Shadewood Bank

​Founded: 1854​   |   Founder: Josiah Monaghan (Backed by Katarina Moreau)

​

Owner: Monaghan Family Holdings

​

Type: Banking, Loan Office, Debt Collection

​

​​

Overview

The Shadewood Hollow Bank was founded in 1854 by Josiah Monaghan as a promise of progress, but it quickly became a trap for the town's working class. Every wage, every debt, every ounce of hope is funneled through its vaults. The bank isn’t just a building — it’s a fortress of control. People call it “the other kind of graveyard” because once your name enters its ledgers, it rarely comes out.

​

It’s not just the desperate and downtrodden who frequent the bank. The wealthier and more respected townsfolk are often seen stepping through its iron-framed doors, hats in hand, ready to do “business.” It’s whispered that those with power don’t just come to deposit wealth, they come to make sure their influence remains intact. Deals are struck, names are exchanged, and debts — both material and otherwise — are quietly settled. For them, the Shadewood Hollow Bank isn’t a trap, it’s a tool.

At the center of it all is Edwin Talmadge, the bank’s manager. Sharp-suited, sharp-eyed, and sharper still with his words, Edwin doesn’t raise his voice or show anger. Folks say the ledgers live in his head, that he remembers every debt, every name, and every missed payment without checking the page. 

​

He’s polite but unyielding. People tell the story of Old Henry Locke, who asked for a small loan to cover a gambling debt. When he couldn’t pay it back, Edwin didn’t threaten him — he simply took Henry’s coat. That coat was all that stood between Henry and the cold. Two weeks later, pneumonia took him. People still argue over what killed Henry — the cold, the debt, or Edwin’s quiet cruelty.

​

Behind Edwin’s steady hand is a darker presence — Katarina Moreau, a vampire tied to The Congregation. She doesn’t run the bank directly, but she doesn’t have to. She comes after dark, inspecting ledgers like holy scripture. Some claim her name is scrawled faintly at the bottom of every page. Others say that whenever she visits, the air in the bank grows colder, and the ink in the ledgers never seems to dry. It's said she only glances at the names listed in debt, but somehow she remembers them all.

Some believe Katarina’s influence is the true weight behind Edwin’s pen. She’s seen speaking quietly with those higher up the chain — landowners, mine bosses, and sometimes even Monaghan himself. She speaks softly, but somehow people leave with less than they brought in. No one knows how she chooses who to meet, but if you’re called to "a private discussion", you don’t walk away the same. Some debts go beyond coin.

​

Those who work at the bank — tellers, guards, and runners — don’t question her. They know better. The sight of Edwin and Katarina speaking behind closed doors has been enough to send even Monaghan’s boldest enforcers into second thoughts. It’s one thing to owe Monaghan. It’s something else entirely to owe Katarina Moreau.

​

And yet, even with all its power, the Shadewood Hollow Bank never chases. It waits. It doesn’t hunt. It doesn’t pursue. It simply sits at the end of Main Street, looming like an unspoken promise. People say it has the patience of stone, but stone can crack. 

​​

​

​

​​​​Secrets & Lore

• The Vault: Reinforced with a mix of iron, and silver alloy. 

• The Ledgers: Two sets of ledgers exist—the public ledgers and the “special ledgers.” The special ledgers are kept in the vault, sealed. These ledgers contain records of debts, contracts, and favors owed to Katarina Moreau. It’s said she tracks not only what people owe in coin but also what they owe in blood.

• The Teller’s Cage: A space where wages are deposited and loans are signed.

​​

​​

​​

Bank Roles

• Teller – Handles deposits, withdrawals, and customer transactions from behind the barred counter. 

  • Weekly pay: $10.00

• Accountant – Manages the bank's ledgers, tracks debts, and ensures financial records are accurate and "clean." 

  • Weekly pay: $15.00

• Banker – Oversees daily bank operations, approves loans, and serves as the face of the bank's authority in town. 

  • Weekly pay: $25.00

• Bank Owner – Holds ultimate control over the bank’s wealth, debts, and contracts, often wielding influence over the town's economy and leadership. 

  • Weekly pay: $50.00

• Debt Collector – Pursues townsfolk with unpaid debts, issuing warnings, repossessing property, or calling in enforcers when necessary. 

  • Weekly pay: $10.00

​​​​​

​

Robbing the Bank

• IC (In-Character) Consequences: Once you initiate the robbery, local authorities (like the Sheriff) may be alerted, setting off a chain of roleplay events. Don’t expect to just walk away cleanly.

• Permitted for All Players: Any character (human, supernatural, or other) can attempt a robbery. However, your approach, reasoning, and finesse will determine how successful you are. These will be done via events that will be run by storytellers, and will be open for any player to attend within limits. 

  • Wanted Status: If the Sheriff knows who robbed the bank, you’ll be hunted. Bounties may be placed on your head, and local bounty hunters will start looking for you.

  • Fame (or Infamy): Your name might be whispered in the saloon, written in the newspapers, or spread as legend. But fame has a cost.

  • Loose Ends: Did you leave evidence? Did someone see your face? If so, you’ll have to deal with witnesses, informants, or snitches.

• Randomized Winnings: When you click the vault object, the amount of money you receive is random. 

• Consent: Bank robberies are encouraged, but no one should be forced into a loss unless it’s agreed upon. 

• Creativity: The story is yours to shape. If you want to be loud, wild, and dangerous, you can. If you want to be quiet, subtle, and cunning, you can do that too.

• Supernaturals: All supernatural races have an edge—strength, speed, magic, or intimidation. Use these powers within reason, but don’t expect every supernatural ability to be an “instant win” card.

Services & Wares

• Loans

• Insurance Certificates

• Traveler's Letters of Credit: Written letters confirming a client’s financial standing, allowing them to withdraw funds at other banking locations or trade posts.

• Merchant Credit Accounts: Short-term credit accounts extended to merchants and general store operators, ensuring they can stock inventory ahead of sales.

• Safe Deposit Boxes: Private boxes stored within the bank’s vault, available for securing valuable personal items, documents, small heirlooms and precious metal.

• Coin & Bullion Storage: Secured storage for coins, silver, and gold bullion for miners or other high-value clients.

• Savings Accounts: Personal savings accounts with the option to accrue interest (though Monaghan's bank interest is... minimal, if any).

• "Ghost Account" Management (Rare): Accounts opened by anonymous parties, often for "quiet" clients who don't want their names attached to transactions.

• Debt Transfer Agreements (Rare): A "quiet" service where one person’s debt can be transferred to another party without public documentation, often used as leverage.

• Grave Marker Contracts (Rare): A deal where debts are carried over to a family member after death. Often, these contracts are signed unknowingly in other agreements.

Key Vault Items: 

• Monaghan's Lockbox: A secure lockbox that only Monaghan has access to. Its contents are unknown but often speculated upon.

• Graven Family Seal: The Graven family placed a single metal box inside the bank vault, marked with their sigil. No one has seen it opened.

• The Silver Hand: A strange, hand-shaped relic made of silver stored in the vault. Its purpose is unknown, but guards are told never to touch it.

• The "Lost Will" Ledger: An old, iron-bound ledger kept in the vault, containing the names of those who owed debts at the time of death. Some names are marked with a spiral symbol, which no one can explain.

​

​​​​