Camellia¶
The city of Camellia sits high in the foothills of the White Spine mountains. Providing refuge from the Gnoll infested jungles that line the coast, Camellia is devoted to growing and processing tea. Palisade walls protect the city while tea plantations dominate the land outside of the city, ringed by a set of ancient white stone watchtowers known as the Dragon’s Teeth.
This city of 10,000 is confined to two square miles. The population is predominately human and the most common occupation is working in the tea plantations. Given the percentage of the safe farmland that is dedicated to tea production, food is twice as expensive as people from other parts of the world expect.
City Watch¶
Members of the city watch can be immediately recognized by their plain dark green livery, chain mail shirts, and wooden buckler shields. Watch sergeants are recognizable by the bronze filigree on their helmets. The rank and file members of the city watch are guards, while the sergeants are veterans. While the city watch serves the city, they know to instantly follow the orders of the families that own the plantations.
Governor’s Mansion¶
The governor’s mansion and city watch headquarters, high in the foothills, are built upon what remains of an old elvish temple. The mansion and foreboding fortification walls are made of dark rock that used to form he walls of the temple.
Governor Edmund Schulz (human man, noble) is dismissive and aloof. While he nominally runs the city, it is an open secret that the governorship only exists because the families that own the largest plantations do not want to be bothered with administrating the city. Any decision he makes is understood to come from the richest plantations.
Commander Natalie Werner (human woman, champion) is friendly and professional. As Governor Chapman’s lieutenant and commander of the city watch, Yvonne has the best interests of Theaceae at heart. She is friendly and jovial with members of the city watch and citizens of Camellia, but she is suspicious of outsiders until they demonstrate they are not a threat to those she protects.
Plantations¶
The families that own the plantations are the nobility of Theaceae. While they largely abdicate governance of Camellia to the Governor, very little in the city happens without their approval. There are five major families that hold sway, but there are a handful of smaller plantations that change hands every few generations.
During the growing season, the demand for labor is intense, and most of the town works for the plantations. However, work on the plantations is limited in the winter, with only particularly skilled workers retained to process the high value and aged teas.
Camellia Teahouse¶
This tall greenhouse stands out as one of the only new buildings in Camellia. The Camellia Teahouse is the main attraction for guests to the region. Inside, the temperature is warm year round and flowering green plants fill every possible corner. All business meetings and agreements taking place in the many meeting rooms inside its maze of hedges and plants.
The teahouse can host catered business meetings for 10 gp. The cost includes Aristocratic meals, tea service, and three notarized copies of all contracts and agreements signed in the meeting. One copy of the paperwork is kept in a secure vault at the teahouse.
Isabella Roth (human woman, spy) is the ambitious and scrupulous matron of this teahouse. Isabella maintains strict confidentiality and is extremely polite, making a point to know the customs and manners for the various guests to Camellia. Isabella is very proud of the work she has put into the Camellia Teahouse. She knows all of the important people in the region and personally notarizes all contracts.
Saddle Gap Inn¶
The Saddle Gap Inn is one of the most popular inns in Camellia. It is simple but clean and well cared for. Rooms can be difficult to find when the trade convoys are in town but are otherwise plentiful. The high altitude limits the available food, which consists largely of leafy greens and root vegetables. The local ale are based on herbs in place of hops. Food and beverages are sold at double the prices listed in the Player’s Handbook on the Food and Drink table, with the exception of wine, which is largely unavailable.
Adelar Biermann (human man, commoner) is boisterous and friendly. He is extremely nosy, and will constantly question the everyone about everything. Vincent is also a notorious gossip, making him a great source of rumors, albeit with dubious reliability.
Alehouse¶
There area variety of cramped alehouses that serve the day laborers on the plantations. The most well know one among those seeking underground contacts is simply known as Alehouse.
Dirt and grime cover every surface, but Alehouse is warm and comfortable. The local ale are based on herbs in place of hops. Customers expect the ale to be watered down, but at least it is cheap. Beverages are sold at half the prices listed in the Player’s Handbook on the Food and Drink table, with the exception of wine, which is unavailable.
Brigitte Rott (human woman, commoner) is curt and uninterested in her job. She ignores customers until she sees the gold and will do anything to avoid work and cut corners.
General Store¶
One of the older warehouses has been repurposed for the largest general goods store in Camellia. This wood structure smells strongly of dust and animal hair. The shelves are overflowing when the biannual trade caravans visit town but can be quite bare just before these convoys arrive. The general store stocks the gear found on the Adventuring Gear table in the Player’s Handbook, at the listed prices. Food and rations cost double the listed price.
The purveyor, Louis Kramer (human man, commoner) is calm and polite. His spouse enjoys making weaving, so many of the supplies available will be made from yak or goat. Purchases will be wrapped with goat hair twine or packaged in woven yak hair baskets.
Apothecary¶
The most well known apothecary in Camellia is on the edge of the elvish quarter. Like most buildings in this area, the style tries to emulate the ruined elvish structures that can be found throughout Theaceae. The cramped shop has jars and bottles neatly labeled in elvish containing spell components and potions. Common potions are likely available, and more complex potions may be requested, though Valana may require the players to acquire ingredients for these potions.
Valana Yaeldrin (elf woman, druid) is disorganized and distractable, except when it comes to her potions. She doesn’t quite fit in with the humans, but she has steady business as the most capable apothecary in Camellia.
Blacksmith¶
Camellia’s only Dwarf trained smith can be found in an all stone building stained black with soot from the forge. The players can find all non-magical weapons and armor from the Armor and Weapons tables in the Player’s Handbook, at the listed prices.
Eckart Schmidt (human man, berserker) is careful and conniving. He believes that everything has its price and he will do anything for a profit. Everyone in town knows that he is willing make anything and sell to anyone, for the right price.
Mage’s Tower¶
The only seller of magical goods and components can be found in this ramshackle tower that seems to be barely standing up. It looks as though the tower was formed by stacking ruined buildings atop one another. Locals report strange lights coming from the tower at night and bizarre sounds at all hours of the day.
Gauss (human man, archmage) is suspicious and paranoid. He is willing to sell spell components and scrolls; however, he is unwilling to sell spell scrolls above the fourth level to anyone for fear of them becoming too powerful. Gauss is a cover identity for Archmage Wahn, one of the leaders of the Friends.
Gauss is reluctant to let anyone inside the tower unless they are willing to pay for his services. Once inside, books, scrolls, and arcane apparatuses fill every available surface. Spell services, spell scrolls, arcane supplies, and spell-casting focuses are available. Note that rarer supplies are less likely to be available and more expensive.
Gauss apprentices locals that demonstrate arcane talent. There are currently two apprentices in the tower.
Clavius (human man, apprentice wizard) is quiet and arrogant. He resents and distrusts anyone who is not a wizard.
Pagel (human woman, apprentice wizard) is inquisitive and unpredictable. She is always looking for ways to experiment and learn.
Elvish Soup Kitchen¶
Elves in town use the soup kitchen as a community center. Situated in the middle of the elvish quarter, this structure is one of the most beautiful in town, with elegant relief carvings on its exterior.
Elves are welcome to stay here free of charge, and elves who take advantage of this offer are often invited to join the frequent caravans to the principal elvish settlement on the dry side, known colloquially as The Farm.