White Willows pt18

Boulevard of Business

The financial and commercial heart of the city the Boulevard of Business is what most people think of the city when mentioned. Its street is home to hundreds of small shops and vendors catering to all and any tastes.

First Sacrosanct Bank

White Willows is the center of the cantons commercial power and as such home to its only bank. The First Sacrosanct Bank gives out loans, and protects its customer’s money. A 1,000gp minimum is required to open an account here. Loans can be taken out but require a rigorous credit check and audit (500gp/level @ 15% interest, membership required). The interior of the bank is richly appointed with black marble columns and brass fittings and its exterior is made from a white stone in an almost temple like fashion. (Despite public denying it, local rumors persist that there may be a temple to the God of Greed hidden within the bank). The most impressive feature of the First Sacrosanct Bank are its guardians, 20ft tall golden single eyed golems with mace like fists. They fire beams of burning red energy from their eye and their eyes follow each and every person who enters the building. A few thieves had tried to crack the vault but the Golden Golems soon rendered them to dust and bone.

H.H.R. Pawn and Lending

Those that have been turned down by the First Sacrosanct Bank may turn to the nefarious H.H.R. Pawn and Lending (300gp/level @ 25% interest). Operated by the shrewd and aloof Halfling businessman Helix Halsteder Rigoon he has brokered a monopoly on pawn and lending in the city due to a decades old contract with the Lord Viscount for services rendered in time of need (as well as a generous bribe to the Thieves Guild). In addition to offering loans HHR also offers appraisals of treasures and gems, money changing (he is quite proud of his exotic currency collection and is always looking to increase it), and pawning (he prefers ‘easy to move’ items like jewelry and gems, and dislikes rare and strange artifacts). HHR often hires thugs, brigands, and adventures to collect on those who have defaulted on their debt. HHR is not a part of the Thieves’ Guild (despite rumor) but operates a bit more on the ‘gray’ side of the law.

Bull and Bear Bazaar

The central feature of the Boulevard of Business is the massive Bull and Bear Bazaar. Swarming with hawkers and vendors selling everything and anything imaginable no trip to White Willows is complete without a trip to the Bazaar.

The bazaar is a large cobblestone open plaza. At the center of the Bazaar is the Pilar of Objewl, 30ft sheer marble pillar that at its top features a statue of a bull and a bear back-to-back palms out made of gold. Legends say that placing an offering of coin in the palms of the animal will grant the blessing of the Objewl, God of the Free Market and Enterprise. Purportedly the best way to do this is to tie ones bootstraps around the pillar and pull themselves up by them.

On market days the Bazaar is crowed with up to 2d6x100 individuals from all across the canton and beyond. A preferred stop for adventures, merchants and thieves the Town Guard has a strong presence in the bazaar. Fights and pickpockets are common but unless they involve the vendors the Town Guard rarely steps in. If the Town Guard does step in they step in hard with clubs swinging.

The Bazaar is open day and night, lit by enchanted hanging lanterns the wires of which all radiate off the Pillar of Objewl. Most vendors close shop at night and as the crowds disperse, wandering minstrels, street preforms and ‘purveyors of the flesh’ come out. [[During the day any objects from the ALL SHOPS COMBINED list can be found along with just about any domestic and simple items, and in season fruits and vegetables]] along with 2d6 of the shops on the "Strange Shops of the Bull and Bear Bazaar" table

The Sword and Boarding House

This large dilapidated building known as the ‘Cheap Sleeps’ is a pest filled boarding house popular with penny pinchers, mercenaries, and savages. (1SP a night) It serves no food and asks that all are out of the building by noon for the daily delousing.

Wandering Merchants Inn

The Wandering Merchants Inn is a typical inn that one might find in any city. Popular with out of city traders the inn provider food, drink, beds, and nightly entertainment. Owned by the former adventurer Cylon he is currently seeking to unload the inn on someone else.

Priswinsky Wines and Ales

Porter “Port” Priswinsky operates this brightly painted shop that sells a wide collection of rare and exotic wines and ales. Port, along with his partner “Dandy” Danrell serve a clientele that is mostly foreign merchants looking for a taste of home and bored nobles looking for something more exotic than what the vineyards and brewers of White Willows can produce. Prices range from 1sp to over 500gp per bottle/growler. Due to his clientele Port and Dandy are very knowledgeable about the tastes and habits of the merchants and nobles of White Willows. Hidden in a large wine cask in the basement is an Avatar of the God of Wine. Porter would like the avatar gone but does not want to invoke the ire of a god, particular one who could spoil his entire stock and has been trying, for years to get rid of the giant cask that the avatar lives in.

Adama Pottery

This shop smells of wet clay, burning kilns, and a strange metallic scent. While workmen churn out most of the cantons pottery, Adama, the master potter works in experimentation in the basement. He has recently created small clay golems (made from enchanted clay from the nearby mountains and trolls blood) and plans on selling them as ‘humane and safe’ alternates to slaves. He fears that the Slavers Guild will try to stop him and is a bit paranoid but will open up to anyone know as an abolitionist.

White Beards Arms and Armor

Run by two twin brothers who both have a set of twin daughters White Beards Arms and Armor is the best armorer in the canton. All of their goods sold are masterwork quality and are prized by enchanters as their arms and armor seems to keep enchantments better. Their daughters are looking to go out adventuring, just like their fathers did in their younger years, but their fathers do not approve.

Blinky the Blacksmith

Halmor the blacksmith runs this small shop that specializes in pole arms and axes. He has a pet mini-blinkdog that runs around the shop. Halmor is an ex-mercenary and serves part time in the town guard.

Varket’s Furs

Harold Varket small shop sells most exotic furs to the noble classes. Leopard, tiger, lion, wolf, minx and giant hamster can all be found in his shop. Varket posts the occasional bounty for specific creatures and gladly buy furs from hunted animals from his backdoor. Harold, while looking a bit like a pomp, is a skilled hunter himself.

Slavers Guild

Ruff Rodger runs the Slavers Guild and is primarily dedicated to stamping out illegal slavery and making sure the other slavers play nice. Slavery has become unpopular in White Willows in the past few years due to a few ‘ugly’ incidents. Rodger has been trying to fix the PR image of slavery from whips and chains to that of a more indentured servitude. The Slavers Guild is entitled to a levy of 10gp per slave each year from every slaver at the start of the New Year. Thanks to some legal loopholes many slaves are freed on the last day of the year so they are not taxed and the first few weeks of the New Year involve a lot of slave re-capturing.

Horse Market

A slight misnomer, this large open pavilion and adjoining stables serves all mounts of all types and their needs. Numerous smaller stalls can be found in the building and the scent of animals and hay and the sound of whinnies and hawkers dominate the air.

The Whistler

This lazy Halfling by the name of Curly is able to teach horses tricks and commands that function on a series of whistles. A tin whistle will be hanging on his stall along with a sign that says “BLOW FOR SERVICE.” He can be found napping in one of the stables. Teaching a horse “whistle tricks” costs 20gp and takes d4 weeks and at the end of that time roll a d6 on the table below. The mount knows that trick and all under that roll.

Whistle Tricks

Roll	Trick
1	“Come”
2	“Go Home”
3	“Move Silently”
4	“Whinnie”
5	“Alert”
6	Make up your own

Agular Saddles

Jose Agular an Azorian craftsman that runs the saddle shop. While expensive his saddles are of the highest quality and materials and are very good for extended rides. He also sells a number of other leather goods, including saddle bags and cowboy boots.

Lucky’s Horseshoes

Marty “Lucky” Luskvar is a Halfling farrier. He attracts customers to his shop by his gimmick of juggling horseshoes and offering a discount to anyone who can beat him in a game of horseshoes. (Rigged of course, his ‘lucky horseshoe’ is a magnet and strikes true every time). Lucky is extremely greedy and has no scruples with doing less than legal work for coin.

Slick Vic’s Mounts

A catty salesman that goes by Vic that wears an all while suite and cowboy hat and talks in a thick faked drawl runs the largest stable in White Willows. Vic has a wide variety of common mounts (donkeys, horses, and lizards) as well as a supply of special mounts for sale (roll d20 4 times on the Strange Mounts table to determine which are for sale that week).