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Stonecarver Town

Khazid Agruli

Population: 210, mostly Dwarf (Small Town)
Ruling noble: Grand Countess Emmanuelle von Liebewitz, Elector of Nuln and Wissenland
Main sources of wealth: Trade, ale, stoneware
Elder: Ragnar Emmolsson
Notable NPC: Malek Bromsson (master brewer/ tavern keeper), Dominick Orliksson (master brewer/ tavern keeper), Almala Cedrikssdottir (master distiller/ tavern keeper)
Inn or Tavern: Stonemason, Miner’s Pick, Mother Lode


Established on the north side of Wissenburg and the Reik Gate cemetery along the Upper Reik, Stonecarver Town was established as a Dwarf settlement during the latter stages of the Age of Wars (circa early 14th century). In the centre of town is a statue built in honour of Count Johannes von Starhemberg, who in 1015 I.C. used his army to block the advance of the Imperial forces under the command of the infamous Feldmarschall Rüdigar von Ossietzky. In doing so, he stopped his opponent from prosecuting Emperor Ludwig “the Fat” von Hohenbach’s pogrom against the Dwarfs. Elder Ragnar Emmolsson is 245 years old and claims to have fought alongside Magnus the Pious as a young beard during the Great War against Chaos.

Stonecarver Town is renowned in the County of Liebewitz for having the highest concentration of taverns of any settlement. With a ratio on one for every 21 residents, the town boasts ten such establishments with a total of fifty varieties of brews. All of the taverns in town cater to both the Dwarfs and Humans. The occasional Elf customer is also tolerated, particularly given the shameful memory of Emperor Ludwig’s pogroms.

Stonecarver Town annually comes alive during the last week of Brauzeit (from the 25th through 32nd) when the Dwarfs in town hold a week-long celebration of their brewing heritage. The festivities end before Grungni’s holy day of 33 Brauzeit, so the Dwarfs can properly clear their town before honouring the god.

Located near the centre of town, Stonemason Tavern is the largest of the taverns and run by the family of Malek Bromsson of the Ironside clan. Malek is a Master Brewer, having reached that level of achievement over fifty years ago. His specialities are bitters Malek simply calls “Dark”, “Darker”, and “Darkest” to denote their degree of dark brown colouration. Malek also serves a dark reddish malted beer. A pint of all these brews is priced at twice that of a weak beer normally served to cost conscious (cheap) individuals. The food at the Stonemason Tavern is fair, but the dark brown bread is very good.

The Miner’s Pick is one of the major competitors to the Stonemason in town and located at its north end. Dominick Orliksson is the Master Brewer and considered as the young upstart with only fifteen years of experience at this level of achievement. Dominick’s specialties are lagers, brewing such hearty beers as “Gold Nugget”, “Iron Ore,” and “Silver Lode.” The food at Miner’s Pick – particularly the smoked pork – tends to be spicy, but good.

Close to Wissenburg and popular with the manlings from the working district of that town, the Mother Lode serves a different kind of drink. Almala Cedrikssdottir takes the title of Master Distiller as her specialty is distilling whiskies rather than brewing beers. As such, the common room of Mother Lode is smaller than the beer halls of the Stonemason and Miner’s Pick. Almala likes to use rather colourful names for her whiskies, such as “Rolling Thunder”, “Crackling Lightning”, “Hot-Blooded Moonshine”, and “Raging Waters.” The food at the Mother Lode is indifferent, except for the house specialties of cheese-stuffed peppers and spiced sausages, both of which are quite good. The peppers are grown in the back of the Mother Lode from New World plants Almala managed to obtain in Marienburg some twenty years ago.

Beneath the Stonecarver Town Hall in the centre of Stonecarver Town is the large Temple of Grungni. An eight-foot statue of the Dwarf God gripping a pick-axe dominates the interior of the temple. Smaller shrines dedicated to the other Ancestor Gods are found within the temple along with one dedicated to the ancestors of the Stonecarver Dwarfs.

The resident Dwarfs gather at the town hall on every major holy day dedicated to Grungni to remember their ancestors and celebrate their heritage. During the gathering, smaller groups enter the door within the town hall and descend into the temple to pay their respects. Thick oak doors at the far side of the temple lead to a network of tunnels dug by the Dwarfs soon after they established the settlement. The tunnels are a precaution against a time when another Ludwig Hohenbach may be elected as Emperor. There are a number of passageways, many of them dead-ends. The main tunnels continue westward towards the rolling countryside. At the end of the tunnels are stout doors leading into natural caves. The doors are carefully crafted so anyone entering the caves would not be able to distinguish these concealed doors from the normal stone walls.

The Stonecarver Dwarfs take turns inspecting and maintaining the tunnels. They do so in secrecy, following the long-established traditions of their ancestors.
Type
Town
Location under
Owning Organization

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