Dolum
A small but extremely important village, Dolum is a mining town at the base of the vast mountain range that separates Ironhold and Wescovia. Some homes and artisan shops sit above the ground - and even some are built high into the mountains above, but the majority of them are below the surface, built into the earth.
It is run by Verrick Deepmark, whose family has owned the mining rights since the founding of Ironhold. This makes Dolum one of the few major settlements not run by a militia officer, though there are two a militia garrisons in the village - a small one on the surface and a larger one down below.
It is run by Verrick Deepmark, whose family has owned the mining rights since the founding of Ironhold. This makes Dolum one of the few major settlements not run by a militia officer, though there are two a militia garrisons in the village - a small one on the surface and a larger one down below.
Industry & Trade
Dolum’s entire lifeblood is mining. The town sits above one of the richest mineral veins in the region, called The Red Line, a seam of metal and gem deposits that has sustained the settlement for centuries. Smelting and refining also take place in Dolum, with the heat and smoke vented through long stone chimneys carved into the mountainside.
Most miners work multi-day shifts underground, sleeping in deepstone bunkhouses carved into safe zones. Surface life supports the miners: food halls, toolsmiths, breweries, and rest houses cater to the workers in their off-hours.
Most miners work multi-day shifts underground, sleeping in deepstone bunkhouses carved into safe zones. Surface life supports the miners: food halls, toolsmiths, breweries, and rest houses cater to the workers in their off-hours.
Architecture
Above ground, Dolum is compact and austere. Buildings are squat and stone-built, with heavy shutters to guard against mountain winds. Most roofs are slate, and the roads are hewn directly from the bedrock. Below ground, however, Dolum becomes a different world. Great chasm-halls are supported by ancient pillars, glowing with phosphorous moss and enchanted torches. Elevators operated by gear-driven counterweights ferry dwarves up and down the mining levels.
The center of Dolum is The Breach, a massive vertical shaft nearly 500 feet wide that descends in a spiral of staircases and scaffolds. It is both awe-inspiring and dangerous. Work is currently being done to add a giant elevator to the shaft.
The center of Dolum is The Breach, a massive vertical shaft nearly 500 feet wide that descends in a spiral of staircases and scaffolds. It is both awe-inspiring and dangerous. Work is currently being done to add a giant elevator to the shaft.
Geography
Dolum clings to the rocky skirts of the western mountains, its structures built into ridgelines and cliff faces. Though its surface buildings are modest, the true breadth of the town lies below ground in spiraling networks of tunnels, mines, forges, and subterranean dormitories. The landscape is stark and steep, with only hardy mosses and cold-resistant scrub clinging to the slopes. A narrow path called the Stonecoil Road connects Dolum to the wider Ironhold trade routes, winding perilously through cliffside ledges.
Founding Date
1029
Type
Village
Population
8,000
Owner/Ruler
Owning Organization
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