Ironhold
I thought Farrohol was a city built on industry, but once I made it into Gilvonnaie I found what it really means to push that limit. Bartholomew's bones, they truly are not afraid of putting in the effort.Ironhold exists today as a place to acquire large quantities of steel or other metal, without sacrificing quality to do so. The city is ruled over by Lady Remila Sezarine and kept focused almost entirely on this purpose. It stands firm with walls of iron-clad stone and defenders able to throw back even raiding giants, when such occurs. Roads leading in and out of Ironhold are kept safe, leading to the other cities of Gilvonnaie and south into the borderlands of the Rhyliss Empire. For the most part, Ironhold is an example of how cities in Gilvonnaie operate: focusing hard on a purpose, and surviving long enough to build up defenses against raids.
Visitors do not find the city a bustling area of activity, as many citizens have jobs which come with considerable amounts of time where they do nothing. Smelters and forges have a staggered schedule so one group of these places can rest as the other works, and those who work other jobs often have large amounts of "downtime". This leads to there being a handful of dedicated venues for entertainment, such as an interior theater known as "The Slag House" and a bar complex called "Spirits of Fire". Visitors often find themselves drawn into these places, and easily wind up in over their heads with how much the citizens enjoy their 'off-hours'.
Industry & Trade
Steel. Steel, and iron. That's what we sell here. Looking for something else? Down the road a couple days you can find the Golden City, where you can buy anything you need. Even steel, aye, because they buy from us.Ever since the first buildings went up, Ironhold has been about the profession of turning ore into usable metal. As the years passed and the city grew, they refused to move on from these crafts and only worked to hone their processes. Furthermore, they opt to focus on a consistent quality in bulk rather than exceptional quality in smaller amounts. As such, Ironhold is one of the most productive cities of its kind outside of the Empire's boundaries. Despite this, it is possible to commission smaller-scale runs of higher quality, but additional costs start to quickly add up. The only smelter who can routinely be counted on to do small batches in this manner is 'Darkfire Forges', run by Milton Darkfire. Social stigmas already give the tiefling less work than others, so instead he turns to offering higher quality instead. He's also been known to run batches of ore which are not iron, but the markup for resetting his smelters for the change in process mean it is done infrequently.
Finally, there are a few forges which turn metal into products, but they mostly are meant for citizens to acquire things they need rather than for exports. Blacksmiths making nails, hammers, or other commonplace goods are far more common than finding someone capable (and willing) to construct arms or armor. That's not to say they lack the skill or knowledge, but the smiths of Ironhold have little reason to do so - it's simply not profitable in comparison to simple goods. The local saying goes: "Everyone needs a nail, but not everyone needs mail."
Infrastructure
Most of the city has been built and rebuilt over time to accommodate the rising industrial focus, and prevent portions of the city from being too much worse than others. Thus the roads and gates are kept in great condition, with some places having footpaths located separately from places where wagons would be traveling. Near the smelters there might actually be three 'roads' stacked on top of each other, as raw ore is often brought to those places through an underground network of tunnels.
When it comes to water, some cues are taken from underground clanhalls of dwarves. Potable water is drawn up through wells inside the city and sent to reservoirs which can hold about a week's worth of water before they become depleted. (This is under normal usage, rather than a siege. During a siege, rationing would allow the water to last for roughly triple the time.) before pipes carry the water where it is needed. This elegant arrangement allows most households easier access to water, though not always an unlimited amount. Sewer lines run deep to underground collection points where any waste which too solid is filtered out before getting dumped into a cave system. There are a small cadre of workers whose task it is to keep the filters from becoming completely blocked, while also keeping an eye out for anything trying to use the sewer tunnels as a nest.
Much as there are workers devoted to tending the sewers, there are worker groups assigned to care for other aspects of the city as specialists rather than generalists. The laborers meant to keep the roads and paths in good repair are not to work in the sewers, and the fire response teams are not to be responsible for tending streetlamps. Such civil servants are often given two sets of training, but they are asked to pick one of the two as a 'primary post' and only switch in times of necessity. Furthermore, Lady Sezarine sets aside a healthy portion of the citizens' taxes to pay these servants, allowing them to lead good - if not entirely comfortable - lives.
When it comes to water, some cues are taken from underground clanhalls of dwarves. Potable water is drawn up through wells inside the city and sent to reservoirs which can hold about a week's worth of water before they become depleted. (This is under normal usage, rather than a siege. During a siege, rationing would allow the water to last for roughly triple the time.) before pipes carry the water where it is needed. This elegant arrangement allows most households easier access to water, though not always an unlimited amount. Sewer lines run deep to underground collection points where any waste which too solid is filtered out before getting dumped into a cave system. There are a small cadre of workers whose task it is to keep the filters from becoming completely blocked, while also keeping an eye out for anything trying to use the sewer tunnels as a nest.
Much as there are workers devoted to tending the sewers, there are worker groups assigned to care for other aspects of the city as specialists rather than generalists. The laborers meant to keep the roads and paths in good repair are not to work in the sewers, and the fire response teams are not to be responsible for tending streetlamps. Such civil servants are often given two sets of training, but they are asked to pick one of the two as a 'primary post' and only switch in times of necessity. Furthermore, Lady Sezarine sets aside a healthy portion of the citizens' taxes to pay these servants, allowing them to lead good - if not entirely comfortable - lives.
Okay, remember. If you see something move down here, tell your partner. Don't go running after it, don't try to shoot your crossbow at it, and don't scream. You could slip, your shot could ricochet, and your voice carries.
If you can't find your partner, get to the surface at the nearest access point. Don't wait, just move.
Type
City
Owner/Ruler
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