Pillertown

Pillertown, sometimes mistakenly called Pillaton, is a small town and one of the few purely commercial settlements in the Sea of Sand. It was originally founded by Peter Pillaton. Since Pillaton's death, the town was shifted into a business-centred hub for many villages in the province and is currently one of the only settlements in the Sea of Sand that focuses purely on commercial dealings rather than harvesting natural resources.
Being a commercial centre, there are many different kinds of shops and businesses in Pillertown. These include but are not limited to: a jewellers, a stable, a hospital, a general goods store, an armourer, and two different taverns. Nevertheless, most residents still have to import food and water for they cannot grow it themselves in large quantities.
Potentially Pillertown's most notable feature is its location. The town is constructed on top of a large sandstone pillar, meaning the whole town sits roughly 400 feet high. Naturally, this makes travel difficult. The only non-magical way in and out of the town is a single wooden platform that acts as an elevator. This lift is controlled by a single crane, which is monitored at all times by 2 community-funded guards, so that no unfortunate accidents happen.
== History ==
The Pillar Town of Pillertown was founded by Peter Pillaton, an Imperial philosopher who believed that contemporary commercialism and peoples' fixation on the material was the root of the world's problems. Confident in his beliefs, he and his followers travelled to the Sea of Sand, a mostly ungoverned province, and founded their own community atop the great sandstone pillar from which the town gets its name. However, the quickly learned that the desert was perhaps not the greatest choice of locale as they found no food or water. For years, the original citizens of the commune either left or survived on the small amounts of food and water they could create from magically-cultivated land. 
But, one day, Peter Pillaton died suddenly from pneumonia. With no one to reinforce their ideas of non-commercialism, the attitude of the community slowly shifted overtime. More and more citizens began creating goods to trade. This proved to be a turning point for the commune and they, for the first time in their history, began to grow. Admittedly, this growth was slow but, a couple of centuries later, Pillertown is now a thriving trade community - one of the few true sanctuaries in the Sea of Sand.
== Layout and Landmarks ==
Being a commercial town, almost all of Pillertown's landmarks and layout revolve around its shops. There are many different types of shops in Pillertown, some of which were founded by the community's original settlers. Others, however, are founded by outsiders who bring new and sometimes radical ideas with them. Like most non-city settlements, Pillertown is not split into districts but it can be argued that a majority of the town's businesses are based around the high street and upper square.
The most notable businesses and landmarks in Pillertown are:
* Tomes and Scrolls - a bookstore and private library. Owned by Timothy Pratt, a soft-spoken Imperial who believes himself to be a scholar, often meaning he overestimates his own intelligence.
* The Sandstone Brewers - a brewery famous for its sandstone-laced ales. Owned by the Hafling brothers Nekin and Belvon Swifthand. Nekin is known for his timid demeanour and inclination towards cowardice. Belvon, on the other hand, has a reputation for being arrogant and a bit of a bully - especially to his younger brother.
*Stables - the local stables, and one of only 2 businesses in Pillertown that does not have a name. Owned by Sarah Clarke, an Imperial with a passion for all things animal-related.
*Agrob's Forge - a blacksmith, known for its particularly good weapons and tools. Owned by Agrob, a Hobgoblin and ex-mercenary. She is one of the few residents of Pillertown that is not an Imperial or Halfling.
*The Camel's Foot - a tavern and pub that is considered the 'rougher' of the two taverns in Pillertown. Owned by 'Big Bill' Billy Marston. Not much is known about him but he's a relatively recent resident of Pillertown.
*Pillertown Hospital - not a 'business' in the traditional sense, as it has significantly less profit incentive than other places. Owned by Paige Gibson, an ex-bandit who left crime years ago and has since become a pillar of the community.
*S. White's Potions and Brews - an apothecary and potion shop. Owned by Paddie White (S. White's grandson), who has a friendly rivalry with Madame Julia Blackfriars. 
*Bathhouse - the Pillertown bathhouse is a community-funded facility and is considered a social centre for the town. It is voluntarily staffed by Grain, a sand Golem.
*The Three Lions Inn - a tavern and inn that is considered the more 'polite' of the two taverns in Pillertown. Owned and staffed by Sebastian and Florence McDale, a married couple who only recently acquired the premises.
*Madame Blackfriars' Jewels and Luxuries - a jewellery and luxury goods shop, which most people in Pillertown can't afford. Owned by Madame Julia Blackfriars, a woman with aristocratic tendencies who has a friendly rivalry with Paddie White.
*Black and Birch General Goods - a general goods store, where essentially anything can be found. Owned by William Black and William Birch, childhood friends who went into business together. There are rumours of less-than-legal dealings in their past and, even today, people say that they sell goods to even the most unscrupulous individuals.
*Tunes and Games - a shop for musical instruments and various types of games. Owned by Zonk Tifaroe, a blind Gnome who uses echolocation-like magic to see.
*Flinch and Son's Armour - a armour shop. Owned by Godwin Flinch and his son, Gerald Flinch, who are both known for their friendly but competitive attitudes on life.
*USPS Postal Service - a postal and messenger service that is popular in the Empire of Man. Established an office here due to Pillertown's high Imperial population and its local commercial significance. Staffed by Mirabel Sharp, who is constantly having to work around the office's lack of funding.
*Buckle's Sweet Treats - a sweet shop and a popular place for Pillertown's children, as well as shoplifters. Owned by Tiana Buckle, an woman and jolly ex-guardsman who finds the trend of shoplifting children in his store more amusing than anything else.
*Adventurer's Guild - established as a result of the influx of mercenaries and adventurers in the area, the Adventurer's Guild serves as a place for these people to get new jobs and rest. It is staffed by several people, but most notably the front desk duo of Phineas Brain and Fred Flint (a Demi-Rabbit and Demi-Weasel respectively).
*Happy Rags Clothing Company - a clothing shop. Owned by Harold Hill who, despite his pompous demeanour, is actually a kind-hearted man who is saddened by his reputation.
*Edhog Gearfinder's Automatic Theatre - a relatively new addition to Pillertown. This theatre is known for being operated completely by machines, the complexity of which nobody has ever seen before. Nevertheless, nobody knows where these machines come from and the theatre's owner, Edhog Gearfinder, refuses to explain how he created them.