Information contained here is not considered 'common knowledge' for townsfolk, but rather is typically only well-known by those with a reason to know; likewise, travellers without familiarity with Shoreside are unlikely to know of it.

The Shoreside Docks are, unsurprisingly, home to some modest smuggling operations, typically those who want to operate out from under the thumb of the Houses. The Sheriff is responsible for cracking down on these never-do-wells, and his town guard occasionally conducts raids of peculiar vessels transporting large amounts of good without paying tax or oversight, but in practice is only likely to do so when one of the House nobles is pushing for it or when it is truly egregrious behavior; protecting the peace sometimes means letting the little things go.

The twelve 'noble houses' of Shoreside are the Montroses, Reeves, Gladhands, Vergils, Grommets, Lagnars, Lioncoats, Nobblefords, Amblins, Fairfaxes, Gildscales, and Orvelles. Of them, the Montroses are responsible for the territory in which Shoreside sits but until recently have seldom been present; the Gildscales also seldom have an interest in Shoreside proper. The Reeves, Vergils, Grommets, Lioncoats, Amblins, and Fairfaxes are all major or minor Houses of the Realm (Reeves most importantly so) who take a regular interest in the local politics; the rest are moderately wealthy households living in the area that do not hold major sway in the political theater.

The Montroses do pay attention to the town on occasion, but currently their attention is more focused on a larger city to the north that they believe they should have active control of - Cragworn. They trust that their servants will inform them should there be a need for them to get involved.

There are few major crimes committed in Shoreside, at least few enough to not justify the building of an actual jail or prison within the town borders. Matters that require such imprisonment are usually reported to the Montroses, who send those convicted of lesser crimes to the Shaleworks, a major quarry and work camp to the west, while the most dangerous types are kept in The Gauntlet, one of the least pleasant prisons within Astor.

The population of the Trader's Market changes frequently, with some regulars that simply can't afford a permanent shop front and instead choose to sell their goods a few days a week, and others who arrive via ship or wagon to conduct trading for a short time before moving on. Occasionally, a House-sponsored merchant will set up shop for a few days, offering luxuries usually not found in Shoreside, before moving on to their next stop on the trade route.

The Mermaid's Tail is a small tavern located near the docks that usually caters to sailors and dockhands who don't feel like paying the prices for the Swashed Buckler (or simply live in huts on the beaches nearby). They have a 'house specialty' - Mermaid Tail Ale - that purportedly uses sea kelps and grasses in the brewing process, adding a salty flavor and a greenish color to the beverage. They also have a small variety of meads and wines, some locally made, others imported. They maintain a special cache of dwarven beer for the Sheriff's visits, which might explain why the place is otherwise mostly left in peace by the local law.

The Youth Academy is considered unusual by most townspeople, as having an elven matron instruct their children feels somehow wrong in ways they can't properly articulate. Between this and the Sheriff being elven, some of the local families who have been in the area for generations have developed a distrust of the elves that is almost as strong as their distrust of goblins. This is not improved by the fact that Saphenia has occasionally allowed goblins and other undesirables to attend despite strong disapproval from neighbors.

People who are down on their luck often visit the House of Cards, even if they only have one copper or silver left to their name, to seek the goddess's blessing. Acolytes understand that those who seek them out under such conditions need help, and while the card game might go either way, they do their best to provide for the needs of those who have been down on their luck, puns forgiven.

The Sheriff's full name is Olliver Fenthalas, and the fact that he chose to retire to become the sheriff of a seaside shanty town is mildly disagreeable to the elven towns located in the Breezegust Woods located nearby. The specific reason he chose to settle in Shoreside is unclear, but he is still respected by the Glories, and on friendly terms with representatives of the Guild. The Sheriff is extremely skilled with a longbow and longsword, but knows that his age is slowly working against him, and prefers to solve incidents with careful planning and diplomacy rather than shows of force.

That said, there is a tale of a cocky, arrogant group of thugs who decided to pretend to be Glories in order to demand whatever they wanted from the townspeople. They mistook the Sheriff for an old bumpkin of no serious threat, because he had used a glamour to hide his true appearance from them, and mockingly asked him if he thought he was better than a Glory, or if he was going to shut up and get out of their way. In response, the Sheriff challenged them to an archery contest to show their skills, playing up to their desire to impress 'these yokels'. The ruffians were, indeed, passable archers, and were quite happy to showcase their superiority when compared to the guardsmen, boasting that they were bowmen and not mere crossbow handlers, and in any such case their accuracy was still greater. Then the Sheriff offered to try his hand, using a bow that had been equally glamoured to resemble an old and nearly broken bow, claiming that he was a passable shot in his youth. In the same time it had taken for them to loose a single arrow each at a target, he fired four - three of them within an inch of the bullseye, and one into the foot of one of the ruffians, who had been preparing to cosh the 'old coot' in the back of the head. The ruffians decided that between that, and getting a good look at the Sheriff's real appearance, they might want to seek pushovers elsewhere.

The Sheriff occasionally leaves town to 'check on the neighboring communities', leaving the command of the local guard in the hands of Bernard Fitch, his second in command. Sometimes this is merely an opportunity for him to observe what his guards do when they think they aren't being watched over, and sometimes he really does leave town for several days.

Unsurprisingly for anyone who sees them together, Lisbeth and Lindsey's marriage is an unhappy one. Between her delicate health and his lack of interest in her, gossips suggest that perhaps Lindsey might find a nice local girl he likes better, and if he does… Lisbeth had better be careful what she eats and drinks.

Saphenia originally came to Shoreside with a consort - a human by the name of Alexander Letherow. They founded the Youth Academy together, and then one day he disappeared. It's gossiped that he ran off with a local tavern girl, but the truth is unknown.

Mickey and Glom are actually both quite clever. They typically have knowledge of what's come in by boat lately, and Mickey is quite willing to discuss the matter for a few drinks. He may not be a smuggler, but it's almost inevitable that Glom has helped smugglers carry goods from their ships, and Mickey has negotiated the deal. Occasionally the Sheriff has a guard bring Mickey to his house for questioning, but never has actually charged him with anything.

Wanda's full name is Lysa Willowind, and she moved to this town to make sure that few people know of her past. She is actually a sorceress of minor capability, among her other talents, but isn't considered dangerous by the Sheriff, nor has she been approached by the Glories for magical training.

Aon occasionally meets with representatives of the local aquatic tribes, to give news of the goings-on of land-dwellers and discuss the business beneath the waves. This gives her an interesting perspective on local events, and as such she often brings these findings to the Sheriff.

Frederick Levin used to be a privateer, and occasionally talks of his days on the open seas with fondness. He also attempts to flirt with Aon whenever the opportunity arises, although she has little interest in the funny gambler man. Levin is a master card-shark, but even he has to admit that within the House of Cards, the Goddess holds more sway over the cards than he does - and that is why he reveres her so.