Shalebridge

Shalebridge is a large city in the far east of the Lands of Chaos, a mere dozen leagues away from the Jaws of the East and the Pandoran Desert beyond it. It is located in the middle of a mile deep pit canyon, inside the titanic hoodoo that stands in the middle. Both parts are riddled with crudely carved tunnels and chambers and the two are connected with many rickety wooden bridges.

It is inhabited by a large number of goblinoids, an alliance consisting of Goblins, Hobgoblins and Bugbears. The living conditions are inhospitable: the land is dry and barren, most families live in squalor and the city is grossly overpopulated.

But despite these hardships, Shalebridge continues to grow. That is because the city sits on the largest known deposit of Warpstone, a rare and highly toxic mineral that is naturally charged with magical energy. When refined into Warpfire Crystal, it is a valuable component for high-grade magical weapons, armors and many other magical tools and devices.

Every day more goblinoids arrive, seeking employment in the mines and refineries below the city, risking disease, death or worse from the dangers of mining and poisonous Warpstone fumes. Some believe the mutagenic influence of the Warpstone is responsible for the unusually high concentration of psionically gifted in Shalebridge.

Shalebridge is ruled with an iron hand by a particularly cunning Goblin named Styx. Caring little for the lives of his people, he exploits them as cheap mining labor. There have been several citizen uprisings to overthrow him, but each time he has emerged unharmed with his grip on the city strengthened. No aid will come from other cities or nations either, since they don’t want to be cut of from the valuable Warpstone, ensuring Stix’ rule remains secure.

## Main Locations & Stores

### Bak’s Brainy Boutique

Unlike magic users, psionic talents are fairly rare in Aldarun. Not so in Shalebridge, which has a bizarrely high number with the gift. Bak, an enterprising Goblin and accomplished Psion, saw this as a good opportunity and opened the first shop catering exclusively to the psionic user. It has since become relatively well-known among as the easiest place to buy the odd Dorje or Power Stone.

**Services**: Bak sells psionic items of all types, including Armor, Shields, Weapons, Cognizance Chrystals, Dorjes (up to lv5 Powers), Powerstones, Psycrowns and Universal Items. He can also apply Psionic Tattoos. Items are normally limited to 35.000 GP, but especially good customers can gain access to Bak’s special stock.

### Kwizil’s Fried Cockatrice

The dry plains around Shalebridge are absolutely infested with Cockatrices. Attempts to exterminate these pests have proven fruitless, so the Hobgoblin Kwizil instead decided to catch them for use as a cheap foodsource. Slathered in batter with 11 spices and deepfried and no one can tell how terrible Cockatrices actually taste, with only a minimal chance of turning to stone upon being eaten.

**Services**: Kwizil’s is one of the few eateries in Shalebridge. It’s most popular dish, Buckets o’ Cockatrice, is cheap and filling, so long as one doesn’t mind clogging all their arteries in one go.