Shindale is a metropolis straddling the Shin River where it splits briefly to form a large central island. During the 2nd and 3rd Age, Shindale exploded in population due to the local agriculture industry along the river. It also prospered due to a number of prominent Udeluppan expatriates who were celebrated inventors and helped spur an early industrial shift. Shindale is also curious in its curious approach to crime, with the state providing housing and rehabilitation to many of the more petty criminals, deputizing some of the more professional villains, and even maintaining a special understanding with the local thieves guild. However, it also struggled to combat some high-profile crime, most notoriously a master thief called the Black Rose Bandit who in spite of a spree of ostentatious and boastful thefts, was never caught. Some locals suspect a scandal between the thief and the young Duchess Claire Haverford.