Shipley

Shipley is one of Quelmar's many reclaimed populations of creatures, monsters, and beasts.

Shipley was assembled by the attendees of Nerdtopia 2023, it was a land of tomatoes and potatoes, of salsa and crabcakes, and of a vicious dictator and leader, who ruled with an iron claw until the last days of Shipley.

About

Shipley was an underground dungeon located somewhere in Quelmar, though it was also known as the Fancy Dungeon of Fairy-Tales, perhaps due to it's oldest known inhabitant, a nameless, monstrous dragon.

History

It is known that the earliest inhabitant of Shipley was a dragon, and that it is possible that humans originally moved into and settled in the cavern system due to the hoard and loot that the nameless dragon once held here. The humans left behind few relics of their time before being driven out by the returning monsters, who hoped to claim Shipley once again in the name of all things creature and beast.

The Smash Brothers

When the humans left, one of the relics that was abandoned and left behind was the exclusive rare Nintendo GameCube, a mysterious magical device that brought together friends and communities through the joy of nonstop action and digital experiences.

The Soire

Shortly after moving everyone into Shipley, it was decided to hold a party in town, and the monsters brought out their best hats and coats and tails (sometimes literal tails) to celebrate the founding on the new community.

Residents

Tim

Tim is the Angry People-Eating dwarf, and the first resident to arrive in the dungeon. Tim had high hopes and dreams for the dungeon of Shipley, but realized that the dream of a monster utopia was at risk when it was discovered that fellow resident Crab Face had been hoarding resources (ESPECIALLY the Old Bay) from the rest of the inhabitants of Shipley. Tim published an article on the Crab Face horde, and went to bed that night, only to realize that Crab Face was not to be messed with. Tim was found dead in the morning, death by a hundred crab stabbings. The rest of the dungeon town were so heartbroken by the town's first murder that a mural to commemorate Tim, the original Shipley dreamer, was constructed outside the ruins of his slowly decaying (former) nursing home.

The Arcane Coalition

The Arcane Coalition of Prestidigitation Masters were a team of 3 strange humanoid creatures who worked at the nursing home, ensuring that it was repaired and cleaned and ready for Tim's residence. It is possible they struck a deal with Tim to upkeep his house in return for their life, as Tim was known to eat people of all kinds. Knowing their place in this monstrous society, the Arcane Coalition mostly kept to quiet sidelines of Shipley, only emerging in rare occasions to help with vital aid or magic rituals as necessary.

It is believed at least one of the coalition took a side job working at Crab Face's Taco Stand. Unfortunately, for one reason or another, a batch of mixed cleaning and magic chemicals one evening, at the height of Shipley's most chaotic and ungoverned days, led to their demise.

Crab Face

Another of Shipley's original residents, Crab Face emerged out of the city's toxic lake, massive in size, and with a dream of his own: to dominate and control the entirety of Shipley.

Doris S. Crabs

Crab Face's own personal pet human, as leader of Shipley, he took one of the strongest humans from one of the many invasions as his own pet. Doris was a vegan, which was good for Crab Face as she had no desire to eat her master, and was drafted into the war against the monsters at a relatively young age, being captured at 27. It is unknown what happened to Doris after the untimely (or very timely) death of Crab Face, the death that ultimately led to last days of Shipley as a whole.

Isicor

Isicor was a Fang Beast, also called "Teeth Incarnate". He was the embodiment of sharp mouth movements.

Isicor lived in the Cave of Dangers, which was notable for it's beautiful mailbox. Unfortunately, as Crab Face began to take unlawful measures to ensure his place at the top of the social ladder, it was discovered that a large amount of toxic water (perhaps from Potato Lake, the residence of Crab Face) had crept into the rocks of the Cave, collapsing the entrance and trapping Isicor inside for nearly all of Shipley's existence.

However, one enchanted evening, the crows, Doris, and the Arcane Coalition, suffering under Crab Face's wrath, were able to perform a magic ritual that re-opened up Isicor's cave, freeing him from his cage and allowing him to escape and possibly take revenge on Crab Face. While there is no proof that Isacor was the cause of Crab Face's mysterious instantaneous death, it is noted that Crab Face's death ocurred merely days after Isicor's ultimate return.

Isicor was the only original monster still alive when humans arrived to sack Shipley. It is unknown what his ultimate fate was.

The Crows

Arch-Enemy of Crab Face, the crows arrived early on, shortly after Shipley's first celebration of success. A terrible omen indeed, the days that followed their arrival were led with more contempt than Shipley would ever see again, with monsters quickly turning on each other one after the other. First Tim's death, then Isacor's entrapment, the Crows did their best to try to take down Crab Face as he rose his way to the top of the society, but were unsuccesful in their endeavors.

The EyeSpi's

Watching the rise, fall, rise again, and ultimate sabotage of Shipley were the 1000 "Eye Spi's", a family of spiders who looked like eyeballs, watching from every dank and dark crevice of the dungeon's ceiling. It was said that the EyeSpis would cry venom, dripping it down onto the citizens of Shipley in subtle and nearly invisible ways. Was this venom the source of the caustic tensions and rivalries that emerged in Shipley? The jury is still out.

The ElephAnts

Some of the natural fauna of Shipley included a colony of radioactive ants (perhaps radiated by the toxic waters of Potato Lake), and a whole family of tiny red elephants. It was discovered the two species of tiny creatures were symbiotic, often working together, to the extent that some believe the two cultures were in fact united by love. Those who ship the Elephants and the Ants together refer to the collective group of native creatures as "The ElephAnts"

The ElephAnts bore their first cross-breed baby at the end of Shipley's existence...a baby that shocked everyone in Shipley when it looked identical to a human baby. This terrible, terrifying omen meant only one thing...humans are inevitable and will arrive in Shipley one way or another. The omen soon proved to be correct as the very next day, the largest and most dangerous group of heroes and humans arrived...the story never say what happened to Shipley afterwards.

Landmarks

Potato Lake

The body of water which the original society (and perhaps even the original Dragon Hoard) was built against, Potato lake was un-special in every way, except that at some point in time, radioactive or toxic wastes had seeped into the waters, giving them special abilities.

Anti-Human Measures: The Human Mouse Trap and the Signs

After a number of small sieges and incursions from human invaders, Crab Face dictated that a trap would be built, and a number of signs erected around the dungeon, including both a massive human-based mousetrap (like the board game), and a sign warning all approaching humans that evil mean humans who infiltrate Shipley will be captured on sight. Some humans were given mercy, others, like Doris, were kept as pets...and others met an even worse fate.

The Nursing Home

Very similar to the Human Mouse Trap in function, at one point in time, enough humans had lived in Shipley that they erected a nursing home in the dungeon, where residents and visiting adventurers could be taken care of in their older days. Unfortunately, part of Shipley's abandonment came when resident Tim (see below) was admitted. He may not have been the only one in the home when he was admitted, but he was the only one left soon. Tim would continue to use the nursing home as his personal residence until his death at the claws of Crab Face.

During one siege late in the history of Shipley, invading humans were able to collapse the nursing home, leaving only the mural of Tim standing.

Bean's Park

A playground.

The Fountains

The Fountain of Oopsy-Daisies (Super Cursed)