Mudvein (MUHD-vehn)
An eternal battle against mud
Mudvein was founded as a mining town and traiding outpost. All of the ore mined from the nearby Steelhammer Mines is brought to Mudvein where is is loaded onto ships for transport to Al Ennore. Mudvein has grown over the years, but it has never outgrown its original purpose. If the mine were to shut down, the town would likely be abandoned shortly after.
Demographics
The population of Mudvein is primarily composed of Goblin, Dwarfling, Halfling, and Human. There are an small assortment of other species that make their home here, such as Argond the Chromatic Dragonborn. Most residents were born in eastern Dimaerune as few outsiders actually desire to move in. Most residents are poor, many working in the mines or as town guards.
Government
Mudvein uses a quite simplistic government in comparison to its neighbors. There are two elected figures, Townmaster of Mudvein and Guardmaster of Mudvein. Elections are held every three years with no term limits. The next election is scheduled for 114AN, but the timer resets if both positions suddenly empty. The Townmaster organizes the town and represents it to other settlements. The guardmaster reports to the townmaster and commands the town guard. Both are paid a modest 2 gold pieces per day.
Important figures
Burchard Brockhouse
Burchard Brockhouse currently holds the position of Towmaster. He is currently serving his third term.Kresk
Kresk is the current Guardmaster, currently serving his second term. He was elected during a special election after the previous Guardmaster was killed when a troll attacked the town.Argond
While not holding any official government position, Argond's position as Steelhamer Guild representative gives him incredible sway over the town's activities, much more than most credit him with. Argond manages the miners who live in Mudvein and work in the nearby mines. This leverage allows Argond to coerce the miners into voting a certain way, and with the number of miners in town, control the vote in most cases. Burchard and Kresk were both elected in this manner, as they were the candidates most beneficial to the Steelhammer Guild's needs. Argond reports directly to the leaders of the Steelhammer Guild in Al Ennore.Laws and Taxes
While the town's records make reference to official documents of laws, these have been lost to time and were never recompiled. The town runs on a single, basic, unspoken principle: Don't harm others. Any town member can bring accusations of harm before the town leadership. The townmaster tends to handle civil issues while the guardmaster will hander matters of violence. If either determine the issue is to big to be decided by their judgement alone, it is brought before a group of townsfolk to let the people decide proper resolution. Taxes are a flat ten percent of income for any individual or business. Because the townmaster alone must handle the taxes, records are freely available for all to audit. This has the unfortunate side-effect in that many residents under-report their income as the Townmaster does not have the resources to investigate these discrepancies. Additionally, each permanent resident old enough to vote is required to give one day per month in public service to the town. This service is organized by the Townmaster and may be served in many ways including:- Maintaining public buildings
- Assisting the guard with maintaining roads
- Tending to, or filling in for, the sick and wounded
- Serving as jury for crimes which require it
- Moving buildings westward to counteract the eastward flow of mud
- Assisting the townmaster in his duties
Defences
Most of Mudvein's defence efforts are focused toward The Mud Forest. A large wooden wall was erected between the town and the forest. The town guard is made up of roughly 60 people in addition to a few commanders, mostly Goblin. The is no wall against any portion of the lake shore, to date, there's never been enough need to build one. The few times the extra wall may have benefited are not worth the extra construction and maintenance of maintaining four times as much wall.
The Mudvein Town Guard maintains 3 8-hour shifts, each with about 6 guards on duty at any given time. Guards are equipped with a variety of weapons - swords, shields, spears, and bows. Others are assigned to work around the town on maintenance or in guarding the mine.
Industry & Trade
Mining is by far the most important industry in Mudvein. More than half of the town is involved with the mine, either directly or indirectly. Most of the ore and coal is exported to Al Ennore, minus the minimum that the town needs to hang on to for its own use. Export ores are usually loaded on to ships to sail across Lake Cancour, as the road through The Mud Forest has grown too dangerous since the Destruction of Nyra.
Those not involved with the mine hold pretty ordinary jobs. There is an inn and tavern, a blacksmith, some dockworkers, a small shrine, and some loggers. Mudvein does have some fields for farming, but the soil is poor and food must be imported, usually from Al Ennore or Oldhaven. A few residents keep livestock, chickens and pigs typically fare well.
Infrastructure
Infrastructure is an ongoing challenge in Mudvein. The mound of mud the town is built on makes building anything difficult. Maintenance is constantly required. Roads are made merely of extra gravel from the nearby Steelhammer Mine and they require constant repairs to remain usable. The vertical logs that make up the wall by the forest are constantly leaning or falling over. Most buildings in town are constructed on mats of logs that have been lashed together - the main exception being the Mud n Ore Forge, but only because the previous one caught fire (though the current stone structure is at risk of sinking into the mud). As the mud does not provide a solid foundation, most buildings are not level and will tend to shift and even slide over time. Log anchors can slow the process, but they are expensive to install and maintain.
Guilds and Factions
The Steelhammer Guild is the most influential organization within Mudvein. Nearly all of the mining and mining-related jobs are through the guild. While the guild doesn't hold any official positions within the town, it gives them a large amount of power with the town.
Tourism
While not typically a tourist destination, Mudvein has a few things that attract outsiders. The Mud Festival is the biggest of the attractions. It doesn't bring in overwhelming numbers of guests, but it is a noticeable increase, often including people who used to live in Mudvein. The other attraction, Mud-Baked Fish, doesn't bring in many guests on its own, but it is well known in western Dimaerune.
Geography
The town is a relatively flat small outcrop on the edge of Lake Cancour. The ground is almost entirely soft mud which slowly slides eastward into the lake. The currents within the lake prevents the flow of mud from expanding the usable land by erroding away the shoreline at roughly the same rate that it drifts.
Climate
Summers in Mudvein are hot and humid, and often rainy. It's proximity to Lake Cancour and The Mud Forest helps it avoid the most extreme of summer heat. Winters are cold and wet. Mudvein typically gets several feet of snow every year.
Natural Resources
Mudvein has few natural resources available to it. The coal and ore from the Steelhammer Mine is by far the most important resource, though it lies a half-day trek through The Mud Forest. Wood is extracted from the Mud Forest.
Mudvein has two local sources of food, but they are not enough to keep up with consumption, requiring imports to keep the town fed. There are some farmable fields around the edges of town, the muddy soil provides relatively poor yeilds for most crops. Low-growing crops, especially those on vines (such as melons and pumpkins) tend to grow best. Taller crops such as corn and wheat tend to fall over before they are ready to harvest. The other source of food is fish from Lake Cancour. Mudvein's fishing industry has only recently started back up. Following the Destruction of Nyra, fish levels in the lake dropped drastically, remaining too low to fish any significant volume of fish for decades.
Dimaerune by Collin Dietrich
Founding Date
216 BN
Alternative Name(s)
Mud Town
Type
Town
Population
800
Inhabitant Demonym
Mudders
Location under
Included Locations
Owner/Ruler
Ruling/Owning Rank
Related Tradition (Primary)
Characters in Location
Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
Comments