Reston’s Wood Creations

City Guide I Reston’s Wood Creations

A wood sign hanging over the door of this large, twostory wood frame home marks it as “Reston’s Wood Creations.” Painted bright red with white trim around the windows and door, the building screams for attention and makes the buildings beside seem plain. Carvings and wood inlays on the sturdy oak door attract the most attention by creating an intricate, life-like portrayal of a small mill beside a running river. The door, and even the sign above it, are clear signs of the shop owner’s skill.

Falgur Reston took over his father’s wood shop many years ago and built his own reputation as a master wood worker over the past several decades. Once dedicated to making furniture and cabinets, Falgur now makes wood weapons for travelers and small wood toys for children. A master craftsman, his reputation has spread throughout the city. Several well-known wizards openly proclaim that Falgur’s creations hold enchantments better than any other competitor, better even than some metal weapons. His skill with wood is talked about almost as much as his blindness. Rumors claim that his early attempt at an adventuring life was ended by a terrible battle that left him blind. Attempts to remove his blindness and heal his eyes have all met with failure creating rumors that the god’s cursed Falgur. On the other hand, more rumors claim that his skill with wood is so great that the god’s felt they had to balance his skill with blindness.

Travelers wandering the city streets easily recognize the bright red building and beautifully carved door. Falgur took advantage of the strange colors possessed by some rare tropical woods when creating the inlays for the oak door. Though impressive to the average passersby, the work on the door is far more impressive to anyone recognizing the skill that went into its creation. Opening the beautiful door rings a small bell to beckon Falgur, or his wife Sindrulia, to greet customers. Falgur’s shop is a small room at the front of his home that opens into a workshop in the back. The second floor of the home is contains several beds, a large living area, and a tiny kitchen. Oak Door: Thickness 2 in.; Hardness 8; Break DC 20; hp 30; Open Lock (DC 20). The door is unlocked during the day but locked at night when Falgur and Sindrulia sleep. Opening the door by any means rings a small bell that is sure to attract attention.

Windows: Hardness 0; Break DC 1; hp 2. The two windows to either side of the front door are made of glass that is easily broken. Heison Reston, their son, trapped the windows with an alarm spell that is triggered if either window is broken.

Trap (EL1/6): Breaking either window triggers an alarm spell that alerts Falgur, Sindrulia, their neighbors, and the city guard.

Alarm Trap: CR1/6; triggers alarm spell, no damage. Search (DC 26); Disable Device (DC26).

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City Guide I Reston’s Wood Creations

Falgur Reston, Male Human, Ftr2/Exp7: CR8; MediumSize Humanoid (6 ft. 1 in. tall); HD 2d10-2 (Ftr) plus 7d6-7 (Exp); hp 34; Init +0; Spd 30 ft.; AC 15 (+3 armor, +2 deflection); Atk +10/+5 melee (1d6+3/crit 18-20/x2, +2 azurawood scimitar); SQ blind, mystic sight; AL NG; SV Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +7; Str 13, Dex 11, Con 8, Int 18, Wis 14, Cha 10.

Skills: Appraise (wood items only) +14, Climb +6, Craft (weaponsmith-wood) +18, Craft (bowmaking) +18, Diplomacy +10, Handle Animal +5, Knowledge (local) +15, Knowledge (nature) +14, Ride +4, Sense Motive +10.

Feats: Blindfight, Expertise, Skill Focus (Craft-bowmaking), Power Attack, Skill Focus (Craft-weaponsmith), Toughness, Weapon Focus (scimitar).

SQ-Blind/Mystic Sight (Ex): Falgur is blind, but despite this blindness he is somehow able to identify and differentiate between any creatures that are within 10 feet of him. He can’t use ranged weapons, but suffers no penalties when in melee combat.

Possessions: +2 azurawood scimitar, +3 bracers of armor, +2 ring of protection. These items are always on Falgur’s person. They are made of the finest wood and are beautifully carved. A powerful wizard enchanted the ring and bracers as payment for some of Falgur’s work. If Falgur is outside the shop he carries a pouch with 4d4 gp, 5d8 sp, and 3d10 cp.

Description: Falgur is a tall, slender 63-year old man with graying hair and enough wrinkles to give his face a great deal of character. A pale complexion highlights the scars that flank his solid white eyes, eyes that show no pupil or iris. While his advanced age has begun to slow him down, he still retains much of his strength and his slender fingers retain their nimble skill. His mystic sight allows him to look straight at people that speak to him, something some people find rather disconcerting. He never makes any effort to conceal his blindness. His great skill has made him fairly wealthy over the years but he still wears simple linen clothes, usually blue or green in color, and a leather work apron. He keeps his scimitar with him at all times, and always wears the ring and bracers that were enchanted for him. Personality: Falgur is a jovial man, loved by almost all the people that know him. His blindness does not matter to him, and he simply presumes it doesn’t bother anyone else. Few craftsman have the skill he possesses, but rather than leading to jealousies, he has only gained their respect. Realizing his skill was hurting the ability of other woodworkers to find work, he deliberately focused on the small market of wood weapons and intricately carved bows leaving the growing market for furniture and cabinets to other craftsman. While not a braggart, he is unashamed of his skill and is always happy to demonstrate it. Falgur generally gives a small wood horse, carved animal, or wood flute to any small child that enters the store. Falgur loves to talk about three things, his wife, his children, and wood. Falgur loves wood, he loves the smell of wood and the feel of the grain beneath his finger tips and loves to describe these things to anyone willing to listen. Falgur often allows children into the back workshop and sometimes tries to teach older children how to sand or carve different pieces of scrap wood.

Information and Interactions: Falgur grew up here as a child before going away on a few short-lived adventures. He has been living and working in this shop for over 40 years and is acquainted with all of other craftsmen, nobles, and other important figures in the city. While he is happy to give out the information he does know, he doesn’t like to spread rumors, or even confirm them. Hurt by rumors during his youth he simply refuses to deal in them. Falgur’s marriage to Sindrulia is a topic of rumors as it is. Already blind when he met her, she was impressed by his skill, knowledge, and love for life. Falgur does not know that Sindrulia dropped her claim as a princess in a nearby eleven kingdom when she married him, and she always finds a way to quiet any rumors of that type to reach the shop. Falgur and Sindrulia have three grown children (all half-elven), their eldest son Heison is a wizard employed by the city guard, and their daughters Ivy and Poreah are both traveling bards. Ivy entertains nobles and works in some of the higher-class taverns in the city while Poreah has been adventuring for many years. Falgur loves his children, and Sindrulia, and often talks about them.

Sindrulia Reston, Female Elf, Brd4/Exp1: CR4; MediumSize Humanoid (5 ft. 1 in. tall); Init +7 (+3 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative); Spd 30 ft.; AC 16 (+3 Dex, +3 armor); Atk +7 melee (1d6/crit 18-20/x2, Artrik (+1 rapier)), or +7 ranged (1d6/x3, masterwork composite shortbow); SQ spells, bardic music, bardic knowledge, eleven properties; AL NG; SV Fort +1, Ref +7, Will +6; Str 8, Dex 16, Con 10, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 16.

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City Guide I Reston’s Wood Creations

Skills: Craft (bowmaking) +5, Diplomacy +11, Gather Information +11, Knowledge (history) +9, Listen +7, Perform +10.

Feats: Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse (rapier). Bard Spells Known (3/3/1; base save=DC13 + spell level); 0dancing lights, daze, detect magic, ghost sound, light, read magic; 1st - hypnotism, mage armor, sleep; 2nd - cat’s grace, enthrall.

Possessions: +3 bracers of armor, Artrik (a +1 rapier), a masterwork flute made by Falgur, a masterwork harp made by Falgur. The bracers are a gift from the same wizard that enchanted Falgur’s. The carvings on them match Falgur’s precisely, she and Falgur consider the bracers their wedding bands and always wear them. Artrik is a +1 rapier an extraordinarily ornate pommel that was given to her years before she met Falgur. Unknown to all but a few, it is a sign of her elven nobility and a symbol of the family that she left behind when she married Falgur.

Description: Sindrulia is a 158-year old elf that whose beauty and grace has generated several rumors and even two songs. Her extremely thin frame makes her appear somewhat taller than usual, something she highlights be keeping her long golden hair tied back into a tight bun. Violet eyes twinkle with unvoiced laughter as she speaks in soft, musical tones. While Falgur may be blind, Sindrulia spares no effort in clothing herself in fine silk blouses and soft linen pants and skirts all cut in the latest styles. She tends to favor blue, and dark blue clothing that go well with her eyes and treatments such as scarves and belts colored to contrast with them. Being elven, age has not even begun to touch the smooth lines of her beautiful face or the softness of her pale gold skin.

Personality: A musical voice, good humor, and a gentle nature, has won over most of the people that have met her. She is completely devoted to Falgur, her love for him is unending, and resigned to his aging and the fact that she is destined to outlive him by many years. All of these qualities help cloak a streak of pure stubbornness, she does not compromise on anything related to Falgur or their children. Sindrulia met Falgur while performing at one of the high-class taverns in town. Impressed by his gentle nature, and his refusal to let his blindness alter his happiness, she began to see more of him. Eventually, she agreed to marry him to the shock and dismay of her family. Once a princess, she turned her back on her family to stay with the man she loved. While she deals well with elves, she prevents any mention of her old family within the store or in discussions with Falgur. Anyone insisting on discussing her background is met with the fiery side of her normally calm nature. Falgur knows she gave up much to marry him but to this day he does not know that she was once considered a princess and she prefers it that way.

Information and Interactions: Sindrulia takes care of the money side of the business. She knows how much Falgur’s work is worth and charges top price for it. Both Falgur and Sindrulia are probably wealthy enough to give away his work, but Sindrulia doesn’t believe in giving discounts to people that can afford his skill. When it comes to children Sindrulia probably spoils the young children of the neighborhood worse than Falgur does. She often feeds them snacks and pastries as they watch Falgur work and openly encourages them to follow their dreams. During slow moments, or pleasant days she can be found sitting on a stool in the store and playing her harp for anyone that chances to pass by. Sindrulia knows a great deal about the history of the local area, it has been a hobby of hers, and history of the nearby elven kingdoms. She is always happy to discuss local history, but feigns ignorance and lack of knowledge when it comes to the elven kingdoms. Discussions about her children (listed in Falgur’s information) are always welcome.

Item: Artrik

Artrik: An elven blacksmith created this +1 rapier for Sindrulia’s family over 1000 years ago. The long, narrow blade is made of silvery metal and engraved with strange glowing runes. The pommel is silver and is engraved with long, smooth lines that spiral up and down the grip. When drawn, the blade glows with a pale green light instantly revealing its magical nature. One of Sindrulia’s great uncles, a well-known adventurer in his day, used it often enough to give it a name. The craftsmanship of the rapier, and the stories it is attached to, are so ancient that few elves outside Sindrulia’s family have any chance of recognizing it. Anyone that does recognize the rapier (Bardic Knowledge DC 28, DC23 for elves, or Knowledge (history) DC30) recognizes Sindrulia’s nobility.

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Interior Rooms:

1) Falgur’s Store

Wooden walls of the store are carved with delicate depictions of animals and monsters as well as people in various nature scenes. The west wall possesses an incredible set of carvings that shows a scene of the city itself as seen from the front gate. Differences between the view depicted and the present view from the front gate are easily attributed to the age of the carving itself. If the carvings along the walls weren’t testament enough to Falgur Reston’s skill, the cabinets and desk dominating the center of the room show a level of craftsmanship that few could ever hope to match.

Sindrulia usually tends the store, but she often calls Falgur out of his workshop when people come by. Neighborhood children to pass back and forth through the store and into the workshop with impunity, waving to Sindrulia as they pass by. During the day there is often a plate of pastries or other snacks on one of the counters for customers, and for the constant flow of young children passing through.

Treasure: The desk and cabinets are unlocked but no coins are stored in either place. A masterwork azurawood scimitar, two masterwork azurawood longswords, a masterwork azurawood knife, and a masterwork composite longbow can be found in this room along with a wide variety of carved figures and flutes that are given to children that come to visit. All of the weapons possess clear markings and any thefts are reported immediately to the city guard. Most items sold by Falgur are specifically contracted for so the store doesn’t carry much stock.

Reston’s Wood Creations

2) Falgur’s Workshop

Unlike the walls in the store, these walls are strictly utilitarian. Pegs and shelves along the walls hold Falgur’s various tools and the wide variety of different woods he uses line the walls. The smell of sawdust and freshly cut wood fills the air. Sawdust and wood shavings are swept up and put into a large bin in the corner to help keep the workshop clean. Three narrow workbenches occupy the center of the room, providing enough space for several workers.

Falgur has no apprentices now, and his children have all left for other duties, but he still allows people that are interested to pull up a stool and watch him work. During the day young children are often found here watching him work, some are given scraps of wood to work on themselves. A narrow stairway in the back of the workshop climbs up to the living areas of the home. The tools hanging on the wall are made of the finest alloys and are kept extremely sharp. Falgur once created a beautiful shaft for a dwarven waraxe. The dwarf he sold it to paid him twice what Falgur asked and sent him several sets of masterwork woodworking tools that now line the walls.

Treasure: Between the masterwork tools given to him, and tools handed down by his family there are 5 sets of masterwork woodworking tools worth 300 gp each. Three of the sets of tools possess markings that clearly show ownership by the Reston family. The tropical woods stored here are valuable (totaling 1200 gp), but the only person in the area purchasing such items in raw form is Falgur so stealing the wood only makes the thieves easier to capture.

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3) Falgur and Sindrulia’s Home

Expensive tapestries hang from the walls and crystal and porcelain figurines occupy niches and shelves throughout the room. Glass skylights in the roof above let in sunlight during the day, and star and moonlight at night. Glass covering the lamps is clear and free of soot suggesting they are rarely lit. A loft that can be reached by a short ladder covers the northern half of the large room. Three beds occupy the loft and a much larger bed is tucked beneath it. A small kitchen is seen in the southwest corner and the rest of the room is filled with chairs, sofas and a variety of small tables. Furniture throughout the room is of the highest quality, made of the finest tropical hardwoods and carved with intricate designs. While the store below contains demonstrations of Falgur’s skill, his home bears signs of generations of skilled woodwork and hints of the wealth a true master craftsman can acquire.

Falgur is blind, and enough light comes through the windows and skylights for Sindrulia’s elven eyes to see clearly at night. Over the years both of them have acquired a fair amount of wealth, though nothing compared to the wealth that Sindrulia abandoned when she married Falgur. The skylights and windows on this floor are made of extremely thick glass to withstand the elements and provide insulation but can still be broken fairly easily.

Glass Skylights and Windows: Thickness 1 in.; Hardness 3; Break DC 13; hp 10. The glass is high quality and quite thick but shatters when hit hard enough. If steps aren’t taken to minimize the noise the shattering windows make enough noise to alert anyone within a radius of 40 ft.

Treasure #1: The three tapestries depict ancient elven battles and are of the highest quality. A cousin that actually approved of her choosing love over family gave them to Sindrulia as a wedding gift. They are worth 1000 gp each, but are easily identified and almost impossible to fence. The crystal and porcelain figurines vary in value from 2 gp to 150 gp achieving a total of 650 gp but can’t be fenced for more than a quarter of their true value. Treasure #2: Falgur concealed a secret compartment in one of the walls using his masterful skills (Search DC38). It contains gold and gems with a total value of 5000 gp.

Note: Falgur and Sindrulia are almost universally liked and respected throughout the city. Any theft from them or their home receives prompt and dedicated attention from the city guard.

Reston’s Wood Creations

Goods

Each piece of Falgur’s work receives his full attention and dedication with every piece virtually a work of art. Falgur charges double the standard masterwork rates for his work and still has more work than he can really handle. In addition to the weapons described below, Falgur carves beautiful wands, rods, and staves for mages upon request. While these initial products cost double what they would elsewhere, many wizards claim that adding charges and enchantments to Falgur’s creations is far easier and less taxing than anyone else’s products. All of the longswords, scimitars, knives, and bows created by Falgur are carved with unique designs. If presented with one of his creations he can tell exactly whom it was sold to simply by feeling the designs with his fingers. The woods he uses are described below. Falgur’s work is of such high quality that the experience point cost of adding enchantments and spells is cut in half. If items are purchased for enchantment the added cost is usually made up by a discount from the mage paid to enchant the weapon.

masterwork azurawood longsword: 620 gp masterwork azurawood scimitar: 615 gp masterwork azurawood knife: 600 gp

The weapons listed above are made of azurawood with ebonwood and sorfang inlays. Falgur used to make these weapons with ebonwood, and still can, but he likes the weight of the azurawood and finds it easier to make a balanced weapon with it. Falgur’s azurawood weapons have a hardness of 10 and fire resistance 10 for the purpose of damage to the weapons.

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City Guide I Reston’s Wood Creations

masterwork composite shortbow 675 gp masterwork mighty (Str 12) composite shortbow 835 gp masterwork composite longbow 700 gp masterwork mighty (Str 12) composite longbow 900 gp masterwork mighty (Str 14) composite longbow 1000 gp

Falgur’s bows are made with ebonwood and bone along with sorfang inlays. While the bows last indefinitely if strung only for use, they can be kept strung for several years without losing their strength or flexibility. Falgur’s bows have a hardness of 7 and fire resistance 10 when considering damage against them.

Woods Used: Falgur uses several rare tropical woods in his creations. Woods he uses for different projects vary on the purpose of whatever item he might be working on.

Item: Azurawood

Azurawood: This strange wood is pale white with dark blue veins. While very light, it is extremely hard making it difficult to work with. Strangely, azurawood holds an edge as well as steel making it good for swords and knives. If treated properly weapons made of azurawood are as hard as steel. Unfortunately, azurawood is not very flexible and can’t be used for bowmaking. Azurawood is so hard that it requires masterwork tools to work with and at least 5 ranks in a woodrelated Craft skill to avoid ruining it.

Item: Ebonwood

Ebonwood: Almost black in color, Falgur uses ebonwood for almost all of his creations. It is hard, sturdy, and flexible making it good for bows, staves, and even bladed weapons. The dark color of the wood makes it extremely attractive when polished and makes inlays and different carvings stand out more. Item: Sorfang

S orfang: Rare even in the best of times, sorfang is a somewhat soft wood with a pale reddish-brown color. Falgur uses sorfang for inlays and decorations but never for actual weapons. Sorfang has the odd quality of being very resistant to fire. Any item with sorfang inlays gains fire resistance 10 (for the item only, not the person holding it). All of Falgur’s swords, scimitars, and knives have sorfang inlays designed to protect them from fire damage.

Character Hooks or Stories:

1) If the GM desires they may use Falgur and Sindrulia to help entice PCs into an adventure. Sindrulia’s knowledge of local history might bring a lost tower or dungeon to mind to help the PCs on their way, or one of the following character hooks could be used.

2) Shipments of the rare woods Falgur uses in his creations have suddenly stopped. Falgur is worried that something has gone wrong and asks the PCs to check into it.

3) Heison, their son, suspects corruption in the city guard and asks Falgur and Sindrulia to acts as intermediaries in hiring the PCs to investigate.

4) Poreah, their youngest daughter, has been out adventuring. Her latest letter mentioned an “interesting dungeon” but they have not heard from her since. They ask the PCs to investigate her disappearance.

5) Their daughter Poreah has written from a distant land saying she may have found a cure for Falgur’s blindness. Falgur has been blind so long it doesn’t bother him, but Sindrulia asks the PCs to meet Poreah and bring back the potential cure.