Dio Oz-Lehm
Dio Oz-Lehm is the greatest city of the Lok-Taarna people of the north. It is believed to be the first city to rise after the fall of the Eloszorian Civilization and the last city that the Dvergar had a hand in constructing before their retreat from the lands of men. The city's namesake, Oz-Lehm is the god of metalcraft and invention, and its smiths and artificers are said to be the keepers of secret knowledge of the dwarves.
Demographics
Most of the city's inhabitants (about 90%) or of Lok-Taarnan ancestry, about a quarter of which are temporary residents or first and second-generation newcomers. The city's remaining population consists mostly of agents of foreign mercantile concerns or craftsmen who have secured or are vying to secure admission into one of the city's craft guilds in hopes of learning ancient dwarven techniques.
Government
Like all Lok-Taarnan cities, Dio Oz-Lehm is officially ruled by the god it serves. The worldly ruler charged with carrying out Oz-Lehm's will is called the The Iron King, but his autonomy is limited by the fact that he can be stripped of power at any time by the Keepers of the Forge, Oz-Lehm's priesthood. In addition to the priests, the king is advised by a council of guildmasters from the city's most prominent trade organizations.
Defences
The city of Dio Oz-Lehm is built into the side of the mountain and enclosed by the 20-foot thick walls of black iron. In addition to a standing army, the city requires all citizens to complete one year of military training and service before they are allowed to join a guild. Afterwards, they are required to return to active duty regularly based on guild rank: Apprentices must serve one month out of every year, Journeymen serve for one month every 3 years, Masters spend a month in the army every seven years, and Grand Masters are exempt from further military service.
Industry & Trade
Industry is Dio Oz-Lehm's primary activity, but Ozlehmite manufacturing methods do not lend themselves to the large-scale exportation of goods. A properly-made Ozlehmite sword can take several months to forge, for example, and the first sword a smith makes each year must turned over to the city armory to meet guild quotas. The small number of items each craftsman produces, combined with the high quality of Ozlehmite goods (Ozlehmite weapons and armor are second in quality only to those made from Zeldarian Steel) combines to make them highly sought-after and very profitable for merchants who can get their hands on them.
Infrastructure
Dio Oz-Lehm is bursting with technological wonders, including complex pump systems that supply water and remove waste, massive cage lifts that make use of counterweights to allow a single operator to move tons of people and equipment between the different tiers of the city, and hypocaust heating systems in public buildings and the homes of the wealthy. Clock towers throughout the city mark the passage of time. Because the days here are short even during the summer, the streets of the city are lined with lanterns that cast light produced by phosphorescent mosses, harvested from deep underground, that glow brighter in colder temperatures.
Districts
The city sits on a series of massive stair-like ledges that descend in size as they move up the mountain.
- The ground level of the city is home to commoners and foreign travelers. Most of the city's inns, storage houses, and shops are found here, along with the largest garrisons of the city guard.
- The second level of the city is the municipal section of town, home to granaries, storage buildings, army training grounds, and similar structures. The main entrances to the mines are also located on this level.
- The third and fourth tiers are home to the craftsmen who make up the city's middle class. In addition to their comfortable if modest homes, the second level contains guild houses, workshops, reputable eateries and taverns, and a number of entertainment and leisure venues.
- The third fifth and sixth levels are the domain of the wealthy, mostly successful merchants and high-ranking guild leaders. It's essentially a more upscale version of the second level, full of luxurious homes with well-appointed private workshops intermixed with a handful of private clubs, libraries, spas, theaters, and other businesses that cater to the upper crust.
- The seventh and highest tier of the city is the site of the Iron King's castle and the temple complex of Oz-Lehm, which is said to guard to the corridors that lead to the sacred lava forges deep within the mountain.
Assets
The city's greatest asset is its manufacturing and engineering knowledge. With the extensive mines of Dio Oz-Lehm providing most of the materials needed to fuel the city's industry, the only thing that keeps Deo Oz-Lehm from being completely self-sufficient is a lack of enough locally-produced food to sustain the population. To guard against possible disruption in the food supply, the council maintains large granaries and storage houses filled with non-perishable food staples.
Guilds and Factions
Guilds in Dio Oz-Lehm serve a dual role as both traditional trade guilds and government departments. Guilds are responsible for constructing, maintaining, and operating the infrastructure of the city and providing the goods and labor that the city requires to operate (this can range from weapons for the army to kitchen staff for the Iron King's castle). As a result, many guild members work directly for the guild on government projects, with their guild dues deducted from their pay. Guild members who rely on outside work instead of or to supplement work on guild projects must pay guild fees, which can often be paid in kind. Guilds with jurisdiction over goods that the city needs regularly or in large quantities often require that their freelance members produce a certain number of goods for the city (called a guild quota) each month or year. Guild members who achieve the rank of Grand Master are exempt from guild dues.
Since guild fees effectively serve as taxes, all citizens of Dio Oz-Lehm--right up to the Iron King himself--are required to maintain membership in a guild. The only exceptions are professional soldiers and members of the priesthood.
History
The cataclysm that destroyed the Eloszorian Civilization had little effect on the nomadic Lok-Taarna tribes. The shockwaves of the disasters that managed to reach that far north were seen as routine natural disasters or the wrath of angry gods, and the still-primitive nature of Loc-Taarnan society meant they had no great learning to lose in the dark age that affected the people of the south.
Meanwhile the Dvergar, who had seen the coming apocalypse and left the world of men a hundred years before the fall, were searching the mountains for the secret caverns that would lead them to The Land Beneath The Moutain, but they were thwarted at every turn by Oz-Lehm, Keeper of the Secrets of the Mountain, who did not want to see the knowledge of the dwarves disappear forever from the surface world.
Finally the one-eyed dwarf king confronted Oz-Lehm and demanded to know what he must do to find the way back to his peoples' ancient home beneath the surface. Oz-Lehm commanded that the dwarves pass their secrets down to man, then to help the humans build a city that would stand until the end of time. If they did this, the god would show them the way back home. If they refused, the way would remain hidden to them no matter how long they searched.
Not wishing to teach their secrets to the descendants of those who had been responsible for the cataclysm, the dwarves recruited their pupils from among the tribes of the Lok-Taarna and chose a remote mountain on which to build their eternal city. For seven generations of men, the dwarves passed on their secrets to the Lok-Taarna and guided them in the construction of the city that would become Dio Oz-Lehm.
When it was all done, Oz-Lehm appeared and plucked out his own eye, which he placed in the empty socket of the one-eyed dwarf king. The god's eye allowed the dwarf king to see many hidden truths, chief among them the secret way that would lead his people home.
Points of interest
The entire city of Dio Oz-Lehm is a marvel of architecture and engineering, but its two most dominant landmarks are the black iron walls that surround the city and the 250 foot statue of Oz-Lehm carved into the face of the mountain between the Iron King's castle and the temple of Oz-Lehm. Which other locations in the city are worth visiting is largely a matter of personal or professional interest, but one site that seems to attract visitors from all walks of life is the Labyrinth of Remembrance (less reverently referred to as "the bone mines"), an extensive series of played-out mine tunnels that have been repurposed to serve as a massive ossuary for generations of the city's dead.
Tourism
Most of the outsiders who come to the city are either traders hoping to get their hands on Ozlehmite goods or craftsmen who wish to learn the secrets of the dwarves. While the guilds would never reveal all their secrets to an outsider, they are willing to provide instruction to those who can prove their skill. For craftsmen, this means constructing an item of exceptional quality that meets exacting parameters presented to them by the guilds. Engineers, architects, and others whose skills cannot be easily demonstrated with an solo project are typically presented with a hypothetical project or problem that they must provide complete plans to build or solve. Those who can pass these tests are accepted as apprentices to the guild for a term of seven years.
Architecture
The architecture of Dio Oz-Lehm is blocky, functional, and brutalist, only veering away from right angles and straight lines when necessary for structural integrity. Decoration is minimal and tends to consist of simple geometric patterns or elaborately detailed alto-relief statuary. All Ozlehmite buildings include a founder's stone bearing the date construction began, the name of the architect who designed the building, and the name of the person or organization who ordered the construction.
In addition to free-standing buildings, the city makes good use of the various caves and abandoned mine tunnels carved into the side of the mountain. Depending on their intended purpose, these may be left in their natural state or extensively reworked to more closely resemble constructed buildings.
In addition to free-standing buildings, the city makes good use of the various caves and abandoned mine tunnels carved into the side of the mountain. Depending on their intended purpose, these may be left in their natural state or extensively reworked to more closely resemble constructed buildings.
Geography
Dio Oz-Lehm is built into the side of a mountain--part of a chain that forms a north-south barrier to the city's west--at the northern edge of the tree line. The land to the east is relatively flat and covered in snow for most of the year.
Climate
Oz-Lehm has long winters and short summers, with temperatures that remain below freezing for six or seven months out of the year and rarely rise above 70 degrees even at the height of summer. The longest days here provide only around 8 hours of sunlight and the sun doesn't rise at all during the coldest months of the winter. Rain falls often enough to keep the sparse summer vegetation healthy and snowfall keeps the ground covered through most of the winter, but heavy storms are rare.
Natural Resources
The mines of Dio Oz-Lehm are said to extend for miles below the mountain and hundreds of miles in either direction along the mountain range, providing the city with a seemingly unlimited supply of coal, ores of all kinds, gemstones, and other underground treasures.
Dio Oz-Lehm by Steve Johnson
Founding Date
Thousands of years ago.
Founders
Alternative Name(s)
The Black Iron City, Oz-Lehm
Population
10,000
Inhabitant Demonym
Ozlehmites
Owner/Ruler
Additional Rulers/Owners
Comments