Valin'Nor
Valin'nor is one of the greatest cities in Tourgase though its modern origins are somewhat laughable. Originally a frontier trading town, Valin'nor was home to largely tradesmen and rangers. As one of few large dwarven settlements above ground, the rangers were there to ensure that no unknown dangers of the surface assailed the tradesfolk as they bartered with traders from the coastal cities run by DeShattue and Mer'Undine factions. When The Breaking occured, the city was suddenly graced with access to a large bay all their own, at the cost of their trading partners, trade routes, and the northernmost quarter of the city.
Being built by dwarves and having the blessing of having been built above ground, those buildings which did not sink into the new bay were saved from much more than superficial damage. This allowed the inhabitants to spring back quickly. The rangers established order and became a de facto martial government while the small trade city rebuilt and established itself in the turmoil of post breaking Tourgase. The city swelled rapidly as refugees poured in from the numerous underground cities and bastions of dwarfkind. Soon, there were too many mouths to feed on the fish and crops around the city demanding more consistent goods. To that end, a council of tradesfolk were elected to reopen trade routes with the remains of other cities and the distant DeShattue once again.
As stability was restored and years wore on, the city returned to a traditional matriarchal governance and the Rangers of Valin'nor became a sacred keepsake of those times. Membership in the rangers was seen as a great honor though they did little in the way of keeping the peace as they once had. Instead, they became a league of hunters, honing talents of tracking and killing prey in the new wilds of the post-breaking surface of Tourgase.
Modern day Valin'nor is not unlike other above ground cities around the world save for one key difference. Like many other post-Breaking Dwarven cities, Valin'nor consists of many levels both above and below ground. Even with a racial fear of the deep mines of their racial heritage, the Dwarves are not inclined to eschew the benefits of building below and above the ground. A full third of the city exists wholly underground, almost completely devoid of natural light. Many of these sections coincide with or exist around the old sewer system of the original frontier city
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