Moneychanger's Shop The Known World & Raging Swan Press The current year for our homebrewed campaign setting is set during 672 CY (Common Year). Inspired By Gary Gygax

Moneychanger's Shop occupies a sturdy stone-and-timber building overlooking the central market square of Dulwich. Though smaller than the moneychanging houses found in larger cities, the establishment serves an important role within the growing settlement. Its thick oak doors, reinforced shutters, and iron-bound windows speak to the value of the coin stored within.

Inside, polished wooden counters divide customers from secured work areas where scales, ledgers, and lockboxes are neatly arranged. The faint scent of beeswax, parchment, and old coinage fills the air. Farmers, merchants, travelers, and adventurers frequently visit the exchange to convert foreign currencies, secure valuables, or verify the authenticity of precious metals and gemstones. The business is owned and operated by Bernhard “Badger” Ilmatoivia, a middle aged man, who retired from adventuring when he realised he could earn just as much money without the danger of imminent death, dismemberment or disfigurement by running a bank.

Bernhard has a distinctive streak of white hair in his otherwise black mane—hence his nickname. Bernhard is widely thought of as an honourable, if a little inflexible, man. He is single, lonely and would dearly love to marry. He dreams of having children and—perhaps—marrying them into the duchy’s nobility.

The Moneychanger's Shop offers a variety of financial services uncommon for a settlement the size of Dulwich. In addition to exchanging currencies, Bernhard maintains secure lockboxes for wealthy merchants and traveling adventurers. He appraises gemstones, precious metals, jewelry, and unusual treasures brought back from the wilderness. Several mercantile families that recently settled in Dulwich regularly conduct business through the exchange, and Bernhard has quietly helped facilitate investments that have contributed to the settlement's growing prosperity. Many locals suspect he knows more about the financial affairs of Dulwich than anyone else, though his discretion has never been questioned.

Despite his cheerful demeanor, Bernhard keeps a close eye on events beyond the city. Increased raids throughout the region and reports of missing caravans have caused noticeable concern among local traders. Recently, several unusual coins have appeared in circulation—ancient pieces bearing unfamiliar markings that do not match any known kingdom in the region. Bernhard has begun collecting these strange coins for study, believing they may be connected to the ancient ruins hidden within the Forest of Gray Spires. Though he publicly dismisses wild rumors about dragons and dark powers, he has quietly started documenting every unusual artifact that passes through his hands, convinced that a larger mystery may be unfolding around Dulwich.

ITEMS FOR SALE
Carved Ivory Tusk: 50gp
Silver Drinking Cup: 20gp
Crystal Decanter: 45gp
Jade Ring: 250gp
Dagger with Jeweled Scabbard: 600gp
Fur-Trimmed Cape: 75gp
Blank Vellum Books (each): 20gp
Gold & Silver Belt: 90gp
Set of Thieves’ Tools: 100gp
Iron Lockbox with Hidden Compartment: 50gp

Thieves Guild The Known World & Raging Swan Press The current year for our homebrewed campaign setting is set during 672 CY (Common Year). Inspired By Gary Gygax

Unlike Ashlar’s capital city, Languard, Dulwich does not have a single, dominant thieves’ guild. Rather, a patchwork of minor gangs struggle incessantly among themselves for territory, standing and profit. Most such gangs number no more than a dozen individuals, and most of their members are not particularly skilled. Dulwich’s two most notable gangs are:

• The Shadow Spiders: The most powerful (and violent) of Dulwich’s gangs is the Shadow Spiders. Most of the other smaller gangs pay a proportion of their take to the Shadow Spiders to avoid bloodshed. Led by Voitto Markku, the Shadow Spiders lair at the Golden Skull tavern.

• The Black Cats: The halfling burglar Almina Mastonen (CN female halfling thief) leads the Black Cats gang. Popular with the peasantfolk, as the gang is generous with their ill-gotten gains, the Black Cats maintain several safe houses about the town. Almina works at the exclusive East Gate Inn and uses her access to Dulwich's monied folk to plan her gang's jobs.

Stables The Known World & Raging Swan Press The current year for our homebrewed campaign setting is set during 672 CY (Common Year). Inspired By Gary Gygax

Dulwich’s stables occupy a broad, sheltered yard where the noise of passing carts gives way to the steady sounds of horses feeding and hooves shifting on clean straw. The buildings surround an old spreading tree, its lower branches rubbed smooth by generations of tethered animals. Wide stalls accommodate everything from merchants’ draft horses to fine riding mounts, while deep eaves shelter the grooming benches from the rain.

Tack hangs neatly along the walls, and the familiar smells of hay, leather, and warm horseflesh fill the yard. The owner, Jarrett Hayward, is soft-spoken, dependable, and rarely rattled. He believes nervous people only make nervous horses, and even a frightened stallion earns little more than a patient word and a steady hand from him.

His uncanny ability to calm frightened or injured animals has earned him a reputation as one of the finest horsemen in Ashlar. He approaches unfamiliar people more cautiously, watching how they handle their mounts before deciding what to make of them. Those who treat animals kindly and deal honestly soon find him generous with his knowledge. Jarrett provides boarding, grooming, feed, tack repairs, and assistance buying suitable mounts, though he refuses to sell a horse to anyone he considers unfit to care for it. A separate, quieter stable houses injured animals and those unsettled by travel, with wooden partitions that allow Jarrett to keep watch without crowding them. He records each animal’s feeding needs and habits on small slates beside its stall. Regular customers appreciate that he remembers which horses dislike thunder, which need a gentle approach, and which will quietly work a poorly fastened latch until it opens. Travelers preparing to leave Dulwich often seek Jarrett’s advice about their animals’ condition and how much weight they can reasonably carry. A sheltered bench beside the yard gives owners somewhere to wait while he examines a strained leg or adjusts an ill-fitting saddle.

Teamsters, couriers, and returning riders bring him news from across Ashlar, although he seldom repeats idle gossip. Reports of a washed-out crossing, missing travelers, or frightened horses returning without their riders receive his full attention, and he makes certain those heading along the same road hear what he knows.

Three Bells Inn The Known World & Raging Swan Press The current year for our homebrewed campaign setting is set during 672 CY (Common Year). Inspired By Gary Gygax

The Three Bells Inn in Dulwich caters particularly to pilgrims visiting the temple of Conn, providing lodging for worshippers and other travelers passing through town. Its association with this clientele gives it a respectable reputation, making it an appealing choice for newcomers seeking somewhere dependable to stay.

Guests arriving on religious business have little reason to suspect anything sinister about their accommodation. The proprietor, Valto Ilakka, conceals a murderous nature behind the business.

A skilled assassin, he continues a family history of serial murder, making the inn’s respectable appearance especially deceptive. His occupation brings him into regular contact with strangers and allows him to learn about their destinations, companions, and reasons for traveling. Few guests realize how dangerous their host is.

The inn contains secret cellars connected to its darker history. These concealed spaces provide a disturbing contrast to the accommodation above and could become important discoveries for anyone investigating Valto or his family’s crimes. Their existence also gives adventurers good reason to examine the building carefully rather than accepting its public reputation at face value. A lost tunnel connects the premises to the catacombs beneath Dulwich, linking the Three Bells to the town’s buried past. Discovering that passage could turn an investigation of the inn into a much larger exploration beneath the streets.

The establishment works particularly well as a location the characters first encounter through an ordinary stay, a visiting pilgrim, or inquiries about a missing traveler, with its secrets emerging as they investigate.

BREAKFAST MEALS
Roasted Root Vegetables: 8cp
Duck Eggs: 1sp
Hearty Porridge: 8cp
Quail Eggs: 1sp
Boar Sausages: 1sp

AFTERNOON MEALS
Rabbit Pie: 2sp
Beef and Barley Stew: 3sp
Mutton and Turnip Stew: 3sp
Chicken & Onion Soup: 1sp
Pork Stew: 1sp
Stuffed River Perch: 1sp
Rabbit and Mushroom Pie: 3sp
Stuffed Quail: 2sp

BEVERAGES
Apple Cider: 2sp
Cloudberry Lemonade: 5cp
Sheep Milk: 2cp
Mead: 2sp
Ale: 8cp

ROOM NIGHTLY PRICES
Guest Room: 9sp