Inkwell Cartography and Printing

Inkwell Cartography and Printing Est. 1139 AF

Arden Inkwell - Owner/operator Drake Inkwell - Owner/operator Magellan Inkwell - Owner/operator

The Inkwell Cartography and Printing shop is located in Cauldron‘s Hold. Arden the founder of this shop is an educated man in his early fifties with an adventurous streak. In his early life he wanted to explore the world. It was during one of his many trips into the wilds that he had noticed his journal notes and sketches of the countryside could be used for maps. During the next season Arden set up a small printing press and produced his first map at twenty one years of age. That first map mostly included the Tower Rock Valley and some of the surrounding features. This map sold well to caravan masters after the first season of distribution due to word of mouth to other people who needed to know where they were. Arden’s shop grew rapidly.
The following season of 1141 Arden closed his shop for the summer and invested all of his earnings into a new map and explored more of the surrounding area to the west covering the trade routes to Epirus. Arden had hired on several adventurers to keep him safe and worked his way down to the coast line back to Cauldron‘s Hold. This second map earned Arden a fortune. He expanded his printing capabilities and in 1143 printed a chap book about his adventures in the wilds called Adventures in the World. This book sold with parts of some of the maps showing features not on the full map of ruined cities, orc encampments and other exciting and wonderful things. It sold very well again earning him his invested money back and an even bigger fortune.
Again Arden invested his own money to fund the expedition but this season he had hired on another to keep his shop running during his absence. It was during his next tour in the summer of 1145 that Arden’s life took a turn. He fell madly in love with one of the adventurers he had hired on to his expedition into the north to Paladine. A beauty with chestnut colored hair and green eyes that sparkled in the wild forests. Her name is Sara of the Miller family in Cauldron‘s Hold. A learned woman with a free spirit and like mind to Arden. The two were wed that winter and the first child Drake was born in the fall of 1146. Arden’s map this season earned him a trip to see the king of Tower Rock who commissioned a new map, a secret map. Arden’s next trip was not a public expedition.

This following year of 1148 Arden’s next son Magellan was born in the spring. Now with a few employees under his wing working the presses and shop Arden took some time for his family over the next few years. The money from the king, enough to last a lifetime for any commoner combined with the money of the shop kept Arden printing without worry. His new fortune built a new shop with large maps painted on the walls, printed copies of his book and keep sakes of his adventures like orc spears drawing if the lost cities and other memorabilia again earning him rewards for his investments. The adventuring community would come in here and buy his book and a few maps just to listen to his stories. The adventurers wanted to explore the places themselves.
The stories and adventurers gave Arden his next book idea. During the summer of 1156 he funded his next expedition. This would take Arden into the Ranzin forest. His intention was to fully explore another ruined city. Some of the stories he heard from others adventures in to the forest gave him a good idea where to go. Arden found the lost city and more. He encountered monsters and elves and even a dwarven envoy that had come to trade with the elves. From treasure gained within the ruined city and gifts from the elves and dwarves Arden had a new best seller. Again money invested returned over ten fold, New maps of Ferrum and new income and new items on the walls of the shop. This book is called The Lost City of Ranzin his most successful book to date, not accurate of the city name but a catchy title none the less. Arden would later sell reprints of this book with updates from scholars of the royal historians. This year a local had approached Arden about printing a book for him. Brok Bowsmith the local owner of the archery shop, a ranger, wanted to print a series of books, starting with Woodland Survival - The Ranzin Forest Notes and Maps then followed next year by Woodland Survival - Hunting & Shelter and then others.
Now Arden is much too old to explore the wilds, he now chooses to stay in his shop, tell tales and sell his maps and books. His boys learned, from many adventurers and even from the Kings scouts, how to work in the wild. Arden himself taught his children how to make maps.
Maps printed by Inkwell Printing;
1. Tower Rock city-state Valley 1140
2. North West Tower Rock, Ferrum Bay and Paladine caravan map 1141 amended 1147
3. The Lost City 1157
4. Tower Rock city map 1149
5. Wellsprings 1150
6. Cauldron‘s Hold 1150


Books printed by Inkwell Printing;
1. Adventures in the World 1143 Arden Inkwell 24 pgs illustrated
2. The Lost City of Ranzin 1156 Arden Inkwell 50 pgs illustrated
3. The Pathfinders Guide to Reconnaissance 1157 Brok Bowsmith 24 pgs
4. Curing, Tanning & Leather Working of Exotic Creatures
5. Woodland Survival - The Ranzin Forest Notes and Maps 1157 Brok Bowsmith 24 pgs
6. Woodland Survival - Hunting & Shelter 1158 Brok Bowsmith 24 pgs
7. Woodland Survival - Eatable Plants & Healing Herbs 1159 Brok Bowsmith 50 pgs illustrated
8. Woodland Survival - Poisonous Plants, Creatures & The Cures 1160 Brok Bowsmith 50 pgs illustrated
9. Woodland Survival - Big Game 1161 Brok Bowsmith 24 pgs
10. Woodland Survival - Fishing Rivers And Lakes 1162 Brok Bowsmith 24 pgs
11. Woodland Survival - Crude Weapons and Tools That Work 1163 Brok Bowsmith 24 pgs illustrated
12. Woodland Survival - Cabin Building 1164 Brok Bowsmith 50 pgs
13. Woodland Survival - Winter Survival 1165 Brok Bowsmith 24 pgs
14. Woodland Survival - Small Game: Traps & Snares 1166 Brok Bowsmith 24 pgs illustrated
15. Woodland Survival - Tracking & Trailblazing 1167 Brok Bowsmith 24 pgs
16. The Snipers Guide to Archery 1168 Brok Bowsmith 12 pgs
17. Exotic Woods and Bow Craft 1168 Brok Bowsmith 24 pgs illustrated
18. Brok’s Book Of Bowcraft 1168 Brok Bowsmith 12 pgs
19. Brok’s Book Of Advanced Bowcraft 1169 Brok Bowsmith 24 pgs illustrated
20. Folio Of Feather And Claw 1170 Brok Bowsmith 50 pgs illustrated
21. 101 Uses For A Dead Giant 1171 Brok Bowsmith 12 pages
22. Identification of Giant Kind and Their Weaknesses 1171 Brok Bowsmith 24 pgs illustrated
23. Metallurgy Of The Dwarves Of Vulcore (a gift from the dwarves of Vulcore) Special
24. Alchemical Herbalist
25. Basils Cookbook Of The Friendly Halfling 1170 Basil The Halfling Chef
26. Encyclopedia Of Herbs 1171 Basil The Halfling Chef 50 pgs illustrated
27. A Halflings Garden 1169 Basil The Halfling Chef 50 pgs illustrated
28. The Book Of Alchemy 1167 Basil The Halfling Chef 24 pgs
29. Bladesmithing Of The Masters
30. Potions, Brews, Oils And Powders
31. Patterns In The Sky
32. Astrology Map In The Heavens
33. The Moon Lords (Nocturnal Creatures)
34. Ecology Of Goblins 1171 Arden Inkwell 24 pgs illustrated
35. Diary Of An Adventurer

Type

Shop, Generic