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Stonefast

Overview​

Stonefast — Bastion in the North — is one of the three great cities of the Greenwold, alongside Grayhaven and Slew. A heavily fortified mountain city-state where humans and dwarves share the population in roughly equal measure, Stonefast sits in the foothills of the Highland Reaches, the one place in the Greenwold where a large population of dwarves lives alongside other races.

Atmosphere​

Roads of hard, smooth stone run in an orderly grid from the towering city gates through the low, cramped buildings.

The rumble of activity in the mines can be felt underfoot. The clang and clink of hammers on metal and chisels on stone can be heard everywhere.

The smell of coal smoke from a hundred forges and distant pine trees fills the high mountain air.

History​

What began as a distant trade outpost in a land dominated by orcs and giants grew, under pressure from rampaging forces in the region, into a heavily fortified city. A much-needed alliance between humans and dwarves — when both were threatened — shaped the city from its earliest days. Massive stone walls reinforced with beams of black iron surround the inner city boroughs. Doors of brass and adornments of silver and gold speak to the mineral wealth below and the large population of dwarven craftspeople.

Before long, the fort expanded into a full-fledged city-state, governed by a council of human bureaucrats and dwarven traders. Merchants and artisans formed small guilds and cooperatives within the walls, and the city became indispensable to the Greenwold: access to a seaport and a position near the ore-rich mountains make Stonefast the mineral backbone of the region.

Notable Features​

  • The Mines: A labyrinth of endless excavations below the city has uncovered an immense trove of precious metals and, most recently, adamantine deposits. The network dwarfs the city above it in size and complexity.
  • The Walls: Massive stone reinforced with black iron beams. Brass and gold adornments on the buildings signal the city's mineral wealth.
  • The Council: Governed jointly by human bureaucrats and dwarven traders — a balance that holds, though not without friction.

Notable Figures​

Add NPCs as they are established.

Connections​

  • One of the three great cities of the Greenwold, alongside Grayhaven and Slew
  • Located near the Highland Reaches, home to the dwarven mountain clans
  • Primary source of mineral wealth for the Greenwold economy
  • The Gray Tower — a site connected to drow activity and necromancy — lies nearby

Recent Developments​

A promising adamantine mining operation turned violent when excavators were attacked by a contingent of dark dwarves. Realizing a passageway to the Darklands had opened in the depths, the council is scrambling for a response. Dwarven hatred of their dark cousins pushes their kind toward action; humans advise caution about what may be lurking further below.