Tordelvar North
Demographics
Dwarf 80%, Gnome 10%, Genasi 5% (99% Earth, 1% Other), 5% Other (Including: Dragonborn, Half-Elf, Halfling, Half-Orc, Human, Tiefling, Changeling, Goliath, Goblin, Kenku, Kobold, Minotaur and Orc).
Government
Tordelvar North is ruled by House Stoneborn, the most powerful clan in Tordelvar. Citizens pay monthly taxes to the clan, which is then spent on services and resources for the city. The way this money is spoent is determined by a council meeting, where Dain Stoneborn (the head of the clan) and other major clan leaders meet to dicuss and vote of the distribution of these funds. Citizesn who are unable to pay their taxes can opt to work in the city's adamantine mines, where they can work to pay off any existing debts.
Defences
The Great Gate. The city is built into the north-east-facing mountains of The Morndin Ridge. Its 30-foot-tall, 20-foot-wide, outer gate is built securely into the rock and framed by two giant statues of Moradin, the Allhammer. Above the gate, also carved into the mountain, is a pallisade, which is continuously patrolled. This battlement is accessed by two staircases on the interior of the wall, near to the gate.
The Burakrin. A number of protections exist to defend the city from the deinizens of the Burakrin. Firstly, a smaller, gated wall and pair of towers are built into the slopes in the south-west of the city, seperting the populus from the ruins of The Old City. This wall protects the only path between the two, with a 60-foot-tall cliff surrounding the rest of the area. The Burakrin is also sperated from the city by two sets of large, stone doors. These 20-foot-tall doors are each operated by a winch system and create an antechamber between the two areas. The system works as such so that it is impossible to open both sets of doors at once, insuring there is always one door closed when entering or exiting the Burakrin. Opening the doors from the inside requires a magic keys, which disintergrates when the one who bears it dies or loses it.
The City Guard. The city guard are a privatly owned millitary, funded by the Stoneborn clan and lead by the Ironhelm clan. Their leader, Tordek Ironhelm, employs approximately 1,500 soldiers called The Hammershield Leigon. These soldiers are typically equipped with iconic plate armour as well as hammers, axes and shields, all displaying the sigil of the Ironhelm clan. They patrol the streets of Tordelvar North as well as The Great Gate, The Old City and The Adamantine Mines. Their barracks is known as The Iron Citadel and is lovcated in thenorth of the city.
Infrastructure
The Crucible. The largest tavern in the city. Its primary function is to serve those travelling through through and as such is the most racially diverse place within the walls. Though it is always busy, not many local dwarves frequent it.
The Heatwaker Foundry. Located in the south of the city, this large foundry acts as a factory for various types metalwork housing many individual workshops within. There are two fires which heats the forges. The second was only added upon the discovery of the adamantine veins around the city. With the now-enhanced firepower. the factory is able to turn out a vast amount of metal, including items made from adamantine.
The structure itself is built into the wall of the city, before it opens out again into another chamber in the mountain, where two large towers channel rivers of magma to be used to fuel the forges within.
Within the foundry, there are multiple places of interest:
- The Entrance Hall. The chamber immediately past the large doors of the foundry which leads to all other facilities. There is a help desk and a variety of signposted tunnels which lead to the other areas.
- The Yard. Located on the west side of the chamber, with windows overlooking the magma rivers and furnace floor, this is the largest commercial area within the foundry where most products are sold. All conventional metal work can be found here.
- The Alloy Works. A smaller area located above The Yard dedicated to the sale of items made from specialist materials including adamantine.
- The Tinkertoggle Trading Post. An area located to the east side of the chamber, with windows similar to The Yard, dedicated to the sale and commissioning of magic items and potions. This area of the foundry is predominantly run my gnomes. Many of Faephina's own creations are sold here.
- Research and Development. An area dedicated to the experimentation of new materials. Faephina frequents here often. It is only accessible by appointment and rarely by the general public.
- The Furnace Floor. The are where all metal is processed and items are constructed from them. This are is restricted to staff only.
- The main room houses a large, open fire with benched seating circling around it in three rings.
- There are three counters for ordering drinks, food or rooms, one on each wall besides the wall with the entrance.
- Doors to accommodation can be found in the back corners of the main room.
- There is a large balcony, with additional seating and a bar, which goes around the top of the room. The most expensive rooms each have access to this area.
- The establishment is owned and run by a fire genasi called Pyre, who is secretly an agent with The Silver Hand. He acts as the contact for the guild in Tordelvar and protects the teleportation circle which leads to the guilds HQ.
- The teleportation circle is located in on of the 'high-end' rooms and is hidden behind a secret door and protected by illusion magic. People are given access to it by requesting to stay in the 'Argentum' room. Guests are then given a magic key which directs them to the secret door and temporarily dispels the illusion magic.
- This tavern is rarely clean and is often filled with rubble and dust.
- It is quite simple in it decoration and has very little accommodation, usually used to allow overly-intoxicated people to rest.
- Often filled with dwarves and earth genasi, however they are very rarely seen sitting together.
- Famous for brewing the best drink in the city, Mafic Mead, a dark brown mead with a distinct molasses and cinnamon flavour.
- It is run by a crusty, old dwarf called Melgrum Stoutkin.
- The tavern also hosts illegal pit fighting in its basement. The fights are popular with miners and the working class.
- A simple wood and stone building, the house has been extended to house additional bedrooms.
- At the back, a stable area and fenced-off field containing horses, sold by travellers who no longer needed them, and regular sized mountain goats.
- This tavern is famous in Tordelvar (North) and across parts of Concirdia for being a lively gay bar.
- It is frequented by many gnomes in the area as well as a number of earth genasi and dwarves who identify as part of the LGBT+ community.
- There is music performed here every night, usually by local bards, but occasionally members of The Scarlet Bards who are travelling through.
- There is often a queue to get in, with security on the door.
- People who come here often dress quite elaborately and flamboyantly. It is a start contrast to may other area of the city.
- people enter on the top floor, onto a balcony which looks down on to a large dance floor. Magic is used to light the room with colourful lights and amplify the music of the performers. The balcony has seating around it and bars can be found on both floors.
- There is no accommodation available as sleeping here would be difficult.
- From the outside, its appears quite quiet, this is due to insolating magic dampening the noise for the sake of locals.
- The tavern is run by Sindri Sparkletrick, a former student of Faerndaar, Phrontistery of Arcana.
- The tavern is famous for using central heating as opposed to open fires to keep its patrons warm. Water heated from The Heatwaker Foundry pumps around the building in various pipes, filling thin tanks (radiators) located on the walls.
- The tavern is a large, single floored building. It's main room is long and filled with four long tables with benches which patrons use for eating and drinking.
- The tavern does not have any accommodation, however it is know for having some of the best food in the city, specialising in barbequed meats cooked over magma from a river below. The kitchen sends the food down a specially design shaft which exposes it to the heat and then returns it.
- It is owned by former Furnacewoman Amber Stronghandle, a dwarf who has lived in the city all her life.
Guilds and Factions
The Cloaks. The mage guild has a single contact in the city - the Flamesinger, Sindri Sparkletrick - who runs a venue in Rodinbar known as Ore and Wonder. Here, Sindri researches arcane magic and its applications, focused on its applications with the arts, particularly music.
The Steel Brotherhood. The guild has a substantial guildhall located in the west of the city, close the adamantine mines, named Stonewall Barracks. The majority of resident guild members are local dwarves. Most of this headquarters' work comes from: the mines, when unsavoury creatures are unearthed; travelling merchants and nobles, looking for protection on their travels; and occasionally from researchers and other parties interested with the contents of The Burakrin. The dwarves of this branch of The Steel Brotherhood have the most comprehensive knowledge of The Burakrin, but even they have only scratched the surface.
The Silver Hand. Being one of the two closest cities to the location of the guild's headquarters, the guild has established a transport link between the city and their stronghold, located in The Burakrin. The Crucible is owned by the guild and run by the local ringleader. It houses a teleportation circle, which the guild use to transport goods and members between the two locations.
History
The city of Tordelvar was one a vast, subterranean network of tunnels, which spread from one side of The Morndin Ridge to the other. It was famed for being the sole home of dwarves in Concordia, easily able to accommodate the vast number of people.
In the years that followed shortly after The Confluence, creatures from deep underground began to assault various areas of the city and, thanks to the their weakened state after their involvement in war with the denizens of the elemental planes, the dwarves were pushed from their ancestral home.
These days, the city is split into two potions, Tordelvar North and Tordelvar South, each located at the periphery of the original city at the edge of the mountains. In order to keep these lesser strongholds safe, the rest of the city was sealed away behind stone doors and renamed The Burakrin.
As a result of the loss of their land, many dwarves ventured from their mountain home and began settling in other areas of Concordia, but most still dream of being able to retake the great halls and tunnels of the original city from the creatures within.
Points of interest
The Brazing Hall. The city's only temple, dedicated to Moradin, the Allhammer.
- The hall is the largest stone building in Tordelvar (North), it has a large courtyard surrounded by stone pillars. with statures of Moradin at its center.
- At the back there is a large ceremony chamber where services take place.
- Residents are made aware of scheduled worship times by the rhythmic beating of war drums. Public worships are held on the every five days (5th, 10th, 15th, 20th, 25th and 30th of each month).
- Worships are usually followed by worshipers demonstrating and showing off recently created items in the courtyard. Structured combats are regularly part of this and are overseen by a member of the church.
- The temple is overseen by Cardinal Horrus Bronzeguard, a paladin of Moradin.
- The tower itself resembles one of the old dwarven structures leading to the Burakrin, except much taller. It is predominantly square in shape, with beveled edged and rises at least three stories as it slowly tapers so the roof is about a quarter the size as the ground floor.
- On the grounds, Faephina and external forge which she uses to craft her own items.
- Inside, Faephina's tower houses: living quarters, guest spaces, an alchemical laboratory, enchanting facilities, a teleportation circle and a library.
- At its peak sits a magic crystal called The Dawnstar which fills who whole city with a comfortable daylight. The level of this light changes to to be the same as the outside world.
Geography
The city is carved out of a hollow located in the outer mountains of The Mordin Ridge. Its main chamber is 300 feet tall at its highest point and it has various tunnels which extend into deeper into the mountain in various places, most notably the adamantine mines and crypt.
Maps
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Tordelvar North
Founding Date
2 ER
Type
Large city
Population
15,000
Location under
Owner/Ruler
Owning Organization
Characters in Location
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