Chalice

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Chalice
Geography
Type	Settlement
Region	The Moonstone Hills, Allansia
Society
Races	Elves, Gnomes, Humans, Man-Orcs, Striders
Politics

Chalice.

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Chalice is a small town lying on the banks of Silver River at the base of Moonstone Hills. It has grown from being merely a cluster of cabins and huts to its present size mainly because it became an important trading centre for prospectors seeking gold in the hills. It was the first safe haven for merchants who had travelled west from the Flatlands on their way to Silverton. In Chalice they could rest and do business without fear of attack. There are plenty of inns and places of entertainment, and it used to be among the most boisterous towns of Allansia.

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History

Chalice began as a merchant's store built at the end of a wooden jetty where river traders landed their goods. The merchant claimed that he had been handed a poisoned chalice, as trade was initially so slow. The name stuck, but over time, Chalice grew to become a busy river port.

Leeha Falsehope

An Elf from Eren Dûrdinath, Leeha Falsehope once revealed the story of the Vapours to a tavern full of onlookers in Chalice.

The Return of Razaak

When Razaak escaped from his crypt, travellers from the east arriving in Chalice brought tales of disease and famine. After three weeks during which the sky was "dark and menacing," an Elf walked to Chalice with a story of flying south on a Giant Eagle which was killed by an energy bolt issuing from a deep fissure near the southern edge of the Moonstone Hills. A hero staying in Chalice heard the tale and embarked on a quest to end the evil afflicting the region.

The Princess Sarissa Incident

In 285 AC, the city-state of Chalice was ruled by the aged King Pindar. Mindful of his advancing years and the threats to his city-state from the forces of Evil, King Pindar sought an alliance with the more powerful kingdom of Salamonis. A marriage was arranged between King Pindar's son, Prince Barinjhar, and the daughter of King Salamon LVII, Princess Sarissa.

Notable Locations

The town square, also called the market square, contains a water fountain carved in the shape of a dragon's head.

Silver Street, which runs west from the square, is a narrow cobbled street lined with small houses and shops, mainly belonging to jewellers and silversmiths. Jethro's Jewels is the second closest to the market square, owned by Jethro Jaggle. The street ends in a T-junction with Barrel Street, an alley lined with "drab, narrow houses built of grey stone with small windows and high-pitched roofs."

Going north from the market is Armoury Lane, just a hundred metres long and ending in a timber yard. All the buildings in Armoury Lane are armourer's shops with windows protected by thick iron grills. One of the shops belongs to the Cyclops Cy whose famous One Eye swords are the finest in Northern Allansia and sell for 50 Gold Pieces each. Cy also makes and sells all manner of other weaponry and armour, including Demon Daggers which cost 10 GPs.

Beggar's Alley is a narrow, potholed dirt track which runs east from the market square, dark and ramshackle wood and stone houses on both sides. At least one house is kept secure with a heavy oak door and black, shuttered windows. As the name suggests, vagrants frequent the area and it is perhaps unsurprising that some residents do not take kindly to unsolicited visitors.

Beggar's Alley ends in a T-junction with Lion Street, a much wider and brighter thoroughfare in a more affluent area. On the east side of Lion Street are five shops to the south and five grand houses to the north, whilst the mansion known as Hog House occupies the whole west side of the road. The shops are a florist, a locksmith, a bookshop, a candle shop and a wool shop.

Hog House, the home of Lady Francesca de la Vette, is surrounded by a high wall, stone gargoyles fixed to the top roughly ten metres apart. The mansion is tall, dark and forbidding, with narrow windows. The carefully maintained lawn is protected by Attack Dogs and leads to a marble staircase to the glossy black front door. As well as the butler, the house is protected by at least six heavily armed guards and a Man-Orc gaoler.

Despite the name, The Lion inn is not in Lion Street. The upper floor offers accommodation for visitors to the town.

The Fat Frog Inn is known for the dishonesty of the "sharks and villains" who are its main clientele.

Chalice is surrounded by a wall. A short way beyond the north gates is a ruined church and ancient graveyard.

According to some information, in Chalice there are two temples: the Temple of Usrel and the Temple of Logaan.

Economy

Chalice is a prosperous town, mainly due to commerce. Merchants from all over Allansia choose to sell their goods in Chalice, where the prices are higher. The market is open six days a week, from dawn to dusk. Goods available include: weapons, armour, potions, lotions, herbs, spices, grain, livestock, semi-precious stones, jewellery, silk, furs, fine textiles and exotic foodstuffs. There are a number of farms near Chalice, some of which grow maize. However, some of the farmsteads are abandoned.

Chalice has trading links with towns all over Allansia, including ones as distant as Wolftown and Vynheim.

Striders run errands throughout the town, Man-Orcs offer their services as guards and a pair of Ogres are available for manual work. Goods are also manufactured in the town, including weapons, armour, jewellery and many other items.

Inhabitants

The population of Chalice is mostly human, with some elves and gnomes, alongside the groups mentioned above.

Further Notes

• There is an unusually large number of villages sited close to Chalice. These villages are Largo, Drystone, Kierdale, Oakwall, Oldcastle, Tegris and Marshfeld.

• The official Fighting Fantasy site, Fightingfantasygamebooks.com, had a section called "Do You Know?" in 2006, which listed various pieces of information about Titan. Once of these pieces concerned Chalice. It stated that "Ynaniss Silverblade, a popular author from Chalice, has disappeared. City officials are treating her disappearance as unusual in light of her recent work, revealing that Zharradan Marr was the son of the notorious witch, Romeena of Dree".