The City of Tobberup

Just a couple of halflings on a dinosaur

 Tobberup
A
s a city consisting mostly of halflings, Tobberup
lays on top of a very large Gadwor. The city
takes shape of an oval on top of the creature's
back and is about 150 ft up from the ground the
creature walks on. Travelers who walk past the
creature would not be able to see the city from
below but only a small wall that prevents the
workers from falling down.
City Location
As the city is located on a moving creature, its location
remains constantly at large among anyone who does not see
it everyday. The Gadwor travels along the rivers and lakes
between Kaastark, Borna, and Lembern constantly and can
be seen from a mile away with its redish skin. Some travelers
may even be able to spot the light coming from a watch tower
in the center of the city at night if they are lucky.
Population
Althrough the city is moderately thriving, it houses only a
little more than 100-200 halflings as its population requires a
lot of trading and foraging to survive. Travelers are welcomed
into the city as guests, but most of the buildings are built for
halfling-sized personel and are not fit for any species larger
than medium sizes.
Access to the City
As mentioned before, access to the city is granted to any
traveler who wishes to visit the city, but any mention of
politics or war within the city will lead to revocation of access
and maybe even lifetime banishment.
Scaling the Gadwor
Some adventurers may be tempted to climb up the creature
themselves to access the city but this provides much difficulty
as the climb is about 150 ft with no rest along a very slippery
surface. There are a few loose ropes hanging off each side of
the Gadwor that was a part of the old method of getting up,
but these are very worn out and have been unused on the
most part for several years.
Pulley System
Currently, most travel between the ground and the city occurs
through the pully system. This system allows most residents
and traders to travers up and down either sides of the
creature with ease along with their belongings, which have a
different system of getting up. Halfling workers at the top of
the wall help pull the medium sized basket up to the top, but
the people inside the basket can also pull themselves up with
the way the system is placed.
1 TOBBERUP CITY
A basket can hold roughly 100-120 lbs worth of personel
(which is about 2-4 halflings or one medium-sized creature);
while a net can hold about 200-300 lbs worth of
merchandise, and if needed a heavier creature. Halflings who
are either residents or visit the city often usually get free
access and use of these pulley systems; whereas travelers
usually need to pay a fee for access and use of the pulley.
City Access Fees
Reason Cost
Resident (Halflings only) Free
Merchant (with imports) Free
Merchant (w/o imports) 5 SP
Traveler (for visit) 10 SP
Traveler (for special access) Varies
Pulley System Fees
Item Cost
Personel Basket Self Service Free
Personel Basket with Service 20 SP
Cargo Net Self Service 5 SP per 100 lbs
Cargo Net with Service 20 SP per 100 lbs
Note: The pulley system is free for merchants with imports
and it is also free for people and items leaving the city, or
going down the Gadwor.
Calling for the Pulley
There are no workers of the city who stay at the bottom of the
Gadwor welcoming visitors. The pulley is called using a horn
system. Travelers must use a horn to signal the engineers
located at the top for a pulley or net. One short sound calls
for a single personal basket while one long sound calls for a
single cargo net. Multiple sounds call for multiple baskets or
cargo nets depending on the combination. Once the lifts
reach the ground, there will be a short time period where the
user will be allowed to load their items and personel. If the lift
does not begin moving after a period of hitting the ground, it
begins to be lifted up by the workers and anything on the lift
once it gets up must be paid for by the "with Service" fees. If
the lift starts going before the time limit then the workers will
stay back and wait until the travelers have reached the top.
Special Access
Any traveler who claims to have a more specific reason to
enter the city, whether it be a request by residents or the
elder himself or even special relationships for selling at the
market, must have a special pin with them given by the
inhabitant himself. The pin can be shown to the guardhouse
keeper to help negotiate the access and pulley fees along with
any special passes to particular parts of the city.
City Information
One inside the city, one can see that the buildings are made
mostly out of wood while the floor is mostly stone and clay to
keep the foundation of the city strong. The movement of the
Gadwor doesn't usually disturb the city that much since the
creature itself is much larger and its movement is very slow.
The appearance looks like several large villages clumping
together with buildings being about 5 ft in height on average.
Governing Body
There is no central governing body in the city as it is mostly
self sustained and governed. The halflings, however, turn to
an elder, Asmus Rohde, who they regard as the wisest among
the population and have always turned to him for any advice
that will affect the entire population or the city as a whole.
Security
There is not much of a security force among the city, but it
relies on power by numbers to maintain peace. If a
disagreement occurs between residents, then it is usually
resolved in a manner of minutes since most of the halflings
are in a closely-knit community. If a disagreement occurs
among travelers and either the resident or another traveler,
then the situation should be solved immediately or all
travelers in the conflict are escorted out of the city, being
thrown off the Gadwor if necessary.
Environment
Eventhough the city resides on top of a beast, there is still
plant life that is grown on top of it as the residents imported
some soil from the ground to grow some limited vegetation
within selected city areas noted later. The city gets periodic
flooding as the Gadwor enters bodies of water sometimes,
but most of the buildings are lifted about 2-3 ft off the ground
to prevent any weathering damages.
Food and Water
Most of the food in the city relies heavily on fishing and
trading goods between cities and traveling merchants. As
mentioned in the nature section, there is limited vegetation
being grown but not enought to sustain even a couple of the
people. There are a few storages that hold emergency rations,
enough to supply the entire city for a couple of weeks) around
the city that residents have honored not to steal from.
The city's water source mainly comes from storage in
containers along the household, but it also comes from the
moat that surrounds the watchtower. Probably once a week,
maybe even every other week, the Gadwor, if it finds a large
enough water source, will dip itself into the pool and the city
will be flooded to about 1 ft in height. During this time
residents store water in their homes and the moat around the
watchtower gets refreshed with water as an emergency
supply for the halflings. When the creature finishes, which
usually takes about an hour or more, it lifts the city back up
and continues traveling.
City Locations
Eventhough the city is mostly a merge between a market and
an urban area, there are still a few notable locations among
the city that would be worthy of a traveler's interests to visit
or know about.
The East and West Gatehouses
These are just small wooden and stone structures on both
sides of the city where people have to pass in order to access
the city from the pulley system, and climbing if succeeded.
The gatehouses are just two pillars, about 10 ft tall, and a
metal gate, about 10 ft wide. Walls, about 6 ft tall, line up on
the other sides of the pillars until they hit one of the smaller
watch towers that erect on the four corners of the city. Unless
they climb over the wall, travelers must pass this gate to
officially enter the city limits. This is also where entrants
must pay the access fees.
The Central Watchtower
Made mostly of stone, this is lies in the very center of the city.
It is about 50 ft tall and is surrounded by a moat of water
most of the time. It remains sturdy even after the flooding
occurs around the city. The tower was built so that even a
medium sized creature can fit through the door and still
travel within it to the top with ease. Travelers are encouraged
to visit the tower by walking along the only path across the
moat to the entrance at the bottom. At the top of the tower, a
view of the entire city can be seen and almost any notable
locations should be visible. There is a system of ropes and
zipline at the top of the tower that takes people to the notable
locations including the market, the traveler's tavern, and
either of the gatehouses. The rope will support a medium-
sized creature and his belongings, since the trip is short
compared to the trip up and the rope is reinforced a lot.
Entering the tower does indeed cost money similarly to the
pulley system.
Watchtower Access Fees
Reason Cost
Resident (Halflings only) Free
Traveler (one time) 10 SP
Traveler (one day) 20 SP
Traveler (unlimited) Special
The Market
The market is more towards the southern side of the city. It is
resonably sized so that a medium-sized creature can walk
through and easily purchase items from it and consists of
several rows of stalls that are made of wood, with minimal
stones, again lifted up 2-3 feet to both prevent flooding
damages and allow easier show case of items that are placed
along the stall's floors. One can find many items here
including herbs, potions, and common materials. There
maybe some shops that have a few weaponry or armor and
metals but no particular shop that specializes in these
categories. One notable remark about this market is that
since it travels through severl locations, there may be unique
items that can't be found in particular regions it is at.
TOBBERUP CITY 2
 The Giant's Tavern
Also known as the traveler's tavern, this is named for its size
and accomodation that it gives to travelers who may not be
halfling-sized, and it is located in the southern portion of the
city. It is one of the few buildings in Tobberup that a creature
larger than small size can fit in comfortably. The tavern has a
small bar that holds about 10 people and houses about 20
travelers. It is one floor and the two main rooms are the bar
and the beds (all in the same room). Prices of drinks and a
bed vary depending on the season and time. The bartender
also provides a small storage service for travelers to keep
their belongings in for safe keeping while exploring the
market.
The Halfling District
Located in the northern part of the city and overflowing
towards east and west of the watchtower until it hits the
market. The halfling district holds all of the population of
residential halflings of about 100-200 in Tobberup. Here one
can only find small roads and buildings meant for only
halfling travel and usage, eventhough travelers aren't exactly
prevented from entering. Several halflings go about their days
here, creating business and small trading opportunities
between themselves.
The Watchtower Moat
Filled most of the time especially when flooding occurs, the
moat is the main source of water for anyone in the city. It
continually gets refreshed with water and also fish from the
lakes and river when they get trapped after the flood declines.
One can see halflings spending their days here, fishing at the
moat until the population gets refreshed at the next flood.
The Elder's Hut
The home of Almus Rohde resides near the head of the
Gadwor, north of the halfing district. It is far secluded from
the halfling district and is only accessible on a permission
basis for travelers. The residential halflings are allowed to go
between their homes and the hut as they please as long as
there is a reason, for example getting advice on something,
but travelers would need permission from one of the
gatehouse seers to go there correctly, not that there is a
security team enforcing them not to go.
The Head
Traveling past the elder's hut, a traveler could reach the
beast's head. It does not really mind a few people walking up
to enjoy the view once in awhile as long as they are not being
disruptive or cause too much of a crowd. Any disturbance
may lead the Gadwor to tip its head slightly or cause some
shaking.
The Tail
South of the market, one can reach the creature's tail. The tail
is about 300 ft long and it usually moves a lot more than the
rest of its body so anyone on the tail will always feel the
movement regardless of how fast the Gadwor is moving
unless the creature is standing still for some reason.
3 TOBBERUP CITY
Notable NPCs
Henrik Nielson
Supervisor of the Western Gatehouse and twin of Henrikke.
He is well known throughout the city as several people see
him when they go in and out of the city walls. He is a
formidable engineer and very clever when it comes to solving
problems with the pulley system. He is the smarter when
compared to his twin and will solve any problems through his
wits and genius. (Henrik is an expert marksman who wields
dual pistols along with a creative tinkerer.)
Henrikke Nielson
Supervisor of the Eastern Gatehouse and twin of Henrik.
Similar to her counterpart, Henrikke also knows several
people as she sees the transition of people day to day along
the Eastern Gatehouse. Unlike her twin, however, she is not
as smart but is much stronger when it comes to helping with
the pulley system. Having years of experience with the
system, she can still solve any problems but probably not the
same way as her brother. (Henrikke is a battle master who
dual wields war picks.)
Almus Rohde
Elder of the citizens of Tobberup and kind of a leader for the
halfling people. He is about 100 years of age and has used his
wisdom to serve the people of Tobbleup for several decades
as they turn to him for any decision. He resides in a hut near
the top of the Gadwar's head. As the creature does not fully
submerge its head underwater when drinking, his hut is
usually safe from flooding compared to the city. (Almus is a
druid/cleric who occasionally goes into the city to maintain its
nature and health.)
Sabine Buch
Youngest of three siblings, Sabine is currently the owner of
The Giant's Tavern and manages most of the guests by
herself, with occasional help from her sister, Eva Buch. She
runs the bar, manages the storage service, and keeps the
guests in check. (Sabine is a very strong and capable
barbarian.)
Eva Buch
The second youngest of three siblings, Eva is a citizen of
Tobberup and the de facto leader of a group of thieves within
the halfling district. She and her group go around stealing a
few things to go sell in the market to create some profit for
her and her sister to survive off. Her group of thieves also
steal from travelers who visit the market and sell the
valuables to other travelers, sometimes causing conflict and
the travelers to get thrown off the beast, probably to their
deaths. (Eva is a thief.)
Victor Hjorth
The keeper of the watchtower. He patrols the watchtower at
the center of the city and keeps an eye on the city from the
top, alerting the town if anything unusual happens. As the
people of the city use the watchtower for transportation, he
does know most of the people. (Victor is a ranger.)
Kurt Skov
A veteran halfling from a war. He was first introduced to a
war he never wanted to take part in but was forced into it. He
found a way to retire and came to this city, but he could not
keep a still life anymore and now wonders the markets
sometimes looking for trouble by saying he is the "Protector
of Tobberup". (Kurt is a samurai who wields a miniature
katana-like blade that only he knows how to use.)
Gustav Pedersen
A local fisherman in the halfling district who is in charge of
the fishing company that supplies a lot of the food to
Tobberup. He leads a crew of about 10-20 halflings to one of
the sides of the Gadwor and fishes from the top using very
long fishing lines and very sophisticated fishing techniques.
(Gustav is a ranger and beast master who has a bird
companion.)
Mogens Troelsen
Mogens is the city's best engineer. He is responsible for most
of the improvements within the city including better buildings
and traveling system, including upgrade from rope climb to
pulley systems. He has been responsible for several new
designs and inventions within the city. (Mogens is a very wise
tinker.)
Ove Birk
As the local weirdo of Tobberup, Ove is a myth to some and a
repellant to others. He seems to be interested in several
different materials that wouldn't really be sold in the market
and has collections of random variables from his journeys
when he goes in and out of town. If theres anything random
or exotic someone is looking for, you bet Ove will probably
have it. (Ove is an arcane trickster.)
Grimadak
A random half orc who once wanted to get to the city for
something. He went up before the pulley system was fully
implemented and fell down when the basket broke, which
resulted in the invention of the net for heavier objects. No one
knows who he is or why he is here, and neither does he, but
the halflings gave him a temporary name of Grimadak. He
currently stays at the Giant's Tavern for free until he starts
remembering what he came here for...
Bedyw Fithen
A local human who has chosen to spend the past few decades
on this beast living with the halfling habitat. He has a house
somewhere along the halfling district but no one really knows
how he is living in such small conditions. He is interested in
astronomy and has been keeping track of the stars at night as
the Gadwor moves. He has somehow created a
magnetification device by scavenging items from the market
and has been keeping records of star sightings at night and
any land sightings in the day. He is good friends with the
elder, and there remains constant communication between
the two.
Events
The city sometimes experiences special events throughout
the calender time, which could be weekly or yearly. Usually
the entire town participates, but it probably depends more on
the event and condition of the town.
Brüiser Time
Just something the locals call to tell the visitors or travelers
about when the flood is about to occur, or when the Gadwor
is about to dip itself into a body of water. Three loud horn
sounds can be heard from the elder's hut that roars
throughout the city. The locals start packing their things that
are on the city floor and start to move into nearby buildings.
All attractions, including the market and watchtower, are
usually closed temporarily as the city floods to about 1 ft in
height. The locals usually spend this time fishing or collecting
water for their private water supplies. This event occurs for
about an hour or so and then the water level starts lowering
as the Gadwor gets back on dry ground. Everything then
resumes as if nothing actually had happened.
Stjerne Sightings
As the local astronomer, Bedyw always keeps tabs on any
astronomical events that occur during the night. The halfling
population of Tobberup believe that meteor showers are a
sign of good fortune to come and always keep an ear out for
any sightings by Bedyw. When such an event occurs, the elder
sends on firework out from his hut such that it explodes
above the watchtower for the population to see. Since such
events are very rare, the population usually celebrates and all
alcohol and fireworks around the city goes on a large sale.
The city lights grow bright through the night as crowds
gather throughout the market and halfling district and
celebrate the sightings. The market remains open but
probably very crowded with drunk halflings running around
the place. Fireworks are shot out of the watchtower a few
times for spectators to view.
The Catapulting
Too many travelers or visitors in town and the halfling
population are getting scared? No problem as the halfling
population have a system to cut the numbers down. The
entire town gathers and holds a mandatory event for the
travelers to participate in. Any traveler found outside is
automatically kicked off the Gadwor in a way mentioned
below.
As the travelers gather, a random number (1-100) is chosen
and each traveler guesses their own number. The halflings
decide the number of people to kick out and the people who
guesses the closest to the number are asked to leave. If they
refuse to leave then they are loaded to a small catapult,
capable of flingling a medium creature, and launched off the
Gadwor.
TOBBERUP CITY 4
 Town Mechanics
A general idea of how everything functions in the town
Traveling City
The Gadwor takes about a month everytime to travel between
cities. From Borna, it goes up to Kaastark and then to
Lembern, and it comes back to Kaastark and then Borna,
totaling about 4-5 months each loop, also depends on
weather conditions. The route that the Gadwor takes varies
each time as the elder of the city is the one who talks to the
beast about its movement. The elder also controls when the
floods occur, or when the creature will submerge its body into
the water, and he, therefore, can warn the towns people when
Brüiser Time will occur.
Flooding Occurances
The amount of times this creature submerges really depends
on the season and weather conditions. The elder knows that
this Gadwor especially needs water and has decided to do
periodic submerging such that the creature does not pass out
from extreme heat conditions, after all it is relatively huge
and carries a city of stone on its back. Using the New
Briagothian Calendar as reference, during the summer
months, the floodings will occur twice as much, about twice a
week, compared to fall and spring months, which are once a
week; while in winter months the floodings reduce to half as
much, about every other week, if the weather permits.
Politics and War
As halflings are a race that dislike to even get near any
politics or wars, they turn back politicians or diplomats who
enter the city, unless they are here for non-political reasons. If
a battle location is known and is enroute to the next city, then
the Gadwor will do its best to avoid the battle, either by
attempting to take a major detour or just turning back. If
necessary the Gadwar will just stay at a safe water reservoir
until the conflict is resolved.
Market Merchandise
Because Tobberup travels constantly, the market
merchandise does change constantly, as mentioned above.
This market values the trade more than just coins. Having
items to trade in the market will lead to better value than just
coming in with plain old silver. The local halflings are most of
the vender at the market as they make up about 70-80% of
the market stalls. These local venders sell various types of
handcrafted trinkets and also any locally caught fish. They
will sometimes have treasures and more exotic goods that
have been traded to them for their goods. The other 20-30%
of stalls are either available for the taking or made of exotic
merchants who are just looking for a temporary ride to the
next city while selling their goods. One may sometimes find
apprentices trying to show their craftsmanship or even
masters trying to get the most out of their artwork. Since the
value of silver is dwindled here and one can also find rare
exotic goods, buying from this market can get very pricey at
times and haggling or making deals is encouraged.
5 TOBBERUP CITY
Pulley System and Watchtower
Operating Times
The pulley system will always be open for use at all times, but
at night there will only be one basket and cargo net available
each. This is because the gatehouse keepers will be at rest,
but available for any emergencies as all workers know of their
resting spots. The watchtower on the other hand will be
opened at all times and always fully operational. The guard,
Victor, is dedicated to his job and will remain on duty. He
does get periodic rest during his time there as he is training
his apprentice to take over any day.
Night Times
Tobberup does not have any curfew times and anyone is
allowed to roam the city during any time they want, but most
residents are encouraged to stay in their homes as the city
does not have any security and can get dangerous especially
during night times. There are a few torches or lanterns that
are lit through out the city so that darkness does not
consume every corner and traveling without a light source is
not as nearly impossible.
Monster Encounters
As the city is on top of a Gadwor, there are not as many
monsters or threats that one can encounter in the city.
However during fishing or Brüiser Time, one may encounter
fish of all sorts of value and danger and may be forced to deal
with it. There also may be random encounters with flying
creatures, but most do not pose any kind of threat to the
inhabitants of Tobberup.
Weapons and Armor in the City
Weapons and armor are allowed in the city but not for
combative purposes. Markets sometimes have venders that
buy or sell these items and can be used as a bargaining chip
for other valuables. As long as the weapons are not being
used as a threat, no attention will be paid to the wielder, but
once a threat is portrayed the user will be asked to leave or be
forcefully evicted or banished.
Special Access
Mentioned in the entrance section, special access can be
gained through various means. These are mostly either by
request of some inhabitant of Tobberup as they need a special
favor from a group or individual. There can also be some kind
of special negotiation going on, whether it is some
merchandise mass import or export that is going on or
individuals offering some of their skills to help improve the
city.
Map

TOBBERUP CITY 5