Player’s Guide to Cauldron

The Cauldron Region

The Cauldron region (sometimes simply called “The Caldera,” due to the numerous ancient volcanoes here)
straddles the central eastern mountains of Gurthorn, with heavy tropical jungle (known as the “Amedio”
jungle) on both sides. It has road links to Sasserine to the north, and the forest villages to the east. It also
intersects a long crummy road that runs (more or less) south, along the entire western side of the
mountains.

Weather in the region is tropical. The summer months can be brutally hot, and it rarely rains a drop.
Cauldron fares relatively well, its elevation sparing it the worst of the heat, humidity, and insects that
plague the valley. Then, usually sometime in November, it begins raining. At first for only a few minutes,
but by January it is pouring every day, usually starting in the afternoon and continuing until early morning.
The rainy season is the most dangerous time of the year, the deluge causing mudslides, washouts, and
flooding as rivers overflow.

The economy here is almost entirely mining and agriculture. The slopes of Cauldron and surrounding
mountains are rich in exotic minerals, and the plantations along the rivers provide prodigious quantities of
fruit, rice, and other produce year round.

It is, however, a remote and perilous frontier territory, Cauldron being but a mere flyspeck within the vast
expanse of the Amedio Jungle. The thick and muggy Amedio is home to dozens of sentient races, ancient
ruins, and the region itself has a history steeped in chaos. The jungles around Cauldron are deep and
dangerous. Common folk stay the hell out of the Amedio, and its denizens guard their territory jealously.

This area of the continent is currently under the thumb of the brutal Ophuk Empire. Many of the
independent kingdoms and regions pay tribute to the Pharaoh of Ophuk, and his huge mercenary armies
enforce his edits far and wide. While nominally under the “protection” of Ophuk, no governor resides here
in Cauldron, and it is generally left to its own devices.

The Yuan-Ti of the Serpent Kingdoms have been the nemesis of the entire civilized world west of the
mountains since the decline of the Progenitors. They are intensely hated by the native populations, who
have suffered through countless brutal raids. One benefit of being under the thumb of the Pharaoh has been
that a period of peace with the Yuan-Ti has allowed the region to prosper of late.

The people of the area are a no-nonsense, independent, and hardscrabble lot. They dwell mostly under the
protection of the various settlements, and work as sharecroppers, miners or laborers. While predominately
Human, representatives of all races can be found living and working here, from Elves to Giants to the
occasional outcast Yuan-Ti. Almost all are tolerated, and given time, will be accepted as trusted (if odd)
neighbors.

A Brief History of the Caldera

The peoples of the Caldera and Amedio have traditionally lived in the center of a hurricane. While not
particularly rich or strategic, the area seems to attract trouble like a stable attracts flies in the summer.
Cauldron itself has never been sacked, since having nothing of real value protected by imposing walls and
steep mountains, has never been worth the trouble. The fate of the surrounding countryside, however, has
been a tale of tragedy from the first day a man planted a grain of rice. The vicious Yuan-Yi, Gnoll tribes,
Giants, and a parade of bizarre upstart cultures have ravaged and enslaved the population at various times
over the millennia.

Players Guide to Cauldron - Page 1 of 5 (Updated: 3/12/2007)

One figure that looms large in the history of the Caldera is the Dwarf Surabar Spellmason. He is regarded
simultaneously as founder, protector, and greatest mage of the land. Legends of the man abound, and he is
rumored to have founded Redgorge (and subsequently defeated a demon army sent against it), raised the
walls of Cauldron, swept the Yuan-Ti from the region, handed down the “Old Code,” been given deific
powers and long life, and been sanctified by an Angel. Heady stuff, if you believe in legends.

The City of Cauldron

• Small City (Capital)

• Population: 8,200 Adults, Mixed (76% Human, 9% Halfling, 5% Gnome, 3% Dwarf, 3% Other,
2% Elf, 1% Half-Elf, 1% Half-Orc)
• Authority Figures: Lord Mayor Severen Navalant (Appointed Mayor), Terson Skellerang (Captain
of the Guard), and various Noble Houses.

Cauldron began its history as a mining community, conveniently located near the mine works within the
crater of a dormant volcano. Its lofty and easily defended position quickly became popular with the
wealthy, and soon it was the major settlement in the region. As a frontier town, all manner of races and
professions can be found within its obsidian walls – most are tolerated, although thick skin and a handy
blade are considered good insurance against poor manners.

Cauldron is crowded. Most dwellings are tiny, and even the mansions of the Nobility have a small
footprint. There are only two options for building more living space: Up or down. Officially, tunneling
from the crater itself is prohibited – too many nasties have been released from the volcano over the years,
as well-meaning folk dig up things that should have remained buried. However, there are many old tunnels
and mineshafts (and even illegal new ones) that have become dark alleys of intrigue, especially close to the
lake.

Because it is only about a mile across, most people just walk where they need to go, and have no need for
beasts unless they must haul something. Space for animals is limited, so owning beasts is an expensive
proposition within the walls. Most ordinary citizens who require animals keep them outside the gates, at
one of the several corrals that line the west gate road. For those with more money there is always the
Surefoot Livery, which is the only stable in town. For those not disposed to walk, there are plenty of
transportation options available, including many independent rickshaw and dogcart operators who will haul
customers up and down the steep slopes of the crater for a few coppers. A pricier (but less bumpy) option is
hiring a sedan chair and porters for the day, with the fee depending on the number of porters needed.

Water is both the blessing and curse of the city. The lake at the center of the city is quite beautiful, but also
dangerously toxic (and predictably, rumored to have a monster in it). Long gone are the days of fishing, or
even swimming, in the lake - It doesn’t take an engineer to realize that every piece of trash and every drop
of sewage can only end up in one place. Each day, the churches of Cauldron offer water purification as a
service (for a small donation, of course) for the common folk. In the dry season, the lake level slowly sinks
as the lake naturally drains away into the volcano. While it does rain infrequently during the summer, it is
seldom enough to wash the town clean or replenish the lake. In the winter, however, the rain returns with a
vengeance, sometimes flooding the lower parts of the city. Drainage tunnels mitigate the risk, but in
(thankfully infrequent) times of extensive rains, the culverts are quickly clogged with debris, causing the
water to rise faster than the crater can absorb it. Many years ago, the churches of Cauldron banded together
to fight flooding with magic – Nowadays, serious flooding is rare. When the cleansing rains finally arrive,
the town has its biggest celebration of the year, known as the Festival of the Flood.

Cauldron can be a tough place to live. The general temperament of its people is “prosper or perish” – If
someone can cheat or steal from you with impunity, they will. The effectiveness of law and order depends
on where and who you are, generally. Watch patrols are less frequent closer to the lake, and the maze of
dilapidated shacks there creates lots of shady places for illicit dealings. Nobles, of course, are almost

Players Guide to Cauldron - Page 2 of 5 (Updated: 3/12/2007)

completely immune to the law, and capable of making it up on the spot – If the head of a noble house wants
your head on a platter of salad greens, all he need do is declare that he has the right, and he does.
Watchmen are not required to report every minor violation to the commander, and are given much leeway
in dealing with troublemakers. Unless something serious has happened, this usually means a warning by the
patrol, followed by a brief beating – or vice versa, you never really know. The Watch Corps are well paid
and always travel in packs, making bribes difficult – snitching or cowering is much more likely than gold to
save you a black eye. The current Captain of the Guards, Captain Terson Skellerang, is a stern leader, but
also regarded as a fair and practical man. He maintains an open-door policy five days a week, allowing
citizens to speak with him directly if they wish.

In order to maintain a civil atmosphere, the open display of large weapons, dangerous creatures, or magic is
prohibited within the city walls without a permit. In practice, it is unusual for the guard to stop a commoner
with a sword on the street. However, the barbarian riding his advanced triceratops down Obsidian Avenue
is going to attract the attention of the Watch, as you would hope if YOU were an average citizen. The
watchmen will either tell you to go home and take your weapons off, escort you to the City Hall to apply
for a permit, or (if you are a jerk) confiscate your gear and hustle you to the guardhouse for a little “quality
time” with the brute squad. Few eating and drinking establishments will allow strangers to bring such
things inside, permit or not. The barkeep or bouncer will usually hang onto your stuff behind the bar until
you leave, or in more upscale places, the cloakroom will have locked trunks for you to use for a small fee.

• Weapons Carry Permit: 1gp/year

• Gamekeeper’s License (allows you to keep and sell dangerous animals): 5sp/year
• Magic License: 5gp/year

Officially, Cauldron is a two-class society: Noble and Commoner. In reality, a middle class of commoner
exists, which includes high-ranking civil servants, merchants, and clergy. It is from this mezzanine group
that new nobles are minted, after a period of consideration sometimes lasting fifty years. A patent of
nobility can come from either lineage or wealth, while it never gets taken away – even for the vilest of acts.

Cauldronites are not particularly religious, but there are four officially recognized temples within the walls:
The Temples of Kord, St. Cuthbert, Wee Jas, and Pelor. The Temple of Wee Jas is by far the largest, and its
matriarch Embril Aloustani is a powerful woman at all levels of society. The smallest of cauldron’s
churches is the Shrine of Pelor, where a single priest maintains the structure and holds morning services.

Redgorge

• Village
• Population: 600 Adults, Mixed (79% Human, 9% Dwarf, 5% Gnome, 3% Halfling, 2% Elf, 2%
Other)
• Authority Figures: Mayor Sind Nebern

Redgorge is the oldest settled town in the area, founded some 700 years ago by the region’s most famous
personality, Surabar Spellmason. It is primarily a farming community that supplies food for the citizens of
the Cauldron region. They grow rice, tea, coffee, corn, wheat, and sugar, among other food stocks. There is
also a small mine outside town, which produces a popular pink gravel. Once a proud center of nobility, it
has fallen into disrepair as the region’s wealth shifted to Cauldron. The town's most impressive feature can
be found some distance to the west, known as the Basalt Bastions. These towering walls, as impressive as
those surrounding Cauldron, are said to have been raised by Surabar in a single week to repel a demon
horde.

Players Guide to Cauldron - Page 3 of 5 (Updated: 3/12/2007)

Kingfisher Hollow

• Large Town
• Population: 2,100 Adults, mixed (77% Human, 9% Elf, 5% Halfling, 4% Dwarf, 2% Gnome, 2%
Other)
• Authority Figures: Lord Zachary Aslaxin (Hereditary Ruler), Gimbale Taskerhill (Hereditary
Ruler)

Kingfisher Hollow is a river town of plantations, which supply the region with fruits and nuts such as
bananas, oranges, pineapples, coconuts, and plantain (a cousin to the banana). It is also the major fishing
port, and maintains river links to the east. It is the second-largest town in the region, and jointly governed
by the Taskerhill and Aslaxin noble families.

Hollowsky

• Village
• Population: 460 Adults, Mixed (81% Human, 8% Elf, 4% Dwarf, 4% Halfling, 3% Other)
• Authority Figures: Lady Ophella Knowlern (Hereditary Ruler)

Hollowsky is a small farming village, and the ancestral home to the noble House Knowlern. Besides
several plantations, it has little to offer the traveler except mosquitoes and crocodiles.

Highhammer Ridge

• Village
• Population: 300 adults, Dwarf 90%, Halfling 5%, Other 5%
• Authority Figures: Lord Adrick Garthun (Hereditary Ruler), Clan Chief Sadmon Highhammer
(Hereditary Ruler)

This largely sub-surface village of Dwarves lies 15 miles south of Cauldron, and provides raw and finished
durable goods to the region. Known for their craftsmanship, the isolation and ruggedness of the terrain
nevertheless limits the amount of goods the Dwarves can export, even under the best of circumstances. The
village is routinely cut off from the main roads due to landslides and washouts, sometimes for months at a
time. House Garthun administers the Highhammer Ridge, but since Lord Adrick spends little time here,
routine matters are handles by Clan Chief Sadmon Highhammer.

The Spire of Long Shadows

This impossibly ancient landmark of evil is as mysterious as it is elusive. Explorers have reported that the
spire itself cannot be seen, detected, or even approached - only its long afternoon shadow across the jungle
reveals its presence at all.

The Lair of Hookface

A famous local dragon nicknamed Hookface the Horrible reputedly lives here. Once a scourge of the
region, he has not been seen for many long years. Anytime a tragedy occurs or something catches fire, "Old
Hookface" is jokingly blamed as the culprit. Some claim that he occasionally walks the city streets as a
deformed human - Probably not true, of course.

The Lucky Monkey

The Monkey is a large and well-appointed roadhouse inn about a days ride from Cauldron on the road to
Sasserine.

Players Guide to Cauldron - Page 4 of 5 (Updated: 3/12/2007)

The Demonskar
The Demonskar is a huge crack in the earth located deep in the Amedio jungle, west of Cauldron. Legend
has it that an army of demons once marched forth from the scar to ravage Redgorge. The site is known to
be sacred to the region's Gnolls.

Ruins of Shatterhorn
Located in a region of the Amedio Jungle known as the Greyhaunt, Shatterhorn was once a Yuan-Ti holy
place, now fallen into decay after a cataclysm.

Crazy Jareds Hut

Jared is a local color character, certifiably insane and given to delusions - but also a tremendously talented
artist. He prefers to live alone in his small hovel on a remote mountainside.

Haunted Village
Once known as Liduton, it is now an ancient village under a powerful curse. Rumored to be populated
entirely by the ghosts of its previous inhabitants.

The Keep of Jarl Khurok

This keep was once the center of an ancient mountaintop empire, led by the savage Giant Jarl Khurok.

Players Guide to Cauldron - Page 5 of 5 (Updated: 3/12/2007)