Geldsan: Sentinel of the Pass

At the southern end of the narrow, treacherous Geldsan Pass lies Geldsan – a compact, stone-built harbor town clinging to its shallow bay. Though its waters can barely welcome medium craft, the townsfolk have extended a stubby peninsula of warehouses and docks into the sea, transforming their inlet into a vital lifeline for smaller trade caravans and coastal traders alike.
 

Setting & First Impressions

The pass curves into a cramped, rocky valley where Geldsan’s terracotta roofs and stacked stone houses huddle close. The artificial peninsula pushes stubbornly into silt-choked waters, its quays thick with crates and harried fishermen. Traders arriving here find themselves hemmed in by both land and sea, uncertain if the bay will swallow their cargo before the pass does.
 

Trade & Passage

Geldsan’s economy is based on necessity: small cargoes, salted fish, and caravan supplies. Boats here are modest – coasters, longboats, tarred and trusted. Caravans must unload to lighter gear, for the pass ahead. The town’s Sailmaker’s Hall is essential, crafting gear suited to the poor fits of this port. Merchants rely on speed and local knowledge, to get the best from their situation.
 

Walls & Watch

A squat Passwatch Tower looms over the valley entrance. Inside the town, merchants and smugglers eye each other warily in salt-streaked taverns. At night, watchmen flash lantern signals down the pass – a warning, a greeting, or sometimes, an offer of “assistance” for the right price.
 

Notable Places

The Peninsula Docks: A cramped cluster of warehouses built out over mud and shallows, where every plank, hook, and pulley is essential.
Passwatch Tower: Where armed guards monitor the Geldsan Pass, exacting tolls, permits, and favors.
Sailmaker’s Hall: A guild workshop that produces sails and nets hardy enough to weather both mountain winds and shallow seas.
The Fisher’s Quarter: A maze of salt-stained cottages, nets hanging to dry, and briny air thick with whispered rumors of lost caravans.
 

Rhythms & Customs

Tolls are levied at dawn, as caravans prepare to set off, to get their journey completed best they can before nightfall. Fishermen bless their boats with vinegar and saltwater at sunset, hoping to calm the bay’s silted current. Every summer, a Barrel Blessing sees kegs floated in the harbor.
 

For the Storyteller

Geldsan is small, worn, and dangerous – rich with hooks for tension. Smugglers slip rare goods through forgotten channels; caravans bristle with fear of robbery or rockslide. A traveler might uncover forged papers, hidden caves under the docks, or a conspiracy to defraud. There’s quiet intrigue here, just waiting to be kindled.
 

Encounters

When traveling through or around Geldsan, roll d10 for possible encounters…

  1. A caravan of 1d4 wagons preparing to enter the Geldsan Pass, merchants nervously checking their loads.
    Merchants: AC 12, HP 15, dagger (1d4), leather armor. 1d4 guards: AC 14, HP 16, longsword (1d8), chain mail.
  2. A group of 1d4 dockhands unloading salted fish barrels from a longboat. One barrel is suspiciously heavy, sealed with wax.
    Dockhands: AC 11, HP 9, clubs (1d4), no armor.
  3. A lantern signal flashes from the Passwatch Tower at dusk. Locals debate whether it’s a warning, a greeting, or a bribe-demand. Investigation may reveal more.
  4. A sailmaker hurrying to deliver repaired canvas to a fishing crew before nightfall, asking travelers for help carrying the load.
    Sailmaker: AC 11, HP 8, awl (1d4), no armor.
  5. A gang of 1d4 smugglers lurking near the Fisher’s Quarter, eager to move contraband under cover of darkness.
    Smugglers: AC 13, HP 14, short sword (1d6), leather armor.
  6. A barrel floats into the harbor during the Barrel Blessing, cracked open to reveal something far more sinister than beer inside.
    Contents left to DM’s discretion.
  7. A group of 1d4 weary fishermen curse the silted bay, one hauling in a net tangled around a strange black stone.
    Fishermen: AC 11, HP 8, knives (1d4), no armor.
  8. A beggar by the docks claims to have maps of hidden caves beneath the peninsula warehouses.
    Beggar: AC 10, HP 6, no weapons. Maps may be real, forged, or bait for a trap.
  9. A toll collector at the Passwatch Tower demands a suspiciously high “emergency fee,” backed by 1d2 guards.
    Collector: AC 12, HP 12, dagger (1d4). Guards: AC 14, HP 15, spears (1d6+2), chainmail.
  10. A storm rolls off the sea, battering the peninsula docks. Crates topple, ropes snap, and in the chaos a thief attempts to escape with a stolen ledger.
    Thief: AC 13, HP 10, dagger (1d4), leather armor.
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