Darkstone
"Darkstone, that macabre jewel of the Outlands. With it's black stone buildings and ancient, crumbling walls. The never-ending clang of hammer against steel, pickax against rock. The endless noise of industry. How I hate and love it so."
Darkstone is a large city in the Outlands. It is built near the largest known deposit of noxiron, a strong form of iron used to craft powerful weapons and armor. The city, and the region around it, is a territory of the Union, protected by the United Altean Military. It is one of the major stops along the Grand Union Railroad, which stretches from Spire City across the Outlands.
Demographics
According to a recent Union census, roughly 17% of the city's population has some degree of Waytouched mutations, due to the large number of miners working closely with Wayrocks.
Wealth disparity is remarkably high in Darkstone, with well over 60% of the population living below the poverty line.
Government
Darkstone is an independent territory with no official ties to any state. It is administrated by the Darkstone Mining Guild, an organization of wealthy ore barons. All mining operations within Darkstone fall under the jurisdiction of the Guild, who negotiate contracts with the surrounding city-states. This form of contracting may on the surface resemble the collective bargaining supported by the worker guilds, but in truth serves only to line the pockets of the barons, leaving the workers of Darkstone underpaid and impoverished.
The city also has a mayoral position, though it serves mostly as a figurehead for the Guild, with little true administrative power.
Defences
The city is surrounded by a strong stone wall, which was built in the early days of the city using dark stones from a nearby quarry. The walls are segmented with dozens of guard towers, each of which are equipped with cannons.
Industry & Trade
Most inhabitants of Darkstone are miners working in the nearby mines. A number of blacksmiths also operate in Darkstone, forging strong weapons and armor out of noxiron. The rich elite of Darkstone tend to be business tycoons representing one of the major Union corporations.
Darkstone has strong trade contracts with both Gregoreich and the Cerelian Republic.
Assets
Darkstone is a mining city, it's primary exports being both Wayrock and noxiron. Besides these resources, Darkstone has a remarkably small impact on the Altean economy.
Guilds and Factions
The Darkstone Mining Alliance is in charge of all mining operations in the city.
In recent years, a fledgling branch of the Miner's Guild has taken hold among the city's workers but has faced a great deal of repression from the DMA and the Spire Union Protectorate.
History
Darkstone was founded in 1527 by the Altean Imperium after a strong, dark form of iron called noxiron was discovered during an expedition into the Bitter Mountains. Imperium smiths soon found a way to forge incredibly powerful steel using noxiron, and production began on outfitting the Imperium's armies with noxsteel equipment. Mining continued in the city even through the civil wars following the Cataclysm of 1800, changing hands between the United Republics and Imperium multiple times during the decades of war. When the war ended, Darkstone became an independent city.
Today, Darkstone remains one of the largest and most powerful cities in the Outlands.
Architecture
Many of the older buildings in Darkstone are built from the eponymous black rocks left over from the mining operations, and match the feudalistic styles of the old Imperium. Most buildings are simple in design, rarely any more than four walls and a roof. Larger buildings such as inns and businesses are somewhat more complex, but still come down to the same basic designs. Newer buildings are few and far between, but break away from the unified Imperium styles in favor of the unique cultural styles of the core Union states. These buildings often use imported materials, and clash visually with the old Darkstone aesthetic.
Geography
The city rests at the foot of the Blackened Hills in the Outlands, which in turn are surrounded by the plains of the West Outlands.
Natural Resources
Darkstone's primary resource is metal, specifically noxiron. Since the Cataclysm, Darkstone has also begun mining Wayrock, the extra-dimensional material needed for powering magitech. Some of the land surrounding the city is used for farming.
Type
City
Population
Approximately 3,000
Location under
Included Locations
Characters in Location
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