Gnomengraad

The Gnomish City of Gnomengraad is the forefront of Innovation in the World. Now if only they would stop blowing themselves up they might get somewhere.

The Capital of the Nation of Moledar, Gnomengraad is a City that has an interesting feature, a mile wide pit that reaches all the way into the caverns of the Underdark, created by the Goddess Zimwick during one of her clashes with Malgeron, this pit has become part of the City with the sides of the massive hole having been carved and reinforced so as not to collapse and having sections which have been turned into living spaces, workshops or Airship Hangars.
The city functions as a hub for the numerous villages that thrive within the Badlands, as the City borders on a major river and the Airships housed within distribute this water on a near constant basis, only pausing for crew changes and repairs or maintenance. The City is a bastion, with the Dueregar Architects who have perfected the art of Fortress making in the Underdark lending their expertise as well as the weapons crafted by the followers of Zimwick.
The Nation is a refuge for many who are unwelcome in other circles, The Yuan-Ti, Tieflings, and the races of the Underdark are all welcomed here as long as they hold no hate for the people of the Realm. The city is overseen by a Council of 10, while the Nation as a whole is managed by a Senate of 2 representatives from each Village or Province. The Council handles the affairs of the City and manages the Logistics of resource allocation with advisory from the senate, while the Senate handles negotiation with foreign nations.
The Populace of the City is fairly evenly divided between several groups, The Rock Gnomes operate much of the surface of the city, and this is where many of the foreigners make their place as well. The Walls of the Pit are home to the more adventurous types with the Moledar Adventurers guild having their headquarters located here. The walls are also home to the a large group of Tabaxi who can be seen scrambling up and down the edges of the Pit with great frequency.
At the Bottom of the Pit lies a sprawling Fortress and a mass of Foundries, as this is where the true production sites dwell. Material mined from the deep earth is shaped and molded as needed and then sent up to the upper city for use and distribution. The Gnomish War Airships are assembled here as well, though they are rarely used due to their less than stellar mobility and fragility against certain foes. The Deep District is massive, easily twice the size of the City above and it is all encircled with mighty walls armed with some of the best the Nation has to offer in terms of siege weaponry, to deter all the enemies within the Underdark to take their forces elsewhere.

Demographics

The City is home to a wide variety of people, most running from their pasts.
Gnomes: 10,000
Tieflings: 7,000
Dueregar: 8,000
Drow: 5,500
Tabaxi: 4,000
Dragonborn: 1200
Yuan-Ti: 1100
Kenku: 900
Goblins:1,500
Kobolds: 400
Humans: 600
Goliaths: 6,000
Leonin: 600
Centaur: 1,100
Satyrs: 1,100
Hobgoblins: 1,000
Bugbears: 500
Lizardfolk: 400
Fairies: 800
Harengon: 1,200
Others and Mixed Races: 4,000

Government

The Council oversees the Local City affairs and resource management for the villages in the rest of the Badlands. Each member of the Council is elected within one of the City's districts, ensuring that everyone has some voice. While this system works well enough it has been accussed of corruption in the past and has been violently overturned on several occassions, which has made each subsequent council all the more careful to not upset the populace.

Defences

The City has walls constucted to withstand any minor force attacking it and has stores of preserved food and water in the event of a Siege, though its defenses make the possibility of a Siege unlikely. Four Clockwork Figures stand at the center of the Hallowed Spires, One of an Elven Man, One of a Human, One of a Dwarf and one of a Dragon.
These figures represent Corellon, Halvid, Moradin and Bahamut respectivley and were crafted by Zimwick following the end of the Purge War as a means of honoring their memories and protecting the City. These figures can be activated and will fight like their divine counterparts once did, albeit with less power behind their forms. Though these Sentries should not be underestimated as Zimwick did impart some of her own power into each of them.

Districts

The Walls - The district that makes up the walls of Zimwicks Crater, here one can find a section of residential buildings as well as taverns, magic shops and the Moledarian Adventurers guild. Also found here are the civilian airships and the hangars that hold them. Generally this district houses Tabaxi and Goblin residents.
The Hammerfalls - Named for the magma falls that feed them their heat, the Hammerfalls are foundries and smithing stations surrounding workshops and construction facilities, the closely guarded secrets of the Airships are kept here and so they have remained for centuries. Most of those found here are Gnomes and Dueregar, masters of their craft by blood, though a few others can be found here.
The Bastion - The outside border of the bottom of the Pit, This is the great defensive structures that protect the city from subterreanean invasion. Thick Dueregar carved walls form the bulk of the defenses though upon the walls can be seen Gnomish Artillery as well as Drow or Tiefling Marksmen and Guardsmen.
The Hollows - The residential district of The Pit is filled with the Underdark races, whether they feel afraid to move above or because of a distaste of sunlight, many remain down here in the dark. Many of the city's tiefling residents can be found here as well, feeling much as outcasts. As a result of this man Tiefling-Drow and Tiefling-Dueregar can be found here. While not a market hub, this area also houses the city's more illicit goods as a makeshift black market circulates in the shadowy depths.
The College of Zimwick - A university designed to teach engineers and Artificers who will spur the next generation of innovation within the city. The College houses its students and supplys the Hammerfall Foundries with a fresh supply of its graduates to improve designs. The curriculum here can be anywhere from 5 to 15 years depending on aptitude and skill. Following graduation students are offered positions within the city based on performance or they may elect to move to one of the Badlands villages and help improve things there.
The Hallowed Spires - The Temple District of Moledar is arranged into four spire like structures each dedicated to one of the Primary gods of Moledar, those being Sidela, Goddess of Mischief, Basalt the Shield, Omega, The Warborn and Zimwick, The Mechanist. Within each spire, shrines are allowed to be set up to other gods, though that gods followers must maintain it without aid from the city. This district houses the priests and priestesses of each of the Temples and some homes for those who maintain shrines.
The Boroughs - The main Residential District of the Upper city, this district houses the majority of the people within the city. All manner of people can be found here and it is a mix of small markets and neighborhoods. While their are some buildings that house multiple families, for the most part each family has its own home.
The Scrapyards - Bordering the edge of the pit and equipped with massive elevators that empty out at the Hammerfalls, this district is fileld with ruined airships, old equipment discarded by adventurers and refuse from the city. Many of the city's poorest individuals stay here, eternally scrounging for something they can sell to get them a better life. It is an unpleasant place and most who stay here will contract Ironlung and perish within a few weeks. The Scrappers guild operates here and accepts the help of the unfortunate who end up here but can do little to aid them once theyve already become ill.
The Badland's Exchange - This is the Market hub of the City with a selection of just about everything one could want or need. The Market is open at all hours of the day or night, with many merchants sharing their stalls or carts with more night active individuals to keep business rolling. While not many live here, Merchants will live within their storefronts or nearby so a small population resides here.
The Vaults - The seat of the Council and the most secure place within the city, The vaults are where the Senate and Council convene but also where the secrets of the City are kept. Little is known what resides within the Vaults save that there are some things even Zimwick feels should be left within the past.
The Outskirts aka The Sprawl - The closest thing the city has to Slums, The sprawl exists outside the City walls and is an aptly named sprawling expanse of residential homes and poorer merchants. People here often go hungry or are not well taken care of as they do not make enough coin to afford to live within the city. Many within the city look down upon the people from the Sprawl and will refuse to do business with them, for fear of being conned.

Guilds and Factions

The Scrapper Guild- a group run by a rather enterprising Goblin named Crankhead. They breakdown anything left over from ruins and transport it down to the Hammerfalls, for a barely sustainable wage of coin. They try to help those within the Scrapyards before they fall ill but its often not quick enough. Crankhead is the Council member from the Scrapyards and is very vocal about how bad they are, though nothing ever seems to get done about it.
The Adventurer's Guild - Based within the Walls, The guild is a headquarters for Adventuring groups within the Badlands and offers discounted prices to its members on common supplies such as healing potions, rations and horses. Adventurer groups sacrfice a percentage of the pay from their jobs to fund the guild and its services. It is headed by a Tiefling named Ilaysa Neversun, who is also the Council member for the Walls.
The Crafters Guild - Based in the Hammerfalls, This Guild oversees construction of most large projects within the city, be it housing or Airships. They are a very effective force at helping the crafters within the city in getting a fair deal and never overprice their services, or so is said by their Head, A Drow Woman named Gelsha Graveheart, who was once the Wife of a Dueregar Architect who died due to a customer refusing to cover injurires sustained by lack of warning about a structural weak point within their home. She begrudgingly continues to take the Council spot for the Hammerfalls as she keeps being elected for her no bullshit attitude.
The Darkhammer's Merchants Guild - An originally family orginization that has grown to encompass most of the merchant within the City, the Darkhammers were a Family of Duregar merchants who held an iron grip on trade in the early city. Over time they expanded their family to other merchant families and now half of the Merchants in the City are related to them. The current head is Kalselee Darkhammer, A Tabaxi with a silver tongue and a beautiful false smile. She and her Father once outwitted the Imperial Goblins in a business venture and claimed a fortune in sales, and she now uses that money to prioritze the Merchant Guilds interests within the city, as Council Member of the Exchange.

Points of interest

The College of Zimwick is a popular point of interest for visitors, though many who arrive in the City are far more interested in the Airship Ports and traveling upon them.
The Adveneturers Guild sees probably the most Traffic of any point in the city besides the market, as many adventuring groups have gotten their start here.

Architecture

Most of the Architecture within the City is Dwarvish in style though intermixed one can see many different styles, specifically in the clashing freeform architecture of the Gnomes who position their clockwork contraptions anywhere that they will do their job, with no regard to Dwarvish Architectural style. This often leads to clashes between the Gnomish Engineers and the Dwarvish architects, though not violent it is much replacing of certain pieces of equipment while the other side is not looking, resulting in extensive delays on some projects.
The Pit and the areas bordering it are well maintained with gurad rails constructed to keep people from areas where they could fall.

Geography

The City is situated in the basin between a surrounding of large rocky hills while a large river snakes its way through. While it isnt much of a Port city or rely as much on nautical shipping, some vessels do occassionally make their way up river from the coast to dock and trade within the city.
The Caverns below within the Pit are mildly active with magma flows, though regular surveys are done to make sure where they are is known at all times. Magma is used as a light source for many parts of the underground city by way of large Aqueducts, which do not provide much light but they keep the Cavern warm and lit enough that even peoples without Darkvision can see enough to travel.

Natural Resources

Ore and Stone are mined within the Pit to provide material for construction or forging, as Moledar as a nation is not very flush with Forests. The Caverns beneath the city are rich with Ore and various side caverns can be easily maintained and defended.
Water is a major resource for the Outlying villages and the Airships within the City are filled with large tanks of clean water to be delivered to Villages at regular intervals, rationed based on population and need.

Founding Date

-75

Founders

• Zimwick, Goddess of Gnomes

Population

~57,000