Icemaw

The canyon is cold and dry, though the canyon walls keep the icebitting wind out, for the most part. The horizon is broken apart by large and wind-cut sandstone formations rising from the ground, caked in layers of snow and ice. Up ahead, nestled within a cluster of these rocky outcroppings, lies Icemaw. The town is mostly just shacks and shanties, many of which reinforced by bricks of snow, with the exception of the ancient arena that stands at its heart. A thing of the past, it is built of limestone, brick, and marble. Judging from the clang of steel and shouts carrying over the canyon, it’s in use today too. In Icemaw, blood and gold spill forth with regularity; here travelers are just as likely to win their fortune as they are to lose their heads.

Demographics

Resident races: Human (22%), Half-Orc (19%), Dwarf (17%), Tiefling (15%), Gnome (7%), Halfling (7%), Dragonborn (6%), Half-Giant (4%), Elf (2%), Other races (< 1% each). Icemaw’s remote location and harsh reputation has granted it a diverse lot of inhabitants.

Government

Government: While it’s lauded that Icemaw has no formal laws or government, its not entirely without order. In general, peace is maintained by a certain honor among thieves. While an occasional tavern brawl or fleeced traveler may be overlooked, blatant theft, murder, or other misdeeds don’t fair well with Icemaw’s established residents. Egregious offenders find themselves at the mercy of an angry mob.

Defences

Icemaw is poorly equipped to defend itself. It has no walls, no army, and no scouts to alert it should an enemy approach. Its best defense is its location far from other civilized lands, in the center of an inhospitable freezing canyon, although these factors wouldn’t stop a determined force from overtaking it. Should such a force appear on the horizon, its residents would be more likely to flee to safety than they would be to stand and defend the town.

Industry & Trade

Nothing is taboo to sell, say, or do in Icemaw. Here travelers can indulge in its gaming houses, openly purchase weapons, poisons, and slaves, enjoy the company of prostitutes, or bet their coins on the lives of prisoners forced into the arena. Ironically, it can be quite difficult to procure some of the most mundane items of daily life here, given Sunmaw’s location. Water is at the top of that list. A cup of water currently costs 1 electrum piece, a price that has more than doubled during harsh droughts.
One of the most recent trading engagements Icemaw has adapated is monster pet auctions, selling "properly acquired" monster pets and eggs to various customers at Raven's Regale.

Infrastructure

Bloody_Run, Icemaw Arena, Monster Pits

Assets

Lodgings: Kozer's Rest , Stoneloft , Watercask Inn

Assets of Interest: The Dice Pit, Hunter’s Circle , The Lucky Lizard , Razerscorn Academy, The Silvershoe, Raven's Regale (Auction House)

History

In another age, a forgotten civilization built a grand colosseum, using it for a variety of festivals and events. No records exist of what became of its creators, as the arena is the only piece of their culture that survived. Its remote location and the canyon’s arid climate made the arena nothing more than a talking point for centuries, until 32 years ago when a group of exiled criminals found themselves on its doorstep.
Fortunate enough to have procured a source of water, tools, and trade materials, the outlaws set up Icemaw’s first shacks in the shadow of this arena. Within time, the site attracted the eyes of other unsavory characters, tempted by the freedom of laws and lawmen. They would make the trip through the canyon to construct homes of their own there as well.

Tourism

Today, Icemaw has grown to a respectable size, with its own unique businesses, residents, and culture. It can be a welcome site to those traveling through the relentless dry cold of the canyon, though as many travelers do not stop to there as those that do. Icemaw knows no walls, no laws, and no remorse.

Architecture

Predominantly shacks surrounded by blocks of snow, similar to how igloos look, to trap in heat and prevent the chill from seeping in. Drap and dreery, people don't really care for decoration.

Geography

A town in the middle of a canyon, with large rocky mounds of ice and snow sticking out from the ground, blocking a lot of the wind that seeps into the canyon, making it feel warmer than it is. Water is not a rare commodity here, but wood and things that burn well are.

Alternative Name(s)

Rat's Nest

Type

Town

Population

960

Included Locations

• Bloody Run
• Hunter’s Circle
• Kozer's Rest
• Stoneloft