Elinstad

## Location

Elinstad is the largest of the three settlements in Elin. It is located west of Haven Cross and north of Lake Elin. The area surrounding Elinstad is mostly hilly plains.

## About

Elinstad is formed around a large hill, with the castle and the noble district sitting atop the crest. The city is divided into three districts: the lower district, the commercial district and the noble district. There is nothing stopping people from moving between these areas, but a normal person moving around in the noble district does stand out.

There are entrances into the city on the east and west sides of the lower district, with the eastern gate, which leads to Haven Cross and Viren, being far busier, while the western gate leads southwards to the port and thus sees most of its' traffic from shipping. The outer walls are made of stone brick and are huge in size, over 60 foot. They are well guarded relative to the defences found elsewhere in Elin.

The lower districts are known to be home to various unique and likely warring bandit clans, including the Left Lane Lads as well as a faction of Kenku.

## People and Places

### The Lower District

The lower district of Elinstad is mostly filled with a lot of narrow streets and alleys, with main roads cutting through the centre. It is very easy to become lost in. It is home to many notable buildings and groups:

* **Temple of Many Faith:** This is located right in the centre of the district and is the main place of worship in Elinstad.
* **Duck and Cover Inn:** A rowdy, cheap inn with constant fights. Its name is accurate. The party is currently staying here.
* **Left Lane Lads:** A group of thugs situated on the western part of the lower district. They wear green armbands on their left arms.
* **The Designated Stabbing Alley:** To be honest, most alleys in the lower district are these, but in particular there is one near the Left Lane Lads' building that is specifically called this.
* **Crack dens:** There are a lot of crack dens in the lower district, judging by how many the party (especially Dain) have ended up in.
* **Kenku Bandits:** A group of thieving Kenku (humanoid bird people) that operate in the eastern part of the lower district at night. They seem to lure victims into ambushes using their ability to mimic noises (such as a baby's cry or a wolf's howl), before ending them quickly with their bows. They have a network of tunnels in the area.

### The Commercial District

As its name suggests, the commercial district is where most shops are in Elinstad. It is also home to a large number of other businesses. Places of note in the commercial district include:

* **Crafty Carl's Cart and Crate:** This is the final stop for Big Marco's cargo as far as the party is concerned. It is where Haruz can usually be found while he is in Elinstad. Presumably a business partner of Big Marco's.
* **The Broken Bottle:** A small, quiet and comfortable inn that was recommended by Haruz. It is a little expensive though.
* **The Gilded Fork:** This is where Nick is staying. It is a very fancy and exclusive building that requires an invitation.
* **A school for soldiers:** Martin showed an interest in training here before he left Haven Cross.
* **Fargi's Garments:** A clothing and leather-goods shop that Cailynn worked at.
* **A shoe shop:** Roscoe recently scammed the shopkeeper here.
* **A gem shop:** A shop which specialises in expensive jewels.
* **A bakery:** It's right in the middle of the commercial district and of very high quality. These are some Claire-approved baked goods, although they have a price tag to match.
* **Goro Storage:** A warehouse seemingly dealing with lower end goods. The party has been asked to steal a package from here.

### The Noble District

The noble district is mostly residential, with the castle sitting in the centre of the district. The party hasn't spent much time here yet. It is a likely location of Doobely and his owner as well as several upmarket businesses.

### Elinstad Castle

The castle sits in the centre of the noble district, overlooking the rest of the city. It is home to the government offices which deal with things such as real estate and tax rates. Roscoe has mentioned that it is the location of the Elinstad dungeons.

## History

Elinstad is an older city than Haven Cross, with Lord Haven being originally from there before he went on to found Haven Cross.

The party first entered Elinstad alongside Haruz and the shipment from Big Marco's. It was promptly delivered to the commercial district, at which point the party were told to stay in town until someone came for them. They spent the time trying to track down Nick and Martin, eventually splitting up, with Cailynn working at Fargi's Garments while the rest of the party searched.

A couple of days passed with no luck and the person they were waiting for arrived from Big Marco. That person was Alia, accompanied by Curt. They were in Elinstad to get the party's help in retrieving the stolen cargo.

On the way out of the city, Curt was assaulted by the Left Lane Lads, losing his tracking device and causing a raid of their hideout to get it back. Upon retrieving the device, the party was warned to stay out of the Left Lane Lads' territory before they moved on with their job.

Upon returning to Elinstad, Alia left the party, but was replaced by Roscoe and Cailynn. While the party had been outside the city, Cailynn had found Nick by chance through an order at Farii's Garments. After trying and failing to catch him at his residence, the party decided to have a picnic, at which point they were taken into the castle for questioning by the Elinstad guards. The guards were curious about Curt and the Left Lane Lads, but ultimately let the group go.

## Notes & Trivia

* The map was an absolute cunt to make.
* In the North West corner of the map in the noble district one can find a rather oddly shaped swimming pool.
* Elinstad has far fewer crack dens than you would think, considering how many times the party has found them.
* Roscoe claims to have lived most of his life in Elinstad's lower district.
* The eastern block of the lower district is rumoured to be dangerous at night due to the odd sounds at night. This is likely as a result of the Kenku's mimicry ability.