Triboar

The bustling mercantile town of Triboar stands where the Long Road meets the Evermoor Way. Triboar’s name is thought to have come from a traveler’s tale of slaying three boars here in the same day, over four hundred winters ago. The town is built on flat, fertile land, with a few natural rises here and there. Nearly half of Triboar’s population lives outside the town proper, on sprawling ranches and neighboring farmsteads, most of which lie to the north or east. The current lord protector of Triboar is a good-natured Harper and ex-adventurer named Darathra Shendrel. Darathra enacts and modifies local laws (known as “the Lord’s Decree”), which are then enforced by the Twelve—a squad of a dozen mounted warriors drawn from the militia. Triboar is a market for the horses raised by nearby ranches. Blacksmiths, harness-makers, and wagonworks also flourish in town. In addition, a number of guides operate out of Triboar. They take merchants and other travelers all over the Sword Coast, typically for stiff fees.

Locations in Triboar

The following locations are identified on map in this handout.

Outlying ranches and farmsteads are not described here, since they have little bearing on this part of the adventure. You can develop these outlying areas as you see fit.

Market Square and Tower The center of Triboar, where the Long Road meets the Evermoor Way, is a huge open space used as a market by local farmers and visiting peddlers. Dominating the space is the two-story Tower of the Lord Protector, a simple stone keep that leans decidedly to the east. Hanging above the entrance is the dusty banner of the lord protector, which depicts three black boars running toward the head of the banner on a blood-red field. The current Lord Protector of Triboar is Darathra Shendrel, a Harper agent from Waterdeep elected by the people of Triboar to command the town militia, settle disputes, and keep the peace. Her association with the Harpers is not widely known, but she is widely regarded as a fair and clear-headed leader. The regular militia takes turns serving in the Twelve, a mounted police force (good-aligned male and female human veterans of various ethnicities on riding horses) that patrols the town, the roads that lead between the outlying ranches, and the eastern half of the Triboar Trail. If needed, Darathra can muster a well-armed militia of fifty in the night, and three hundred by highsun the next day. The lord protector also has the authority to draft mercenaries and adventurers, as needed.

North Caravan Campground Caravans passing through Triboar use this fenced-in field as a place to park their wagons and contain their oxen for free. There’s also plenty of room to pitch tents and build campfires. Fresh water can be drawn from a 30-foot-deep stone well in the southeast corner of the yard. A cottage stands in the east corner of the lot. Its elderly occupant, Darz Helgar, is paid by the lord protector to keep the town’s campgrounds clean by removing the garbage and burying the excrement.

West Caravan Campground This campground is similar to area T2. A 30-foot-deep stone well in the middle of the yard provides fresh water for guests.

Happy Horse Ranch The Karnveller family raises, trains, sells, and stables horses. Three large buildings stand on their property: a two-story log house with a detached outhouse (the family estate); a stone storehouse full of used saddles, bridles, and reins; and stone stables connected to a fenced-in riding yard and grazing field. Janele Karnveller (NG female Chondathan human commoner) is the family matriarch, a feisty middle-aged widow who enjoys the company of horses more than people. She has three adult sons named Aldo, Hingo, and Rasko (LG male Chondathan human veterans), all of whom are members of the town militia.

Wainwright’s Wagons A longtime fixture in Triboar, Wainwright’s Wagons has its own horse-driven sawmill and large buildings for lumber storage. The establishment originally catered to the wealthy elite by crafting the finest, most expensive wagons in the Dessarin Valley. The current owner, Tosker Wainwright (N male Illuskan human commoner), is more interested in profit than quality. Lacking the carpentry skills of his ancestors, he relies on underpaid apprentices to assemble wagons that are little better than ordinary, yet they cost five times as much. The Wainwright brand name is the only thing keeping the establishment in business. . . for now.

The Lion’s Share This building was recently purchased and refurbished by the Lionshield Coster, a merchant company based in the city of Yartar. Above the store’s entrance hangs a polished shield emblazoned with the head of a stylized golden lion on a blue background. Lionshields are not well liked in Triboar, since Triboar and Yartar are bitter rivals, and few locals spend their money in this place. The store caters mostly to caravans and out-of-towners, selling provisions and animal fodder up front, and adventuring gear, armor, and weapons in back. Rooms on the second floor contain accommodations for the store’s young proprietors, Alaestra Ulgar (NG female Illuskan human commoner) and Narth Tezrin They have an agreement with the lord protector not to sell weapons to anyone they think might be a threat to the town. In exchange, the lord protector makes sure the store isn’t victimized by vandals and local troublemakers.

The Cart and Coin This establishment sells and swaps horses and draft animals, and also deals in feed, horseshoes, and gear. The owners are a married couple named Arn and Syreen Widdens (NG Chondathan human commoners). They have four young children (noncombatants) and employ half a dozen workers (N male Illuskan human commoners) to feed and exercise the animals, clean the stables, and replace horseshoes.

The Triboar Travelers Merchant sponsors can hire the personnel and the vehicles of the Triboar Travelers to make caravan runs to Waterdeep and back, for 600 gp each way, plus 25 gp for each wagon beyond the tenth. Runs to Everlund and back are 800 gp each way, as monsters from the Evermoors are known to prey on caravans along this route, plus 30 gp for each wagon beyond the tenth. The company hires mercenaries and adventurers to serve as guards, paying each person 4 gp per day plus food and drink. Each guard also receives a bonus of 25 gp if all caravan goods arrive at the destination. Urlam Stockspool (N male Illuskan human spy), a shrewd, immaculately dressed businessman, runs the caravan company and is a recruiter for the Zhentarim. He’s proud of his affiliation: he lost an eye in combat several years ago and wears a red eye patch emblazoned with the black serpent symbol of the Zhentarim. Urlam is rarely seen without his suave bodyguard, Valken Naspeer (N male half-elf assassin). Although Urlam and Valken are good-humored and speak highly of the local authorities, they know that the lord protector keeps a watchful eye on them. They have no idea that Darathra is affiliated with the Harpers, but it wouldn’t surprise them to learn as much.

Northshield House Northshield House is a fine local inn—stately, clean, and quiet. The proprietor, Urgala Meltimer, is a retired adventurer who bought the inn from the Phorndyl family a little over ten years ago, after her wife (a wizard) vanished in the Underdark on an expedition. She much prefers retirement and warns armed guests to keep their blades sheathed during their stay. Urgala has three mastiffs (hunting dogs) that sleep in the ground floor common room, and she employs a staff of six loyal, well-paid commoners (LG males and females of various races and ethnicities). Guests sleep in private rooms on the upper floor.

Othovir’s Harness Shop A skilled harness-maker named Othovir lives and works here, making the finest elk-skin harnesses in the Dessarin Valley. He hunts the elk, keeps their skins, and sells the rest to the Lionshield Coster (area T6). His harnesses have elaborate designs pressed into the leather, and his work is popular among Waterdhavian nobles who enjoy horseback riding. Although he hails from a prominent Waterdeep family (the Margasters family), Othovir never speaks of his past or his family, and he has no interest in describing how he ended up a shop owner in Triboar.

The Talking Troll The Troll is what Waterdhavians would call a dive—a dim, smelly, low-beamed place crammed with mismatched, battered old furniture and drunks. Part of the roof caught fire two summers ago and has yet to be repaired. The holes in the roof have allowed birds to build nests among the beams, and the floor and tables are speckled with bird droppings. The Troll’s one redeeming feature is its large, well-stocked cellar. The owner and proprietor of the Troll is a struggling actor named Kaelen Sarssir (LN male Illuskan human commoner). He “inherited” the tavern after the previous owner fled in the wake of a scandal and has done the minimum amount of work necessary to keep it operational. Kaelen has dreams of turning the Troll into a theater, but he lacks the funds and the ambition to do so. He shares his dream with new patrons, hoping one or more of them might make a donation or otherwise sponsor the endeavor. Kaelen might even be persuaded to accept a business partner, provided there’s little or no risk to him. A priest of Helm named Silvarren Loomshank (LN male Illuskan human) sleeps in a drunken stupor in a corner of the common room, barely noticed by the Troll’s other patrons. A lifelong resident of Neverwinter, he was “banished” by his superiors to the Allfaiths Shrine in Red Larch. He has yet to arrive there, choosing instead to stop and drown his sorrows in Triboar. He hasn’t lost his faith in Helm, merely his faith in himself and his superiors. Consumed by self-pity, he sees himself as a victim of “temple politics.” He has spent all of his traveling money and racked up a drinking debt of 5 gp. He won’t leave Triboar until the debt is paid off.

The Frost-Touched Frog This old inn is boarded up and empty. Vandals have carved lewd phrases into the planks covering the doors and windows, and tall weeds have the building surrounded.

Six Windows This chilly, creaking, decrepit wooden rooming house is run by Tolmara Hysstryn (CN female Illuskan human commoner), a deranged middle-aged woman. Visitors unable to secure rooms at Everwyvern House or Northshield House might be forced to bunk here, but they rarely stay longer than a night because they quickly discover that Tolmara isn’t shy about spying on them through keyholes and listening at doors while chuckling to herself.

Boar’s Rest Built on a ridge that overlooks the rest of town, Boar’s Rest is the stone mansion of a rich, retired adventurer named Hyuth Kolstaag (NE male Damaran human mage). Ever since Kolstaag had the place built and moved in five years ago, his unbridled arrogance and sense of self-importance have won him no friends in Triboar. Moreover, he has been targeted by so many enemies and rivals that other townsfolk consider him a magnet for disaster. He lives surrounded by trophies of his past adventures, and rarely emerges from his estate. He never condescends to protect the town or use his wealth to aid the less fortunate.

The Triboar Arms The Triboar Arms has burned to the ground twice and been rebuilt twice. Its owner and proprietor is Nemyth (NG male tiefling commoner), a savvy businessman with a wicked smile. He likes to lean against the taproom doorway, drying and polishing a mug while nodding and smiling at passersby. His prices are reasonable, his staff cordial. The tavern is a popular hangout for rangers and scouts, most of whom sell their services as wilderness guides. One of Nemyth’s “regulars” is a friendly and capable guide named Zindra Winterbow (NG female half-elf scout), a member of the Emerald Enclave. She charges 10 gp per day for her services, regardless of the danger. She has noticed more and more hill giants, ogres, and Uthgardt barbarians wandering the hills around Triboar recently, and she warns adventurers leaving town to be wary of them.

Uldinath’s Arms This hilltop smithy across the road from Foehammer’s Forge (area T18) is run by Harriet Uldinath (LG female Illuskan human commoner), the great-granddaughter of the establishment’s founder. Harriet has known Ghelryn Foehammer since she was a child, and the two are friendly rivals. Harriet sells fine weapons stamped with the Uldinath family glyph, which generally increases their value by 25 percent.

Foehammer’s Forge Ghelryn Foehammer makes fine weapons, armor, and other metalworks. Ghelryn is getting a bit long in the tooth for the daily grind of metalsmithing, so he’s looking for a skilled apprentice, but no one has met with his approval so far. A year ago, Ghelryn made splendid suits of ceremonial armor for King Morinn and Queen Tithmel of Citadel Felbarr, and the royals were so impressed that they bestowed upon Ghelryn the honorary title of Royal Armorer. For that and other reasons, the Foehammer name is synonymous with top-quality goods throughout the Dessarin Valley, and Ghelryn intends to keep it that way. Ghelryn hates orcs and giants. During the War of the Silver Marches, he obtained reports of orcs and giants attacking dwarfholds throughout the North. Many times he wanted to take up arms and travel north to join the war, yet he restrained himself because he had a business to run. But when giants attack Triboar, he refuses to stand back and idly watch.

Merivold Pony Park North of the Evermoor Way, a quaint cottage stands near a brightly painted barn topped with a pony-shaped weather vane. A white picket fence encloses a small field behind the barn. Set among flowers on the front lawn is a sign that reads “Merivold Pony Park.” Two spinster-sisters named Janna and [[Leera Merivold (LN female Illuskan human commoners) raise and train ponies here, including riding ponies for halflings. At any given time, the Merivolds have 2d4 ponies for sale.

Everwyvern House This expensive inn caters to Waterdhavian nobility and other well-to-do folk who wouldn’t be caught dead in a more modest establishment. The property is situated behind the Pleasing Platter on a beautifully landscaped patch of land with private stables, private gardens, and a meandering path through a small orchard. The inn itself is a beautiful stone building with lamps hanging from its eaves and a turret in one corner. The snobbery of Everwyvern House is equaled by its elegant foppery. The atmosphere in the place is like a parody of the grandest Waterdhavian noble parties. Folk come here to be awed by it, to be amused by it, or to feel at home in it. Minstrels play quiet background music among floating plants and many-hued driftglobes, while startlingly gowned women and dashingly sashed and ruffled men chat, stroll, dance, and sneer at each other. Several of these well-dressed fops are actually escorts (N male and female human commoners of various ethnicities) employed by the inn’s proprietor to enhance the mood. They are coached to speak and parade about like nobles, but they are nothing more than low-paid actors. The Everwyvern’s condescending peacock of a proprietor, Draven Millovyr (NE male Illuskan human mage), tried and failed to gain membership in the Arcane Brotherhood. When that career path didn’t pan out, he used his inherited wealth to buy Everwyvern House. The Everwyvern’s beds are comfortable but horribly overpriced (15 gp per night), though the fee includes room service and companionship, if desired. The meals on the menu are prepared just as they are in Waterdeep’s finest restaurants, but nonetheless they are extraordinarily expensive (25 gp per plate). Draven employs spies to keep him apprised of the latest dining and fashion trends. Draven doesn’t allow “nobodies” to stay at his inn, and he employs six bouncers (NE male Illuskan human thugs) to throw out the trash. Adventurers of noble blood and their servants are welcome; others are not. Draven keeps his wealth in his locked quarters, located on the top floor of the Everwyvern’s turret. He carries the only key to the door. Its lock can be picked with thieves’ tools and a successful DC 15 Dexterity check. A glyph of warding spell cast on the door is triggered when someone other than Draven opens it. When triggered, the glyph casts a conjure animals spell that summons a pair of death dogs. They attack anyone not accompanied by Draven. Treasure. A locked chest in Draven’s quarters contains 540 gp in mixed coinage—funds that Draven uses to pay his staff and maintain his “modest” lifestyle. A secret compartment in the chest’s lid holds three bejeweled necklaces (stolen from visiting Waterdhavian noblewomen) worth 750 gp each. The compartment can be found with a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check. Draven carries the key to the chest, which can otherwise be opened with thieves’ tools and a successful DC 20 Dexterity check.

The Pleasing Platter This fine restaurant is next door to the grandiose Everwyvern House, and it has adopted similar pretensions. Its tables are far apart. Each is screened from the others by strategically placed plants, statues, or pillars. Minstrels play soft and soothing music in the background. Service is fast, polite, and deft, with special requests honored swiftly and obligingly to meet a guest’s culinary preferences. House specialties include smoked quail, rothé steak cooked in wine and nuts, and grilled silvertail fish. Prices are comparable to those at Everwyvern House, and free flasks of sweet water (see area T23) are served with dinner. The owners and chefs are Heltzer and Pentavasta Duncask (LG male and female Illuskan human commoners), a cheerful and randy older couple.

Graveyard Perched atop a ridge at the south end of town is an old cemetery where many of Triboar’s first settlers are buried under weatherworn headstones. The oldest graves are located on a plot of land enclosed by an old, unpainted picket fence. Apothecary Across the road from Northshield House (area T10) is the town apothecary, a slouched wooden cottage with ivy-covered walls. Tarmock Felaskur (CN male Illuskan human commoner) sells herbal medicines and salves of questionable efficacy. Parked outside the apothecary’s front door is a ramshackle wheelbarrow, hanging above which is a wooden sign shaped like a potion bottle. In addition to herbs and salves, Tarmock sells “sweet water” for 1 gp a flask. The sweet, naturally carbonated water bubbles up from a tiny spring in the shed behind Tarmock’s cottage. Tarmock makes most of his money selling the water to the proprietors of The Pleasing Platter. Gwaeron’s Slumber Gwaeron Windstrom, the god of tracking, is said to visit this mystical forest. Rangers who venerate Gwaeron or Mielikki, the goddess of forests, come here for inspiration. Some claim to have seen Gwaeron walking among the trees, appearing as a tall, muscular man whose long, white hair and beard whip and billow as if in an endless breeze, even when there is no wind. It is also said that worshipers of Gwaeron or Mielikki who sleep in this wood will receive prophetic dreams. In truth, Gwaeron never visits those who come seeking him, though he appears unexpectedly in the grove on rare occasions.

Marshaling Field

An old, partially ruined wooden fence encloses a large, muddy field south of town. In years past, armies gathered and camped here before marching off to war. The field has seen little use in recent years.