Druvenlode (DREW-vin-LOAD)

Established in the early years following the Calamity, Druvenlode is the primary source of precious metal in Western Wynandir. Located at the western base of the Silberquel Ridge by the mouth of the largest silver vein ever found on the continent. Dusty from wind-swept mountain dirt that turns to mud in the wetter seasons, Druvenlode is a far cry from beautiful Rexxentrum or any of the pastoral villages of the empire. Though the city is wealthy, buildings here were designed for function and storage while the talented architects focused on the noble homesteads and wards of the capital, leaving Druvenlode seemingly rough and rustic by comparison.

Basic Information

Government: The city is run by Starosta Uvilia Whek, who oversees the mining guilds. Her rule is supported by Watchmaster Quin Theramast and her Crownsguard.
Defense: A regiment of Crownsguard help protect the city, as well as the mines. Guildmasters and nobles also maintain personal guards.
Commerce: Basic supplies, inns, and taverns are easy to find here. Ore and ingots are readily available, and rough, rare metals are traded on occasion.
Organizations: Several temples can be found across the city. While smaller organizations exist within the city, the mining guilds are by far the most powerful and wealthy merchant groups.

A Bit More In Depth

Government

Starosta Uvilia Whek oversees all major mining operations, and the larger mining guilds report directly to her. Maintenance of these mines also requires constantly protecting the workers and battling the dangerous creatures of the Silberquel Ridge, creating a thriving market for mercenary work when the Crownsguard are too busy-or too cowardly. The majority of the population works directly in or adjacent to the mining industry, laboring within the mines and tunnels, categorizing and smelting recovered minerals and metals, or forging materials into useful tools for distribution across Western Wynandir.

Crime

The local Crownsguard do their best to keep the peace, but with most eyes looking east to the war, the streets are ripe for criminal activity. Theft of goods and ore is increasing, and a call for additional, outside aid grows with it.

Defense

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Commerce

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Organizations

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Geography

Druvenlode is divided into three main areas. Most citizens live in the ramshackle Dustbellows, where the clustered mass of simple hovels and retrofitted warehouses house those living hand-to-mouth. In these dreary streets, the need for distraction leads to a plethora of experimental music and dance at street corners and simple taverns. Silverstreet is a long thoroughfare where the talented folk of Druvenlode hawk their wares, advertise their skills, and seek legal ways to earn an income under the watch of the empire. The street is bookended by two massive gambling taverns that vie for dominance: the Sterling Satchel and the Cabin of Fortune. The Pillars is the industrial part of the city, where dark columns of smoke and exhaust belch forth from the massive smelting operations that dot the landscape. Most miners and physical laborers work in this area, and many of them live in the same soot-dusted factories where they toil.

Druvenlode Adventures

Adventure can be found in Druvenlode's mines, which occasionally fill up with burrowing beasts, as well as in the city proper, where shady characters are often found indulging in gambling or petty theft.

Type

City

Population

12,110 (70% humans, 14% dwarves, 9% elves, 7% other races)

Location under

Zemni Fields

Owning Organization

Dwendalian Empire