The Mootscarp

Founded at the top of a steep embankment overlooking rolling heath, this defensible point has been a designated neutral meeting space for the tribes living in the High Moor for centuries. None have ever defied the understanding that it is forever to be a place of peace. And all incentives seem aligned to keep that peace, as a bustling market has evolved at the site where the economies of the Moor meet. 

Over the years a semi-permanent market sprung up and with it a bunkhouse that eventually evolved into an Inn or saloon of sorts. There are a three permanent structures: the Inn; a large unisex pit latrine by the escarpment (deep pit, beautiful view, plenty of ventilation, and easy cleaning by digging into the escarpment wall below for removal); and a storage outbuilding, mainly used for tents and tools.

Bhin, a human, and Ledo, a half-elf run the Mootscarp Inn. For more on NPCs in the area, see the entry on the High Moor. The inn is quite large, boasting 80 rooms, and is split into two sections: one popular and one rustic but more refined. Every tenday there is a market “Tenday Market” that takes place out front of the Mootscarp. Tribes gather to negotiate lands and truces, air grievances, do business with the outside world, and sell some goods to merchants from off-Moor who bring special items to trade. By 1546 the Mootscarp was expanded to 100 rooms, and the market now only really has one off-day called "Fives" -- a midweek day of rest. Still, the most bustling day is each tenday, and most of the now-established events occur on or around it. 

Of the 100 rooms at the Mootscarp, 15 are reserved in the refined side, 65 in the local side, and another 20 in a new bunkhouse, adjacent to the local side. On the local side, 5 have become a brothel of sorts and the women and men seem well-treated and cared for. There are 15 courtesans: orcs, half-orcs, humans, elves, gnomes, halflings, tieflings, dragonborn, dwarves, goblins. 

5 of the rooms are permanently rented suites to delegates/diplomats from the five major tribes in the area; their room fee is higher than most but it pays for their access to the place and helps with the upkeep and Tenday Market

Mootscarp Events and Traditions

• "Star-throp" is a communal stargazing activity, founded by the Night Wing, and it’s become a local tradition. Every tenday, Bhin allows those interested to climb atop the Inns roof and stargaze. The Star-throp began after the Night Wing founder claims he spent time once up there with a dark elf. They couldn’t communicate so well, but this dark elf told him this was a rite of passage for drow, to risk a trip to the surface to see the stars. He kept calling it Star-throp or something, and the name stuck. Most participants are reverent and if they talk at all it is in hushed tones. Drinking is allowed, and they just admire the stars. 

• The Onion Ring is an underground animal death match and gambling ring run by a half-goblin Rufus Danz and his Dragonborn partner, Log the Bookie. Matches occur as frequently as 6 to 12 entrants can be gathered. Surprisingly often. Danz promotes a "not strictly allowed" mystique to the matches, but of course Bhin and Ledo are well aware of the fights taking place in a "secret" room just off their root cellar. Still, the events' promoters will often walk around the market surrepetiously advertising a "big onion" or an "exotic turnip" later that evening. 

• Mootchi is a local pidgin that has evolved as the trade language of the Mootscarp. It is essentially a broken Common tongue mixed with elements of Wingese, Harkish, Tuskan, Yuan-ti, and Crower. The pidgin is fairly simple to learn--even in one afternoon of study--and the penalty for failing to do so can be steep markups on goods, a clear sign that you are an outsider and easily swindled. 

• Parlor games popular at the Mootscarp include Liars Dice and Three-Dragon-Ante. Anyone sitting in the fancier side of the Inn will find themselves approached to play one of these games -- particularly newcomers. It is a tradition to welcome those new to the Mootscarp by taking at least a few gold off them in one of these games. A leaderboard is kept on the wall for the winningest players.

• Drinking games on the on the popular section of the Inn include Mumblety-Peg, Dunk-the-dragon, and the crowd favorite, Heads-I-Drink-Tails-You-Drink. There is some debate about the rules to the latter, but participants seem to get drunk enough. 

• Hot Shop is the mootchi name for the food section of the Mootscarp where each of the tribes' best cooks gather to prepare meals throughout the day for market-goers. It's cheap, and there are some surprisingly tasty market foods -- though many are advised to avoid any Hark "jerky." And if you eat too much of the Serpent Sons spice you may spend the day at the latrine instead of trading. 
• Red Tusk food:  fermented yucca, dried fish stew, okra soup, pepesup good for hangovers, mashed malanga, fired chicken
• Night Wing food: bitterleaf with peanuts, onion chicken, parsley/garlic/lemon/spice grilled fish, bean and egg sandwich on bread
• Hark foods: very lightly seared meats. Jerkeys of questionable origin. Anything meat and bloody. 
• Mist Crow food: roasts, things on spit, mutton, hearty stews, rosemary, woodsy ramps, fiddleheads, mushrooms fried up in sheeps butter, cheeses, pot roast with a dark red wine sauce, mashed turnips, sometimes oysters
• Serpent Sons food:  Leaves rolled up with nuts and seared pork; thin rice noodles laid out; peas in fenugreek and dill; a butter cheese
• Lessandyl food: delicate goods, baked deliciously, perfect tea cakes, almond breads, berry and nut salads, mulberries, pine nuts, burdock root, hazelnuts, acorns, hen of the wood and lionsmane mushrooms, chantrelles, river crawfish, wood snails salted, oiled. 

The Tribes

The Mootscarp tribes include the Red Tusk orcs, Night Wing goblins, Hark goblins, Mist Crow humans, Serpent Sons humans, and, more recently, the Lessandyl elves. The Lessandyl are not technically part of the High Moor, their land is in the Southwood, just north of the Moor. The tribespeople mostly sell goods from their lands and societies, trading with each other, and also the large influx of Off-Moor merchants who come predictably every ten days.  

The economic boon of the Mootscarp has become so important to the region that each of the tribes maintains a local diplomat who has a permanent residence at the inn. 

Red Tusk (orc) – martial tribe that takes slaves from raids and lost travelers, revers combat and gladiator like fights are how leadership is chosen. They sell slaves (not at Mootscarp, yet...) and buy weapons and armor -- mostly simple weapons and leather armor. Also trade in troll claws, troll blood, other things found on the Moor. 

• Symbol is blood dripping tusk or spear
• Representative is Chekka Burr
• Prominent members at Mootscarp:
• Rexgin - belligerent dwarf hater, sells leather stuff
• Delb - unknown
• Genta - Commands Tragga around who sells their food at the market
• Fistman - Red Tusk procurement, buys weapons and armor...vice for gaming and drinking
• Allush - trades in strange parts, troll claws, troll blood, things found on the Moor
• Tragga - cook who hangs out in food tents making traditional red tusk goods

Night Wing (goblin) – fairly peaceful and spiritual tribe, forged of an alliance with giant bats in the bleak hills, led by the mysterious Drascua the Blind. They buy frogs, fish, lizards, and small birds for their bats; off-Moor necessities, and metal armors. They sell bat guano and other agricultural fertilizers. In fact, the  Guano merchants, “Boosi-Tusi-Tolly” named for the three main vendors, have become synonymous with agriculture. Kalax Fen, an ancient midwife also sells herbs and "bitteroot" (poisons) if you know to ask. 

• Symbol is a bat wing, often mummified on necklace or adorned on clothing/armor 
• Representative is Goz
• Prominent members at Mootscarp:
• Kalax Fen - matronly, ancient at this point, old herbalist/poisoner. Herbs and healing stuff, but also Midge Paste and Wormoil, drow sleeping poison, other such items. Has a giant bat that she is allowed to keep there now…Calls it Murciel
• Shen-a - Kalax’s assistant. Sort of resentful, wants to take over the business already, but appreciates her, just frustrated with how old she is.
• Dog - the cook
• Wexin - the leader of the Star-throp stargaze
• Boosi - of Boosi-Tusi-Tolly guano merchants, the serious business minded one
• Tusi - of Boosi-Tusi-Tolly guano merchants, he cute fun one, sales for sure
• Tolly - of Boosi-Tusi-Tolly guano merchants, the buyer…also sometimes gets in trouble stealing…doesn't really think it is bad

The Hark (goblin) –  are  a tribe of wererat lycanthropes led by a mysterious creature known as The Hark. No one really knows what it is. They operate out of a dungeon ruin in a craggy region. They buy gold and jewels--apparently The Hark is obssesed with them--but avoid anything silver. They also buy and sell body parts, blood, other viscera. 

• Symbol is a three clawed gash...in anything, often on their faces
• Representative is Durr
• Prominent members at Mootscarp:
• Shik - buys and sells blood
• Pom - gold and jewelry for the Hark who is obsessed, likes to play three dragon/dice
• Splin - arms and armor
• Tempi - collects fingers and toes…and other things…
• Gend - cook who basically makes very lightly seared meats. Jerkeys of questionable origin. Anything meat.

Mist Crows (human) – druidic tribe in misty area near Southwood. They raise hardy sheep, brew ale, and distill spirits. Very religious. Superstitious and insular. They sell wool and baskets and dyes and buy off-Moor sundries: spices and herbs and not much else. The Kulkagen is their druidic leader. 

• Symbol is a raven feather, often braided into hair
• Representative is Ulfar Ulgarson
• Prominent members at Mootscarp:
• Kalen - master brewer of ales and peatsmoke, sells the goods in glass and barrel
• Turl - sells wool, baskets, dyes
• Mesken - buys southern spices and herbs
• Gaulgra - sells arms and armor; game addict, sneaks off to play, drinks too much!
• Agenkal - cook and woodcarver

Serpent Sons (human) – serpent-blooded men from near the serpent hills. They are patriarchal, ritual sacrifice, culty to snake lords. Thugra Khotan is leader, said to be able to hypnotize. They have ores from their hills, copper and tin. They buy herbs and poisons and such. Dyes for tattoos.

• Symbol is an entwined serpent, often tattooed and prominently displayed.
• Representative is Thalis Dunn
• Prominent members at Mootscarp:
• Selice - buy and sells ores
• Lasstur - sells metal weapons and armor
• Giscond - sells snake venom and poisons
• Halamba - buys herbs and poisons from Kalax / Shen-a; sells herbs from Serpent hills
• Jadder - three dragon / dice player
• Visp - cook

The Lessandyl (wood elf) – are a wild tribe from the Southwood, tanned, gritty,  and graceful. They were drawn to the Mootscarp because there is strong demand for their arrows, forest herbs, and bows. They buy metals, plains herbs, poisons, and liquor. 

• Symbol is an arrow on maple leaf. 
• Representative is Kadalan Fensyl
• Prominent members at Mootscarp:
• Ulannin — sells red and white wines from wild varietal grapes
• Porassel - fletcher selling bows and arrows, beautiful craftsmanship
• Inqellar - buys metals, poisons, liquor (peatsmoke)
• Orins’thyl - game addict, sneaks off to play dice and cards
• Arlannawed - cook

The tribal diplomats meet every "Fives" to work out disputes raised at Tenday Market. Current disputes include:

• Red Tusk seen encroaching on Hark and Night Wing land in neutral territory.
• Mist Crows seen as pushing what should have been the boundary, a stone wall, south into Red Tusk territory to capture more trade with Dragonspear Castle. 
• Hark charged with shady business at the tenday market…certain blackmarket goods are sort of looked the other way, but Elves raised suspicion of more nefarious buying tendencies (human body parts?); Hark say it’s pesky elves they aren't even formally part of the Mootscarp! They’re Off Moors! 
• Serpent Sons seen as violating the “neutral spear” between Red Tusk and Night Wing, building there.
• Everyone has complaints about the other in terms of Monster control…the trolls were a real menace for a while but recent over hunting seemed to take their number down…problem is undead trolls and spirits and hags and other unnatural things have sprung up in their wake…it’s scary. Don’t like it. Everyone needs to do their part to keep their own lands clear, even the wilder areas!