The Burrows
The Burrows is a walled, semi-autonomous neighborhood within Neverwinter that was built and occupied by the dwarven Clan Velgrund from 1452 through 1547.
Demographics
The Burrows is inhabitated exclusively by members of the Velgrund Clan, and are as such mostly members, descendants, or spouses of the 200 survivers of the 1436 capture of their original home, Nettlemurk Hall. Over the years, recruitment and the call for a sense of community has resulted in clanless dwarves or dwarves from other clans choosing to join the Velgrund Clan as well.
Due to the cosmopolitan nature of Neverwinter, there are also non-dwarven members of the Velgrund Clan, and subsequently the Burrows, who have married into the clan and willingly joined in its customs, beliefs, and desire to retake their homeland. Non-dwarves remain a small minority of clan members, but they are not an uncommon sight.
Government
Despite being a neighborhood within Neverwinter, the Burrows is ruled by the king of the Velgrund Clan, Baramir Velgrund. As part of the agreement formed with Lord Dagult Neverember, the Velgrund Clan is allowed to institute their own laws and regulations within the Burrows, so long as they don't conflict with city-wide laws. Officials from the Neveren government are also given free access to the neighborhood for the purpose of census-taking, legal investigations, and so on.
Districts
Dwarve prefer to live underground, and as a result the Burrows extend into the foundation of Neverwinter, though they do not extend beyond the border of the neighborhood.
The surface of the Burrows contain more traditional city-dwellings as well as store fronts made easily accesible for non-dwarves. Below the surface, the Burrows appear to be a traditional, if compact, dwarven stronghold, complete with a throne room at its center.
History
In 1450, the Velgrund Clan was given permission by the city of Neverwinter to temporarily settle outside of its walls. In 1451, Mt. Hotenow errupted, killing hundreds, including the royal family, and resulting in the start of the Chaos.
In 1452, the Velgrund Caln, seeing that no one was taking the reigns of the city, moved inside the city walls and established the Burrows, building their own stronghold underground.
Throughout the Chaos, the Burrows remained a point of stability, something that aided in clan recruitment, and the Velgrunds clashes multiple times with Kingdom of Many-Arrows invaders in the northern neighborhoods.
In 1469, Lord Dagult Neverember began his New Neverwinter project to revitalize Neverwinter. Needing a vast amount of manpower, especially in construction, Neverember signed an agreement with the Velgrund Clan, allowing the Burrows to retain a degree of autonomy while lending their clanmembers to the reconstruction efforts. King Baramir agreed.
For the next few decades, the Burrows remained in a politically odd situation, both part of and separate from Neverwinter as a whole, but the good relationship between Lord Neverwinter and King Baramir prevented any open hostility.
In 1547, the Burrows was mostly abandoned by the clan, who marched with their allies under the leadership of Queen Lyssanora Velgrund to fight in the Liberation of Nettlemurk Hall. While some members of the clan stayed behind to act as representatives of the clan's interest in Neverwinter, and to not lose the valuable trade connections gained from the century spent in Neverwinter, most of the homes and houses lay empty, and a carefully managed resettlement program slowly filled in the residences, both above and underground, with non-dwarves.
Founding Date
1452
Founders
Type
Neighbourhood
Location under
Owner/Ruler
Owning Organization
Comments