Magical Hogwarts

Located just north of the school, Shackamaxon is an old town with a rich history. Meaning "place of the council" in the Wampanoag language and Oldeburrow to the no-maj of the area, Shackamaxon is an underground town that can be accessed via floo or through an enchanted stairway system only visible by magic.

In the middle of the city is a giant flowering tree, that leads into the South Shackamaxon area. The tree is called Dottaguck, which means "backbone" in Wampanoag. As the tree has grown strong with the magic around it, the branches of the tree also help hold the ceiling of the city up. During the spring, Dottaguck blooms magnificent flowers that signal the start of a flower festival.

Oldeburrow was a small settlement that grew into a small town that served as an outpost for travelers. With a convenient entrance to the mountain trail, businesses grew up around the small area, causing the city to flourish. The residents of the town were friendly, accustomed to transient visitors. Due to the transient nature of the town, slowly people with magic began to move into the surrounding area. As the magbobs began to build a more permanent residence in the area, the magical compatriots began to build a community beneath the eyes of the no-maj.

During the creation of a now abandoned, underground church, magicals began to burrow deeper into the mountain, forming a small residential and trade area. These settlements led into founding a system of deeper buried caves and tunnels, using magic to dig out and enhance the community into a smaller underground city. The cave system leads out to a nearby river, which hides another entrance protected by a wizard-made waterfall. As the time passed, and Oldeburrow became more of a tourist trap with shops catering towards the mountaineers and the tourists who were fascinated with the magical history of Massachusetts, it became a good screen for the magical residents and tourists who visited the magical Undercity Below.

One of the fascinating things about Oldeburrow is that the residents of the city try to keep it as true to his historical nature as possible. Cars are not allowed into the city to preserve the unique feature of its colourful cobblestone roads. There are horses and bikes available for rental in the city, as well as carriages that run from sun up to sundown to take their visitors everywhere. The city is small in scope and population.

There are two distinct parts of the wizarding city. The magical residents use the Wampanoag name for the city amongst themselves to differentiate the locations: Old Shackamaxon and South Shackamaxon. The two areas are connected by both floo and a long tunnel that is less than half of a mile long.

SOUTH SHACKAMAXON

The entirety of South Shackamaxon is underneath Oldeburrow. One of the touristy features of Oldeburrow is the cobblestone roads, of which some of the cobblestones are made of precious and semi-precious stones which give a unique look to the city. During the laying of these cobblestones, the small wizarding community supplied the special cobbles to their magbob compatriots. The special coobblestones are enchanted to give the underground city sunlight which is expressed in almost a stained glass pattern down below.

The newer part of the city, this underground system supports the majority of the shopping district. There are two entrances that visitors can use. The main entrance is a wide tunnel with small shops dug into the rock, leading towards the atrium. The atrium, in the center of South Shackamaxon, has an open area with two levels bordering it and banisters protecting people from falling in. During festivals, the atrium is the center of the festivities, where all people meet to participate in the different games and activities.

OLD SHACKAMAXON

Old Shackamaxon is the city built into the mountain. Once the stronghold of the wizarding community in the area, the area has become more of a luxury shopping area and residential area. Carved by magic, the tunnels are smooth and decorated by enchanted light crystals that light up the place. There is a small miniature colosseum area that was once the old meeting place for the older residents, but has now grown into the a small community area called the Hub. During the weekends, the Hub turns into a Farmers and Crafters market, where people can sell and trade their food and goods throughout the greater wizarding community. Old Shackamaxon is also home of Wyrdfeld, an old enchanted underground garden that through centuries of care and dedication has become the largest magical underground garden that holds plants that cannot be found anywhere else.

SHACKAMAXON BUSINESSES

Birds of a Feather: Situated in South Shackamaxon, Birds of a Feather provides only the highest quality outdoor gear. Originally started by a no-maj family in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, this location is their first in a wizarding community. Gear includes (but is not limited to): backpacks, tents, sleeping bags, hiking boots, climbing gear, canoes, skis, snowshoes, and maps. In addition to providing the gear for one's next outdoor adventure, they can also provide the guide. Birds of a Feather employs a handful of very knowledgable and skilled guides, that lead hikes and climbs. And if one is in need of a bit of a rest but camping just isn't in style? They also offer many cabin rentals throughout the area.

The Bubbler: Situated in the heart of the bustling shopping district of South Shackamaxon is the Bubbler, a small but irreplaceable fountain of knowledge and culture. The magazine stand is run by a middle-aged wizard who is vigilant against anyone looking for a free read. The large racks of magical magazines and wizarding journals are enchanted to time each browsing customer and once the time limit is reached, an alarm will sound.

Gondwana Laurasia Global Tea House: Despite being started as a high-end tea house for the world-traveling palate, this tea shop has inadvertently become one of the most popular study spots in South Shackamaxon for students looking for a quiet, comfortable place to get their work done, without being constrained to the Ilvermorny campus. The spacious, gently-lit shop is a fantastic place to hunker down before exams, all while being served the highest-quality caffeine that can take you all the way around the world without leaving your seat.

Grann Sosseh's Traditional Caribbean Bakery and Dessert Cafe: After the original shop in New Orleans was devastated by a tropical storm, this cornerstone of Caribbean community was relocated to South Shackamaxon. The cheerful brick corner building is owned by Madame Sosseh, who learned all of her recipes from her grandmother, a Haitian immigrant, and an exceptionally skilled voodoo shaman. The cafe is a great place to relax with friends, go on dates, or pop by to pick up some Caribbean comfort food in a place that feels like home to everyone, no matter where you're from.

Gus?óÔé¼Ôäó Clamshackle Hut: Gus?óÔé¼Ôäó was first opened in 1956 on a roadside not far from Oldeburrow by a wizard named Gus Lobow. After he passed, his two sons kept the business alive, eventually relocating to the bustling Old Shackamaxon. The Clamshackle Hut offers a variety of seafood dishes including Gus?óÔé¼Ôäó famed Clam Chowder. The small wooden building, in dire need of a fresh coat of white paint, hosts the kitchen and a narrow sales counter. A handful of worn patio tables and mismatched chairs congregate near the front of the building for customers to relax and eat. A large magical sign floats above the eating area announcing the name of the establishment and Gus?óÔé¼Ôäó favorite quote in flashing red letters: ?óÔé¼?ôAll a wizard needs is a good wand and some great chowder.?óÔé¼?Ø

The Oak Pipe: By far one of the more spiritual shops in South Shackamaxon, the Oak Pipe is a one-stop-shop for all things smokeable. The store offers various herbs for medicinal, recreational, divinational, and spiritual uses. Customers must be able to provide proof of legal age to make certain purchases. Nestled inside a mud and stone building with a hole in the center of the roof to allow smoke to escape, the Oak Pipe is dimly lit and always has a very heavy odor to it.

St. Augustine?óÔé¼Ôäós Clock Emporium: Started by Jean-Baptiste Deveraux, a slave who escaped from a plantation in deep Louisiana with his wife and two kids, St. Auggie?óÔé¼Ôäós is an institution in South Shackamaxon. As one of the first businesses in the undercity, it is in a legacy spot along the atrium of the city. Unwilling to move, and barely willing to expand, St. Auggie?óÔé¼Ôäós has now spread into the smaller shop next to its location, which has not removed from its crowded appeal. The store is run by the Master Clockmaker in each generation, and the children of the large Deveraux family try to help out. The current Master Clockmaker is Clementine Deveraux, a 67-year-old witch whose lack of height does not diminish her might of personality. Grey-haired and eccentric, Clemmy, as she likes to be called, always seems to knows what her customers need, even if they don?óÔé¼Ôäót need one of her gruesome personal horror creations.

Shackamaxon Community Center: The community center inside Old Shackamaxon is a cultural mixing pot of witches and wizards. The lowest level of the building is as old as the under the city itself. It was one of the very first establishments to put down roots inside Shackamaxon and has become a sort of beating heart of the city every since. There is a pool (complete with dragon water slide), a flying practice area used especially for little league quodpot, and many workshop classes (potions, fitness, and self-defense, among other things). There is also plenty of space available to rent for weddings, parties, and other events.

Shifted Polarity: Shifted Polarity is a jewelry shop. The term can be applied loosely. The shop mainly sells a number of crystals and geodes and nature-based goods. Anything from common and garden rose quartz to the more expensive amethyst and jade. The staff at Shifted Polarity are well versed in the magic of crystals. They know a lot about the magical and mythical healing properties of the gems. In fact, the staff at Shifted Polarity are practically walking encyclopedias.

The Sickle & Knut: Far from one of the most glamorous of storefronts in South Shackamaxon, but certainly one of the oldest, the Sickle & Knut is a general goods store with a bizarre method of stocking its shelves. Most items are magically shrunk to fit into the palm of one's hand, making the inside of the store looks like a dollhouse. The miniaturized goods range from household necessities to used textbooks to hobby supplies and everything in between. Generally, the spell placed on an item wears off within eight hours of purchase but every once in awhile items still on the shelves outlive their shrinking enchantments and burst back to life-size without warning.

The Toad & Bone: Located in South Shackamaxon, the Toad & Bone is not your everyday potions ingredients shop. Instead of walls lined with jars of dried ingredients, the Toad & Bone boasts 100% fresh (meaning still alive) ingredients. Snakes, spiders, toads, newts, and bugs of all kinds inhabit the store's many terrariums. Behind a set of magically sealed wooden doors is a variety of small, non-sentient magical creatures also available for sale. Although the storefront appears quite clean with sterile surfaces and bright sun lamps riddled throughout, the pungent and easily identifiable smell of numerous reptiles cannot be erased.