Last Updated: July 6, 2010
Source Material: Volo's Guide to the North - tsr9393
This town of 2,500 stands at the intersection of the Long Road and the Evermoor Way. It's located due west of Yartar, its traditional rival. It is widely known as the marshalling place of over a dozen human armies, hastily assembled at various times in the last century. These were armies that came together to battle orc hordes sweeping south down the River Surbrin from the remote mountain fastnesses beyond.
Triboar's name is thought to have come from a traveler's tale of slaying three boars here in the same day, over 300 winters ago. This tale is commemorated in the banner of the lord protector of Triboar, which shows three black boars running toward the head of the banner on a blood-red field.
The regular militia take turns serving as the Twelve, a mounted police patrol force. They rotate in tenday-long shifts. If needed, Triboar can muster a well-armed militia of 50 in a night, and 300 by highsun the next day. These numbers may be greater if adventurers or large caravan contingents are in town.
The ruler of Triboar, the lord protector, is elected by the people to command the militia and to settle disputes by adding to, altering, or striking down the Lord's Decrees (the laws of Triboar). For the last 40 winters, the lord protector has been Faurael Blackhammer. He is now gray-haired, and in constant pain from old wounds, but Faurael still stumps around tirelessly, training the militia.
Caravan masters can buy just about anything that a caravan might need in Triboar. One can buy locally bred horses (mountain ponies are a specialty), premade or custom made harnesses, and wagons. You can even get a veteran guide to take you wherever you want to go in the North. The best guides charge 7 gp per day, plus food and expenses. They require a down payment of 77 gp before departure.
The guides also wear magical teleport rings, belts, or earrings that only work when secret passwords are uttered. This is to whisk them home in the face of treachery. Most guides are very sensitive to treachery, and will avoid getting into situations where they can be ambushed or overpowered. Guides have been known to slip away or to employ rings of invisibility to vanish, and then stalk their employers to see what is said and done, especially if their employers are adventurers headed for known ruins or caves opening into the Underdark.
Many of the long-established guides are former or semi-retired adventurers. They may have their own bands of henchmen, their own secret plots and contacts, and their own magic items gained during previous adventures.
The most famous of the guides in Triboar are Zandever "Nighteyes" Eyredanus, Morth Fartheen, Ilrin Sharadin and Borth Jhandelspar. Zandever is famous for guiding warbands through deep woods at night, to strike back at raiding orcs. Morth is said to always know what direction he's facing. Ilrin has acquired a sinister reputation; some think him allied with drow and worse. Borth is a jovial barbarian who often goes berserk in battle. When he was a youth, he was cast out of his tribe and adopted by a family of Triboar. He's famous for striding through a blizzard one winter clad only in boots, loincloth, and sword, singing lustily, to bring news from Yartar to a snowed-in Triboar.
When Borth and Zandever heard I was writing this guidebook, they were delighted. "Bring in business, that will," Borth said. They both hastened to give me trail advice to keep future clients alive long enough to get to them.
Zandever deals with a lot of wealthy and powerful Waterdhavians. He tells those with access to magic to wear a ring of warmth. "If you can't get one," he says, "bring a ring of fire resistance instead." Keeping warm when armed with such a ring is a simple matter of gathering enough wood to lay two or three large bonfires. Lay the fires, then bury your belongings. Light the first fire and lie down in the flames at its heart, and get a good warm sleep. If the fire burns out, and cold wakes you, relight it, or move to the next fire and light that.
Borth shook his head at such magic-strong advice, and gave advice on keeping a normal fire going through the night when one doesn't want its flames to show from afar. When it's burning well, with lots of fuel set aside for later, cover the whole thing with damp sections of turf, cut up from the ground. The fire will burn underneath all night long. The turf will stop giving off white smoke when it has dried out.
I thanked both guides, and take the opportunity to do so again now. It is a pleasure to travel the North in the safety of their company.
It should be noted that nowhere is the sometimes violent rivalry between Triboar and Yartar more sharply evident- than between guides of the two places. If a guide learns that a client has run with a guide from "the other place," he might just refuse to guide them.
The bad blood between the two towns has led to armed skirmishes. Whenever citizens of both places are under the same roof anywhere in the North, you can expect a brawl.
Guides won't start the fights, but they will abruptly leave the inn or tavern, taking their clients with them, if possible.
Treasure talk in Triboar always centers around the Lost Guide. This is a fellow who disappeared alone somewhere between Triboar and Yartar. He was running a wagon loaded down with sacks of gold pieces. Each town blames the other for his murder and the disappearance of the gold. Others, however, think his bones lie in the Dessarin, the gold with him.
Triboar is a bustling mercantile town. It is busy night and day, hence its nickname the "Town Where Only Gwaeron Sleeps." Triboar has no walls. It is, however, surrounded by the paddocks and fenced workyards of two caravan outfitters, a horse market, stockyards, and two caravan camping grounds.
The center of Triboar, where the roads meet, is a huge open space. This is used as a market by local farmers and visiting peddlers. The space is dominated by the two story Tower of the Lord Protector, a simple stone keep that leans decidedly to the east.
Triboar is home to the most famous wagonmaker in the North, Skulner Wainwright. It is also said to be the resting place of a god - Gwaeron Windstrom, the Tracker Who Never Goes Astray. He is said to sleep in a stand of trees just west of the town. Gwaeron, patron of rangers, is also known as the Mouth of Mielikki. He speaks to most mortals on her behalf, if direct speech is necessary. He sometimes can be seen walking into or out of the trees known as Gwaeron's Slumber. He appears as a tall, muscular man whose long, white hair and beard whip and billow in an endless breeze, even if there is no wind.
Rangers who venerate Mielikki often visit Gwaeron's Slumber to pray, but there is no shrine there, and Gwaeron never appears to those who come seeking him. It is said that worshippers of Mielikki who sleep in this wood will receive some hint of what the goddess wants them to do in their dreams. If the worshipper is not a ranger, the person will gain a once-in-a-lifetime, day-long ability to track as a ranger does. To avoid angering Gwaeron, there are laws in Triboar against cutting any wood from these trees or hunting any creature in the woods. The local militia patrols the forest to prevent orcs, trolls, and other such creatures from camping there - but less intelligent monsters have never been seen in Gwaeron's Slumber.
Most of the shops and service establishments in Triboar open onto the market.
The Cart and Coin
Caravan Outfitter
This shop swaps and sells horses and draft animals, sells feed and gear, and hires out caravan guards.
The caravan guards for the Cart and Coin come from a roster of ticketed hireswords. They’ve come to Triboar, applied for work as a caravan guard, and been interviewed while a wizard uses "Detect Thoughts" on them. If they’re judged to be fit, they are given a chit and lodged in barracks on the site, to await clients.
Ransor's Open Road
Caravan Outfitter
This shop swaps and sells horses and draft animals, sells feed and gear, and hires out caravan guards.
The caravan guards for Ransor's Open Road come from a roster of ticketed hireswords. They’ve come to Triboar, applied for work as a caravan guard, and been interviewed while a wizard uses "Detect Thoughts" on them. If they’re judged to be fit, they are given a chit and lodged in barracks on the site, to await clients.
The Triboar Travelers
Caravan Company
Merchant sponsors can hire this local caravan company for runs to Waterdeep and Everlund.
Foehammer's Forge
Forge
Foehammer's Forge is operated by the dwarven mastersmith Ghelryn "Goldhand" Foehammer. It is situated across the road from Uldinath's Arms at the northern edge of town. Foehammer's Forge and Uldinath's Arms are friendly rivals, and each produces an astonishing amount of good quality forgework of all sorts.
Uldinath's Arms
Forge
Uldinath's Arms is operated by the human swordsmith Aldener Uldinath. It is situated across the road from Foehammer's Forge at the northern edge of town. Uldinath's Arms and Foehammer's Forge are friendly rivals, and each produces an astonishing amount of good quality forgework of all sorts.
Wainwright's Wagons
Wagonworks
Skulner Wainwright's shop is located just east of the central market, on the
south side of Evermoor Way. It has its own stockade, its own storage sheds
for lumber, and its own horse-driven sawmill. The apprentices make a
good amount of money running odd bits of wood through the saw.
Skulner is known for his innovative designs. His latest is the rolling cog, a
massive wagon that can double as a barge. One is currently in use on the
Dessarin, but Skulner has so far failed to make one big enough to carry a
good number of cattle, and small enough to avoid running aground on riverbend sandbanks.
Despite growing competition from such worthies as Thelorn of Red
Larch, Skulner's wagons are still the wagon of choice for the wealthy
Waterdhavian nobles. With prices starting at 175 gp per wagon, none
but the wealthy can afford to buy from him. Nonetheless, Skulner is so
busy building new wagons that he doesn't bother with wagon repairs
anymore. Instead, he will airily direct owners of injured wagons to one of
the many independent repair shops of Triboar.
The Pleasing Platter
The Pleasing Platter is next door to the grandiose Everwyvern House, and
it has adopted similar pretentions. The tables are far apart. Each is
screened from others by cleverly placed plants, statues or pillars.
Minstrels play softly and soothingly in the background. Service is fast, polite
and deft, with changes made swiftly and obligingly to suit a guest's
culinary preferences. This makes it one of the best places to eat in the North.
"I dined on quail smoked with applewood, and then cast away a reckless 16 gp for a roast of sizzling panther meat-prized highly by gourmands of the North. This was followed by rothé steak cooked in wine and nuts. Next came venison, mountain mutton served with pickles and a spicy sauce, silvertail (the large salmon-like fish of the coldest northern rivers), sipping salvers of wild turkey broth, and finally platters of grouse and smaller wildfowl, as well as hares and the tails of beavers. It was one of the best meals I've had anywhere. To make sure my appraisal was fair, I went back the next night and did it again."
The Talking Troll
The Troll is what Waterdhavians would call a dive - a dim, smelly, low-beamed place crammed with massive, battered, old furniture and not so massive, battered, old drunks. Its one redeeming feature is its large cellar of various ales, stouts, and lagers. The Talking Troll is identified by a crude wooden silhouette of a troll hanging from a yard-arm over the door of this dingy building. The stench of vomit, urine and what could only be described as wet dog permeates the air.
The Triboar Arms
This is a stalwart, middle-of-the-road tavern frequented by people who
would never willingly go into the Troll and would pay more not to have to. In
Waterdeep, this tavern would be unremarkable. Here it's valuable as a place where you can see the neighbors you're drinking with and not recoil at the sight of them.
Everwyvern House
Everwyvern House is an elegant, expensive place that caters to the nobility and to those who want to parade grandly and pretend they're noble. This is also the working home of Triboar's most elegant lady escorts.
The snobbery of Everwyvern House is matched by its elegant frippery. It's like a parody of the grandest Waterdhavian noble parties. Folk come here to be awed by it, to be amused by it, or to feel at home in it. Whatever your reaction, it's worth a visit, at least until you get thrown out by the smoothly efficient bouncers. Minstrels play quiet background music among floating plants and many-hued driftglobes, while startlingly gowned women and dashingly sashed and ruffled men chat, stroll, dance, and sneer at each other. It must be seen to be believed.
The Frost-Touched Frog
This is a fun, noisy place full of old, mended furniture and colorful
clients. Its walls are decorated with hunting trophies, and its patrons love to regale guests and each other with tales that grow taller with each telling.
Northshield House
Northshield House is a clean, formal, quiet place. Accommodation and service here are equal to the best of Waterdeep, but so are the prices.
Six Windows
This is a chilly, creaking, old, wooden rooming house that has about 40 more
windows than the name would indicate.
Gwaeron's Slumber
It is said to be the resting place of a god - Gwaeron Windstrom, the Tracker Who Never Goes Astray. He is said to sleep in a stand of trees just west of Triboar. To avoid angering Gwaeron, there are laws in Triboar against cutting any wood from these trees or hunting any creature in the woods.
Gwaeron, patron of rangers, is also known as the Mouth of Mielikki. He speaks to most mortals on her behalf, if direct speech is necessary. He sometimes can be seen walking into or out of the trees known as Gwaeron’s Slumber. He appears as a tall, muscular man whose long, white hair and beard whip and billow in an endless breeze, even if there is no wind.
The Altar of Foehammer
Temple of Tempus
The Altar of Foehammer is actually located just outside Triboar’s walls, southwest of the town - no more than a five minute walk away. This spartan temple is striking, with its compound protected by shear stone walls, and a blazing silver sword on a blood red shield adorning the gate of the temple. It has a full armoury, training ground and barracks. This temple is truly a veneration of the Foehammer.
The Magic Shoppe
This mysterious place appears randomly around Triboar. No one knows when or where the Magic Shoppe will appear. In fact, no one knows its true name – the moniker The Magic Shoppe was given to it by those who have been lucky enough to see the interior of this unique place. There are verified tales of individuals walking through the door of an establishment, only to find themselves in the Magic Shoppe. When said individuals left The Magic Shoppe, the exterior of the building was that of the establishment they were expecting to enter and upon re-entry, the Magic Shoppe had vanished, leaving behind its mundane cousin. The interior of The Magic Shoppe is a wondrous place, full of all manner of magical baubles and weapons.
Edwin's Emporium of the Wonderous
The Emporium is a cottage just outside the walls of Triboar, northeast of the town.