This small port city is little more than a shipping/receiving business center and a few small shops for casual shoppers. There are a few homes for dock and warehouse workers, but little that would interest newcomers to the island.

There isn't even a single inn or tavern in town. Local laws disallow anything that would interest outsiders for very long, so as to drive business to the coaches. The islanders have been making a huge profit on visitors this way since the island was colonized.

Many signs read similar to this: “Visitors are encouraged to take one of the many available coaches to Shadowgate, where more services are available.”

“Many available coaches” usually means two. They leave every half hour. This ride comes for a small fee of only $5 a head and takes ten minutes.

All of the buildings were built using local stone and are quite durable. The locks on the doors are high quality. The sundown curfew is strictly enforced, as the community has no walls and the humanoids of the island occasionally come through town, looking for scraps, but they only dare do this at night. Ships that harbor at the island are encouraged to anchor in the bay rather than tying up at the docks for night.

Founded thirty years ago by adventurers, Shadowgate was originally a small tent city of goblins centered around one of the smaller oases. These were cleared out in a single day through a sneak assault. The goblins barely put up a fight and were mostly caught off guard.

After discovering that the goblins were defending a water source, the group decided to build a settlement. Over the course of three weeks, they held their ground as wave after wave of local humanoids attempted to reclaim the watering hole. Finally, backup arrived in the form of a mixed company of Modrons and Theris soldiers. The Modrons wished to bring order to the island (and still do), while the soldiers were sent on temporary assignment to help carve out the settlement, since their king was among the financial backers of the original adventurer group.

Within a month, simple fortifications were in place using a mixture of barbed wire fencing, covered pit traps and sand-covered bear traps. Regular patrols kept the area safe and clear.

After a year, six-foot stone walls were completed by the Modrons just inside the old defenses, completely surrounding the budding community. The old traps and fences are still maintained and patrolled as an extra layer of protection.

After another six months, the locals organized a powerful mixed force of ogres, orcs, goblins and even a giant. Fortunately, Shadowgate's troops were prepared well in advance and were able to rout them with relative ease. After this, the locals got the picture. They don't bother Shadowgate much anymore, but they are often seen on the horizon, watching.

Within a few years, most of the Soldiers pulled out of the area, satisfied that the community they helped build would be safe. Some few retired and stayed behind to start their own businesses.

Shortly after, the Modrons pulled out most of their forces as well, save for a small contingent that still maintains the walls, fences and traps. In exchange for this boon, the settlers feed them and offer the services of their various businesses for free. This group seems to be operating independently of the main body of Modrons, as they have little contact with them.

The village businesses enjoy a profitable relationship with the current king of Theris. He plays the part of a silent partner that can be called on in times of need. These needs range from military to occasional financial assistance. The King often invests his earnings in order to spur greater profitability in the future.

In exchange for this, the village sends him 10% of all their profits. This is a contractual agreement that is renewed on a yearly basis. The Grand Vizier of Theris makes an annual visit to the island for this purpose, during which he, the sheriff and the mayor discuss the arrangement. Changes are made each year, but these are essentially minor in nature.

Today, Shadowgate is a bustling community of small businesses. Just about everyone that lives there owns a business of some kind. They try hard to profit off the adventurers and explorers that come through on their way back to civilization. Visitors are charged double for just about everything. Those known to be carrying lots of money are often charged more. The outrageous prices are explained away as import taxes and fees, which is only partially true (see next paragraph).

However, even the locals have to pay inflated prices, as just about everything has to be brought in from elsewhere. Locals pay 120% of normal on all but local-grown consumables, such as food and drink. However, the only foodstuffs grown on the island are simple vegetables like potatoes.

Nasael Irontear is the local armor smith. He's an Elf craftsman known for the high quality of his chain mail armors.

He's known to close earlier than the other shops, so he might spend the late afternoon and evening in the saloon. Sadly, he's an alcoholic.

Anna Morninglory runs a small candy store that is popular among Shadowgate's children and adventurers that want a treat. She's recently been experimenting with making cold treats using soft-frozen milk, sugar and various flavors, but these require ice from a huge steam-driven machine out back that a Gnome and a Modron built for her. These treats are terribly expensive, but quite popular in the desert heat.

Anna is the widow of the adventurer-doctor that was part of the group that founded the village, who died just a few years ago.

Her husband used to run the clinic. Her daughter, Gierria Morninglory of the Magnificent Five, took up the business when he retired, but left the village shortly after going blind. It's now run by Anna's son.

Doc Jerris Morninglory runs a small medical clinic. He's the brother of Gierria Morninglory of the Magnificent Five. They're both children of one of the adventurers that founded the village and followed in his footsteps, becoming doctors. Gierria also (eventually) became an adventurer, after she lost her sight and joined the Order of the Unseeing Eye.

Their mother runs the candy store.

Unfortunately, their father passed on just a few years ago and business has always been irregular. Fortunately, the other settlers support Doc Morninglory in the slow times, as they don't dare let the clinic close. Everyone wants a doctor around.

Cristy Medeiras runs this shop. She's an excellent seamstress. Despite the fact that she specializes in women's clothing, she also makes fine clothing for men.

She also has a selection of cloth armor available, including some very expensive giant spider silk armor. She apparently has a local source of this silk to spin clothing from, but no one knows where she gets it.

Cristy is a retired adventurer rumored to have ridden a giant spider into battle. This seems consistent with the fact that she sells armor made from spider silk…

This shop is run by an elderly couple named Rudolf and Alta Heiermann. Rudolf is one of the soldiers that originally helped defend Shadowgate. Alta is a relative of one of the adventurers that cleared the oasis of Goblins. She came to the island as a settler and shortly after married Rudolf.

This store has a variety of mundane items not available in the other shops, including rations, survival gear, regular groceries, adventuring gear, etc.

This hotel is run by a Half-Ogre named Matthew “Skullcrusher” Mansbridge, a retired adventurer. He's one of the adventurer group that captured the oasis from the goblins. If folks aren't careful, he'll talk their ears off, telling stories about “the good ole' days” when he was “still out there fightin' the good fight!”

He runs a clean establishment with many comfortable amenities that the average adventurer isn't used to, such as hot baths, silk sheets, not-so-complimentary mints on the pillows, etc. The best rooms even have running water! He charges individually for all these services, producing a meticulous, itemized bill that is due each week or at sign out. Many adventurers are caught off guard by this and spend their entire recently-acquired fortunes here. They leave somewhat unhappy about the bill, but very relaxed and rested.

Unfortunately, this is the only place available to visitors, aside from camping outside the city walls. Camping inside the walls is liable to get one arrested by the Sheriff for loitering or vagrancy. However, the Judge (see the section on the Town Meeting Hall) has been known to grant camping permits for special circumstances. There are a few suitable camping spots behind the Town Meeting Hall for just such an occasion.

Local Enchanter Extraordinaire, the Amazing Baiden Riverren, runs this shop. He buys and sells magic items, spells and spell components. He'll custom design new spells and magic items if requested. His work is excellent.

However, his prices are roughly 10% under what the Enchanter's Syndicate charges. This is the only exception to the rule that Shadowgate's businesses overcharge visitors. However, this fact is liable to get him in trouble if the Syndicate ever finds out. Unfortunately for Baiden, he isn't aware of the Syndicate and isn't even sure why other enchanters charge so much. He's self-taught in the art of enchanting and set his prices so low to attract steady business. So far he's been quite successful in this endeavor.

Angel McCade is the young-looking, very beautiful proprietor of this shop full of unique, used items. Some of her wares are magical. Some are cursed. Most are just junk. She also has a fine selection of antique furniture, but it's normally only purchased by locals.

Her shop is carefully watched by a family of four pixies that have taken a liking to her. They play horrible pranks on anyone that tries to cheat her. They also play the occasional prank on the Sheriff, usually involving a bucket of water perched over his door. Lindwick from the Weapon Smith's shop often gets blamed for their pranks, which they think is hilarious.

They live in a meticulously-crafted doll house on a shelf behind the counter. It has a “Not For Sale” sign attached to it. Angel feeds them and in exchange they keep her customers honest.

It isn't common knowledge, but Angel is a member of the Shadowed Eyes. She's currently serving as a fence, but she does sell some illegal gear on the sly, such as lock picks and other thief gear.

She's also the sister of Guild Master Rayna and part of the same coven of witches. Again, this is not publicly known.

Delmar Butterworth insists on calling his tavern a saloon. What's a saloon? That's anyone's guess.

The place is setup for card games, gambling and drinking, but he's recently started running a prostitution ring as well. This is not well known in the community and is actually illegal by local law. If the sheriff discovered this, Delmar would be arrested on short order.

Delmar employs a “tame” Ogre bouncer named Squisher. Squisher is usually seen picking his teeth with a bone fragment that looks suspiciously like a human femur. He doesn't actually eat people anymore, but he does occasionally forget where he is and hungrily drool a little at them. Only idiots cause trouble in the Tavern.

Little more than a few jail cells and a desk, there's also a pair of bedrooms in the back for Sheriff Brant Dalton and the Judge (see the section on the Town Meeting Hall, below).

The Sheriff is middle-aged and somewhat grizzled, having spent most of his adult life in the desert winds of Shadow Reef. He's a Law Keeper, one of the Readers, so he is very strict in his interpretation of the laws of Shadowgate.

He's an expert swordsman, preferring fencing weapons, as these are favored in the region. He's also quite famous for his weapons skills and often attracts foolish young men that wish to test their mettle against him. He hates dueling, but he reluctantly accepts their challenges. Refusing them would mark him as a coward and destroy his credibility as Sheriff. Most of them do not survive, because they usually push him into a position where he can't defeat them without inflicting lethal injury. Those that survive get jail time and a stern talking to.

The Sheriff is currently seeking a deputy, but hasn't been able to find anyone that meets his very high standards. He has been known to temporarily deputize other citizens of Shadowgate during emergencies.

This is the largest building in town, easily able to hold everyone that lives in Shadowgate. It's used for town meetings, court proceedings, and a few religious ceremonies, like weddings.

Judge Derrick Harle is often found here, presiding over some kind of court proceeding. He has an odd fondness for performing marriages, one of the duties that falls to him on a regular basis.

There are also a pair of lawyers constantly hanging about, just in case a dispute is raised. One of them will take the side of the party complaining. Another will take the side of the party complained against and all three will make a decision together. The final decision normally comes down to the Judge, as the lawyers usually agree with their clients.

All three are Law Keepers. The Judge is a Reader, while one lawyer is a Spiritualist and the other an Individualist. They often argue about how to interpret the law, but at the end of the day, they're all good friends.

Unknown to the others, the Individualist lawyer often subtly stirs up trouble in town. He's got a slick tongue and knows how to put in just the right word here and there to get people upset with each other. He does this so he'll have more work, and thus, get paid more. He keeps this behavior to a minimum and hasn't yet gotten in trouble for it.

The weapon smith is an old, but well-muscled fellow named Daren Lyerly. He repairs gear most days, but will make new weapons if requested. He sells mostly fencing weapons, as these are favored in the area.

He employs a Gnome named Lindwick Hodgezig to repair firearms of all kinds. Lindwick isn't any good at building new guns, but he can fix them better than almost anyone else. He also maintains the ice machine behind Anna Morninglory's candy shop.

On any given day, Lindwick will be available on a 12 or less on 3d. On a higher roll, he failed to resist the Gnomish urge to play pranks and likely got caught by the sheriff, who always jails him for this. In the past he was quite a problem to the town for his jokes, and so the sheriff has taken to a zero-tolerance policy with him.

Sometimes, Lindwick is falsely accused of playing a joke, since there is a family of pixies living in the second hand store that like to play pranks, as well. The evidence always points to him very clearly, but he protests anyway. Lindwick is looking for “the other prankster in town” because he wants to shake their hand and buy them a drink; Gnomes are generally very understanding of jokes being played on them. They're used to it from their friends and family.