Schilderheim is an important market town in Reikland, located at the confluence of the River Reik and the River Schilder.[1a]
Schilderneheim is currently suffering a bout of urban unrest. Although it is one of the Reikland's most important centers of trade, Schilderheim's ambitious burghers look upon the metropoles of Altdorf and Marienburg with envy. The Stevedores' Guild, seeking a slice of the pie, raised their fees. However, this move was highly unpopular, and some took to the streets. Meanwhile, to avoid the Stevedores' fees, some members of the Merchants' Guild have taken to exchanging their cargo, and sometimes even entire barges on the river, without even docking. Merchant houses known to have taken part in this practice have recently seen a series of sabotage attacks on their wharves, warehouses, and barges. Although the Stevedores' Guild claims to have nothing to do with this, the Merchants are willing to pay handsomely for any evidence connecting them directly to it.[1a]
Schildernheim's environs are also known for their highly diverse waterfowl population. In particular, the Red Crane is of note. This bird is known to use heavy rocks to crack open river clams.[1a]
Recently a wealthy merchant from Myrmiden in the Border Princes called Æpicarion has set his sights on the wildfowl of the region. The Schilderheim restaurateurs had more than happy to oblige, until, people started to disappear. Townsfolk was certain Æpicarion was eating more than just wildfowl. Scared and desperate, they had hired any passing mercenaries to end the foreign merchant forever, or, at the very least, encourage him to move on. When such folk reached the Borderlander’s chamber, they had found Æpicarion dead, something has eaten its way out from inside his guts. Then the bodies started piling up, and the hired mercenaries were suddenly prime suspects; after all, nobody could be sure that it wasn’t them that killed Æpicarion.[3a]