Braymoor
Braymoor is a heavily fortified city known for its innovation in shipcraft, mining, and its growing distrust of outsiders. Surrounded by a massive stone wall and guarded by a single, imposing gate, the city presents an image of both industrial power and closed-off secrecy. What began as a coastal hub for master shipbuilders has evolved into a prosperous but paranoid mining stronghold with strange rumors, eccentric residents, and secrets buried—both figuratively and literally—beneath its stone streets. Travelers are welcome only briefly and watched constantly, expected to state their business and leave when done. At the city’s heart looms a towering monolith-clock, inscribed with runes that are older than the city itself.
Demographics
The city is predominantly dwarven and kobold, particularly due to the mining industry, with small populations of humans, elves, and tieflings, most of whom have lived in the city for generations. Outsiders rarely stay long and attempts to settle are usually denied through red tape, harsh zoning restrictions, or outright refusal. Kobolds, once a marginalized group, have gained a surprising amount of respect due to Urka’s leadership, leading to a rare elevation of status among their kind within Braymoor’s walls.
Government
Braymoor operates under a utilitarian governance model, led by Mayor Urka—once a humble kobold miner who revolutionized the "safety", efficiency, and output of the Cobalt Grove mineshaft. As head of Nether Region Industries, Urka’s popularity and innovation earned him a majority vote among the city’s resource-based guilds, and he now governs with a shrewd but fair hand. The mayoral office is backed by a mining council made up of guild leaders, business owners, and engineers, who operate like a trade syndicate more than a traditional legislative body. Religion is quietly discouraged in political spaces, and zealotry is viewed with suspicion.
Infrastructure
Braymoor’s infrastructure is functional, sturdy, and brutally efficient. Its roads are paved with mined stone, its water is pumped from a deep aquifer system beneath the city, and magical lanterns powered by glowstones line the streets. Residential buildings are often compact and built of brick, stone, and timber—designed for insulation and durability more than aesthetic appeal. The city uses lift carts and conveyor systems to transport mined goods quickly across town. The harbor, though no longer the primary focus of the economy, is still active, primarily used for loading materials and specialized ships built for industrial trade. Expansion efforts in the last decade have pushed Braymoor’s reach into mining colonies on Nauquan and Brifux, using boat-iron hybrids crafted by Braymoor engineers.
Assets
Braymoor’s most valuable assets lie in its mineral wealth, mechanical engineering, and knowledge of ship and airship design. The Cobalt Grove mineshaft continues to produce rare ores and gems, while local industries have refined the creation of durable tools, armor plating, and steam components. Braymoor’s legacy in boatmaking gave it a strong foundation, but its newer contracts with Windbury for airship design have elevated it to strategic importance. The city’s defenses—its walls, clock tower, and strict access control—are considered some of the most secure in the region. It also holds cultural assets like the Odeum of Dreams and The Flagon and Ghost, though the latter attracts the kind of attention the city tends to avoid.
History
Founded over two centuries ago, Braymoor began as a coastal village of craftsmen and woodworkers, favored for its proximity to high-quality timber from Didun. Its early fame came from boatbuilding—so much so that noble houses and even naval militaries commissioned ships from Braymoor’s yards. The town's fortunes changed dramatically when miners discovered rich veins of rare minerals just outside its borders. As wealth surged, Braymoor petitioned for and constructed enormous walls, claiming it was for protection—but in truth, it marked the beginning of the city's reclusive culture. Outsiders were no longer welcomed as business partners, but as potential thieves or spies. Over the last 25 years, under Mayor Urka’s guidance, Braymoor expanded its influence by establishing mining operations across the sea, creating outposts and contractor routes in Nauquan and Brifux. Though the city is more prosperous than ever, it is also more closed off, and the sense of paranoia has only grown deeper with time.
Points of interest
Braymoor is filled with strange and compelling locations, from the Clock Tower, an ancient rune-covered structure that keeps perfect time, to Uglug’s Bridge, a skeletal sea monster-turned-bridge leading to the island of Gashak. The Thirsty Gypsy, run by the unsettling elf Nerwenye, offers strange dishes and rumors in equal measure. The Flagon and Ghost , a haunted tavern run a cleric Herim and his sharp-toothed Tiefling partner Alys, is one of the city’s most curious stops. Other notable sites include Joane’s Ironworks, where religion is unwelcome and the pickaxes are legendary; Gentasi’s Potions, checked meticulously by his badger assistant; the Odeum of Dreams, a chaotic little theater with trained snakes; and the Asylum, where the minds broken by Braymoor’s madness are quietly studied. Lastly, The Fox’s Arcana stands as a dim, discount magic shop where bards are treated with mild favoritism—one of the few warm gestures in a town full of cold stares.
Geography
Braymoor is nestled between the misty coastal cliffs of the western shore and the dense forests of Didun. Its geography features low, rocky hills, salt-weathered stone paths, and cliffs that drop off sharply into the crashing ocean below.
Climate
The weather is perpetually overcast, with frequent fog and a constant chill carried in by sea winds. Winters are typically mild. The land is rich in minerals but poor in agriculture, making Braymoor reliant on trade or preservation for most of its food.
Maps
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Grenias: Braymoor - The Mining City
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