SOTA NewsCommunity Spotlight: Aldwater – Player Run Town

[Jack T. Lamplighter 15]

This latest community spotlight takes a new twist in covering the first Player RUN Town (PRT) of Aldwater! We are touring all kinds of towns and talking with guilds and other groups throughout this spotlight series, brought to you by Berek, your community wood elf druid.

In Shroud of the Avatar, we have three primary types of towns: Player Owned Towns (POT) (where a player owns the town), Player Run Towns (we establish the town and some basic infrastructure, but the players ultimately manage the town’s functions), and standard NPC towns like Brittany, Owl’s Head, Soltown, etc. Up until this spotlight, we’ve been exclusively touring POTs.

Nestled along a busy stretch of the Perennial Coast in Novia, Aldwater is quite easy to find. The town is located right next to many famous towns and centers of commerce where new players take the first step on their journey through New Britannia. As I neared the entrance of the town (after paying a quick visit to the fine clothing shops in the bustling neighboring town of Ardoris), I immediately noticed the beautiful cliffs with extravagant mansions overlooking the bay:

I saw a great many curiosities in Aldwater that drove me to write down my tour. As I entered the town and began exploring the many cobblestone streets, I paused in front of someone’s house upon noticing a curious set of decorations on the front lawn…

As I was exploring the wares offered by the vendor in the front, I decided to knock on the door to pay a visit to the owner. Upon the third knock, the door whooshed open with no one inside! It was apparently left unlocked. I cautiously walked in and was in awe at the decorations (I did not take any of the fine furniture, though I did rest for a couple hours in what I assumed was the guest bed)…

Upon a very restful nap, I awoke and headed to the center of town to find one of its residents waving me down in the distance. Yzelph showed me around many of the original buildings the residents constructed when first settling in the area, including a very fine stone map structure that greets visitors coming in from the north:

It was explained to me that just in the past few months, several new residents made a home in the set of row houses near the coast. As we walked along them, I noticed many signs that either mentioned who resided in the home, or a hint at a vendor offering the owner’s wares:

Yzelph also explained to me that with the town being a stop along the East Perennial Trail for travelers, not to mention the town’s perfect location for growing crops and herding animals, he showed me the street where sheep frequently roam:

Yzelph also had this to say to me about the town:

Aldwater is a nice quiet town that is conveniently close to the large city of Ardoris, yet still far enough from the hustle and bustle along the East Perennial Trail. It seems to rain a lot, but that is OK with me, as it keeps everything green and growing in our fields. Also, the sea air is quite refreshing when standing near the docks.

My son won a town deed in the lottery and placed his house near mine. Keeping family close is always nice, as the journey between towns can be lengthy at times for our needs. We have fun hunting and crafting things to sell at my small shop, as we need to keep the income flowing to pay its taxes. All in all, we are getting by quite nicely in Aldwater!

Above all else, the town is very peaceful. There are visitors coming and going all the time with more full time residents as the year progresses. For now, it is a good location to have a house where one can spend quiet evenings relaxing by the fire feasting on the fruits of our quests and dreaming of the riches we will gather on our next outing. Here is one of the homes in the town:

Our neighbors are very friendly, often decorating their house for the holidays. We hope that those who visit our town will consider moving in and decorating their own! We also could use a good local baker, as the building our previous baker had was lost in a fire a few months ago. The bread the community has been baking since then just isn’t the same I’m afraid…

If interested in becoming part of the Aldwater community, tour the town and knock on a resident’s door to ask them how to become a part of it! You can also respond to this spotlight and inquire who may be living in the town that can offer good locations to build a home.

Do you have a Player Owned Town, guild, or other type of group that makes available great things for the community? Let us know! We would like to include your establishment in an upcoming spotlight. Just send Berek a brief proposal of what you have to share!

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