Who Rules: The Council of Elders, which is comprised of 7 of the wealthiest and wisest of the city, rules the city.

Who Really Rules: The Council rules the city, but four of the members are controlled by some unknown merchant within town who seems to have some hidden agenda. What his agenda is, though, is not yet clear.

Population: 13,500 (85% human, 13% halfling, 2% mixed other races).

Major Products: Fish, lamp oil, barrels, soap, tarpaulins, glue, Buckler Brew ale, and Alabaster Fire, a clear liquor made from corn.

Armed Forces: Rushmore maintains an army of 650 mixed infantry and 100 artillerists. In a time of emergency it can raise a militia of about 1,000 light infantry. It has no navy, but the local fishing and merchant vessels can be used in a pinch, and the local sailors are a tough group of individuals who are more than capable of standing up to a occasional pirate ship.

Notable Mages: Rakald (LG, Human Male, W12) lives in a houseboat among the fishing and merchant boats. He studies aquatic spells and is an expert in marine biology.

Odele (NG, Human Male, W10) is highly knowledgeable about fishing and has developed some spells to help sailors locate schools of fish. He is at odds with Rakald over this as Rakald feels that the fishers should rely on skill alone.

Notable Churches: Istisha, Selune, Lathander, and Eldath.

Notable Rogues' and Thieves' Guilds: There is no organized guild within Rushmore, and those few enterprising thieves who have tried have given up as it really isn't worth it. A small number of independent thieves work the town. Among them there are no set territories, and if one thief happens upon another while he is on business he will more than likely act as an impromptu lookout. The other thief then gives a small percentage to his temporary comrade. It is a good system that has been tried elsewhere, but only seems to work here. The local thieves kill any overly cruel or evil thieves who come to town.

Equipment Shops: ½ for most equipment, and full for sailing supplies.

Adventurers' Quarters: The Barge is a large houseboat that has been converted to a floating inn. It is small (can only sleep 20 people), but it is very popular with adventurers. Other than The Barge, there are only two other inn that caters to adventurers, and those are The Rusty Horseshoe, which is on the edge of town, and The Tired Shield, which is located in the center of town. The Rusty Horseshoe is a bit on the dirty side, but its food and ale are exceptional and the rooms are cheap.

Important Characters: "Admiral" Quair (CG, Human Male, F3) specializes in converting sailing ships into houseboats. He also makes custom houseboats that are seaworthy, but designed more for living alongside a dock than sailing. He also owns the only shipyard in town that is capable of handling any large ship.

Cornhusker (LG, Halfling Male, P2) makes a liquor that is derived from corn. It is extremely potent, but is quite vile. Locals seem the only ones who drink it, though ship captains buy it as it makes a great cleaning agent for sails and nets.

Emlech "Tar-Man" Nightmonger (CN, Human Male, F4) owns several tar pits north of town and he sells his wares for a good price. He also hires himself out to apply the stuff. As such, he usually wanders around town covered in bits of tar, and sometimes some interesting items can be found attached to his person.

Danial "Butch" Warmallet (NG, Dwarf Male, F11) is a retired adventurer who now runs an inn, The Tired Shield, and brews Buckler Brew, an ale of exceptional quality. His inn is a favorite haunt of adventurers and merchants, not only because the rooms are exceptionally clean and reasonably priced but also because the food and ale are truly excellent. Butch also has one of the largest collections of adventuring gear squirreled away in his basement and if someone needs a piece of equipment there is a very good chance that Butch will have it.

Richard of Southdale (CN, Human Male, T11) was once a fellow comrade in arms with Danial Warmallet and it is in no small part because of Richard's skills in the kitchen that The Tired Shield is so successful. Richard's trained crew of cooks are excellent in their own right and they often cover for him while he is travelling to track down some new recipe.

Important Features in Town: Rushmore is a simple, unwalled city. It does have a large, 50' wide moat dug around it, which is connected, to the sea. This moat is filled with hunks of coral to make it impassable to large ships, and to hinder anyone hostile who may want to swim across the moat. The town is dominated by the warehouses that dot the harbor area and the large merchant mansions that are built alongside the moat. The center of town is comprised mostly of single story structures that are quite large. This, and the many town parks, makes the town seem larger than it actually is. The city, especially in courtyards and among the parks, is decorated with many fountains. The famous fountain maker, Kristine Gelden of Morde, used to live in Rushmore.

The merchants have all the real power and wealth in Rushmore, and they make it known. Their carriages and sedans are always preceded by bodyguards who clear the streets of any riffraff who may offend their bosses. The merchants are also not above using brute force, or more subtle means, to eliminate the competition or to get a good deal on a product.

Local Lore: Because of the relative lack of real wealth in Rushmore the local pirates are more of a nuisance than a real threat. However, Rushmore has become a popular place for people with a pirate problem to come and seek out help. This has also led to the pirates to hiring spies to find out about any potential threats that may arise in town.

The land that Rushmore sits on has been inhabited by some sort of town for at least 600 years. One of the earliest settlements was a fortress that was designed primarily as a stopover for funeral processions on their way to The Hidden Valley, which was long the final resting place of nobles and people of wealth. The exact location of this valley has long been lost, but the occasional discovery of a tomb will lead to a fresh outbreak of treasure seekers. Most of these rash individuals always seem to forget that the valley is rumored to be haunted by ghouls, ghosts, skeletons, and lichs. Soon, though, they grow bored and give up. Some enterprising bandits like to dress up as undead monsters when anyone comes near their camp so as to scare them off. This works, though on occasion it has led to a band of adventurers coming to investigate.