Riftview
Located high in the Western Rift Mountains, Riftview is the ancestral home of the Barons of Riftview, and until about a quarter of a century ago, was nothing more than a small village, surrounding the expansive manor of the Baron. These days, Riftview is a booming industrial town, dedicated to the mining and refining of the magically-infused mineral ore, Glowspar; a valuable material in the construction of many modern magical implements.
Historically, the lands owned by the Barony stretched over a much larger area of land than it does today; spanning the length of the western arm of the Rift Mountains and as far west as the Drakeseat Mountains. Following the death of the current Baron, Frederick Drach's father, Heinrich, in the closing days of The Demon War, the title of Baron fell to Frederick's brother Arvan. During his 34 year tenure as Baron, Arvan's lack of business acumen led to the sale or forfiture of many of the lands of Riftview to neighbouring Baronies. By the time that Frederick assumed the title, following his brother's death from a bout of fever, the Barony had shrunk to little more than the village of Riftview itself, and a couple of dozen square-miles of uninhabitable mountains, and two other small farming communities in the wider valley that led up into the mountains and to Riftview.
During an assessment of the state of Drach Manor, the first deposit of Glowspar was discovered, unearthed by a landslide. Once its properties had been determined, Frederick saw the potential business oppurtunity that Glowspar offered, and was quick to consolidate his control of the region, and personally funded the mining operations to begin its extraction.
The lure and the dream of making a fortune from Glowspar brings a very large number of people to Riftview, looking to make their name and a large amount of money. The Baron and his organisation do nothing discourage this perception of Riftview as a land of oppurtunity, in the wider country. On arrival in the town however, these fortune-seekers quickly discover a town run through intimidation, vice and coercion. Anyone who wants to mine Glowspar must do so under a mining contract from the Baron, or be forced to leave by the groups of thugs in his employ. Such contracts favour the Baron to an extreme degree. It is certainly possible to earn a good deal of money working in Riftview, but the Baron will earn many times the amount that a person will from their labour, without lifting a finger. Entertainments for the miners, such as the inn, as well as businesses such as the general stores, are also owned by the Baron, so that no matter where their money goes, he takes a cut. Any who speak out against the Baron and his draconic taxation and contracts can expect to receive a visit from the Baron's men.
All of this does little to discourage the people who flock to the town, however; drawn by the lure of gold.
Industry & Trade
The entire economy of Riftview is based around the extraction and processing of Glowspar. This industry is held in a virtual monopoly by the local baron, Frederick Drach. Glowspar was first discovered on his property, in 1281 AoU, and he has personally financed the growth of the mining operations around the town. He has profited from this industry to an extreme degree, and continues to hold controlling interests in practically every business in the town, ensuring that he gets a cut of nearly all trade that takes place in the town.
Infrastructure
East Face Mine - The first, and largest of the mining operations established by Frederick Drach; Baron of Riftview to extract the mineral, Glowspar. Named for its position on the eastern side of Mount Verheim.
South Spar Mine - A smaller, exploratory mine on the slopes of Mount Sermont, on the opposite side of the valley from the main bulk of Riftview and the other mining operations.
Drach Brightsteel Works - A refinery and smelting facility designed to process mined Glowspar ore into metallic Brightsteel.
Geography
Riftview is built on the slopes of a valley between Mount Verheim and Mount Sermont, in the Western Rift Mountains, on the eastern edge of the fertile lands of Vallanna, bordering the Auric Wastes.
Flat land is at a premium in Riftview, with the largest amounts of it taken up by Drach Manor - the anscestral home of the Baron of Riftview; and Drach Brightsteel Works - the dedicated Glowspar smelter and refinery, also owned outright by the Baron.
With the scarcity of flat land, buildings in Riftview tend to be either constructed on bracing stilts, or, in the case of more permanent structures, painstakingly cut into the side of the mountain.
Type
Town
Population
~4000
Owner/Ruler
Owning Organization
Characters in Location
Comments