Who Rules: Nodrog Lightfoot (NG, Halfling Male, F16) is a happy, good natured farmer turned fighter turned leader. He was elected king after leading an army against invading orcs while the then present ruler hid under his desk. Nodrog didn't want the job, but he accepted it after the former ruler was forced to flee town. He has turned the grounds behind the Royal House into a vast garden that he tends to personally.

Who Really Rules: Nodrog rules completely.

Population: 23,000 (80% halfling, 12% human, 6% gnome, 2% other)

Major Products: Wine, tobacco, pipes, wool, cloth, textiles, dried food products, and Wild Mug Mead, which is made with clover honey.

Armed Forces: 1,500 (750 light infantry, 250 artillerists/engineers, 250 heavy infantry, 250 cavalry who ride large war dogs), led by General Fearghal the Magnificant and his faithful hound Balsac the Brave. A 1,500 strong militia trains on a semi-regular basis and can be mustered if warranted.

Notable Mages: Mark of Daggerdale (LG, Human Male, W15) is an expert on evocation spells. He is also an expert on agriculture and has a strong interest in halflings and their way of life.

Mynarra of Daggerdale (LG, Human Female, W12) is the wife of Mark of Daggerdale. Her field of expertise is divination spells and her hobby is breeding dogs, a skill she has put to good use in Goodhope. Her official military rank is Captain, but it is an honorary rank without any real power. However, she drills with the cavalry (on a horse) and the cavalry commander does ask her for advice, and most of the time he actually listens.

Notable Churches: All halfling, Chaunea, Deneir, Grumbar, Lathander.

Notable Rogues' and Thieves' Guilds: Levka of the Charmed Home (CE, Halfling Female, T14) was abused by her father and older brothers. As such she despises men, so much so, in fact, that they are strictly controlled within the guild. No male guild member is permitted to rise past 7th level. When they reach 8th level they are given a choice to retire, leave town, or be slain. A lot of times, Levka and her 7 lieutenants, The Roses' Thorns (all Female thieves, levels 8-13), make the choice for the male and slay him. There are only four non-halfling thieves, all female, and all lieutenants (1 each of human, dwarf, gnome, and elf races). The fact that the guild is 75% female has allowed the guild to survive as long as it has because very few halflings suspect women of evil deeds. The current bounty on Levka is 18,000 p.p., but it is for an unnamed male!

Equipment Shops: Full. There are enough human sized travelers passing through to warrant shops catering to them

Adventurers' Quarters: Adventurers are welcome in all parts of town, but they will more than likely only stay at one of four hotels that are large enough for humans (The Horse Tail, The Howling Wind, The Rising Pheonix, The Black Blade).

Important Characters: Fearghal the Magnificant (CG, Halfling Male, Sorceror-5) is renowned throughout The Realms, a terror of The Underdark, friend of bronze dragons, a source of Luck, and is the owner of Balsac the Brave, Loyalist of the Loyal, Most Fearsome of the Fearless, Bane of the Drow, Most Famous of Mynarra's Hounds, and a truly exceptional dog in every regard. Fearghal was once a member of the fast rising adventurer's group known as The Crystal Hatchlings. He was the voice of reason in the group and leader by virtue of his magnificence. It is rumored that for a while he traveled in his own golden throne. He retired from adventuring when the former General of the Army died. Fearghal was the natural choice to replace him. He is also a good friend of Yort Etham and is often sought out for information on herbalism. For the most part, though, he spends his time leading the military, training it to be an elite military unit.

Semal Moorwatcher (LG, Halfling Male, F19) was forced to retire from the Dog Riders because he lost his left forearm and a foot during a battle against ogres. He refused regeneration because of his religious beliefs. He was fitted with a wooden foot and a fake arm made of steel with a detachable shield and trident tip. He was forced to retire from the Dog Riders, but has since become a loner patrolling the moors around Goodhope. He is an expert on outdoor activity and the moors, and should be treated as a ranger of equal level for outdoor skills.

Ari Mustonen (LN, Gnome Male, 0-level) is an expert on making siege equipment and designs mechanical devices of any imaginable type, some of which actually work.

Rinawa of the Myriad Winds (CG, ½-elf female, P12) is a priestess of Sune, and the Madam of a brothel, The Flowering Moon. She is absolutely gorgeous (Cha. 19), and all her employees are nearly as beautiful (Cha. 15-18). Her house is free of all disease, and anyone coming in will be cured and more than likely won't know it. She is also an expert on healing and knows, through herself and her girls, what travelers are passing through Goodhope, where they are going, and what merchandise they are carrying.

Yort Ehtam (LG, Halfling Male, R4) is an expert on mushrooms. He grows the biggest, most delicious within the Regions, and makes the most delicious foods that have mushrooms in them. He also owns an inn, The Wild Mushroom, which serves these dishes and also serves the best ale outside of Sherrco, Wild Mug Ale.

Tiama Silvertoes (NG, Halfling Female, B9) is the self-appointed chronicler of the life of Fearghal the Magnificent. While she was a highly skilled bard to begin with she has become highly renowned amongst the stout folk since focusing almost exclusively on Fearghal. Aside from her current focus she is highly knowledgeable in the history of the Regions of Rossak, both on the surface and the Underdark.

Important Features in Town: Goodhope doesn't have any walls around the town. It is built on a small series of hills that are closely grouped together and jut out onto the plain. The town is protected by a series of natural ravines and gullies with near vertical sides on three sides of the town. The rolling downhill area leading to the plain is quite rocky and not the easiest land to cross. Several bridges span the various ravines and most of these are simple rope bridges with wooden planks. There are three solid wood bridges, including one along the Over-Moor Road that leads on into Chessenta. All bridges, though, are continually guarded at all times.

The town itself is built on a total of eight hills, with each hill being set up with the richer people living near the tops and the poorer on down further. The total area protected by the ravines is actually about 16 hills, with a lot of farmland in the areas. There are also a large number of farms down on the plains.

Local Lore: If you love hunting goblins and wargs, then Goodhope is the place to go! While the area immediately around Goodhope is quite safe, there are plenty of areas in the moors where goblins abound. Also, a fair number of "ghost hunters" come to the area as numerous undead inhabit the moors, which has uncounted cemeteries through its vastness. Every decade or so, a powerful vampire or a lich seems to move into the area, and this makes life quite interesting for the local inhabitants, and it draws a large number of adventuresome individuals.

Many miles East and West of Goodhope are several caves that eventually lead deep into the Underdark and connect to The Crack, a vast underground rift that is the home to several colonies of cloakers and the last vestige of the old lizardfollk kingdom that once thrived in the area. The denizens of The Crack themselves do not pose any threat as the cloakers do not come above ground and the lizardfolk are generally peaceful. However, other denizens have been known to come up out of the Underdark every once in a while. Of course, many adventurers have used the area as a means of trying to seek fortune and fame in the darkness below.