3. Dwarven Brickworks
Gnomish goldsmith Studi Bellsinger operates a small, spotless, and exquisitely
organized shop. Here she creates jewelry in many styles, using casting and Despite its name, Dwarven Brickworks is actually controlled by a coalition
handcrafting techniques. Her more expensive pieces are magically enhanced by of dwarves and gnomes who pool their resources — dwarven craftsmanship
Studi’s cousin, the illusionist Agno who provides improvements ranging from and gnomish innovation — to construct a fully mechanical factory where
aesthetic alterations to protective magic. Studi herself is as professional buttoned- bricks and decorative stonework are created without the need for manual labor
down as her shop, with a spotless reputation for honesty and skill. beyond maintenance of machines.
Studi’s best qualities — her talent and organization — actually make her a The Brickworks are housed in a squat, ugly building that constantly belches
target for the most cunning of criminals. In order to remain on schedule and steam and smoke, emits loud clanking mechanical noises, and hosts a constant
provide her clients’ jewelry promptly, Studi keeps a fortune in gems, magical stream of wagons and dray animals. Inside is a labyrinth of gears, hydraulics,
components, gold, silver, and other precious metals close at hand, secured in pistons, conveyor belts, bins, vats, ovens, and other gear, some of which
a vault located in the back of her shop, adjacent to her small but efficient simply defies description or understanding.
workshop. Needless to say, this attracts the attention of would-be thieves from The dwarves of Clan Forgefire control the dwarven side of the business,
all across Cat’s Cradle and beyond. The professional criminals of the Kennock which involves the crafting of the various machines, their construction
Syndicate and the Thieves’ Guild have taken a special interest in Studi’s shop and maintenance, while gnomes from a variety of different families and
and facilities and dispatched several of their most talented operatives to break backgrounds take care of the design and creative side, constantly concocting
in and make off with the contents of her vault. new devices and manufacturing processes, designing new brick shapes, glazes
Unfortunately, Studi proved every bit as devious as her opponents, and and appearances, and experimenting with various formulations seeking to
so far, none has succeeded in their endeavors. Despite its rather mundane improve on their old designs.
appearance, her shop is a nightmarish labyrinth of locks, traps and pitfalls Some of the time, of course, this unrestricted experimentation and chaos results
that she activates during hours that the shop is closed, and that she can also in spectacular failure — explosions, fires, noxious gases, and malfunctioning

B ricktown |9
10|C at ’ s C radle
machinery are all part of daily life at Dwarven Brickworks. A recent attempt to simulate handcrafted
quality through the use of clockwork laborers resulted in the devices running wild and damaging
several neighboring structures along Sticks-and-Bricks Avenue and costing Clan Forgefire several
thousand gold pieces in fines. In another incident, much of the structure was flooded with soft
mud when an extrusion device malfunctioned. Such events are taken in stride by the pragmatic
dwarves and basically ignored by the gnomes, who continue to dream up wild and often utterly
impractical inventions.
Stonelord Uli Forgefire is the senior dwarf in attendance, managing his side of the
business with considerable acumen and all the wisdom of his 120 years. His gnomish
opposite number is the wild-haired Nika “Gadget” Gemdelver, a spellcaster who oversees
the gnomes primarily because she has the most elaborate and impractical ideas of all her
people. Bright and friendly, Nika nevertheless never met an invention she didn’t love and
must rely on Uli’s more pragmatic and sensible leadership to keep her from utterly
bankrupting the business.
The Dwarven Brickworks maintains good or at least neutral relations
with the other brick manufacturers, conducting business cordially while
dealing firmly with attempts at industrial espionage. In general, they
are left out of major conflicts between businesses since their purely
mechanical process is considered either utterly mad or prohibitively
expensive. All the same, grim Forgefire dwarves guard the facility
and keep out unwanted visitors, while the gnomes happily
conduct official tours of the facilities for the curious.
Like many locations in Bricktown, the
vicinity of Dwarven Brickworks is hot
and often humid due to the moisture
extracted from drying bricks. The
dwarves and gnomes are sturdy
and tolerate these conditions
without much difficulty, but
humans and elves often find
it uncomfortable, especially in
the heat of summer. Also like
other businesses in Bricktown,
Dwarven Brickworks attracts
crowds of homeless cityfolk
during the coldest days of winter.
Despite a gruff character, Uli tolerates
these transients and often provides
them with food and clothing.
Adventure Hook: A building site in
the town keeps getting sabotaged. Uli
and Nika only happen to know about
it because they are the suppliers for the
construction team, but they can refer the
characters to a building contractor who is
at his wits’ end trying to find out what is
happening to the job and why.

B-4. The Brickfield

Officially baronial territory, the Brickfield is
a vast warehouse where finished bricks can be
stored prior to transportation. Storage is in short
supply, but the warehouse has grown more vital
as production increases. Space must be reserved
weeks or even months in advance, and though
fees for the service are relatively low, they
must all be fully paid to the barony in advance.
Should misfortune delay a shipment,
penalties of up to 100% of
the advance fees may be
imposed. Worse still, should
a customer fail to remove
their bricks on schedule —
thus delaying the space’s
next occupants — the
baron reserves the right
to confiscate and sell the
offending bricks. In such
cases, the customers usually
move the bricks out of the
warehouse with great urgency.
Due to its importance to the
city and the barony, the Brickfield
is built like a fortress with thick

B ricktown |11
walls (of Cat’s Cradle brick, naturally), secure gates, and narrow windows. Adventure Hook: Deera hires the characters to investigate Nardo’s
A single set of large gates is kept barred save for when shipments are coming activities and keep him out of trouble.
in or going out. Well-trained and well-paid guards maintain security, often
supplemented by spellcasters. Those trusted with this task are invariably
above suspicion and considered all but uncorruptible. Despite this, intrigue
B-7. Manticore Bricks
and sabotage sometimes occur, with bricks stolen and damaged or buyers One of the three leading brick manufacturers in Cat’s Cradle, Manticore
paid off to cancel their shipments at the last minute to guarantee forfeiture. takes pride in its “all natural” production methods, which the current owner
The Brickfield’s overseer is the tough and no-nonsense veteran Colonel Grif Mikelos Creal insists is made with no mechanical or magical enhancement
Nishon, who tolerates neither slacking, dishonesty, nor disobedience, and is whatsoever. Manticore’s success lies in its variety, as its bricks are valued for
unflaggingly loyal to the baron. their many colors, shapes, styles, and levels of quality and aesthetic value,
ranging from common bricks used for basic construction to elaborate, fanciful
B-5. Black Bull Ironworks bricks with delicate embossing or patterns and brightly colored glazed stones
that are greatly prized and incorporated into many famed structures and
Urthan “The Bull” Viturri is a human barbarian from a distant land (he luxurious homes in distant regions.
has never confided exactly which one) who is a master blacksmith and has As might be expected, other manufacturers offer significant rewards for
gained sufficient success and influence to obtain a small but well-equipped the various formulae and processes that Manticore uses, particularly the
smithy in the heart of Bricktown. There he makes mundane objects such as arcanists at Mystic Stone (Location B-9), who are baffled by Manticore’s
pots, kettles, and utensils, but also crafts especially fine weapons and armor success and their rejection of magical enhancement. Crea and his partners are
for special clients. These items are often intended for enchantment and a future aware of Mystic’s activities and hired their own spellcasters (at significant
as magic items, and so are created with the highest standards of quality and expense) to protect Manticore’s operation. This has led to occasional outright
beauty. Urthan is assisted by his two wives, Shan and Khur, who are every bit confrontations, and even a full-scale spell battle in the facility when magically
as tough and skilled as he is, and his four children. The family lives in a suite concealed rogues and their sorcerer supervisor were discovered sneaking into
of apartments above the smithy. the Manticore facility. Rumor has it that Manticore’s owners are furious about
Quiet, morose, and often downright surly, Urthan nonetheless commands the intrusion and have been planning some form of retaliation.
high prices for his work, and many of his wares decorate noble mansions or Much to the frustration of Mystic Stone and many other local manufacturers,
are worn and carried into battle by wealthy warriors. Despite his success, Manticore has been awarded an official baronial contract to produce bricks in
some dark rumors have continued to persist about Urthan, many of which a planned urban renewal project, replacing the unstable ripplestone structures
surround his reasons for leaving his homeland. Perhaps this is simply due of the Old City with sturdy, locally produced brickwork. The plan is still in
to his reluctance to discuss it, but wild stories circulate nonetheless — some its infancy and years from completion, but Mikelos and his associates have
claim that he came to Cat’s Cradle after committing a terrible crime, that he already begun planning for the ambitious endeavor.
was once a powerful warlord toppled from his throne by rebellion and that the Adventure Hook: The owners of Mystic Stone (Location B-9) hire — or
rebels are still seeking him, that he secretly worships foreign gods and makes attempt to hire — the characters to steal the formula from Mikelos. If the
sacrifice to them while using his victims’ blood to make his various wares — characters choose not to engage in such nefarious behavior, the scenario can
these and even more bizarre stories have been whispered about Urthan. The turn around. If informed of the plot, Mikelos hires them to protect the formula
Bull himself doesn’t deign to respond to these rumors, and most are far too from whomever Mystic Stone hires next. The same hook could be used for
scared of what he might do to actually bring up any of them directly. In some attempted sabotage of the baronial contract.
ways, the rumors have enhanced Urthan’s reputation and business, for more
people have begun to stop by simply to see him in the flesh.
Adventure Hook: Someone has learned a secret from Urthan’s past and is
B-8. Milleton Glassworks
trying to blackmail him. Urthan realizes he doesn’t have the social cunning One of the various businesses not directly related to brick manufacture,
required to trap such a villain and enlists the characters to help. the Glassworks also features massive furnaces where a mixture of sand and
ash are melted together, sometimes with chemicals to provide color, blown
B-6. Whiteshadow Ceramics and flattened into panels that grace nobles’ homes or temple windows. Glass
requires significantly higher temperatures than bricks, so these furnaces are
Deera Whiteshadow is from a family of halfling craftsfolk and has taken especially hot, making much of the building’s interior quite uncomfortable
to her clan’s mastery of stoneware and porcelain. When her brothers and and forcing workers to take short shifts working the furnaces, spending the
sisters chose to remain in their family’s home territory, she set out on her remainder of their time in other portions of the complex where they pack,
own, venturing to Cat’s Cradle, where she bought a bankrupt brickworks organize, and prepare glass for shipment.
and converted it to the production of ceramics. Using similar techniques to From time to time, Milleton employs spellcasters to aid in the glassmaking
brickmaking, Deera was able to piggyback on Cat’s Cradle’s supply chain, process by providing magical flames that temporarily increase the efficiency of
importing the clays and glazes she needed to create and improve upon her the glass furnaces, enchanting finished glass objects, or otherwise enhancing
family’s traditional wares. Today, her facilities are staffed primarily by the final product.
halflings and gnomes and are entirely self-contained, including storage, The Milleton family has run the glassworks for more than 60 years under
workshops, kilns, and warehouse space. Whiteshadow stoneware is durable the control of matriarch Landra Milleton who is now 95 years old and (at
and inexpensive and is balanced by Whiteshadow porcelain, which is prized least in the view of her potential heirs) stubbornly refuses to die. The Milleton
for its beauty, texture, and fine glazes. Patterns incorporate traditional halfling Estate (Location S-7) is currently a den of intrigue, backstabbing, and
designs integrated with symbology from other cultures such as elves, humans, competition for the aging family elder’s favor by her relatives, children, and
and dwarves. even grandchildren.
Deera has employed a number of relatives as well. She has never married Adventure Hook: One of the Milleton family factions enlists the characters
and has no children of her own and treats the cousins, nieces, and nephews to strengthen their status. This might happen before Landra dies, or it might be
in her employ with near-maternal concern and care. Though she claims to the result of an all-out power struggle just after she dies.
love them all equally, it is clear that her favorite is her nephew, the young
Nardo Brooks, a young and brash halfling who plays his aunt’s affections for
all they’re worth. Gambling, carousing, indiscriminately pursuing romantic
B-9. Mystic Stone
assignations, brawling, and sampling as many exotic substances as possible, Asea Rohlind (Location G-15) is a half-elven sorceress rejected by her
Nardo is anything but the paragon of halfling virtue that Deera thinks he is. For elven family due to her mixed heritage. Bitter but determined, she made her
her part, Deera refuses to hear anything negative about her nephew, assuming way in human society, discovering her sorcerous gifts along the way and
that others are simply jealous, and bails him out with no questions asked eventually marrying the hard-nosed but entirely nonmagical human merchant
whenever his excesses get him locked up. Her warm relations with powerful Gellor Trendar who owned a small brick and ceramics business and had just
businesses and city officials are usually enough to get major charges dismissed begun to export his wares outside Cat’s Cradle. In time, the two developed new
or to get young Nardo out with a slap on the wrist. It is rumored that Nardo alchemical formulae and adapted techniques normally used in the creation of
is deeply in debt to the Kennock Syndicate, who are attempting to blackmail magical items to strengthen, enhance, and beautify Gellor’s products. They
him into embezzling from Deera or into skimming off the top of Whiteshadow also took full advantage of their location, adding some of Cat’s Cradle’s unique
porcelain shipments. Time will tell whether he finally betrays his aunt, though alchemic salts to their mixtures. Soon their bricks gained a stellar reputation
even then she may find a way to forgive him. and became something of a prestige item for building. Today, Asea and her

12|C at ’ s C radle
staff of influential and well-compensated spellcasters continue the tradition,
applying their skills to produce bricks of exceptional durability and beauty. B-11. Perfumer
Mystic Stone is the most famous and influential of Cat’s Cradle’s many
brickmakers, but due to the high cost and elaborate procedures needed to make A mysterious immigrant to Cat’s Cradle who is rumored to have significant
their product, they are not the most prosperous — this honor goes to Mystic magical powers, the elf Ellea Macaethan owns and operates this shop where
Stone’s rival, Manticore Bricks, a situation that vexes Asea and Gellor to no she sells perfumes, candles, and essential oils of all varieties, including some
end. Their elven wizards and human warlock staff are a generally haughty and that actually have arcane qualities. While most of these effects are minor,
arrogant lot in the best of times, and the notion that a mere human business that benign, and temporary — relaxation, pleasant hallucinations, the enhancement
does not even use magic might be outcompeting them has placed a huge chip of the senses or feelings of love and pleasure — she also offers more potent
on the spellcasters’ shoulders. Intrigue against Manticore has been increasing items that have effects similar to some magical potions, incenses, and salves.
of late, as Asea, Gellor, and their employees seek to learn more about the rival Her manufacturing process is not known — Ellea’s shop contains only finished
business’ secret formulae and procedures. products and modest living quarters, leading most to assume that she has a
In addition to the business’s two owners, Mystic Stone’s senior staff workspace somewhere outside of Cat’s Cradle, possibly in the countryside
includes four elven wizards — whose versatile spellcasting allows them to somewhere or, as some more exotic theories suggest, on a convenient parallel
experiment with more and different arcane procedures — and two human plane or pocket dimension.
warlocks. Staff is mostly human with several dwarf laborers. The building has Adventure Hook: Ellea has access to a pocket plane she inherited, which
been extensively converted and beautified with brick facing that puts many she uses as her workroom. However, it has become unstable on the inside for
of the enterprise’s most colorful bricks on display, as well as some of their unknown reasons. Ellea isn’t an expert in this area, but she knows enough to
more exotic types, such as bricks that emit light, change shape and color, and hire them in situations like this. The characters would need to enter the small
other intriguing effects. The interior does not look like a typical brickyard, plane of existence and explore it to find out where things have gone wrong …
for the various spellcasters have their own private workspaces, and the actual and why.
manufacturing facilities are equipped with magically fueled ovens. Basic
labor is performed by unseen servants, and various familiars such as imps and
homunculi dart here and there. Bound elementals and even more bizarre and
B-12. The Dancer’s Door
exotic sights are common. Originally known as the Eastern Gate, this entrance to Cat’s Cradle sees a
Unlike the tough but kindhearted Uli Forgefire (Location B-3), Asea, constant flow of traffic along Sundry Road, bearing raw materials to Bricktown
Gellor, and their spellcasters have little tolerance for loiterers and the poor or carrying loads of finished brick out. As the industry grew in income and
who venture to Bricktown in the winter to seek out the warmth of the furnaces importance, the significance of the gate grew until it was decorated with
and kilns. Being the type that sees poverty as a sign of moral weakness and dancing statues and faced with bricks from a variety of manufacturers, making
laziness, Mystic Stone’s owners employ local toughs to beat and drive off its surface a chaotic mix of bricks in a wide range of shades and colors.
anyone foolish enough to camp or linger too long in the area or anyone who
looks shiftless or poverty-stricken.
Adventure Hook: See Location B-7. A lower-level adventure hook might
B-13. Sturt’s Apothecary
be defending some squatters from the thugs employed here, possibly at the Sturt is a jumpy, talkative, and easily distracted shopkeeper, but his
urging of a cleric or as part of a radical politics type of campaign. wares — healing herbs, salves, medicinal ointments, and related items —

B-10. Salamaris’ Studio are considered top-quality and are especially popular with adventurers. Sturt
himself is an expatriate goblin who came to Cat’s Cradle along with several
of his fellow goblins and a trove of herbalism and formulae stolen from his
Eris Salamaris is a human artist who crafts delicate works in ceramic, tribe’s shamans. Armed with their pilfered knowledge, Sturt and his friends
glass, clay, and metal. His success with the wealthy folk of Cat’s Cradle started selling in the Alchemical Bazaar in the Panhandle, then used their
allowed him to renovate a small factory, installing resources for firing profits to renovate a rundown apothecary in Bricktown where their business
ceramics and smelting glass as well as living quarters. Here, Salamaris creates has continued to grow.
wild and increasingly elaborate works that many feel resemble organically Adventure Hook: Though Sturt is outwardly a chaotic and unfocused
grown objects or bizarre sea life. His works are popular with the elite of Cat’s individual, he has proven quite the skilled craftsman, and is a surprisingly
Cradle, and the baron himself recently commissioned a large sculpture that cunning and thoughtful individual. He knows, for example, that his tribal
will grace one of the feast halls in Cat’s Keep. Salamaris has taken on the shamans do not view his crimes lightly, and may one day seek him out to
project with enthusiasm to the point of obsession, neglecting other projects avenge themselves and eliminate the threat that he represents to their power.
and commissions in his zeal. Accordingly, he is always on the lookout for suspicious individuals — goblins
Salamaris’ obsession is fed by his dreams, in which he envisions the final or otherwise — and is not above soliciting some of his adventurer customers
shape of his sculpture, which evolves and grows even more elaborate with each to act as his agents or bodyguards.
dream. Always somewhat unstable, Salamaris has grown more so recently as
his consumption of hallucinogens (fairly high to begin with) has increased
significantly, providing him with even greater inspiration and the madness that
B-14. Barretti’s Rooms
accompanies it. He has driven away most of his assistants, and his studio has A typical Bricktown tenement located close by the Old City, Barretti’s is
gone from pristine good order to utter chaos. Salamaris’ wife Azrati has also constructed of unstable ripplestone that has been patched over the years with cheap
moved out and is now living in a small apartment. She has sought help for local bricks. Rooms are cheap, and there is always the danger of collapse due to
her unfortunate husband and suspects there is more to his malady than simple its outdated building materials. The building’s most notable tenant is the private
artistic obsession. detective Valdrin Hoff (see Fortune Hunters), who maintains a home-office on
Adventure Hook: There is indeed something unusual about Eris’ obsession, the ground floor. Here, he meets with clients, researches his various cases, and
which could involve a night hag, demonic possession of some kind, or contact even consults in great secrecy with various members of the constabulary.
with an elder being. Azrati hires the characters to investigate the situation and
resolve it.

B ricktown |13
C at ’ s K eep
Deep in the heart of Cat’s Cradle stand the high walls of the baronial keep. Despite the simplicity of this ancient temple and its central statues,
Centuries old, the keep is by far the oldest, still-standing structure in the everything else in the temple is dripping with gold, gems, and silk, and as such,
region, predating the discovery of all the more unique aspects of Cat’s Cradle is heavily guarded. Offerings at this temple are all in coin by tradition, and as
and its surrounding environs. temple expenses are paid by the baron, said offerings are distributed among the
The walls and the keep itself are of simple construction in an ancient style, poor once a year at the winter festival.
though the inner castle has been expanded over the centuries in the name
of comfort. As was traditional for the region in those ancient days, all local
grain was stored inside the keep for safety and fair distribution, so most of the
C-4. The City Courthouse
outbuildings between the little castle and the keep wall are warehouses and Opposite the watch house, just inside the keep gate, stands the Cat’s Cradle
silos for storage of common-use dry goods. Courthouse. Here, the baron’s appointed judges weigh all legal matters from
By tradition, the keep is also home to a large population of domestic and atop a rather intimidating dais. The courthouse is not large, but most of it is a
semi-feral cats. These are fed out of the baronial budget and serve as guardians single, echoing hall with a high ceiling and very few furnishings.
of the grain stores against pests. Accusers and accused, criminals and watch members stand below the dais
to make their cases, only rarely represented by legal advocates or accompanied
C-1. The Baronial Castle by supporters or corroborators. Court guards, not members of the watch,
maintain safety and order when plaintiffs or defendants are unruly. A small
The largest and oldest of the keep’s inner buildings is the Baronial number of benches allow for an audience, but most cases are observed only by
Castle. Simpler and more down to earth than the extravagant homes of one of the baron’s secretaries who keeps verbatim notes of each case. There
the Jade District, this castle is one reason Baron Scale is well-regarded by is no place for anything remotely like a jury in this courthouse. Everything is
his people. He is the first baron in three generations to live full time in the up to the judge.
castle, instead of showing up at the keep only for major events while living While some difficult or high-profile cases are referred directly to the
in the Jade District. baron, and while it is technically possible to appeal to the baron for reversal
By tradition, petitions from the common people are heard once a week of judgments in any legal matter, the majority of legal and criminal matters
in the castle’s front audience chamber, which is well-appointed but far from are decided here (and most petitions for appeal are rejected, as the baron is
ostentatious. Baron Scale, Baroness Liera, and their two small children are all kept very busy running the city and surrounding countryside). Fortunately,
said to be gracious hosts, able to make anyone, from the highest noble to the the baron’s three appointed judges are all known to be wise, even-tempered,
lowliest commoner, feel comfortable in their home. The baron’s mother, Lady shrewd, and compassionate individuals.
Resla, has a more forbidding reputation, and her quarters in the castle are said Senna Tyhrese is an old elf woman who has lived in these lands for hundreds
to be far more reminiscent of the last few generations’ opulence. of years. Tonsren Weckam is a human elder and lifelong philanthropist.
Adventure Hook: This area will likely be used if the baron or one of the Kyrissa Dess is a yshkat woman who formerly worked as a mediator at the
nobility hires the characters for an adventure, but the possibility of problems at docks, solving disputes between merchants and captains. All three are experts
the weekly audience can be a good independent hook since the baron himself in local and kingdom law, and though all are very minor aristocrats, all seem
is usually present. This is most likely a radical political sort of plot that could sympathetic to the plight of common folk. Obviously, they cannot try cases
range from something as minor as a protest to something as serious as an for citizens who outrank them (the rank of a baron-appointed judge in Cat’s
assassination attempt. Cradle being considered equal to that of baronet), and residents and visitors who
outrank a baron must take their cases before their own or the baron’s liege.
C-2. The Baronial Stables Adventure Hook: The characters are called upon to gather evidence in a
case where nothing seems well established. If they are unwittingly on the trail
The baronial stables stand at the back of the keep, far from the gate, and — of someone powerful, they might rapidly become the victims of a second crime.
secured as they are behind the keep’s high walls — are considered some of
the best-protected stables in the land. These were built centuries ago by one of
the baron’s ancestors and are of little interest to Baron Scale. He keeps only
C-5. The Groundskeeper’s Shed
a few horses for himself and his family, of quality but hardly theft-worthy Located just behind the castle and entirely dwarfed by it stands a
stock — especially considering how many easier places there are from which groundskeeper’s shed as large as some families’ entire homes. While it does
to steal horses. contain the tools one would expect for gardeners to maintain the flowerbeds
That said, other wealthy and important people do sometimes want a secure inside Cat’s Keep, it has long been tradition for the groundskeepers to also care
location to house a valuable horse, and the baronial stables are a highly for Cat’s Keep’s army of cats. As such, more than half the shed is dedicated
sought-after space for the keeping of prime grade mounts. As many as 10 to to veterinary care and other necessary tools for the sanitary accommodation
15 expensive horses can be found housed alongside those of the baron, enough of so many felines.
to have inspired several attempts on the place, but thus far, no would-be horse The Cat’s Keep grounds are kept very clean but still tend to smell a bit like
thieves have succeeded at stealing from the baronial stables. cat, especially on hot days.
Adventure Hook: A character’s horse is stolen and ends up at the baronial
stables. Obviously the most sensible way to deal with this is to steal it back, right? C-6. The Guest House
C-3. The Baronial Temple Built centuries ago by a previous baroness, the structure now known as the
Guest House was originally for her second husband and his art projects, while
The oldest still-standing temple in the Cat’s Cradle region is the baronial the first husband lived in the castle as her official consort. Later, this “Second
temple inside the walls of Cat’s Keep. Small and simple in structure, the House” came to be used for important guests to Cat’s Cradle whenever there
temple is dedicated to two deities. By her statue’s symbolism, one is clearly wasn’t room in the castle. In recent generations, after Baron Scolren moved
identifiable as Sefagreth, the god of trade who is revered throughout the city, his family to the Jade District, the guest house was shut up and went unused
but the other statue, known only as the “Bearded God,” is unidentifiable and a for decades.
mystery. Every few generations, the bearded god takes on a different identity Since Baron Scale returned to Cat’s Keep, however, the Guest House has
and significance for the common people of Cat’s Cradle, who are permitted to been renovated and is said to be very fine, perhaps more comfortable than the
visit the baronial temple a few times a year on major holidays. castle itself.
It is said, however, that the baron’s family knows the true identity of the Adventure Hook: Unexpected and important guests are arriving with
bearded god, and that they worship him in secret rites to keep Cat’s Cradle safe virtually no notice. The characters are employed to augment the normal
and the baronial family in power from generation to generation. The baronial security that would be employed in this case, possibly because there are
family and the temple priest have always insisted that all worship taking place suspicions that corrupt elements in the city watch have been paid to let their
at the baronial temple is perfectly normal, and they never argue with the public attention lapse at a key moment.
as to the bearded god’s currently accepted identity.

14|C at ’ s C radle
C-7. The Inner Gates such, the so-called “Main Silo” is actually among the smallest of Cat’s Keep’s
food storage structures.
However, the Main Silo is the oldest of these, and of great cultural
Also known as the Old Gates, these are the gates to Cat’s Keep. Something importance. Decorated top to bottom with carvings depicting the city’s history,
truly terrible and unexpected would have to happen in Cat’s Cradle for the the Cat’s Keep Main Silo is the most prominent feature of the keep’s front
Keep Gates to be of any practical use, so these days they are left open night courtyard. Every year at harvest time, a ritual is made of mixing together
and day, closed only briefly as part of seasonal holiday traditions, such as wheat from everyone’s harvests to symbolize the unity of the Cat’s Cradle
preceding all observances surrounding the Main Silo (Location C-8). That community. On the winter’s shortest day, bags of wheat from the Main Silo
said, the gates are guarded by the watch, as they are right beside the central are ritually distributed to those in need. If any is left over come spring, farmers
watch house and courthouse. And since they are used ceremonially a few times who work the baron’s lands are given sacks of wheat at a planting ritual as a
a year, they are kept in reasonably good repair, especially the hinges and the symbol of the cycle of giving and receiving in a community.
portcullis chain. If harm were to come to the Cat’s Keep Main Silo, it would not be a
Though the portcullis is sturdy steel and the gates themselves quite stout and particular financial loss to anyone, and in most years no one would likely go
steel-reinforced, it is unknown whether they could still withstand an assault hungry either. However, the loss of the Main Silo’s grain would strike a deep
by an enemy force, since their construction predates several advancements blow to community morale. Of course, the Main Silo stands directly between
in siege weaponry. They do look imposing, however. The gates would almost the castle and the central watch house, in plain view of anyone passing by, so
certainly be able to keep out rioting peasants at the very least, though Baron it would be all but impossible to tamper with it without getting caught.
Scale and his family are quite popular, and riots in Cat’s Cradle seem unlikely
for now.
C-9. The Tower
C-8. The Main Silo Cat’s Cradle may be a wealthy city, but it is still only a barony, and as such
has no authority to imprison anyone provably ranked baron or higher without
Most of the buildings inside Cat’s Keep are used to store grain and other orders from the capital. However, on occasion, a person of great wealth or
long-term food supplies. It’s just the Cat’s Cradle tradition, and no one has ever renown, or who might be nobility but is waiting for proof to arrive, needs to be
seen fit to change it. Obviously, many merchants handle their own storage, but arrested for criminal behavior. In such a case, it is considered inappropriate to
small-time farmers can rarely find a better deal than to sell their surplus to the house such a person with common prisoners unless absolutely no alternative
baron for distribution, especially with a baron like Scale, who pays a fair price is available.
even to commoners. In addition, Cat’s Cradle still allows the payment of taxes In Cat’s Cradle, so long as a high-status prisoner is not deemed a personal
in kind, so most small-time farmers (which describes most of those who work threat to the baron, his family, or the security of the city as a whole, said
the baron’s lands) find it easiest to pay the baron in the fruits of their labors. As prisoner is held in a facility within Cat’s Keep known as the Tower. This tall,

C at ' s K eep |15

narrow structure is situated just far enough from the keep wall to make a jump
impossible even for the best athlete. The next closest building to the Tower is
the vast central watch house. The Tower is four stories tall and is mostly stairs,
with a single excellently appointed suite at the top, complete with physically
fit servants that are able to run up and down the tall tower all day.
The Tower is guarded, but prisoners are primarily on their honor to behave as
their status requires, and it is well known that several common spells for levitation
and similar could easily free any Tower prisoner. Since Tower prisoners are
never truly dangerous sorts, when they have escaped in the past, they often
become the talk of Cat’s Cradle for years, romantic folk heroes or villains,
depending on their crimes. Most Tower prisoners are too concerned
with appearances, dignity, and honor to escape, however. They more
often hire teams of advocates to get them freed by legal means.
Adventure Hook: One of the prisoners in the Tower has
important information to give, but for some reason (possibly
a family or old business relationship) they divulge the
information only to one of the characters, and the information
turns out to be very valuable … and very dangerous to know.

C-10. The Watch House

Several old defensive structures from before
the raising of Cat’s Cradle’s outer walls are built
into the keep’s inner wall. The largest of these
— stretching from just beside the keep gate to
cover nearly a third of its inner wall — has long
since become the central headquarters, barracks,
and short-term jail of the city watch. All watch captains
for all districts, at least in theory, report here to Watch
Commander Reese Gavel, with the sole exception of
the Baronial Constabulary, whose leadership report
directly to the baron.
Reese Gavel is an iron-haired half-elf of
stiff posture and little imagination. She
is good with a blade and better with
organizational administration, taking a
no-nonsense policy toward criminal
behavior at all levels of society. She
keeps a clean but spartan watch
house and has done a serviceable
job at maintaining order in all
parts of Cat’s Cradle, other than
the Old City, where her every
plan seems to fail, time and
again, to her terse and stony
frustration. She is also known
to be on poor terms with
Captain Leesis Estromyl of
the Jade District Watch, but
she is unable to dismiss him for
reasons not openly discussed.
Adventure Hook: This is
the jail. Breaking a prisoner
out of jail is a classic adventure
hook, and never, ever goes as
planned.

16|C at ’ s C radle
D ockside D istrict
The bustling waterfront is at the heart of Cat’s Cradle, and though its fighters, often with roguish or magical skills as well. Specialist investigators
importance has been somewhat eclipsed by the newer facilities in the provide magical, druidic, or divine assistance. Once a constable is on a case,
Panhandle, Dockside remains a critical element of the city’s economic and only death or specific orders from superiors stops the investigation before it
social life. Much of the current dock facility is less than a century old, dating is complete.
back to the period in which all cargo, including alchemicals and supplies, was Adventure Hook: The characters are deputized to serve as constables
shipped through the main dock district, with some alchemical labs built there after several of the regular constables are removed from service (sick, killed,
for convenience as well. With very little oversight, these labs grew in size kidnapped, or whatever might be related to a sinister plot). The first order of
and safety procedures became increasingly lax. Mishandling of alchemical business is to find out what has happened and why.
runoff and an error in titration led to a massive explosion that raged through
the docks, burning much of the district to the waterline. In the catastrophe’s
aftermath, the barony took direct control of the docks, began rebuilding, and
D-2. Veyloura Mercantile Enterprises
declared that all alchemical products and supplies would be shipped through Managed by a partnership of two humans — Barlund Halstead and Feona
facilities in the Panhandle. Today, the rebuilt Dockside facilities are visited by Indrik — and the dwarf Nurjal Hurgin, Veyloura Mercantile Enterprises
a constant flow of lake vessels along with rowdy crews and the crime and vice controls a fleet of five river-ships, countless barges, and finances regular
that normally plagues the waterfronts of larger cities. caravans to and from the city. The partnership is known to be a troubled one,
with coldly polite relations between its members even at the best of times.
D-1. Baronial Constabulary Conflicts over business plans and investments sometimes boil over into angry
arguments, and in some cases, even blows have been exchanged. Nevertheless,
This ancient, four-story building serves as headquarters for the Baronial the business continues to thrive and has made the tumultuous partners quite
Constabulary, a branch of city law enforcement that is distinct from the wealthy, leading them to stay together despite their struggles.
city watch and other authorities. Overworked, understaffed, underpaid, and Unfortunately, the personality conflicts between three very assertive
underfunded, the constabulary nonetheless exists as an independent entity individuals cannot be papered over forever. Barlund, the oldest partner, has
devoted to investigating crimes that threaten the barony or the city as a whole. the most experience in business and has grown increasingly cautious over
In practice, this means that the constabulary serves as a major crimes unit with the years, averse to risks and focused primarily on protecting his existing
the authority to look into offenses such as treason, smuggling, murder, arson, investments and passing on a legacy of wealth to his three children. The
and similar illegalities. While theoretically superior to all other legal entities in business is named for Barlund’s late sister, who died when he was a child.
the city, constabulary operatives frequently encounter resistance and pushback Nurjal is a brash, middle-aged dwarf from a wealthy and accomplished clan
from members of the watch and private security groups, such as those hired to who turned his back on his family’s assets, insisting that he could become rich
keep order in Old City. The constabulary is often viewed by these groups as on his own. He succeeded admirably in this task, but in the process developed
a meddling, officious bunch of do-gooders with little regard for the realities an independent streak that has recently cause further estrangement from his
of Cat’s Cradle society. The animosity goes both ways, for many constables human partners. Finally, Feona is the youngest and most daring of the trio,
believe the watch to be corrupt or full of ineffectual time-servers. Though spending considerable funds on dead-end investments and wild schemes,
the constabulary operated with the full support of the baron, its members are some of which actually succeeded, further encouraging her incautious
usually on the verge of being overwhelmed by a tide of crime and graft. practices. Tensions between the three have escalated as each has gone their
Nevertheless, the constables carry on under the eccentric leadership of own way, placing relatives and cronies in important positions, further straining
Lady Genera, a wizened and seemingly frail old woman whose unassuming interpersonal relations.
appearance conceals a cunning mind and an unyielding, steely spirit. Lady The cold war power struggle to control Veyloura Enterprises may grow hot
Genera never raises her voice, is ceaselessly polite and deferential, and spends as Barlund and his children seek to contain the increasingly erratic behavior
much of her time reading, sipping tea, and knitting or tatting, producing of Feona and her younger sister, and the thoughtless activities of Nurjal and
countless shawls and doilies which she gives as gifts to successful constables. his clansfolk, who have recently been acting independently and keeping excess
Her dedication to the constabulary is unbreakable, however, and once she has profits from their specific enterprises for themselves, while Feona and Nurjal are
undertaken an investigation, she stops at nothing to see it to its conclusion. developing their own plans to take sole control of Veyloura. When legitimate
Criminals who underestimate Lady Genera never make the same mistake means fail, those close to the family believe that the entire situation may descend
twice. No one is entirely certain where she came from or how she got the job, into all-out civil war, a situation which could engulf much of Dockside.
but those who know her have no doubt about her dedication, intelligence, or Adventure Hook: Other than the characters getting involved in the cold
ruthless efficiency. war among the partners of Veyloura Enterprises, the company is also a
Genera’s second-in-command is the gruff Commander Francovis Mageran, good source of any kind of adventure where characters are hired to rescue a
a former watch officer who led an investigation into corruption and exposed a mercantile operation. This could include fighting pirates, rescuing a stranded
conspiracy to smuggle stolen alchemical salts out of Cat’s Cradle. Resulting ship, guarding a caravan, etc.
arrests and convictions resulted in watch officers turning against Mageran and
branding him a traitor, but also earned him command of the constabulary. He
remains a villain to most watch members, who still believe that he betrayed his
D-3. Cat’s Cradle Port Authority
colleagues, despite their provable wrongdoing. Mageran and Lady Genera’s As baronial income from the Panhandle docks is limited, most tariffs and
other senior investigators vet each new recruit to the constabulary, carefully taxes are levied on the main docks, where baronial assessors check each
researching their backgrounds and abilities to make certain that they will serve incoming vessel’s cargo and assess fees, which must be collected before ships
the barony loyally. can offload. Chief Assessor Elovan Avezila leads a staff of assessors and
The constabulary is also a relatively small group of professional their assistants who work in shifts around the clock. The port authority has a
investigators, with 16 regular constables who carry silver badges in the shape number of facilities, including a vault that contains collected income, which
of a snarling cat’s head. They are commanded by five senior constables called are transported to Cat’s Keep in a well-guarded procession each week, and a
investigators who bear gold badges. Uniforms are generally not worn while on small warehouse that houses confiscated contraband or cargo seized due to
duty, and even badges are not required, especially if constables are working non-payment of fees. As might be expected, this warehouse is heavily guarded
undercover. All constables are authorized to enter any dwelling, seize any and a frequent target of burglary attempts. Though Avezila is considered to
required evidence, and interrogate any appropriate individuals, and though be an honest and hardworking individual, he has proved largely ineffectual in
they themselves cannot arrest suspects, constables are empowered to direct the counteracting graft and bribery among his subordinates.
watch to do so. The major exception to this rule is in the Old City, where the Fees and tariffs are assessed using a complex set of guidelines in which
watch’s conspicuous absence allows the constabulary to actually make arrests essential items such as basic foodstuffs, brickmaking supplies, and alchemical
and file charges. equipment are relatively lightly taxed, and items such as alcohol, textiles,
Members of the constabulary are a tough, uncompromising lot, well used livestock, artworks, and the like are assessed on a sliding scale. Fees are due
to the grit and corruption of the city at large and always ready to defend their immediately and most captains come prepared having already calculated and
authority. Often expected to work alone, constables of all ranks are skilled budgeted for them, but there are exceptions. Those who do not have sufficient

D ockside D istrict |17

gold to pay their fees are subject to boarding and the impoundment of cargo standing room around its lip, high above the sandy floor. Here, combats take
equal to the value of the owed fees, and it is something of an open secret that place between humanoid participants, wild animals, or single warriors against
confiscated cargos sometimes “mysteriously” disappear in the night, to be sold monstrous opponents. Drunken sailors bellow encouragement, ale is spilled,
in Cat’s Cradle by shady entrepreneurs or representatives of criminal families. bets are laid, gold changes hands, brawls break out, and grudges are settled in
Adventure Hook: Though they represent an important aspect of Cat’s the pit. Fights are rarely to the death, though this has been known to happen,
Cradle’s economic well-being, assessors are not incorruptible, and corruption especially when monsters are involved, and magic is forbidden, but otherwise
tends to creep into the job despite the baron’s continuing attempts to stamp Tersa’s sub-cellar is probably the premiere private fight club in Cat’s Cradle.
it out. Though most assessors are honest men and women, some are open to While theoretically the Sailor’s Tavern is open to all, non-sailors are generally
bribery, usually accepting small handouts in exchange for looking the other frowned upon and may find themselves ignored, insulted, or even challenged to
way and going a little light on fees or tariffs. Such minor violations may lead a brawl in the fighting pit. Those who can hold their own against the aggressive
to larger crimes as assessors are blackmailed or enticed with greater payoffs. regulars may earn themselves a place at the tavern, but so far few have bothered
In the end, some assessors have been culpable in outright smuggling, theft, and to even try, leaving Tersa’s establishment to its familiar crowd.
the sale of contraband from the port authority’s warehouse. Find them.

D-4. The Sailor’s Tavern D-5. The Gilded Barge

Though Cat’s Cradle is a relatively small city, its waterfront is every bit
Run by bona fide old salt sailor Tersa Skollet, the Sailor’s Tavern offers as wild as those of larger settlements, and like most other port regions, Cat’s
exactly what’s on the package, providing those who crew lake vessels with Cradle boasts its share of brothels. The Gilded Barge is probably the city’s
accommodation, victuals, and entertainment. Those who suggest that river best known such establishment, owned and operated by the gangsters of the
sailors are less boisterous and hard-living than their seagoing brethren are Kennock Syndicate. Manager Orloff Murgin was recruited from a distant
advised to spend some time at establishments like the Sailor’s Tavern to metropolis and was brought here to organize and oversee the business. Over
see the error of their ways. Tersa’s place is in constant tumult, with ships’ the past five years, he has transformed the Barge into a successful moneymaker
crews and stevedores freely mixing, carousing, and fighting. In addition to with a combination of mercantile acumen and ruthless suppression of the
fights (at least one is guaranteed each night), Tersa also offers gambling of all competition. Orloff is not a kind or merciful manager, but he is an efficient
sorts, potables from the grittiest cheap ale to high-end elven liquors, food of one, which keeps his employers happy.
all grades, and social or intimate companionship for those who can afford it. Adventure Hook: Located in the rough-and-tumble docks, most would
Accommodations are available as well, on the same type of sliding scale, with expect the Gilded Barge to cater mostly to sailors and waterfront workers, but
single hammocks going for 1 cp per night, on up to the tavern’s luxury suite Orloff’s efforts have paid off in many ways, including by attracting a steady
for 5 gp, with a variety of rooms in between. stream of nobles and wealthy clients from the Jade and Gold districts who
The tavern’s most popular pursuits are its somewhat extralegal ones, venture here in groups, usually escorted by well-paid guards to keep trouble at
specifically the fighting pit that Tersa maintains in her sub-cellar. This bay. The characters might be hired as guards or hired to waylay one of these
cylindrical pit mimics the larger gladiatorial rings of big cities, with seating and groups for various reasons.

18|C at ’ s C radle
D-6. Warehouse Number Six and lake transportation jobs. Employers occupy booths or desks inside the
cavernous main hall, with signs or barkers to announce their pay rates and
needs. Interviews with prospective hires are short and to the point, with
One of a number of warehouses on the docks where cargo is stored before contracts signed and advances paid on the spot. This is necessary in most
and after loading, this particular warehouse is owned by Geldrin Thalkus, cases, as vessels usually ship out as soon as they have full crews.
one of the most successful of Cat’s Cradle’s merchants. It is cavernous and The hiring hall is sometimes the scene of chicanery as competing enterprises
capable of holding cargo from several ships at once and is rented out to other try to steal desirable crew from each other by loudly offering higher pay,
merchants when space is available. Warehouse Number Six is therefore interrupting interviews, and even stealing rivals’ pay chests. As a result, guards
popular with smaller enterprises, more so because Thalkus is careful to keep are often employed to keep mayhem to a minimum, but even so, the hall is a
the place secure and well-guarded. place of shouting, noise, and crowds in the busy season. During the fall and
Adventure Hook: Thalkus is a good patron for any kind of business-related winter, of course, hiring trails off, finally leaving the hall empty and echoing
adventure such as investigating thefts, recovering stolen goods, or stopping forlornly by midwinter.
sabotage. In this case, if he hires the characters to investigate a theft from the Adventure Hook: The characters get caught up in a good old-fashioned
warehouse, he will not want the theft to become common knowledge, since brawl.
the place is supposed to be secure. The investigation will need to be delicate
and completely secret.
D-10. The Dockside Wall
D-7. The Doleful Wayfarer These days, this battlemented wall serves more as a demarcation line
between the Docks and Old City than any sort of defensive measure. Damage
This trim and brightly colored vessel serves as the floating headquarters for from the Dockside fire a century ago was never repaired, and most of the
Sargash Uthark (see Fortune Hunters), an orcish mariner who spent years remainder has not been maintained over the decades, leaving some sections
of carefully saved income from dozens of successful voyages and invested in a on the verge of collapse. Its wall walk is no longer safe and is not patrolled,
small fleet of ships for lake commerce. He currently owns controlling interest nor with the exception of Eastwatch Tower, is it garrisoned in any way. The
in five ships, all of which carry produce, sand, clay, and alchemical components entire wall has degenerated from protection to threat over generations, and
into Cat’s Cradle, and bear bricks, glassware, finished alchemicals, and other buildings in its shadow are extremely cheap to live in or purchase due to the
exports to other towns and cities in the region. His crews consist mostly of imminent possibility of disaster. Enterprising locals have shored up the wall in
veterans that Sargash met during his days at sea, plus promising newcomers, some places in a variety of ways, some more effectively than others, but not a
and all are highly capable, braving the dangers of the lake as they efficiently week goes by without at least one incident of a loose stone injuring or killing
sail from port to port. an incautious pedestrian or damaging one of the buildings below.
The Doleful Wanderer is the pride of Sargash’s fleet, a two-masted schooner
crewed by 20 of his best sailors. Sargash runs his entire business out of his
small cabin, where he maintains his books and records, leaving only minimal
D-11. Eastview Tower
space for his own comfort. Despite its value as Sargash’s headquarters, the The only portion of the Dockside Wall that remains in semi-decent repair,
Wanderer also plies the lake trade, though her limited cargo space makes speed Eastview Tower serves as headquarters for the Dockside city watch, housing
and efficiency vital. Due to the hazards of lake travel, the vessel sports two 50 patrol members and their commander, Captain Cyrus Alvi, a rather morally
ballistae that can be set up in a matter of minutes, and all of the crew are skilled ambiguous individual who values order over law and is willing to let petty
fighters trained in techniques for dealing with the lake’s more dangerous crimes and corruption slide so long as overall peace and quiet is maintained.
denizens. Sargash is reluctant to take the ship on especially hazardous Despite the tower’s central location between two major districts, Alvi’s
missions, for its loss would be devastating to his business, and would place patrols focus almost exclusively on the Docks, leaving Old City to its own
him and his most trusted crew in peril. For the most part, when not secure at devices. Barracks occupy the bottom two levels of the tower, while Captain
the Cat’s Cradle docks, the Doleful Wanderer sticks to safe, relatively easy Alvi’s quarters and the unit’s extensive armory fill the third. The roof has
coastal routes, well away from the deeper portions of the lake, making quick been extensively rebuilt and reinforced and features a watch post and ballista,
runs to and from various nearby ports. though the weapon is primarily there for show and to demonstrate that the

D-8. Pierfront Fish Market watch is there.

Adventure Hook: Petty crooks (or at higher levels, the Thieves’ Guild)
hire the characters to “encourage” several of the patrol members to overlook
Though the yield of fish from nearby waters has declined recently due to a small crime. This is supposed to be just a payoff, but things go very wrong
the effects of alchemical runoff and pollution, fisherfolk are accustomed to at the handoff of cash when a rival to the characters’ employer either calls in
sailing beyond this area and eagerly bring their supposedly untainted catch the constabulary or tries to steal the money, leading to a potential scandal and
to Cat’s Cradle for market day each week. On the market’s off days, the also some missing money.
booths and ground cloths of the market are still occupied by people selling dry
goods, fruits and vegetables, utensils, and other gear, but the weekly market
day draws throngs of folk from within the city and beyond. Lake fish of all
D-12. Sailors’ Temple
sorts are available at the market — perch, trout, pickerel, even the occasional Space is at a premium on the waterfront, so the various priesthoods who
sturgeon — as well as crayfish, freshwater mussels, and other items. represent the lake sailors and fisherfolk have been forced to share space in
A local species called the river tiger is a predatory fish like a large this ornate structure, which is centrally located on the docks and open at all
freshwater pike, but striped black and green — these constitute a rare catch hours. The deity with the largest congregation is Kamien, goddess of rivers,
but are considered a special delicacy and larger individuals draw considerable lakes, springs and other bodies of fresh water. She is quite popular with the
attention. Big lake tigers are much sought-after by trendy nobles and merchants, people who work on the lake, especially given that she provides protection
and some have been known to trigger bidding wars, with ownership of the fish from dangers such as storms, floods, and monsters. Priestess Amnera Pasean
considered a significant social coup. and her four acolytes see to the lake workers’ spiritual needs, lead services,
Adventure Hook: Once bought, lake tigers are prepared by the finest chefs bless boats, provide healing and comfort, and even give aid and support to
available and are served at exclusive gatherings, bringing significant notoriety the jobless, bereaved, and the poor among the Docks’ denizens. Some locals
to the hosts. Stories are told about nobles who compete for the ownership of also revere Quell, who is normally a god of the sea but is believed by many
a single river tiger to the point of espionage, brawls, and even duels, some to watch over all sailors and other folk who make their livings on the water.
of which spread to the fish market itself. The characters are hired to foil the Quell’s priest Singlo Parzion and his assistant provide their god’s blessing
success of a rival’s banquet by sabotaging the fish course. to his worshippers, who often revere Kamien as well. A few other gods also

D-9. Hiring Hall maintain facilities at the temple, including Thyr, Freya, and Belon the Wise,
though their priests work here part-time, giving the remainder of their attention
to other temples elsewhere in the city.
Sailing, dockwork, and fishing are seasonal positions, and turnover is high Adventure Hook: This temple can be used for any religious quest sort of
as business ebbs and flows. This old and outwardly dilapidated building is hook or as a good jumping off point for an assignment to fight pirates, always
where captains, business owners, fishermen, sailors, barge tenders, stevedores, a good standby.
and others visit when hiring or looking for work. The hall is always crowded
during the busy seasons of spring and summer, as there are plenty of fishing

D ockside D istrict |19

T he G old D istrict
( aka “C oin C ity ”)
The Gold District, commonly called “Coin City,” is not as wealthy as the
luxurious Jade region, but it is where the most money changes hands, as it is
Aside from his growing obsession with these two treasures, Ceil and his
brother Danelos run a tidy and pleasant inn, serving good food at good prices
home to many shops, businesses, and mercantile enterprises, leading to its and providing overviews of the city, its history, and its culture to those who
popular nickname. At its height, the district was a truly beautiful one, with might be visiting from distant lands. Rooms are available at standard rates and
white stone buildings and green slate roofs predominating. While Cat’s Cradle’s are comfortable but not excessively luxurious, further enhancing the Calibos
prosperity has continued since those days, the concentration of wealth among Inn’s reputation as a pleasant and economical destination.
the city’s upper classes has meant that some parts of Coin City have begun to Adventure Hook: Collectors like Ceil are always good for a “find it and
fall into disrepair, and while the beautiful homes of the rich remain prominent, bring it to me” sort of adventure; in this case, it’s probably something once
some neighborhoods are in decline, with poverty and want gaining an expanding owned by the adventurer Calibos, a shoe or perhaps his helmet. Alternatively,
toehold. Unlike the Old City, which has been largely left to its own devices by one of the items in Ceil’s collection may have gone missing and require the
the city watch, the Gold District is still patrolled in most areas, and rampant characters to track it down.
crime is confined to its poorer sections such as the Warrens (Location G-19).

G-1. The Haunted Gate G-3. The Baronial Arts Ministry

This sturdy, utilitarian, and somewhat bland-looking three-story structure
(aka Gold Gate) houses the offices of the Baronial Arts Ministry, a small group of nobles and
civil officials who oversee performances and events at the plaza and elsewhere.
This ornate archway is nearly 300 years old and features carvings of a number The uppermost floor contains miscellaneous items needed for performances
of unknown gods or heroes, and inscriptions in a variety of languages, some of and presentations, as well as props, banners, instruments, and other items from
which are so worn as to be illegible. Given its location, the gate naturally sees previous events. These are kept here and taken out as needed. The second
heavy traffic in and out of Alchemists’ Alley and the wealthy enclaves of the floor houses the offices of the ministry. Lord Minister Norris Prebble
Jade District. Nevertheless, the gate is treated with superstitious reverence by painstakingly oversees the organization, carefully scheduling and monitoring
many of Cat’s Cradle’s folk, who believe it to be haunted or otherwise subject events in a manner that generally drives their participants to madness. Rumor
to supernatural phenomena. has it that Lord Prebble, husband of the wealthy and politically powerful Lady
There is some reason for this, as on certain nights, especially in the fall, Marta Prebble, was given this assignment by a frustrated Baron Scale who
some of the gate’s inscriptions fluoresce with eerie pink light, and spectral tired of Norris’ constant presence and meddling in affairs of state.
figures have been sighted on walls near the gate, only to disappear when The ground floor contains offices and ready rooms and is generally used by the
investigated. Other unconfirmed stories speak of whispered voices that can be staff who prepare and present the various events. A small watch post is located on
heard by certain people while passing through the gate, or of strange dreams the ground floor and is home to six watch members who patrol the area.
in which the Haunted Gate itself stands shimmering in strange landscapes. Adventure Hook: Prevent a riot or other disturbance at one of the plaza
Officially, the baron personally discourages these stories, suggesting that performances (see Location G-4). This might be something planned by a
they are wild rumors or the figments of people’s imaginations, but some believe radical political element.
otherwise. A few have taken it upon themselves to make independent arcane
investigations of the gate, leading to a variety of theories, some more plausible
than others. Some believe that ancient stones imbued with primal magic were
G-4. The Baronial Plaza
used in the gate’s construction and that the stones’ latent energies produce strange Six columns of fine, imported, white-veined pink marble flank the smooth
but harmless effects. Others formulate more ominous theories, suggesting that the and near-seamless paving stones of the Baronial Plaza. Constructed 60 years
gate was once the site of demon worship and blood sacrifice and that it continues ago by one of Baron Scale’s predecessors, the plaza stands at the heart of the
to leech the life energies of those who pass through it. Most alarmingly, some Gold District and is a gathering-place for all the folk of Cat’s Cradle. It is used
theorists believe that the gate itself is still active and once it gains enough power, for a wide range of activities, from addresses by the baron himself, to open-air
it will show its true nature, opening up to some hellish or abyssal realm and markets, processions, festivals, concerts, and plays. The plaza ends in a white
unleashing terrors onto Cat’s Cradle. This last suggestion is considered by most to marble arch that encloses a curved acoustical shell that allows even the most
be alarmist nonsense, though it has a small but dedicated circle of believers. distant listener to hear words spoken on the raised stage.

G-2. Calibos Inn G-5. Salt Ale Corner

Ceil Carveth owns this inn, which is a popular destination for visitors to the Stephan Kadhrossa owns this prime piece of property located conveniently
Gold District. The building is quite old, dating from the founding of Cat’s Cradle, near the colorful events of the Baronial Plaza, from which he sells ales and
when it was one of the first stone structures in the area. While renovating the old beers from local brewers. Kadhrossa sells by the barrel to taverns, and during
building a decade ago, Ceil found numerous artifacts from the old city, many of plaza events to the general public by the mug. Regular customers even bring
which he keeps on display at the inn’s main dining hall. These include fragments of their own drinking vessels so that they can fill up at Salt Ale Corner and carry
old statuary, clothing, banners, holy symbols, tools, and even weapons, all reflecting their potables to the nearby event. Kadhrossa’s wares are far superior to the
the structure’s varied uses over the years, from a residence to a temple to the home of watered-down drinks served by plaza vendors.
a mercenary adventuring band. The inn’s name comes from the leader of this group The establishment’s name comes from Kadhrossa’s signature salt ale, which
of adventurers who perished 22 years ago at the hands of an angry demon. is brewed at his estate outside Cat’s Cradle, where certain alchemical salts
Most of Ceil’s collection are items of historical interest but of little real value, are incorporated into the process. The exact salts and their proportions are
but there are a few exceptions that he keeps safely locked away and shows only to understandably a closely guarded secret, and all Kadhrossa says is that if
select visitors. These include a fine sword that somehow survived the passing years anyone ever tried to copy it, and their formulae were off even by a fraction, it
untouched by rust or corrosion and a similarly untouched round shield emblazoned would result in widespread sickness and even death. This of course begs the
with a northern-style black dragon on a red enameled field. Ceil suspects that the question of how the formula was discovered in the first place, but Kadhrossa,
items are magical and of deep historical importance, but for reasons he cannot his family, and employees maintain a wall of silence regarding the topic.
quite fully explain, he has chosen not to investigate their provenance or to have Adventure Hook: A secret meeting is to be held here between two river-
them properly identified, preferring instead to keep them safe in a locked chest in captain pirates. The characters might be hired to protect one or both of the
his quarters. His desire to protect the items has grown greater, to the point that he captains or to capture one or both of them. The patron for this adventure might
has had a poison needle trap installed on the chest to ward off would-be thieves. be law enforcement or it might be a third-party rival to both captains.

20|C at ’ s C radle
G-6. The Celestial Theater Though the opera continues to be a smash hit, rumors have begun to circulate
that the opera company has somehow been cursed, as minor accidents have
plagued the show, and in several cases, important crew members have been
Officially owned and operated by the barony, the Celestial is a grand injured. When lead singer Abrosus Wegnor — a famous tenor who is said to
theater open to all, and scene of plays, concerts, operas, and many other have risen to prominence from the teeming slums of Castorhage — fell ill and
varied performances. A round stage in the center of the main auditorium is was unable to sing, his part went to understudy Bram Philomath, a relative
viewable by the audience from all angles. The stage is surrounded by the newcomer who nonetheless received glowing reviews for his performance.
standing-room only area known popularly as “The Pit,” which is invariably Once he had recovered his voice, Abrosus demanded to be put back in the lead
crowded with boisterous patrons who paid 1 cp or less to attend and who role, but he was tragically killed in a fall from the risers. Though none of this
have few qualms about drinking, brawling, or shouting encouragement to could be directly attributed to any outside cause, material or supernatural, the
those on the stage. Above the Pit are the plain benches of the Gallery, where tragedy stoked the rumors even further and, coincidentally, kept the houses
most ordinary Cat’s Cradlers sit — while they too can freely eat and drink, full every night, with wealthy attendees going to far as to sit in the Gallery or,
their reactions to events on stage are usually less vehement than those from in a few cases, the Pit, in the hopes of witnessing drama both on and off stage.
the Pit. Above the Gallery are the Luxury seats: roomy, padded, and tended Adventure Hook: Bram has a secret: A guardian spirit is trying to protect
by obsequious theater staff. him despite his own wishes, and it is this spirit that is responsible for the
The most exclusive seats in the theater are the private boxes, which are problems. The nature of the spirit could be anything from an imp to a demon,
usually reserved for nobles or especially generous “friends” of the theater. depending on the level of the characters.
Prices vary greatly, with some performances demanding unbelievably high
rates — up to 500 gp per person for a private box during an especially popular
or in-demand performance. Other prices are less outrageous — luxury seats
G-7. Eastriver Wall
range from 1–10 gp, while the gallery costs 1 sp, and the Pit is usually 1 cp, Dividing the western parts of Cat’s Cradle from the verdant but hazardous
though in some cases attendance in the Pit is entirely free. Food and drink are strip of Alchemists’ Alley, Eastriver Wall is constantly kept in good repair,
available with quality and prices commensurate with their seating area. regularly patrolled and, with its opposite number on the other side of the
Stage manager Chaffin Kyle is a veteran actor whose long and storied career Quicksilver River, serves as something of an icon, symbolizing Cat’s Cradle’s
was highlighted by some of the most ferociously bad reviews in kingdom strength and prosperity. Originally a grim gray stone fortification, the wall has
history, and whose vainglorious personality continues to attract comment. been faced with white granite like many of the homes in the Gold District, and
Despite his bombastic and overwhelming conduct, Kyle is nonetheless a its towers house well-equipped squads of city watch who regularly patrol the
decent manager who efficiently oversees productions and has managed to less poor sections of Coin City. The walls facing Alchemists’ Alley have been
obtain the services of a number of talented performers. Recently, the grand extensively reinforced to guard against the dangers of fires or explosions.
opera Macobert the Conqueror opened to rave reviews, with packed houses
each night, attended twice by Baron Scale and his family.

T he G old D istrict ( aka "C oin C ity ")|21

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G-8. Pearl Apartments process, students create their own alchemicals, and those that serve a useful
consumer purpose are sold at this old building, where they can be obtained at
bargain rates. The faculty of the school naturally tests all items for potency and
Typical of high-rent rooming houses in Coin City, the Pearl boasts everything potential hazard, and of course does not sell anything that could be dangerous,
from single-room apartments to multi-room suites on the upper floors, all at limiting themselves to various low-level potions, cleaning supplies, crafting
premium rates. Smaller accommodations cost about 100 gp per month, while compounds, and generally useful products. Students and instructors work the
luxury suites may cost 10 times as much. Apartments at the Pearl are almost always establishment, maintaining stocks, performing inventory, and selling products,
available due to their high cost, but the management, a consortium of local nobles the proceeds of which are split between the academy and the students who
and entrepreneurs led by senior partner Khelias Eversol, insists that tenants pass made them. Thus, students make a bit of extra income, while the academy
a careful background check to weed out frauds or troublemakers. Adventurers are draws a steady income.
especially discouraged from staying here, as the owners are unapologetic in their While most of the items sold here are, as noted, relatively minor goods
dislike for what Khelias herself refers to as “wastrels” and “hobos.” with limited use, college representatives may make arrangements to sell more
Khelias, her associates, and manager Sir Anteo Macarvid — a retired advanced or powerful alchemicals that have been crafted by advanced students.
knight given the position largely due to the prestige his name attracts — In such cases, potential buyers must directly contact the Alchemists’ Guild and
are determined to maintain the Pearl’s reputation whatever the cost, but the college staff with specific needs to determine whether such products can
their efforts were severely complicated when Osuras Kelmar, the wealthy be safely created and to verify the buyer’s intentions and reputation. In such
inhabitant of the Pearl’s top floor, was stabbed to death in a brutal and thus cases, the purchase takes place at Academy Sales under the watchful eye of
far unsolved murder. Wary of publicity, Khelias and Anteo have avoided college instructors.
conventional procedures, asking their friends in the watch to quietly look into Adventure Hook: A quantity of explosive stone essence that could be
the matter, though few have real experience in detailed criminal investigation disguised as ordinary rocks or carved stone objects was recently delivered
skills. So far, they have kept the crime secret from the constabulary, who to Academy Sales for a supposedly respectable buyer, only to be stolen en
at this point are the most appropriate investigators, but whose no-nonsense route in a well-planned and well-executed operation. After this, the buyer
procedures might disrupt the Pearl’s daily life or bring unwanted attention mysteriously vanished and further investigation by the constabulary revealed
from the public. Should the constables discover that they have been left out of that his identity, as a distinguished mage from a large city in the kingdom, was
the loop, however, they are certain to respond aggressively. entirely falsified. The embarrassment to the college was matched only by the
Adventure Hook: The situation has grown even more untenable with a second alarm of baronial authorities, who realized how dangerous the stolen substance
murder, that of a young up-and-coming alchemist named Milo Bren, who like could be. The overworked constabulary added the theft to its ever-growing list
Osuras Kelmar was stabbed to death in his own apartment, and almost no evidence of open investigations and continues to pursue leads without success.
— physical, arcane, or otherwise — was left behind. Desperate, Khelias has
turned for help to a group that she despises — freelance adventurers — to help her
solve the mystery and catch the culprit before the constabulary catches wind of the
G-13. The Arcanum
incident and shuts her precious Pearl down for the investigation. The wizardly partners Azoggo Afriedus and Salvatore of the Flame

G-9. Scolren’s Gate operate this extensive and prestigious magic shop where they sell material
components, wands, rings, potions, and other items to wealthy patrons and
adventurers with gold burning holes in their pockets. However, Azoggo and
Named for the baron who extensively renovated and strengthened the gate Salvatore carefully avoid selling anything that might compete with the city’s
years ago, this portal is crafted of pink granite and carved with the faces and alchemists — potions fall into a gray area, but most are willing to leave those
names of various old gods and heroes. out of the discussion — as they want to avoid any business conflicts that might
interfere with their income.
G-10. The Greens The shop is something of a wonder, its shelves packed with magic items
of all kinds. Magical lighting and effects help direct customers to the items
This neighborhood is named for the large number of old, decaying green slate they seek, while imps and unseen servants aid the owners in obtaining
roofs that remain here, a legacy of its past wealth and influence. The Greens is goods and in collecting payments. As a rule, the partners offer what could
typical of the poor and rundown sections of the otherwise prosperous Coin District be called “consumer-grade” magical items, usually of the more common
and is a place of narrow streets — many bereft of paving stones and left to decay variety, enhanced with low-level spells or providing only lesser effects. More
into mucky, rutted pathways — badly repaired and patched walls, fallen roofs, prestigious or wealthy clients can talk to the pair about items of greater power,
and tottering lost grandeur. The Greens contains homes mostly for laborers who or even commission magical devices. Of course, such items are not kept on
work elsewhere in the district, as well as a few disreputable taverns and gambling display but rather in illustrated catalogs available at the shop.
houses. Assault, robbery, and other crimes of violence are common here, where Adventure Hook: In addition to commissions and custom work, Azoggo
the watch patrols only sporadically. Those watch members who do deign to come and Salvatore do a thriving business with adventurers, sending them off to
here are susceptible to bribery and all too happy to look the other way if it saves obtain saleable items, some of which are quite powerful and dangerous in
them from the excessive labor of arrest and actual law enforcement. the wrong hands. Naturally, they deal only with the most honest and well-
Adventure Hook: A small group of street vendors and merchants from the established adventuring groups, for they know how easy it would be for their
neighborhood approach the characters and offer to pay them if they can bring hired help to simply keep the items or sell them to the highest bidder. Should
order to the area. anyone contemplate cheating the partners, they find themselves ruthlessly
hunted down, as Azoggo and Salvatore also have many contacts among the
G-11. College Dormitory communities of bounty hunters, assassins, and spies.

In contrast to luxury residences like the Pearl, this featureless brick three- G-14. Voles Gate
story structure contains accommodations for students at the Alchemists College
(Location J-1). Rooms are spare, shared by two students, and include a pair of This gate is quite old and weathered, though thanks to its original design
cots or bunks, small chests for belongings, miniscule desks, and bookshelves, and builders, it remains quite sturdy and unbowed despite centuries of weather
with two common baths and toilet facilities shared by all occupants of each floor. and traffic. Voles Gate forms the northern entrance to Cat’s Cradle and is
The Dormitory (it has no real official name) is a wild and tumultuous consequently busy at all hours, with throngs of travelers, farmers, merchants,
place, as many students are boisterous and outspoken, given to excessive and alchemists, on foot or mounted, alone or with caravans of carts and wagons.
consumption of alcohol and other youthful folly, including frequent bed- The gate is guarded, and goods entering and leaving are subject to inspection,
hopping and sampling of questionable alchemical concoctions. The occasional though the sheer volume of traffic makes most inspections cursory at best. The
spectacular fire or poisoning is dealt with by the squad of college trustees who gate is named for Voles, the next town on the caravan route in this direction.
occupy the main floor and deal with major incidents, though for the most part
they turn a blind eye to minor infractions and youthful exuberance. G-15. Swallowtail Manor
G-12. Academy Sales While they are nouveau riche and haven’t earned their place in Cat’s Cradle’s
highest levels of society, Asea Rohlind and Gellor Trendar (see Location
The Achemical College in Jade District trains numerous students in B-9) are the proprietors of the trendy and expensive up-and-coming Mystic
the basic procedures of alchemy and allied crafts. Throughout the learning Stone brickworks. Swallowtail Manor was a faded glory of the neighborhood,

22|C at ’ s C radle
long neglected and fallen into disrepair when Gellor and Asea purchased it food, and other detritus blocking doorways and jamming halls, filling some
six years ago. They have since restored the place to a semblance of its former chambers from floor to ceiling. Warne keeps her workspace relatively clear,
glory, though some neighbors have taken issue with their design choices and but even this area is cluttered and almost unlivable. Most of her servants have
consider the new Swallowtail Manor to be a tribute to garish excess rather than quit and those that remain despair of ever making any headway against the
the subtle beauties of the past. Swallowtail Manor boasts small but well-tended growing mountains of filth and clutter. Rats and other vermin have begun to
grounds with magical lighting and topiary enhanced by gnomish illusionists. spread from the estate and into neighboring structures, leading to calls for the
Originally, the manor was a prime example of local architecture with a barony to intervene and do something to help Warne, or at least to stem the
main house crafted from sturdy stone and faced with white granite, and roofed tide somewhat. So far, these calls have gone unheeded, and Quicksilver house
with the green slate typical of the neighborhood. Since their arrival, Asea and has continued to deteriorate.
Gellor have kept the home’s clean white facing, but have replaced the battered Adventure Hook: Warne has indeed discovered something important, an
slate tiles with their own brickwork, incorporating magical fluorescence that alchemical formula that assists in opening planar gates. The problem is that one
illuminates the area at night with a pale blue glow. Complaints from neighbors has opened on the premises, and dream-creatures are bleeding in through it.
have been uniformly ignored, or complainers have been bought off with gifts
and invitations to Asea and Gellor’s lavish parties.
Adventure Hook: See Locations B-7 and B-9.
G-18. Avar’s Alchemicals
Avar Sul is not an alchemist, but he is a skilled broker and salesman who
G-16. Temple of Sefagreth maintains the Gold District’s most prestigious retail alchemical business in this
three-story building. Sul caters to clients from across Cat’s Cradle, even those
The great god of commerce is quite popular in Coin City, where would-be from the more prestigious sections of the Jade District, as his product carries a
merchant princes seek their fortunes and businesses seek new customers and significant cachet among the wealthy and influential. His main floor consists of
increased wealth. High Priest Father Kel Aderock is himself a successful sales space for inexpensive and benign alchemical supplies and products such
merchant and importer who makes his permanent home in the Jade District, as bismuth, sulfur, calamine, gypsum, charcoal, glass, and various harmless
but spends much of his time pressing the flesh and making friends with the salts, as well as minor potions, salves, and tinctures. The second floor is home
people of the local area. His sermons proclaiming the sanctity of wealth and to more valuable substances such as silver, gems, gold, rare oils, and resins,
(somewhat less vehemently) the need for charity are legendary, as are his and hazardous substances such as fulminates, arsenic, aqua fortis, caustic
“grand services” at the lavish temple which are little more than well-disguised sodas, vitriols, corrosive sublimates, and the like. Valuable items are kept in
parties for wealthy donors. As cities’ founders’ days are particularly sacred locked chests behind cages or bars, while explosive, poisonous or corrosive
to Sefagreth’s followers, Kel’s services and celebrations on Cat’s Cradle’s items are carefully handled by Sul’s well-qualified staff. Most of his employees
traditional founding day are particularly lavish and well-attended. are gnomes from well-known families with a reputation for alchemical and
Father Kel revels in his popularity and spends lavishly on the temple, his potion-making skills, and have a well-developed sense of caution and safety.
home, and himself, often making little distinction between his own income Avar’s third floor is the most secure and important aspect of his business, as it
and temple funds. His natural charisma has also attracted considerable contains items of extreme value or hazard, including many completed alchemical
attention from the women in his congregation, who fill the front pews during substances, ultra-rare reagents and reactants, valuable gems, and items of magical,
his sermons, hanging on his every word. His romantic escapades with his more extradimensional, or extremely hazardous natures. Only the most trusted of
adoring followers are considered a bit unethical by church officials, but there Avar’s employees are allowed on this floor, and it is constantly guarded by a pair
are no specific rules against it, so Kel has become quite the ladies’ man. Such of alchemically enhanced iron golems who deal mercilessly with unauthorized
is Kel’s ego that he has begun to think of himself as irresistible and now he visitors. Cognizant of past disasters, Avar is careful to keep the third floor totally
puts very little effort into keeping his amorous adventures secret, leaving a secure and safe and is scrupulous in obeying baronial law, which decrees that
trail of broken hearts and angry partners in his wake. no alchemical experimentation or manufacture can occur outside the Baronial
The eventual outcome of Kel’s activities remains to be seen, but it is also Corridor. Every single item in the building is logged and carefully measured,
known that his superiors have begun to notice his misuse of church funds and are with all changes noted and confirmed. Avar’s collection of logbooks has grown so
contemplating sending an inspector or senior cleric to provide oversight and, if extensive that many are now stored in a warehouse in the Panhandle.
necessary, official discipline. Such an event would be quite devastating to Kel and Adventure Hook: As Avar’s reputation is of vital importance to him and
the church in general, so it will probably be done with great discretion and could his business, he is quick to deal with any irregularities. Recently, a number
end in the spendthrift Father Kel being transferred to a far less prestigious temple, of important reagents turned up missing, and Avar’s investigation revealed
perhaps on a distant and windswept island for a few years. This is assuming, of that his precious logbooks have been falsified. He has discreetly contacted
course, that a jilted lover or an angry spouse does not get to him first. the constabulary, noting that the culprit or culprits do not yet know that their
Adventure Hook: Sefagreth is a neutrally aligned god of trade, so any deception has been revealed, and that a quiet investigation is called for. So
commerce-based adventure hook could begin here. As an example, the far, Commander Mageran has cooperated, assigning senior operatives to the
merchant Torgos Paite has had three of his last caravans attacked by a thief case and telling them to keep a very low profile. Senior Investigator Mattea
wearing a green scarf wrapped over his face. In each case, only a small Theasean (See Fortune Hunters), a veteran, highly capable detective, is
amount of money was taken before the thief escaped, but Torgos wants the currently in charge of the investigation and has begun to have dark suspicions.
thief apprehended. Though on the surface the incident seems like nothing more than employee
pilferage, Theasean believes the importance of the stolen substances and
G-17. Quicksilver House the secrecy surrounding the crime suggest a deeper and far more troubling
conspiracy at work. The characters are brought in through Mattea or are hired
Senior alchemist Osenshahle Warne maintains a home here, though she by the actual conspirators to impede the investigation.
increasingly spends her time at her lab in Alchemists’ Alley. When she is at
her lavish estate, she spends more and more time in study and research, even
going so far as to engage in alchemical experimentation in the main house, an
G-19. The Warrens
activity strictly forbidden by baronial edict. Warne’s continued obsession with The Warrens is a neighborhood of the Gold District completely unlike the
her experiments has led her to neglect her health and hygiene. rest of the area, for it is as deep a slum as the Old City. The Warrens are roughly
Exactly what Warne is looking for isn’t known, even to her most intimate bounded by Crosswise Road to the north, the Dockside wall to the south, and
friends (of which she seems to have fewer and fewer), and of late she has Scamper’s Run to the east, although the delineation between the Warrens and
grown even more secretive and hostile toward anyone who questions her. Of Old City across Scamper’s Run is more of a boundary between gang territories
the handful of acquaintances and fellow alchemists with whom Warne still than quality of the neighborhoods, for the Gold District’s ordinary flavor is
talks, several have expressed increasing concern for her life and sanity. They much declined here. The shops of Scamper’s Run are controlled by a gang
speculate that her research has taken her into unexplored territory, such as the called the Scampers, a violent crew that extorts money from the shopkeepers
search for immortality, the secrets of alchemically transmuting base metals and vendors of the street. The Scampers do not venture into the Warrens
to gold, the permanent artificial enhancement of her consciousness, or other themselves, which are loosely controlled by a gang called the Warreners. The
obscure research, and that her obsession is affecting her mental health. Some Warreners are more tightly affiliated with the Thieves’ Guild (see Location
even go so far as to suggest that Warne is using drugs or arcane means to allow O-17) and with Old Kennock, although they are one of the independent
her to work without rest, and that this is the source of her strange behavior. organizations that make up the informal, outer parts of the Thieves’ Guild.
Regardless, the once-magnificent Quicksilver House has grown chaotic Adventure Hook: The characters are recruited to assist either the Scampers
and filthy, with piles of books, boxes of reagents, endless platters of uneaten or the Warreners in a battle for control of the other gang’s territory.

T he G old D istrict ( aka "C oin C ity ")|23

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T he J ade D istrict
The most recently completed section of the city, the Jade District first came chaises, marble-topped tea-tables, fine art on the walls, and a few potted plants.
into being as the Cat’s Cradle’s wealthiest began to flee the crumbling Old Customers who look as if they can afford fine jewels are offered refreshments
City just over a century ago. A large vein of a jade-colored marble-like stone and permitted to gaze upon the merchandise one velvet tray at a time. Anyone
was discovered near the Salchamp at around the same time, so much of the who does not look sufficiently moneyed is likely to be asked to leave by
new wealthy district was constructed from this beautiful new stone (after Drevon, a well-dressed, well-spoken, well-mannered, and exceedingly well-
consulting local alchemists and masons very thoroughly first). muscled half-orc who serves as the shop’s primary greeter.
Grand and imposing, with wide, clean streets and pompously lovely Adventure Hook: A unique stone given to the store for setting into a
architecture, the Jade District is Cat’s Cradle’s wealthiest area, and everyone necklace has apparently been stolen, and Celesa needs to get it back or tell
who is anyone lives there, with the notable exception of Baron Scale and his the customer of the theft. The last person who was near the bauble was a
family, as described in the Cat’s Keep section. nondescript individual with a streak of white in his hair who was carrying a
In addition to excessively large and fancy homes, the Jade District contains cage in which something appeared to be slithering around.
several elite guild houses, a few schools for the wealthy, surprisingly few
taverns and public houses (though one expensive inn), and the sorts of shops
and craftspeople that cater to a loftier clientele than those in the Gold District
J-3. The Baronial Mansion
to the east. Northwest of Pike Square and northeast of the Temple of Prosperity stands
a gorgeous jade-marble structure known as the Baronial Mansion. When the
J-1. The Alchemists College elite of Cat’s Cradle began fleeing the Old City for the Jade District, Scolren
(great-grandfather to Baron Scale), the baron of the day, decided that Cat’s
In the northeastern quarter of the Jade District, along the Baronial Corridor Keep was insufficiently stylish for his tastes and began construction on this
wall, stands a newer jade-marble structure, recently built relative to the mansion. It is similar in size to the old keep, but more elegantly laid-out, and
surrounding buildings. This is a local college for alchemists, conceived in an far less drafty. It is also, unlike Cat’s Keep, constructed of the finest and most
attempt to increase local respect among the elite for the often smelly and even expensive materials available.
explosive field of alchemy. Second only to the Temple of Prosperity as one of Cat’s Cradle’s most
Despite the brooding grandeur of the college’s exterior, its acceptance as an ostentatious buildings, the baronial mansion is currently used only to house
elite institution has not yet fully occurred. Most of the teachers and students aristocratic visitors to the city, as Baron Scale has returned his family to the
do not hail from wealthy backgrounds, and those who do are in some cases old keep. The baronial mansion’s interior is filled with grandiose art from all
in disgrace with their families. Nevertheless, lectures are crowded, and the over the world, much of it gifts the baronial family has received from other
school seems well-funded, if mostly by nouveau riche investors. aristocrats and elites over time, and the rest commissioned by Baron Scolren
Within the main college edifice, all classes are book- and lecture-based, or by Scale’s grandmother, Baroness Escaulla. Only the portrait of the
with little practical learning, as alchemical mixing is forbidden outside tragically short-tenured Baron Escallel, Scale’s father, was commissioned
designated areas of the city. The college grounds, however, boast a private more recently.
door into Alchemists’ Alley, where more practical learning takes place. Because of the need to safeguard so many fine art pieces, the baronial
Adventure Hook: Students at the college have a long tradition of very minor mansion remains fully staffed at all times, including by a number of armed
practical jokes using their skills, but these have recently taken a dark twist, guards. Mistress Fulchen Lakefell, the captain of these guards as well as the
becoming more dangerous. The faculty tends to ignore this, but the president head servant, went to school with Baron Scale’s beloved father at Coldwater.
of the college, Maurmab Doane, believes Adventure Hook: One of the pieces of fine art is a mimic that releases
that an external force is influencing the spores causing other art pieces to turn slowly into mimics. The mimic-spores
students, possibly even controlling might or might not have been introduced into the building deliberately.
some of them.
J-4. The Branlith Conservatory
This prestigious music school occupies the single largest building on Jade
Square and is known for several things. First and foremost, the best music
teachers that can be enticed to Cat’s Cradle are paid impressive salaries to
offer their talents and wisdom to the conservatory’s students, with often quite
pleasing results. Second, while particular musical geniuses might receive
scholarships to master their instruments here, the school’s unspoken primary
purpose has, over the years, become a place where the wealthy send young
children to learn a bit of music and stage decorum before they are old enough
to attend Coldwater Finishing School (Location J-5).
Third, the Branlith Conservatory serves as a concert venue for students and
teachers at the conservatory, and for wealthy patrons to host concerts outside
their own homes. For this reason, it is quite common for members of the public
to be found wandering the school halls, often lost, as the conservatory’s layout
is complex and anything but intuitive.
Finally, in the construction of his conservatory, old Baronet Branlith (long
deceased) had many of the walls enchanted to allow no sound to pass through
them. His intention, probably innocent by all accounts, was to make certain
J-2. All Your Promises that music students could practice confidently, even while still sounding
terrible, and also to make certain that concerts would never be disturbed by
loud sounds from outside, and could run late into the night without disrupting
One of several shops along the Market of Promises to play its name off the
students’ or neighborhood residents’ sleep.
market itself, All Your Promises is the storefront of locally celebrated jeweler
It has been noted, however, that the enchantments on the conservatory
Celesa Tolban. Known for her particular skill with gem-cutting and intricate
walls stop shouts, screams, and cries for help just as readily as strains of
silver working, Tolban has even received commissions for her work from
music. While no great scandal has ever yet touched the halls of the Branlith
nobles in the distant capital.
Conservatory, many believe that this is only a matter of time. Or perhaps the
The jewelry available at All Your Promises is crafted by Tolban’s army
scandals have happened, but have all been covered up.
of apprentices, with Tolban herself working these days only on the highest-
Adventure Hook: Forneo Ganuune, a famous poet from a distant city, is
paying commissions or on art pieces of her own design. However, even the
being held here for ransom by a group of lesser nobles who are down on their
apprentices’ baubles are never on display for the common rabble to wander in
luck and saw the opportunity to raise some money with a bit of kidnapping.
and view. Rather, the interior of All Your Promises’ showroom features plush

24|C at ’ s C radle
T he J ade D istrict |25
J-5. Coldwater Finishing School establishment under the management of its part-owner Fazalia Fane.
Horizon’s Promise shows art and sculpture imported from all over the world,
as well as from the kingdom’s distant capital city (and notably very little from
This stoic, gray structure near the southern edge of the Jade District is local artists). These pieces are sold at private auctions after their brief showing
believed to be the district’s oldest construction, long predating Cat’s Cradle’s periods, for purportedly astronomical prices.
western outer walls. The oldest parts of the building were once a rival fortress After a recent break-in and attempted theft of a risqué marble deity of love,
built by a disgruntled branch of the baronial family in a failed attempt to found security at Horizon’s Promise has tightened considerably, and even entry to
a competing town across the Quicksilver. The two family branches reconciled the gallery showroom is now permissible by invitation only. It is said that the
generations ago, and the redundant fort came to be used as a fencing school Kennock Syndicate would give a tidy sum for such an invitation.
for wealthy children instead. Adventure Hook: A series of six statues are scheduled to arrive at Dockside
Since then, the structure has been built up over time to its current size in two days, and Fazalia received an anonymous tip from someone that the
and granted by the baron to the illustrious Coldwater family. Though the statues are to be stolen by the Kennock Syndicate on their way to the gallery.
Coldwaters are not, themselves, aristocrats, they are known to train fine Naturally, she is concerned, partly because the existence of the statues was
personal servants and military officers and to provide schooling sufficient for believed to be secret in the first place.
even nobility. All the wealthiest families in Cat’s Cradle send their adolescent
children to the Coldwater Finishing School to learn etiquette, fencing, riding,
ballroom dancing, and other elegant pursuits. The baron himself was schooled
J-9. The Jade District Watch House
at Coldwater, though it is rumored that he does not plan to send his own The Jade District Watch House, just down the street from the Market of
children there. As the baron’s children are currently too young to attend, this Promises, is one of the larger gray buildings in the southern Jade District.
is, as yet, no more than a rumor. Originally constructed before the Jade District existed, this fortress-like
Adventure Hook: Harsinn Coldwater, the head of school, received a note facility was intended to be the watch house for the entire west side of Cat’s
one of his teachers intercepted as it was being passed between two students. Cradle, early in the town’s expansion across the river. After the exodus of the
Upon reading it, he realized that one of the children overheard certain details wealthy from the Old City, however, and the springing up of the Jade District,
about a plot to assassinate Lady Genera, the head of the Baronial Constabulary this watch house was ultimately assigned to the Jade District only and later
(see Location D-1). even walled off from the Panhandle District.

J-6. Drello’s Fine Garments Run by Captain Leesis Estromyl, an elf, the Jade District Watch has
several somewhat conflicting reputations. Among most residents of the Jade
District, their neighborhood’s watch are upstanding, proper citizens, heroes of
Everyone who is anyone in Cat’s Cradle wears Drello’s designs (or those justice, and generally about as excellent of people as commoners can possibly
of his apprentices). Drello has a storefront off the Market of Promises, and hope to be. Some even come from well-to-do families. Among the poor of
the younger apprentices tailor anything purchased there to fit a customer (if Cat’s Cradle, by contrast, the Jade District Watch has a reputation for heavy-
possible). However, far more prestige is reserved for those who wait for an handedness, brutal bias against the poor, no interest in justice whatsoever, and
appointment to meet with Drello face to face to have something personally general snobbery.
designed on commission. Finally, among the watch in other parts of Cat’s Cradle, the reputation of
It can take up to six months to get a meeting with Drello, and up to three the Jade District branch is that of lazy louts who let private security do most
even to meet with his most advanced apprentices, so wearing a Drello creation of their work for them and then take credit for their district’s “clean, safe”
to a local event takes considerable planning, even on top of the wild expense streets in order to lord it over other watch houses. There are also rumors of
of his garments. That said, Drello does know how to make people look good corruption and bribe-taking among “the greens,” as is their nickname among
in clothes, with a fine eye for how fabric hangs on any figure and what colors non-Jade District watch members. Even Baron Scale has expressed concern
look best with what complexions (not just for human tones!). He is said to over Captain Estromyl’s membership and participation in the Officers’ Club
enjoy a challenge and dresses anyone who can pay. (Location J-15), but Estromyl has repeatedly asserted that he would never let
anything come between him and his duty to uphold the law in Cat’s Cradle.
J-7. Fethen Bank and Investment Adventure Hook: A radical political group is tired of the way the security
forces hired in the Jade District are running roughshod over poor people. They
A glowering gray structure off Pike’s Square, Fethen Bank and Investment want to hire some likeminded characters to deliver a kick in the teeth to one
offers two services. First, the Fethen Vault is considered to be the safest and of these gangs of supposed law enforcers,” in particular one known as the
most magically impregnable storage facility in the region. The Fethen family “Night-Street Watchers” that operates essentially like a criminal gang. J-10.
has a stellar reputation for honesty and organization, and are easily wealthy Jade Square
enough to hire the best guards and wizards to protect their interests (and those Often considered the moral heart of the Jade District, Jade Square is known
of their clients). Renting space in the Fethen Vault is expensive, but considered for establishments dedicated to dignity, grace, and general propriety. Lady
to be well worth the price. Gwynlinn’s Reading Room and the Officers’ Club are located here, near the
The Fethen family’s other business, besides meticulous guarding and illustrious Neville Mansion and the Branlith Conservatory. On the opposite
maintenance of their vault, is in investing. If Matriarch Fethen or her husband, end of the Jade Square neighborhood, halfway between the square and the
or one of their four children, believes that a shipping venture, business, or Coldwater Finishing School, stand several decorous boarding houses for
other endeavor is likely to turn a profit, they loan or even grant money to said unmarried servants and commoner attendees at Coldwater. These are dedicated
enterprise. They do not charge interest on their loans, but rather make their to ensuring boarders’ virtue and a lack of embarrassing scandals.
money back by contracting for percentages of an enterprise’s profits. Rumors fly fast in the Jade Square neighborhood, and everyone pays minute
All six of the family’s decision-makers are shrewd and clever, unlikely to attention to everyone else’s every flaw. Of course, the richer one is, the more
be tricked or to lend to a profitless venture, but their reputation is also for of a blind eye even Jade Square gossips might be willing to turn, but gods help
honesty, and for working with their clients to make certain that everyone any ordinary citizen accused of impropriety while living near Jade Square.
makes money, not just the Fethens. That said, they are rarely interested in
financing the enterprises of the poor or in giving money to people who really
need it. The Fethens may be honest and may treat their clients well, but they
J-11. Lady Gwynlinn’s Reading Room
are not precisely “nice.” Lady Gwynlinn’s Reading Room is an exclusive library with a high
Adventure Hook: The Fethens are useful for any commercial-type membership fee. Each member may bring one guest at a time, but the Reading
adventure. Most recently, two ships they invested in were sunk by a monstrous Room properties are not permitted to leave the premises. No children or pets
river-fish. One of the younger Fethens has become obsessed with the idea are permitted, as they might damage the books or furniture.
that the river-fish is somehow being deliberately sent to attack ships in which The Reading Room is cleverly designed to be especially quiet inside and is
the Fethen family has an interest. The others disagree but are willing to hire full of private-seeming nooks, plush furnishings, and a wide selection of books
adventurers to at least look into it. from all over the world. Many are illuminated manuscripts or otherwise works
of art in themselves. There is a strong emphasis on poetry and philosophy, but
J-8. Horizon’s Promise the odd example of a work from any subject can be found here.
Lady Gwynlinn is herself present in the mornings and afternoons on about
This elite (and elitist) art gallery is one of the more recently opened shops half of all days (at random) and is quite knowledgeable about her collection.
along the Market of Promises, but it has already become quite a wealthy Her servants, Essa and Bren, are similarly knowledgeable, and make tea and

26|C at ’ s C radle
serve light snacks for members and their guests if desired. Either Essa or for her 60 years, and is as charming and sharp of wit as ever. Her current heir
Bren is always present if the Reading Room is open, which it usually is every is her nephew, Grenten Neville, a bookish young man of dashing good looks
morning and afternoon. who is known for his satirical poetry. He and his aunt are alike and different
In the evenings, Lady Gwynlinn sometimes uses her Reading Room for in just the right ways to make them detest one another, but she has taken no
private discussion groups on various topics, and these are known to sometimes action to impede his legal status as her heir, though they notably avoid one
become quite political, advocating for such radical notions as voting for civic another at her parties.
offices and parliamentary representation for commoners. The comportment of Adventure Hook: Neville Mansion parties are among the best places
Lady Gwynlinn and her friends has thus far been sufficiently decorous as to not to gather information among Cat’s Cradle’s wealthy, especially as they are
warrant any reprimand from their baron, despite their potentially seditious ideas. known for free-flowing wine and just slightly loose morals. The characters are
Adventure Hook: Someone connected with the Reading Room puts the offered invitations to a party — they are forgeries, but very good ones — and
characters into contact with the town’s radical political underground (see the forger is selling them for a very low price.
Radical Politics in the introduction).

J-12. The Market of Promises J-15. The Officers’ Club

The Officers’ Club is a comfortable meeting house for anyone both invited
Located near the Panhandle District as well as one of the two public bridges to join and able to afford membership. Its interior is well-appointed and well-
across the Quicksilver, the Market of Promises is the place where the general staffed, always stocked with delicious food, and offers fine sets of a number
public is grudgingly permitted to do business in the Jade District. All manner of games of chance and skill, so long as one can play them in a quiet and
of shops and boutiques are located here and cater to the wealthy Jade District dignified manner. Private rooms are also available, and no questions are asked
residents, but are willing to show off to the city’s other citizens (and sometimes or answered about what goes on inside them.
even deign to accept their money). A member may bring one guest at a time, but only upper military officers,
The most currently famous shops in the Promises neighborhood are Drello’s captains of ships above a certain crew size, and persons of aristocratic
Fine Garments, the All Your Promises jeweler, and the recently established bloodlines are ever invited to become members themselves. Anyone may join,
Horizon’s Promise art gallery. All three are especially difficult to access for so long as they are of sufficient “quality.”
the average customer however, and other jewelers, clothiers, art- and trinket- Despite many overt similarities of purpose shared between the Officers’
dealers, and so forth, are much more welcoming to the general public. Club and Lady Gwynlinn’s Reading Room, the two organizations’ reputations
Many Market of Promises’ shops have adopted a tradition (started by the are not similar at all. While both are snobby and understood to be out of
All Your Promises owner, Celesa Tolban) of using the word “promise” in their touch with the needs of ordinary folk, the Officers’ Club is seen as the far
names, though the Market of Promises gained its moniker long before this more sinister of the two, always swirling with rumors of conspiracies to
fad took hold, as it was known as a place that promised glorious finery, while disenfranchise poorer businesspeople, or even worse crimes. One persistent
charging through the nose for its goods, as well as a place where one purchased rumor is that dead bodies are removed by the servants’ entrance as often as
the means to make one’s shallow promises more believable. (There is, after all, two or three times a year.
nothing like a well-set gemstone to make a romantic lie seem sincere.) While the Baronial Constabulary (see Location D-1) is said to have an eye
on the place, thus far no specific charges have been brought to the baron. It
J-13. The Mason’s Guild is speculated that Officers’ Club members are too influential to be touched by
the law.
Near the heart of the Jade District stands a wedge-shaped structure of Adventure Hook: A minor priest at the Temple of Sefagreth (Location
particular elegance. This is the new Mason’s Guild house, built during the G-16) has just received absolute proof that a shopkeeper was murdered in
first scramble of Cat’s Cradle’s elite to abandon the crumbling Old City. The order to get his small business out of the way of one of his competitors. The
guild history, preserved in busts of the current and previous guildmasters, is trail leads to some kind of deal made at the Officers’ Club, and the body might
oddly short for so old and masonry-influenced a city as Cat’s Cradle. The guild even be in the basement there.
library is similarly uncontaminated by records of the masonry families most
associated with the “ripplestone” era of Cat’s Cradle’s history.
Though the conspicuous absence of records makes it difficult to determine
J-16. Pike Square
exactly how this was accomplished, the Cat’s Cradle Mason’s Guild appears Named for its central jade-marble statue of General Pike, a minor aristocrat
to have lost little to no face over the ripplestone debacle that still scars the from Cat’s Cradle who achieved a certain degree of fame in a far-off military
city’s streets. Local mason families tend to be wealthy and respected, with as conflict generations ago, the Pike Square neighborhood of Cat’s Cradle’s Jade
many apprentices as they can wish for, and the Mason’s Guild building is well- District is known for such stuffy “rich people” enterprises as Fethen Bank
appointed and always busy. Charma Stonesmen, the current guildmaster, is and Investment, other investors’ offices, several expensive barristers, and the
said to be especially influential, a personal friend of both the baron’s mother offices of the city’s two wealthiest shipping families (though both also have
and Lady Neville, the socialite’s socialite. Adventure Hook: An inventor less-fancy offices near their berths on the docks).
named Thesper Janticleer recently approached the masons with a machine Quiet and heavily guarded, mostly by Fethen family private security, Pike
that measures seismic movements, proposing that it could be used to avoid Square is sometimes described as the single dullest neighborhood in all of
minor foundation damage to buildings. The masons agreed to experiment with Cat’s Cradle, and also the safest. Naturally, only the best and subtlest of
it and have been taking readings from various spots in the city. However, the pickpockets dare to work the Pike Square streets.
readings have been consistently building up, and the masons realized that
something is building up to create an artificial earthquake in the city. Time
might be very short to discover the source.
J-17. The Temple of Prosperity
Constructed primarily of the local jade-marble, this grandiose, colonaded
J-14. The Neville Mansion structure is elegant and gaudy, graceful and excessive at once. Rich with gilded
flourishes and pompous sculpture, the Temple of Prosperity is arguably the
Located near Jade Square, the Neville Mansion is neither the largest nor the most beautiful (or most embarrassing) edifice in Cat’s Cradle. It is dedicated
loveliest of the city’s private homes, but it is inarguably the best-designed for to various popular deities of agriculture, commerce, and local industries like
throwing balls. All the grandest private parties in Cat’s Cradle take place in the masonry, brick-making, fishing, and alchemy, and is the largest building in the
Neville family home, whose current matriarch, Lady Neville, is widely seen as Jade District.
the most elegant and wittiest socialite the city has ever seen. Catering to the city’s wealthy, more than to public piety, the Temple of
Though minor, landless aristocrats, the Neville family matriarch or patriarch Prosperity doubles as a theater for the entertainment of the city’s elite, even
is granted the right to inherit the title of lord or lady from generation to charging admission to some of its grander pageants (so as to keep the rabble
generation, so long as the local baron does not choose to withdraw their status. away). At night, this is a gathering place for local and visiting bigwigs, ever
The Nevilles have invested wisely over the centuries and are quite wealthy, so drenched in such glamour as can be procured in so isolated a city. Priests
it is understood that barons of Cat’s Cradle tend to need the Nevilles’ goodwill of this temple are known more for their wealth and influence than for such
in order to effectively govern, thus securing the family’s landless title through priestly behavior as caring for the populace or building community.
the decades. During daylight hours, clerical spells can be purchased here at great
The current Lady Neville is unmarried and childless and is said to have expense and with few questions asked, though petitioners must be dressed
refused thousands of marriage proposals in her life. She remains quite beautiful “respectfully” (in other words, must not look too poor) to be allowed into

T he J ade D istrict |27

the inner sanctuaries where such transactions take place. There, the most Baroness Escaulla, and her son, Baron Escallel (Baron Scale’s father), both
experienced priests take turns putting on a show of keeping beautiful candles used this grand (and rather impractically laid-out) edifice as their primary seat
lit, incenses burning, and of anointing sacred statues with expensive oils in of governance, outside certain traditional annual events.
highly choreographed rituals. Baron Scale, however, prefers to make himself more accessible to the
common people and has thus restored his courthouse to the old, drafty audience
J-18. Tulixia’s hall inside the walls of Cat’s Keep, far more centrally located for all of Cat’s
Cradle’s citizenry. Since this move on his part, the Westside Courthouse has
The finest public bath in Cat’s Cradle, Tulixia’s bathing pools are always continued operation, but only for routine legal matters such as recordkeeping,
clean, always hot, and never smoky, with a well-designed and efficient heating witnessing of contracts, and such minor disputes as do not require the baron’s
system. Business deals of all kinds are negotiated here. personal attention.
The wealthy of the Jade District are generally displeased by this change
J-19. Uiregard’s Enchantments of policy, but in truth their courthouse continues to provide them with much
greater legal convenience than is enjoyed by any other part of the city, as
contracts, new businesses, wills, and other paperwork is processed far more
In the northern Jade District, just off Oddwater Way, stands a plain door
quickly for Jade District residents than any other neighborhood.
with a fine but simple sign reading Uiregard’s Enchantments. This is the
Adventure Hook: One of the clerks at the courthouse was recently called
storefront of a wizard for hire. He charges exorbitant prices for his work,
upon to witness and record a contract. He realized only afterward that he had
but he is honest, charming, quite normal as wizards go, and has an excellent
been looking at an agreement to commit murder, but when he pulled the file
professional reputation. In the Jade District, people generally feel that one gets
the contract had disappeared. He and his superiors are now concerned, but
what one pays for, and that Uiregard’s work is worth the extra cost.
all they have to work with is the description of the two men who signed the
A well-dressed and handsome man in his 50s, Uiregard is courteous,
contract … and one of them looked a great deal like the dead Baron Escallel.
soft-spoken, and easy to communicate with. He prefers to deal in items and
potions, which he makes in his workshop in the back, but he is also sometimes
willing to offer other sorts of spellcasting, by appointment only, in other parts J-21. Wythys and Daughter
of the city (with additional fees for his travel time). Uiregard’s spellbook is
quite extensive, and he allows other wizards to copy spells from it for similarly The best-regarded apothecary in the Jade District is the shop of Wythys and
exorbitant rates. Daughter, located in the Pouch of Coins neighborhood. Run out of their small
Uiregard keeps a very ordinary secretary to do his bookkeeping and keep but posh home, the enterprise is — like most shops in the Jade District —
track of his appointments. He is often booked several weeks in advance. He expensive and rather exclusive, catering to wealthy, regular customers. Sara
does not take apprentices. and Dala Wythys are excellent apothecaries, in their way, dealing in high-
quality herbs, poultices, and medicinal alchemy, as well as similar products.
J-20. The Westside Courthouse With the help of a few servants, the mother and daughter proprietors grow
their own herbs wherever possible for the climate and import quality dried
ingredients where necessary. They are also skilled alchemists, though neither
The Westside Courthouse is located in Pike Square across from Fethen
is well-traveled, and both prefer to work in herbs and medicines.
Bank and Investment and behind the Baronial Mansion. After moving his
Though sweet of disposition and probably well-intentioned, the Wythys’ are
family from Cat’s Keep to the Jade District, old Baron Scolren decided he
not above a bit of con-artistry in meeting their customers’ needs. They brew
wanted to govern from the Jade District as well and began construction on the
no harmful medicines, but some of their expensive concoctions have no effect
Westside Courthouse. It was not completed in his lifetime, but his daughter,
whatsoever and are useful only as placebos. Others are mildly intoxicating.

28|C at ’ s C radle
T he O ld C ity
Once the domain of Cat’s Cradle’s elite, the Old City, stretching downward Adventure Hook: A wizard visiting the town has a bottled manticore that
from the southeastern walls of the keep almost to the Docks neighborhood, was needs to be let out at night to feed. It is trained not to attack people unless the
formerly the pride of Cat’s Cradle. Though not really older than parts of the wizard tells it to do so, and ordinarily it preys on dogs. It discovered Dru’s dogs
Gold District or Bricktown, the Old City does contain most of Cat’s Cradle’s and killed several of them. Dru wants the characters to find the monster killing
oldest mansions, temples, and other grand structures. These are constructed, her dogs and slay it. She has some interesting information about developments
almost exclusively, of a beautiful marbled-brown stone, unique to this region, in the city that she can offer them in payment.
known as ripplestone. In appearance, it resembles something between petrified
wood and a marbled steak, and visitors often remark upon its loveliness and
upon the skillful architecture of the neighborhood as a whole.
O-3. The Haunted Lady
Unfortunately, ripplestone is not a stable building material and begins to The Haunted Lady is the second most prominent of the two slowly melting
crumble and dissolve in the elements after only a century or so of exposure ripplestone statues in the Old City. Originally sculpted with a hair-veil and
to the mild local weather — wearing out faster than well-cared-for wood and flowing robe of marble, such that only her face and limbs were made of
being significantly more difficult to repair. Local alchemists love to pontificate ripplestone, the Haunted Lady has crumbled in a remarkable way.
about how alchemical testing before construction could have prevented the Her robe and veil remain beautiful, but the space under her semi-revealing
Old City’s tragedy, but Cat’s Cradle’s alchemy boom had not yet begun at the raiment, where her legs once showed, is now an open hollow. Her arms, once
time. The oldest of Cat’s Cradle’s mason families was deeply disgraced by the clasped at her heart, are now a half-dissolved mess, dripping down over her
ripplestone debacle (and have been erased from the Masons Guild records), marble breast. Eeriest of all, the signature brown ripples of the ripplestone,
but the damage was already done. once said to have given her a sweet, sorrowful expression, have dissolved to
Thus, grand though they once were, many buildings in the Old City are make her face now resemble a skull.
crumbling and unusable, dangerous even to enter. Others are propped up with Located only a few blocks south of Saint Kada’s, the Haunted Lady has
mismatched repairs in brick or wood. For safety reasons (and to reclaim useful become an object of strange and fearful worship by Old City orphans and
acreage), the barons of Cat’s Cradle regularly budget city funds for tearing street children. Her pedestal is often covered in humble offerings, and the tiny
down some beautiful ruin or other, to be replaced with simpler construction, but hollow beneath her marble skirts is often filled by a homeless child’s camp, as
teardown projects tend to be expensive and dangerous given how unpredictable Saint Kada’s beds are often far too full.
ripplestone’s disintegration can be. As such, many dangerous old structures still
stand, and some are even occupied by those with nowhere else to go.
Everyone who can leave the Old City to move to the Jade or Gold districts O-4. Hollam’s
has done so long ago, and despite the bedraggled grandeur of the remaining
No one gets sick in Cat’s Cradle, but people still become injured or sometimes
architecture — and even the occasional sculpture garden — this has become a very
poisoned, and the poor of the Old City can’t always afford to visit a temple
poor district, home to criminal operations, social outcasts, and very little industry.
for healing. For these, there is Hollam’s. Hollam Westtrel is an old man with a
O-1. The Centaur mysterious past who lives in the Old City for reasons he does not disclose. Some
decades ago, word got out that he could treat poisons and injuries, and he has
taken up the role of a doctor ever since, treating anyone who comes to him as
At the end of the street now known as Ingrate’s Walk stands a pedestaled best he can, and charging no more than his patients can afford.
ripplestone statue, one of the two most prominent of such slowly melting Hollam knows little magic and does not speak of religion, but he does seem
monuments in the Old City. This particular larger-than-life statue was originally to be a cleric of some kind, if not a very good one. He is, however, far more
a horse and rider, and students of the city’s history can even explain how this skilled at nonmagical healing, with a gentle and patient manner, with a gift
same “rider” was also the unwitting source of the name of Ingrate’s Walk. for minimizing scars with his stitches. He can be found in a small stone hut
These days, however, the average Old City resident knows the dilapidated (formerly a private stables) not far north of the Old Temple.
monument only as “The Centaur.” Once a man leaning forward on a horse, Hollam helps anyone who needs him, no questions asked, even Kennock’s
the horse’s head broke off ages ago, as did the man’s raised sword arm. The crew. He charges so little that he himself lives hand-to-mouth, but the people
decapitated horse head is now a mostly shapeless boulder lying a few yards of the Old City bring him food and supplies on a regular basis, and he never
away from the statue, which has itself lost most of its shape. It does vaguely asks where such gifts come from — merely accepts them and puts them to use
resemble a child’s clumsy clay rendition of a centaur, though it is believed that in healing those in need. It is said that anyone who harms Hollam Westtrel
soon the rest of the rider will break off from the top of the statue, and the remains faces swift retribution from any number of Old City residents.
of the horse will become an indistinguishable lump atop the bronze pedestal. Adventure Hook: Hollam’s past has caught up with him, and a small band
The Centaur is known as a place to avoid in the Old City, especially after of mercenaries he ran with in times gone by has kidnapped him. Unbeknownst
dark, as it is said to be one of the several regular meeting places of the Cat’s to the kidnappers, they raised a hornets’ nest. The Thieves’ Guild and other
Cradle Thieves’ Guild. groups post a substantial reward for Hollam’s safe return.

O-2. The Dogs O-5. Kennock’s Place

A partial ruin known as the Dogs stands just southwest of the Old Temple The Kennock family have lived in the Cat’s Cradle region since time
and right at the wall between the Old City and the Docks. Once the fortress-like immemorial and were wealthy landowners for most of that span. At around
mansion of a retired knight, the Dogs was only partially built of ripplestone the time of the ripplestone exodus, however, it so happened that the Kennock
and has been shored up in a shabby and precarious-looking manner with family was in disgrace, with its patriarch imprisoned in the keep’s tower and
mismatched scrap wood and other cheaply acquired materials. The end result its titles and most of its ancestral holdings stripped away.
is a rambling 12-foot-high outer wall encompassing an oddly shaped and only The Kennock family was permitted to retain its rights to its Old City
partially roofed interior. mansion, which as luck would have it, was constructed without ripplestone.
Inside, the Dogs is filthy, not particularly furnished, and smells like the The ruined minor aristocrats chose not to spend the last of their fortune on
majority of its inhabitants: dozens of stray dogs. They may originally have following the rest of Cat’s Cradle’s elite to the Jade District and instead
been strays, but the Dogs’ dogs are surprisingly well-trained in the services of remained in the Old City to see how they could take advantage of the power
a strange woman named Dru. Dru’s dogs appear to obey her every command, vacuum left behind.
and gods help anyone attempting to enter her domain without her permission. In the generations since, the Kennock name has sunk ever further into the
Dru takes in and cares for any stray dogs she finds and is rumored to even city’s worst muck, but the Kennock family has nevertheless become, in its own
possess some healing ability (which she uses exclusively on her dogs, it seems). way, more powerful than ever. Not many understand the complex political
She is rude and monosyllabic with anyone who isn’t a canine, and all manner of and financial intrigues that conspire to make the current “Old Kennock”
rumors circulate as to where she gets the meat to feed her four-pawed army. She is untouchable by the law, but she lives in her ancestral mansion like a tyrant
known to work with several information brokers of varying reputations and seems of old, and is treated by most in her district as if her word might carry more
somehow to maintain a working relationship with the Kennocks and the watch. weight than even that of the baron.

T he O ld C ity |29
 No illegal activity takes place at or near the Kennock household, and Old work), and occasionally stolen goods.
Kennock, though in height and breadth she resembles a cross between a Niftin himself is a compulsive liar of surprising charm, though he tends to
bear and a barbarian queen, maintains a dignified demeanor and impeccable resemble a cross between a yshkat and a bag of filthy rags. He seems to take great
wardrobe, just as if her family were still aristocrats. Everyone knows that the pleasure in cheating his customers and is known to overcharge or underpay for
Kennock Syndicate criminal organization answers to her personally, but one goods at every opportunity, yet he does so in such an entertaining manner, full of
would never know it from the upright and proper state of her home. wild tales and cunning humor, that most customers leave surprisingly satisfied. His
Her vast army of younger siblings, children, nieces, nephews, cousins, and shop is a cluttered mess full of dust, cobwebs, and scruffy feral cats.
a few “retired” aunts and uncles maintain similar decorum when “at home,” All that said, however, Niftin sometimes comes into possession of something
but range throughout the Old City in their activities and “business concerns.” worth a great deal more than he realizes, and it is not unheard of for real magic
Elsewhere, they are not always, as it were, on their best behavior. items (or cursed ones) to be found among his piles of interesting trash.
Adventure Hook: Niftin comes into possession of a powerful magic item and
O-6. Madame Olella’s finds himself in the middle of three different factions that want to steal it — even
if they have to kill Niftin in the process. Niftin, more interested than they are in his
Out at the western edge of the Old City stands a strangely lovely example survival, hires the adventurers to keep him safe and to resolve the issue, possibly
of mismatched repairs on a ripplestone structure. Something about the way the by staging their own theft of the object so Niftin is no longer at risk.
walls crumbled, combined with the granite, brick, and wood used to shore up the
damage makes for a beautiful chimera of a rambling mansion. This is Madame
Olella’s, the best-known brothel in Cat’s Cradle. Complex agreements between
O-8. The Old Hospital
the Kennocks, the Gold District watch, and various key power players in the city A wedge-shaped building in the heart of the Old City, just where Ingrate’s Walk
ensure that Madame Olella’s is a basically legal establishment. meets the Centaur’s square, was once a grand public hospital, open even to the
Madame Olella is believed to have strong ties to the Thieves’ Guild, but to poor. Built back when disease could still happen in Cat’s Cradle, it was part of a
nevertheless be a force for stability and nonviolence in the Old City district. philanthropic vogue that washed through Cat’s Cradle’s elite a few centuries ago.
That said, those who mistreat Madame Olella or her staff tend to face severe The hospital is, as such, possibly the oldest building in the Old City
repercussions from Olella’s allies. neighborhood, predating the discovery of the now-abandoned ripplestone
quarry. As such, its foundations are strong, and its outer walls still quite stable.
O-7. Niftin’s Knick Knacks Nevertheless, it stands emptier than even some of the more dangerous ruins
around it and has for most of its existence. City records show that every few
Located near the Rat Market and often considered to be an extension of it generations someone decides to do something new with the old hospital. It has
is a rickety wooden shack of a shop, built inside the fallen ruins of a larger, been an inn, a school, an upscale brothel, a con artist’s house of wonders, and
mostly missing ripplestone structure. This is Niftin’s Knick Knacks. Inside can more, but none of these enterprises has ever lasted more than a few years, and
be found fake magic items, cheap brass jewelry with paste gemstones being all have ended in apparently unrelated disaster and tragedy (including but not
sold at just under real gem prices, “foreign treasures” of suspicious veracity, limited to fire, flood, freak accidents, and murder).
various pawned trinkets, badly carved ripplestone figurines (Niftin’s own It is believed that the Thieves’ Guild is currently making some secret use of
the Old Hospital, but sane and reasonable people avoid the place.

30|C at ’ s C radle
 Adventure Hook: The baron has offered a reward to any who can discover
what ails this perfectly repairable and usable old building, but all attempts thus O-12. Queeves’ Chickens
far have turned out to be chicanery and nonsense (or, at least, have failed to
convince Baron Scale of their veracity). The true source of the Old Hospital’s Queeves, a mononymous personage of indeterminate species and
apparent curse remains a mystery. androgynous countenance (male-identified), keeps chickens. Lots of chickens.
Occupying a large, fenced-off lot on the Plaza (which Queeves has somehow
O-9. The Old Temple come to legally own, apparently), Queeves’ Chickens includes a crumbled
ruin, a small wooden hut, and a spacious and fancy brick chicken coop. There
is also a wide yard guarded by a pair of well-trained mastiff mongrels, and
About halfway between the Plaza and the Haunted Lady stands one of the otherwise full of happy, fat chickens.
largest ruins in the Old City. This is the Old Temple, once the religious heart Queeves himself is found at home with his chickens only during early
of Cat’s Cradle. Built entirely of ripplestone in an intricate and lovely design, morning and late evening feedings, as he spends most of his time hiking up
the Old Temple’s disintegration with the passage of time has been a particular and down the city with a cart full of today’s fresh eggs. He delivers eggs to
mess. More than most structures, the Old Temple was constructed in a way most locations in the Old City and in addition sells discounted chicken meat,
that is difficult to shore up due to its design and its great size. It is also difficult though the latter is usually from an elderly bird and runs toward the tough and
to dismantle due to the complexity of its many advanced structural techniques. stringy. Queeves prefers to sell his meat to customers willing to hear out the
Short of hiring teams of wizards to take the place down by levitation (an names and life stories of the departed chickens they purchase. He appears to
expense beyond even the baron’s coffers), it is difficult to organize a safe love and cherish each chicken individually.
means of removing this perilous ruin from the Old City streets. In addition to his other quirks, Queeves seems to somehow know everyone
Taking into account that, even as it crumbles, the Old Temple remains in the Old City and everything that happens there. He will let some information
terribly beautiful, with a sorrowful majesty to its slowly dissolving stonework slip in the course of conversation with anyone willing to listen to him ramble
— and also that this was once a place of worship and serenity remembered for on about his chickens, but he is smart enough to charge money for any really
uplifting song and for far more piety than the fancy new Temple of Prosperity useful or juicy facts.
in the Jade District — and the residents of Cat’s Cradle have found there to
be little will to dismantle the Old Temple, no matter how dangerous its failing
grandeur may have become.
O-13. The Rat Market
Indeed, it seems increasingly likely that some terrible accident will have This open square to the south of Cat’s Keep was once a lovely little public
to occur before action is taken. In the meantime, the Old Temple is a place, garden called Cat’s Corner. After the Old City fell into disrepair, however,
however precarious it may be, where those who have nowhere else to go the groundskeepers were assigned elsewhere, and the garden became an
are known to take shelter. By mute local agreement, no violence takes place overgrown tangle. Only a few years later, Cat’s Cradle’s poorer districts
there, and everyone understands that those humble offerings still left to the became infested by a large and vicious breed of rats carried to the region on
crumbling statues of the gods are fair game to any destitute enough to take up some barge or other (the precise source was never determined, only that it hit
residence in so teetering an abode. the docks first, and then the Old City).
Full as the district was with so many abandoned buildings, the rats grew truly
O-10. Ox’s Labor out of control in the Old City, until eventually the town militia was mustered to
clear out all untended vegetation to give the rats fewer food sources and places
to hide. That was the end of Cat’s Corner, and indeed, a vast swarm of rats was
Due south of the Rat Market, on the edge of the Docks neighborhood, evicted from the destroyed garden. The ugly, dead remnants of the place came
stands a recent, dull brick construction proclaiming itself to be Ox’s Labor. to be known as Rat’s Corner instead.
Ox was a stevedore who stumbled into some money and was able to acquire a Now that the Rat’s Corner lot was clear of overgrown foliage, an enterprising
ruin-strewn lot for cheap, building upon it an office and barracks-like dorm for few of the neighborhood’s newer, poorer residents began setting up little shops
what he hoped would be the perfect way to revitalize the Old City. in the open space, on blankets or in simple booths, selling trinkets, cheap or used
His intention was a place where solid workers down on their luck could goods, and similar. The Rat’s Corner Market became a tradition, now shortened
enjoy a bed to sleep in and the benefits of Ox’s networking services. Ox to just the Rat Market. These days, the Rat Market is quietly understood to be
himself would then act as a go between for supplying workers to places that under the domain of the Kennock Syndicate and to be crawling with pickpockets.
needed them, taking only a small cut for his efforts. He intended this to be a Some of the booths and blankets sell items of quite questionable origin.
win for everyone: workers, employers, and himself all at once. The town sewers are easily accessible from grates at the edges of the Rat
Unfortunately, Ox died in a construction accident after only a few years in Market and run down to the river from here. Upriver (or “upsewer,” more
business. Since his death, Ox’s Labor has gone in a radically different direction technically) the sewer tunnels branch out and can be used by the brave or
than its founder intended. It is still a place where people with nowhere else to turn desperate to reach other parts of the city. These grates are occasionally used
can go looking for work and a bed, but pay and conditions are universally terrible for disposal of bodies and can be used as a good jumping-off point for any
for those workers now known colloquially as “the oxen.” According to rumor, adventure based in a town’s sewers.
many workers disappear from Ox’s every year, some say to slave barges or worse. Adventure Hook: Five rat-men of some kind were recently observed
The current proprietor, an “old friend” of Ox’s named Tral Zesser, is believed climbing down into the sewers with what appeared to be a body wrapped in a
blanket. The blanket was making muffled shouting sounds, so presumably a
to be a major figure in the Thieves’ Guild and possibly a rival of the Kennocks.
captive is somewhere down in the sewers.
Adventure Hook: The Kennock Syndicate (or one of its factions)
approaches the characters about removing Tral from his position and making
him disappear somewhere. O-14. Saint Kada’s Orphanage
O-11. The Plaza Behind the Old Temple, out on the eastern edge of the Old City, where
crumbling ripplestone meets the stout, simple brick of Bricktown, stands an
ugly mishmash of a structure known as Saint Kada’s Orphanage. Originally a
Deep in the southern Old City stands a monument to the first baron and school of fine art and sculpture, it was abandoned with the rest of the Old City
founder of Cat’s Keep. With a pedestal and roof of granite, the ripplestone and stood mostly empty for some time.
statue within remains in excellent condition and depicts a stout-shouldered A few decades back, however, residents noticed that repairs were being
and bearded human in fanciful “historical” garb and armaments. The figure is made to the old building, with solid brick shoring up the most vital weak
bending down from its rocky perch to help up a fellow human, a yshkat, and a points and weather-sealed wood roofing or siding being added to protect the
dwarven child, symbolizing the legend that the first baron brought peace and ripplestone beneath from further damage by sun and rain. When the watch
prosperity to the former residents of the region. The area around this statue has looked into this unauthorized construction, it was discovered that a group
been called the Plaza for many generations and is one of the few places in the of orphans had been stealing the means to rebuild their home from various
Old City to retain its former name since the ripplestone exodus. brickyards, lumber barges, and other businesses throughout the city.
There is constant talk of moving this statue away from the crime-ridden Old The orphans were led by a bright young woman named Kada, herself the
City, but many Old City residents are quite attached to it, and the first baron orphaned daughter of a pair of trained architects. Kada insisted on taking full
(Baron Orshal) has become a folk hero and almost saint to many. Offerings of responsibility for all the crimes involved, to spare the other orphans. During her
wildflowers, pretty stones, and humble little craft objects constantly decorate trial, several businesses retroactively “donated” their products to the rebuilding
the base of the statue, and the neighborhood immediately around the Plaza is efforts, and the baron officially designated the now-ugly-but-sound building as
among the cleanest and safest in the Old City. Perhaps for this reason, no baron an orphanage. However, some businessowners remained enraged by the theft,
has yet approved a project to dismantle and relocate the founder’s statue. and Kada was ultimately sent to prison to work off the debt of all she’d stolen.

T he O ld C ity |31
 Between her own years of hard prison labor and a number of anonymous whatever the Guild demanded. It is assumed that those who fail to agree to the
donations, her debt was paid nine years ago, and Kada is now free to once Guild’s terms do not return from such an adventure.
more manage her orphanage herself. Despite her hard treatment by the law,
Kada remains a kind and stubborn woman, and most who meet her understand
why “Saint Kada” has become her nickname.
O-18. Treesa’s Pub
Adventure Hook: A cleric in the party keeps having visions of the
Hailed by its regulars as the best pub in the Old City, Treesa’s is a homey
orphanage, and when it is finally located, Saint Kada considers their
appearance to be tremendously lucky, for five of her children disappeared last little establishment recently and sturdily constructed near the Plaza. Treesa is
night (long after the cleric’s visions began). She believes that the children saw a human who grew up in Cat’s Cradle’s Old City, achieved humble success
or overheard some kind of discussion they shouldn’t have, and that they might as a soldier and adventurer in the wide world, and decided a life of violence
be in terrible danger from the Kennock Syndicate or some other criminal wasn’t for her. She brought her modest wealth home with her and used it to
group … or possibly even corrupt members of the city watch. start her small pub, in a desire to be part of the rebuilding of the Old City.
While Treesa’s own combat prowess is sufficient to deal with run-of-the-mill
O-15. Shevekka’s disturbances in her pub, she prefers to keep a low profile in order to avoid trouble
with the Kennocks or the Thieves’ Guild. As such, her premises are small and
simple, and occasionally crowded. Treesa’s beer and food are good, though hardly
Shevekka looks human, though rumor makes her out to be almost anything else.
haute cuisine, and she keeps no expensive spirits or goods on hand. She is known
She looks to be of attractive middle age, though rumor would make her centuries
to be a sympathetic bartender, good with advice and even mediation of disputes.
old and possibly undead. What appearance and rumor agree upon, however, is that
Shevekka is a wizard for hire who keeps offices in the Old City district of Cat’s
Cradle, in what was once the gardener’s shed for a now long-demolished mansion.
Why a capable wizard would maintain so small and humble an abode is
O-19. The Upper Crust Inn
unknown, but as she also does not advertise her services, nor even mark her Jondret Boon, the self-proclaimed “best innkeeper in Cat’s Cradle,” runs a seedy
place of business with a sign on the door, some have suggested that when she establishment whose door signage euphemistically names it, “The Upper Crust
relocated to Cat’s Cradle some decades ago, she was going into hiding to avoid Inn.” This flea-bitten, rat-infested inn offers tiny rooms whose straw mattresses
an enemy or the consequences of some crime. are never changed as often as any customers would like. Room rates are low, but
But few know much for certain about Shevekka the wizard. She is said to be guests’ reports of the inn’s quality are even lower, describing such amenities as sour,
willing to do anything for money (or sufficiently valuable trade), no questions watered-down beer, unidentifiable meats, and stale or even moldy bread.
asked. She is said to have no moral compass and to be quite dangerous to approach Though Boon claims otherwise, the Upper Crust’s back room, available for
without proper courtesy. While the Baronial Constabulary do keep an eye on her, private reservation, is also rumored to be one of the meeting places of the Cat’s
however, she has yet to be convicted of a crime by any Cat’s Cradle official. Cradle Thieves’ Guild. Indeed, Boon himself is rumored to be a member. It is
Adventure Hook: Shevekka has received a dangerous commission to produce certainly true that his regulars in the inn’s front common room do come across
a magic item for an unknown patron willing to pay well. However, she needs as a gang of dangerous goons. These are also treated to better ale and spirits
materials — very specific ones — from the Salchamp mines north of the city. than newer customers are typically served.

O-16. Syl’s Odd Jobs O-20. Abandoned Tenement

Not far from the Rat Market stand the dull and simple offices of Syl’s Odd This is a three-story building that — on first inspection — appears to
Jobs. Syl is an elf, although he avoids mention of his family and ancestry. be structurally unsound, and dangerously so. A rough wooden sign reads,
He has lived in Cat’s Cradle his whole life (well over a century), and for the “Condemned by order of the Baron. Do not enter.” The building is actually
last several decades has made a somewhat lazy excuse for a modest living by in much better shape than it appears, and it is rented out by its owner, Oyad
performing odd jobs for anyone willing to hire him. Thern, to anyone who needs a large and inconspicuous place to work for a
Syl seems to be skilled in almost every vocation, or is at least able to fake month or two. Needless to say, most of those who rent the building are using
it well, and he also maintains a network of skilled friends to call upon when it for illegal purposes such as fencing operations, illegal magical or alchemical
his own abilities are not up to a task. He and his eclectic companions present research, and other such activities. The building is referenced in the adventure
a somewhat bored and selfish appearance to the world, but rumor makes them module The Eye of Itral, but if you aren’t running that adventure, the occupants
out to be much, much more. Not only do some say that Syl’s Odd Jobs will from The Eye of Itral will have moved on (or not arrived yet) and you can
work for free if the cause is good (passionately denied by Syl), but the deeper use it either as an “abandoned” building or as a place the characters could rent
rumor is that Syl and his friends are secretly city-based adventurers and more if they make contact with Oyad Thern via any of the town’s various illegal
useful than the watch when trouble threatens Cat’s Cradle’s Old City. organizations. Oyad himself is not associated with any of these groups — he
works with anyone for the right price, which happens to be 500 gp per month.
O-17. The Thieves’ Guild Adventure Hook: Oyad has agreed to rent the building to an anonymous
tenant, as per usual, but he has become convinced that whoever the tenant
is, they plan to kill him soon as a way of making sure no one can trace their
There is no physical location in Cat’s Cradle called a Thieves’ Guild, but
activities back to them. He wants the characters to find out the tenant’s identity
the presence of the Thieves’ Guild is felt throughout the Old City and is
and protect him from any kind of assassination attempt.
considered by many residents to be the most important authority in the district.
Some believe the Thieves’ Guild to be simply another term for the Kennock
Syndicate, but most assume “the Guild” to be a districtwide conspiracy of O-21. Temple of Ceres
extra-legal “authority” figures coordinating activities to their mutual benefit.
Other than Old Kennock, who is variously assumed to be either the leader The goddess Ceres is the Goddess of the Home and Midwives, Goddess of
or the muscle of the organization, Guild leaders are believed to include Tral Healing, Mercy, and Patience. This three-story temple houses a chapel on the
Zesser of Ox’s Labor, Jondret Boon of the Upper Crust Inn, possibly Madame ground floor and contains the quarters of the priestesses on the upper floors.
Olella, probably some unknown corrupt watch officer, and other sometimes The chapel’s main feature is a large millstone in the center of the room (the
fanciful postulations such as Shevekka the wizard, various unpopular rich millstone being the main symbol of the goddess). The chapel has been located
people from other parts of the city, a secret cadre of trained spy-assassins, and here since before the decline of the Old City, and was not — probably due to
of course any number of literal fiends, and even the mysterious lake monster. divine intervention — affected by the physical deterioration of the buildings
Whatever its membership, the Thieves’ Guild is understood to meet in in this part of the town. The priestesses perform their mission throughout the
secret every few weeks at rotating locations (mostly — but not exclusively town rather than just in the Old City, so the temple can easily be used for
— within the Old City), to determine the upcoming course of criminal activity adventure hooks directed at adventurers of higher moral persuasion.
throughout Cat’s Cradle. It is also understood that one does not set up shop
in the western Old City without Thieves’ Guild permission (usually obtained
through the Kennock Syndicate). Individual criminals caught and interrogated
O-22. The Ragged Man’s Warehouse
by the Baronial Constabulary only know their immediate bosses, but all claim This warehouse is generally used as a storage place for street vendors and
to believe that said bosses, even Kennock, answer to the Guild, about which smaller merchants of the Old City and Dancer’s Road. It is operated by an
captured criminals have always known little. individual known as the Ragged Man, who dresses in ostentatiously rich —
Those who have angered the Thieves’ Guild have, on occasion, told tales of but old and threadbare — garments. The warehouse is well guarded, and
being kidnapped with sacks over their heads, dragged to an unknown location, the guards have a pack of three dogs. They check around the outside of the
interrogated by a circle of distorted voices, and set free after agreeing to building on an hourly basis during the night.

32|C at ’ s C radle
T he P anhandle
This newest portion of the city was laid out a century ago after fire to accommodate most local vessels, and each slip is reinforced and protected
destroyed the Docks and baronial decree limited alchemical shipments to from the others by heavy stone walls. Vessels carrying volatile, explosive,
predesignated areas. Newer and better-protected docks were built in this area corrosive, or flammable substances arrive and depart from these protected
south of the Jade District, designed to receive and handle alchemical supplies docks, overseen by representatives of the Alchemists’ Guild and Cat’s Cradle
and hazardous materials. Today, the Panhandle is almost its own city, separate customs officers.
from the rest of Cat’s Cradle and home to its own governor, administration, Elsewhere, alchemical goods are stored in long, sky-lit structures marked
and civic structure. with seals and documents identifying their owners. The building’s wide aisles
are flanked by high shelves where packages and shipments of every size,
P-1. Jade Gate shape, and description are kept, while light shines down through unbreakable
alchemical ironglass skylights while human watch members, dwarven private
The portal to and from the city’s wealthiest district, the Jade Gate is made security operatives, and a tireless squad of iron golems watch over them.
of granite faced with locally quarried jade marble. A vital pathway between Adventure Hook: An open brawl in an area filled with explosives and iron
the two important districts, the gate is constantly guarded by impeccably golems is an opportunity not to be missed. Open mayhem is a rare opportunity
uniformed city watch members who make a great show of carefully inspecting for higher-level characters, and the Shipping Warehouse offers just that.
cargo passing through. In reality, the guards usually only make cursory
examinations and usually simply wave through cargoes from well-known
individuals or businesses.
P-5. Panhandle Stables
Horses, wagons, and dray animals are in constant demand in Cat’s Cradle,
P-2. Baronial Records where they are employed to transport all forms of alchemical substances and to
move cargo to and from warehouses and storage facilities. Dageera Tashkheli
and Legal Offices is a former nomad who transformed her skill with horse trading and breeding
into a successful business here in the heart of the Panhandle. Mounts available
through Tashkheli range from fine riding horses to powerful workhorses
This sprawling structure sandwiched between the city wall and the Shipping capable of towing enormous loads. Tashkheli supplements her business by
Warehouse serves the barony as a repository for the ever-growing mass of selling carts and wagons as well, which she purchases from suppliers in the
law books, receipts, manifests, bills of lading, certifications, licenses and countryside.
other bureaucratic records, and is managed by baronial chief documentarian
Isalk Dar and several assistants. Records are stored on tall, tottering shelves
organized more-or-less chronologically, with older records bound into binders P-6. Dexer’s Rooming House
or leather books and buried increasingly deeper in the archive. Isalk and
his clerks are intimately familiar with the maze of shelves and papers and Dexer Harreaz manages this large tenement that he and several investors
are known for their ability to locate records from almost any point in Cat’s converted from a neglected multiple-use structure a decade or so ago. Rooms
Cradle’s history range from small and inexpensive to larger and more luxurious, and are
The huge building serves a secondary purpose as containing offices of occupied by various Panhandle working folk and more prosperous types who
a number of legal solicitors who specialize in local law regarding trade, don’t want or can’t find a more permanent abode in the crowded district.
manufacture, taxes and transportation. This location, conveniently close to the Though Dexer makes a decent living from the building — good enough at
records office, is ideal for those legal workers who need to constantly refer to least to maintain a luxury flat for himself, his wife, and his son — further
documents for precedent and past transactions. These attorneys are generally digging into his carefully concealed finances might reveal stakes in Cat’s
oriented toward business matters such as settling disputes between merchants, Cradle gambling establishments and homes maintained for several mistresses,
helping to deal with fees and criminal charges from the barony, etc., but as well as connections to the Kennock Syndicate. All this sketchy high-living
many are open to taking on other cases if the price is right, including criminal is financed by the rooming house’s second, secret function — that of a secret
defense and representation of adventurers in their various disputes. Most of the alchemical lab where those with enough gold can concoct illicit substances
solicitors here are familiar sights at the City Courthouse in Cat’s Keep. safe from the prying eyes of the city watch or — worse — the constabulary.
Adventure Hook: One of the attorneys needs to get the testimony of The illicit labs are well hidden within the walls of the rooming house, and
someone who is located in a dangerous place (Old City or the Warrens at in several secret sub-cellars, accessible only through magically enhanced
Location G-19). The person has disappeared, whether due to foul play or out portals with passwords or arcane keys. Workspace varies from cramped to
of fear, and the attorney wants the characters to find them. relatively roomy depending upon payments, and although the hidden rooms
are reinforced and safe procedures are demanded from users, there is always
P-3. The Calico Cat a danger of spills, fires, and other accidents that might endanger other tenants.
So far, all such accidents have been successfully contained or covered up, but
future similar problems continue to worry Dexer.
A popular Panhandle tavern, the Calico Cat occupies a central location in Users are sworn to secrecy, and Dexer’s contacts with the Kennock
the district and hosts a diverse crowd from all across the district, as well as Syndicate have come in handy when he needs to dispose of tenants whom he
tourists and visitors from elsewhere in the city who want to soak up a little considers to be “bad risks.” So arrogant has he become, that one of his several
local color. Innkeeper Gustov Mellarian makes certain that his customers mistresses was recently found murdered and floating down the River Hyon to
represent the district well and always provide an entertaining sight to other the city watch’s confusion and a decree of “accidental death” by investigators.
patrons, and to this end he goes so far as to offer discounts to Alchemists’ Guild
members, nobles, and prominent adventurers, using them as celebrity draws to
attract sightseers. The inn is also popular with less prominent individuals, as P-7. Nattwick’s Clothiers
local merchants, alchemists, and brokers favor the Cat’s pleasant and private
meeting rooms for conducting private business. Halfling proprietor Harthil Nattwick and a staff of skilled tailors design
As an inn, the Calico Cat is average at best, with basic but well-prepared and sell clothing of all sorts from his shop, but he specializes in protective
fare and clean but ordinary rooms, though prices are somewhat higher than the gear and garments designed for use by alchemists, dockworkers, and others
Cat’s counterparts in other sections of the city. who handle hazardous materials. Nattwick’s specialized garments incorporate
various fabrics infused with chemical and alchemical substances that retard
P-4. Alchemical Shipping Warehouse flames, reduce the effects of other elemental substances such as concentrated
acids and bases, and can also provide some protection from cold, lightning,
and even some arcane energies. Nattwick charges premium prices for these
This large and imposing structure serves dual purposes — as a warehouse garments and though his customers are primarily alchemists and their
for alchemical components and products awaiting outshipment, and as a employees, he also has a small but steady stream of adventurers among his
protected dock facility for the offloading of hazardous materials. The lake- clients, especially spellcasters who use his garments to protect them from
facing side of the structure opens onto a series of covered slips large enough hostile magic and elemental attack.

T he P anhandle |33
34|C at ’ s C radle
 transported to their purchasers or taken to the warehouse for storage. The
entire neighborhood has become vital to Cat’s Cradle’s continued economic

Alchemy and survival and so has come under the separate administration of its own noble
manager, Count Arzend (see Location P-13), who is answerable only to his
ally and friend the baron.
Alchemical Products P-10. Panhandle Gate
Alchemy and arcane magic overlap in many important ways, and
commonly known magical potions can be created using alchemical This portal is generally kept open at all hours and is well guarded, as it is
procedures. These are all available at alchemy businesses in Cat’s the only city gate through which volatile or dangerous alchemical substances
Cradle, at prices as listed in the 5e core rules. Other non-arcane can be shipped. Inspectors are stationed here, ready to check out any cargoes,
substances are available too, most notably antidotes and poisons, levy fees, and provide certification that the incoming items are safely packed
though the unlicensed sale of harmful or poisonous substances is and bound for the proper recipient.
strictly forbidden, and those vendors who do sell such items carefully
investigate buyers and keep extensive records of all sales.
P-11. Customs House
Various items include (see Fortune Hunters for details):
Candle of invocation, dust of disappearance, dust of dryness, dust An extensive bureaucracy has grown up around the need to manage,
of sneezing and choking, oil of etherealness, oil of sharpness, oil of document and apply appropriate taxes and fees to the substances that come
slipperiness, philter of love, potion of animal friendship, potion of in and out of the city. Under Customs Minister Charlerat Hussan, the
clairvoyance, potion of climbing, potion of diminution, potion of organization has grown to more than 50 employees, the largest it has ever
flying, potion of gaseous form, potion of hill giant strength, potion of been. Hussan is a humorless bureaucrat with no apparent family or interests
frost giant strength, potion of stone giant strength, potion of fire giant outside his job. He’s intensely disliked by the other customs employees, but as
strength, potion of cloud giant strength, potion of storm giant strength, the baron has frequently noted, he gets results and income from tariffs, fees,
potion of growth, potion of healing, potion of greater healing, potion and taxes on cargoes has been flowing into the barony’s coffers in greater
of superior healing, potion of supreme healing, potion of heroism, quantities under his administration.
potion of invisibility, potion of mind reading, potion of poison, potion Customs inspectors are expected to be honest, dependable, and loyal, and
of resistance, potion of speed, potion of water breathing, restorative have access to all cargoes at the Panhandle and the main Lake Docks. They
ointment, sovereign glue, universal solvent. are expected to oversee all cargoes, check manifests and levy fees, and collect
them on the spot and transport them back to the Customs House, where they
are kept in the cellar vault before being taken to Cat’s Cradle.

P-8. Alchemical Bazaar P-12. Waterfront Warehouse

While several permanent alchemical businesses are located throughout Cat’s A group of alchemists own this structure and use it to store inert, safe, or
Cradle, this large open plaza offers the opportunity for individual alchemists, mundane cargo from the nearby docks. While the main Alchemical Shipping
smaller enterprises, and other less influential sellers to provide their wares to the Warehouse is the more expensive alternative for valuable or dangerous items,
general public, and conversely provides shoppers with the chance to find bargains this facility provides cheaper and less heavily secured storage, and space is
and obtain unusual alchemical products that may not be available elsewhere. The available for rent by other customers.
bazaar consists mostly of a broad paved plaza with booths and small wooden Adventure Hook: A cargo brought to the warehouse was contaminated
structures around the outer edge, and is located conveniently close to the Panhandle with monstrous eggs of some kind, and the brood has hatched. This could
Docks so that cargo can be brought here directly from incoming vessels. range from giant spiders for lower-level adventurers to something far worse
Each day, the bazaar fills with sellers who either occupy rented booths and for higher-level adventurers.
structures or spread their wares out on the pavement for sale. In the latter case,
selling space is first come, first served, and canny sellers show up before dawn
with their goods, groundcloths, assistants and money chests, ready to grab
P-13. Count Arzend’s Residence
prime real estate at the bazaar. The Panhandle is the only Cat’s Cradle district to boast its own governor,
At sunup, a city watch member strikes a large bell located near the bazaar’s and Count Arzend, a personal friend and powerful ally of Baron Scale, takes
entrance, triggering an influx of eager customers. During the bright days the job with all seriousness. Arzend, his wife Cassia, and their two children
of spring and summer, the bazaar is a noisy, colorful riot as sellers loudly have made their home in his assigned district. Their home is a converted
proclaim the quality of their wares, buyers shout questions and negotiators government ministry building that allows for comfortable daily life as well
bargain, expressing mock anger at prices set too high or offers that are seen as providing extensive space for business and governmental administration.
as too low. Money and goods change hands, buyers of all social levels thread The residence sees a continual stream of traffic in and out as officials, guild
their way through the crowds while loaded with purchases, sellers argue with members, alchemists, merchants, nobles, and others visit to meet with each
customers and with each other, and of course pickpockets run wild, using other and with the count himself.
the press of the crowd to avoid overworked watch members, most of whom While the combined quarters are efficient, the situation has begun to take
consider the bazaar to be little more than punishment duty. a toll on Arzend’s family. The house is highly secure with constant shifts
The bazaar closes at midnight, or at least when the weary city watch decides of guards and an extensive password-based pass system. Arzend and his
to ring the bell again to signal that it is time for the plaza’s remaining occupants family are extremely valuable individuals and are never allowed to leave
to complete transactions, pack up, and go home. Early in the morning, once the residence without escort. Countess Cassia has grown bored and weary of
the plaza is empty, it is swept and cleaned by a crew hired by the watch from her surroundings and the tedium of life as a virtual prisoner, while their twin
among Cat’s Cradle’s poorer citizens, work which needs to be completed by children Magdra and Jacq, age eight, feel similarly cooped up and frustrated,
the ringing of the first bell of the following dawn. wishing to have friends their own age and a more normal life than that of a
powerful nobleman.
P-9. Panhandle Docks Adventure Hook: Count Arzend is willing to use private agents when
he feels that his ordinary resources might not be independent or resourceful
These durable stone docks were built by dwarven engineers almost a enough to handle the task he has in mind. In general, any type of hook
century ago in the wake of the Dockside Fire, in which an alchemical accident involving ships or cargo would be appropriate to use here.
destroyed much of Cat’s Cradle’s waterfront. While mundane cargo and
nonvolatile alchemy components are ordinarily shipped through the main
docks, the Panhandle Docks are reserved for dangerous, unstable, rare, or
valuable cargoes, carefully offloaded by professional dockworkers licensed
and certified by the barony, both by hand labor and with sturdy cranes.
Incoming cargoes are carefully inspected and matched against cargo
manifests, fees are levied, and official seals affixed before they can be

T he P anhandle |35
S urrounding R egion
The region surrounding Cat’s Cradle is unique, though it does not look at parts of the lake have seen only a great splashing, followed by the destruction
all special on most maps. Particularities of the area are outlined below, but of the vessel in question. There have never been survivors, even from military
the strangest feature of the surrounding land is its total lack of all disease, expeditions. Remains of the crafts themselves usually wash up on the southern
including plagues, blights, and any illness that affects living plants or animals. lake shore eventually, but remains of people or livestock (or fish) aboard are
Pest infestations can still occur, but these do not carry disease. Even magical never found, leading most to believe that these are being eaten by a monster.
diseases are prevented unless they are caused by a curse. Visitors to the area The late Dessa Showe, an expert on the Salchamp who reportedly went mad
do not benefit from this blessing, but long-term residents all eventually do. before her disappearance on Deep Lake, was known to believe that the lake
Some believe that Cat’s Cradle and its surrounding wilderness will one day was formed in the same ancient conflict that created the Salt Skeleton. She
pay a terrible price for this immunity, but most would prefer to accept the gift wrote that some titanic blow must have sundered the ground beside the Great
and live their lives in illness-free ignorance of its source. Hyon, resulting in the lake’s strange topography. Showe never wrote about
her beliefs surrounding the “lake monster,” but considering her otherwise
S-1. The Baronial Farms inexplicable choice to row out over the lake all alone, many believe that her
final year of research — of which no documentation remains — was all about
The barons of Cat’s Cradle are deeded a wide swath of land, larger than the lake monster and its connection to the Salt Skeleton and other quirks of the
some counties, though sparsely populated. Nearly all land near Cat’s Cradle Cat’s Cradle region.
that isn’t forest, mine, or quarry, therefore, is designated as baronial farmland.
As is always the case with hereditary leadership, the tenant farmers on
baronial land have had many different lots in life over the centuries, depending
S-5. Forest of Cantricle
on the whims of the current baron or baron’s liege, the wisdom of current land To the north of Cat’s Cradle stands the southern edge of the Forest of
management, and the vagaries of seasonal weather conditions. Current baronial Cantricle. The caravan route between Cat’s Cradle and the town of Voles, to the
tenants are enjoying quite a surge in prosperity due to a series of abundant years north, lies through this forest. It is, for the most part, an ordinary and friendly
in a row, intelligent agricultural planning on the part of current leadership, and forest, cleared long ago of large, magical predators or other supernatural
extremely fair and reasonable taxation on the part of Baron Scale. dangers by the army of a previous queen.
The current baron is very popular in the countryside, perhaps even more However, since the end of the Salt War, the remains of the bandit army that
so than in the city proper, though those northern farms closest to the Forest of attempted to wrest control of the Salchamp from Cat’s Cradle are known to have
Cantricle are beginning to grow nervous about the rumors of banditry therein. hidden in the forest to lick their wounds. The late Baron Escallel gave his life
Petitions to the baron for stronger protection near the forest are beginning to in the final battle that slew the bandit lord and broke the back of the invaders.
pour in since last winter. It was a crushing victory for Cat’s Cradle, but in the end, not all the key bandit
leaders were slain or taken captive. It is believed that their numbers are growing
S-2. The Caravan Routes once more within the forest (perhaps in response to unrest in other parts of the
kingdom), and caravans heading north are hiring more security than they have
Most of Cat’s Cradle’s commerce travels along the Great Hyon River. in decades in response to rumors of disappearances and assaults in the forest.
However, there are also regular caravans to surrounding towns, including the Adventure Hook: It is said that Baron Scale is consulting with surrounding
rival town of Five-and-Copper to the east, and a town called Sundry to the lords to form a long-term strategy for ousting the bandits from the forest. The
west. A second caravan route runs north through the Forest of Cantricle to the characters might be recruited into this effort at any level of expertise.
town of Voles, and south to the town of Dancers.
In order to avoid disrupting river traffic, no bridges have been built across
the Great Hyon in the Cat’s Cradle region, and the north-south caravan instead
S-6. The Jade-Marble Quarry
uses a ferry east of the city (past the lake) to cross the river. A massive bridge, First discovered some 150 years ago by Salchamp miners, the jade-marble
tall enough to allow the largest rivercraft, is planned to be constructed in the quarry takes up parts of what has come to be known as Cat’s Hill, wherever the
nearby village of Gambit in future, as Gambit’s geography lends itself better Salchamp is played out. Behind and beneath the alchemical salts, there seems
to such an undertaking, but for now, the eastern ferry functions well enough, to always be a long, mostly straight vein of this jade green marble-like stone.
save in the worst weather. As such, the jade-marble quarry looks more like a mine than a typical quarry,
but the name has stuck.
S-3. The Cottage Jade-marble has been run through a long battery of alchemical tests and
has shown signs over the course of its use in Cat’s Cradle of being even more
The Cottage is an old baronial hunting lodge that hasn’t been used by the durable than ordinary marble, or than similar-looking green stone from other
family in generations. By tradition, the baron occasionally sends out a work crew parts of the world. It seems clear that the difficulties associated with ripplestone
to at least make certain that the place is not a security hazard to forest travelers, will never recur with jade-marble. That said, the jade-marble supply near Cat’s
but in recent years such crews have faced repeated misfortunes, accidents, and Cradle seems already to be running thin, and is currently valued more highly
other difficulties, such that the Cottage is now reputed to be cursed. than its weight in gold. Jade-marble quarriers are looking for work in other
Of course, a more rational explanation might be that the forest bandits are related trades, but many hope that a new jade-marble vein will be discovered
using the Cottage as a hideout and taking pains to make certain that the baron’s when the current Salchamp begins to play out, as has happened in the past.
servants don’t find them there, but if so, no direct evidence of this has yet been According to Dessa Showe’s maps, however, it seems likely that jade-
made public, so the rumors of a curse are left to grow more outlandish with marble is a quite limited resource and that, however plentiful it may have
each passing tale. seemed while the Jade District was being built, there may not be much of it
left to find — not near Cat’s Cradle at any rate.
S-4. Deep Lake S-7. The Milleton Estate
A very deep portion of the Hyon River just outside the docks of Cat’s Cradle
is part of the reason the harbor remains calm even during foul weather. Residents Though primarily known in recent generations for their glassworks in
of Cat’s Cradle have been calling this area “Deep Lake” for centuries. Bricktown district, the Milleton family have also been land tenants of the Cat’s
Deep Lake is known for several things. First, it is unnaturally deep for a lake Cradle barons for many generations. Their farm is a prosperous one, and the
that is barely more than a wide patch of a river. Second, the deepest parts of Deep Milletons were wealthy even before founding their glassworks — so wealthy
Lake are perilous in the extreme. Much mystery and superstition surrounds Deep as to dwarf the fortunes of many minor aristocrats in the region.
Lake, as the nature of its peril is not well understood, but all merchants and river Wealth and success notwithstanding, however, the Milleton family has entered
captains who travel the region know that you never sail or row small vessels an unfortunate period in its history. Large and sprawling, with literally hundreds
through the center of the lake, nor even along its southern shore if possible. of members, the Milletons work their lands and glassworks themselves, only
As for what happens to vessels that break the rules and enter the deeper lake, rarely hiring help from outside. This increases their profits, as no wages need to
no coherent witness accounts have been recorded. Observers from the safer be paid to workers, but it has also created a cold and businesslike culture within

36|C at ’ s C radle
S urrounding R egion |37
the family, including a strict hierarchy of privilege and authority, depending properties of the alchemical salts. According to Showe, the ripplestone might
upon one’s relationship to the matriarch, Landra Milleton. be part of the departed titan’s raiment or perhaps fur, the jade-marble its bones,
Landra is shrewd and sharp-witted, even at 95 years of age (human), and and the salts its flesh, blood, and organs.
has built up the Milleton fortunes dramatically. She maintains close ties with Ordinary miners tend to reject this theory as absurd, and often bristle when
many Jade District bigwigs and other wealthy allies, and seems to see every they hear the Salchamp’s other common name: the Salt Skeleton. Instead, the
plot against her coming from leagues away. She is also, however, known to word among salt-miners is that these are just special rocks and minerals to be
force her relatives into whatever roles the family needs, regardless of their mined like any other. But it is undeniable that the maps of the various “veins”
own inclinations, to maintain tight control over the family purse. She doles and deposits do seem unusually organic in their shape, not unlike a giant chunk
out rewards only where it suits her plans to do so and keeps her relatives of petrified flesh and bone.
dependent upon her for their very livelihoods. Showe also believed that the presence of the Salchamp so near Cat’s Cradle
Milletons who take family matters to the watch or the baron are, of course, was the reason that disease had become so rare in the town. She cautioned,
cut off without a copper. The Milleton intrigues stay within the family and, as however, that this immunity would one day come with a dire consequence
such, it has been difficult for Cat’s Cradle authorities to intervene. upon which she never elaborated. At the age of 56, after a year of particularly
Adventure Hook: The Milletons wait with bated breath for their fierce immersive research, Dessa Showe is said to have abruptly lost her mind, rowed
matriarch to finally die and leave the family leadership to a new generation (though, herself out to the middle of Deep Lake (Location S-4), and disappeared. She
of course, Landra’s eldest children are in their 70s, so “new” is a relative term). It left no notes of her final year of research.
seems to suit Grandmother Landra’s purposes (or perhaps her underlying sadistic
nature) to watch her relatives squabble amongst themselves, and so the Milleton
estate has spiraled ever further into a nightmare realm of power-jockeying, plot
S-11. The Witch’s Hut
and counter-plot, blackmail, framing, kidnappings, and even murders. A humble stone hut entirely covered in verdant greenery stands near the
southern edge of the Forest of Cantricle. This place is known as the Witch’s Hut
S-8. The Old Quarry and is given a wide berth by local travelers. In reality, this hut is occupied by
an old elven druid, with land rights officially granted by the baron, but she does
Out near the Salchamp stands the hollow and near-abandoned ditches of the tend to be an antisocial sort and has a tendency to deliberately scare away visitors
old ripplestone quarry. Due to the associated shame of the great ripplestone whenever possible or to make herself impossible to find. She pays her taxes to
debacle, few are willing to go near the place, though in truth, ripplestone remains the lord of the land, however, and — if approached with cautious courtesy — is
a serviceable, decorative stone for small indoor art pieces, figurines, and the like. willing to come to Cat’s Cradle’s defense as needed, so long as Cat’s Cradle’s
Officially speaking, the poorly maintained and slowly dissolving ripplestone leadership continues to treat the forest and surrounding wilderness with respect.
quarry is too dangerous to work, and by baronial order is to be left to return She has been framed for crimes against representatives of the baron in the
to nature. In reality, however, it is not uncommon to see or hear workers with past, but no wrongdoing on her part has ever been proven. Those in the know
their picks and hammers, late at night, still harvesting stones from the more understand her to have been instrumental in Cat’s Cradle’s victory against the
sheltered sections of the quarry. The baronial constabulary occasionally “puts bandits in the Salt War. Nevertheless, the rumor persists that she is a dangerous
a stop” to such activities, but they always seem to crop up again within a few witch, and Baron Scale seems unable to convince her that she should not
months, and rumor has it that the Thieves’ Guild — and particularly the goons continue to play into such tales with her antisocial behavior.
working for Ox’s Labor — don’t take kindly to those who rat out ripplestone
quarry operations.

S-9. Orfell’s Smithy

To the immediate east of Cat’s Cradle stands a small, walled facility known
as Orfell’s Smithy. Begun generations ago by a local folk hero named Orfell
the Smith, this is the largest and best known ironworks in the Cat’s Cradle
region. Leadership of the smithy and training of its apprentices are appointed
by the baron, rather than inherited within a family, and the current smithy
administration is considered shrewd and skilled.
Orfell’s Smithy is only famous on a local level, with its steel being considered
of good but hardly legendary quality elsewhere. Cat’s Cradle is known for
stone and alchemical salts, not iron, so it has been many generations since the
smithy has turned a truly impressive profit for the baron. Nevertheless, it does
well enough, and due to its weapons production capabilities is considered an
important military asset for Cat’s Cradle’s defense. As such, the smithy walls
are high, thick, and in good repair, and the smithy is always well-stocked and
well-defended.
Some believe that an old escape tunnel leads from Cat’s Keep to Orfell’s
Smithy, but no known maps depict such a route if it exists.

S-10. The Salchamp

Discovered not long after the first ripplestone vein, the Salchamp has since
become Cat’s Cradle’s most important source of income. Its presence in the
region is also the reason Cat’s Cradle has become so important a hub for
alchemical research.
The salts mined from the Salchamp are not truly salts in any mineral sense
of the term. Rather, they are alchemical salts with varying complex properties
that can be brought to full potential by alchemical processes and combinations.
The salts come in all colors, but green is the most common.
Some decades ago, after mapping the known salt veins through the hillsides S-12. Miners’ Shanties
surrounding Cat’s Cradle, an alchemist by the name of Dessa Showe put forth
the theory that an ancient titan or god, while wounded, somehow fused with the The southern edge of the Cantricle Forest is home to a small town of miners’
earth in this place and left behind a large chunk of its own flesh upon departure. shanties. Most of these are temporary structures, and the area resembles a
Fused with the earth as it was, this flesh did not decompose normally, but was camp more than a permanent settlement. The shanties are not policed by town
transformed into stone and “salts” and eventually was covered over by ordinary authorities, which makes for a very lawless area.
soil, only to be rediscovered and mined by Cat’s Cradle centuries later. Adventure Hook: One or more miners have had their shanties robbed by
According to this theory, both ripplestone and Cat’s Cradle’s jade-marble bandits in the Cantricle. They need someone to track down the thieves —
quarries are related to this same phenomenon, though both lack the mystical probably local bandits — and recover their stolen hoards of alchemical salt.

38|C at ’ s C radle
 FROG GOD GAMES ADVENTURES

Cat’’s Cradle
Cat
Cat’s Cradle stands at the intersection of a caravan and river route,
which brings in mysterious travelers, unscrupulous grifters, and --
quite often -- dangerous villains.

A Place of Dangers and Opportunities

A walled town of roughly 4000 citizens, Cat’s Cradle is a modular

resource that can be used any time you need a town at the intersec-
tion of trade routes. This book describes the important locations in
the town and its immediate surroundings, such as the “salt” mines
formed by the ancient intersection of some massive interplanar
beast with the material plane. The otherworldly mineral deposits
left behind are used in Cat’s Cradle’s thriving alchemy-related busi-
nesses.

FROG GOD
GAMES