Aranthaes Wynds
Aranthaes Wynds is a bustling and densely populated quarter, a labyrinth of crooked lanes where it’s dangerously easy to lose your way. Narrow timber buildings rise high and lean over the streets, their dark wood creaking and groaning in the wind. All around, the sounds of the city swell – from the clanging of metalworkers to the raucous laughter spilling out of tavern doors.
The Wynds’ residents are a mixed lot: newcomers chasing opportunity, seasoned hawkers, and some of Aranthaes’ poorest clinging to survival. Stalls crowd the alleys, offering sizzling street food, threadbare secondhand clothing, and anything that can turn a quick coin. Adventurers nearly always stop here first, restocking at local favorites like Gerhard’s and Finnigan’s Emporium before heading into the wilds.
Markets and Trade
The Wynds thrives on trade both legal and less so. Its three great markets form the beating heart of local commerce: the crowded Fruit Market, the pungent Meat Market, and the infamous Jumble, where almost anything can be found if you’ve coin enough. Magic too has a strong foothold here – the celebrated Emporium of the Magi boasts potent spells and enchanted curios, though the prickly owner of Arcane Curiosities would strongly contest the claim of being second best.
Inns and Taverns
For camaraderie or ale, The Wynds offers a rowdy selection of inns and taverns. The Ranger’s Rest, The Mother’s Guard, and The Bloodied Mace are reliable favorites among adventurers and mercenaries. Less welcoming are The Orc’s Tongue and The Titled Crown, where a night’s drink often ends with a brawl – or a cell in The Wynds Jail.
The Red Lantern District
Once twilight falls, the Red Lantern District glows with temptation. Brothels, gambling dens, and smoke-filled parlors offer distractions for those with coin. This territory is firmly controlled by the syndicate of Kallista, and debts here are always paid – one way or another.
Aranthaes Mess
On the city’s edge sprawls the Aranthaes Mess, a wasteland of refuse piled across burnt-out streets. Here, the desperate pick through mountains of garbage in search of scraps to eat or salvage. The stench is overwhelming, and danger lurks in every heap and shadow – from cutthroats to disease.
A Place of Peril and Promise
Despite its rough edges, The Wynds is alive with possibility. Fortunes are made in its twisting alleys, friendships struck over spilled ale, and destinies reshaped by chance encounters. Yet danger is never far – and only the clever, the ruthless, or the lucky thrive for long in Aranthaes’ most notorious quarter.
Encounters
Day or night, alongside the hubbub of residents going about their day the best they can, it’s likely a party will encounter something nefarious. Do they walk on past like a local or get involved? Roll d10 for possible encounters…
- A group of 6 (1d8) rough-looking men drinking and gambling in a dimly lit alley.
Thugs: AC 12, HP 15, clubs (1d6), leather armor. - A lone figure in a hooded cloak, standing in the shadows and watching passersby with a menacing stare.
Assassin: AC 15, HP 25, poisoned dagger (1d4+3), studded leather armor. - A pair of street urchins attempting to pickpocket unsuspecting travelers.
Thieves: AC 11, HP 10, rusty daggers (1d4), rags. - A drunken bard stumbling out of a tavern and looking for a fight.
Bard: AC 13, HP 20, lute (1d4), leather armor. - A group of 3 (1d4+1) beggars huddled together in an alleyway, asking for alms.
Beggars: AC 10, HP 5, makeshift clubs (1d4), rags. - A shady merchant selling illegal substances from a cart.
Merchant: AC 11, HP 15, crossbow (1d8), leather armor. - A group of 3 (1d4+1) toughs shaking down a local shopkeeper for ‘protection’ money.
Extortionists: AC 14, HP 20, brass knuckles (1d6), studded leather armor. - A masked figure in dark clothing scaling the walls of a nearby building.
Burglar: AC 12, HP 10, grappling hook, leather armor. - An out-of-town preacher warning of the dangers of greed, and calling for repentance.
Preacher: AC 11, HP 10, wooden staff (1d6), robes. - A gang of 4 (2d4+1) thieves raiding a warehouse and making off with stolen goods.
Thieves: AC 12, HP 15, short swords (1d6), leather armor.