Blingdenstone

Blingdenstone (pronounced: /ˈblɪŋdɛnstɒnɛ/ BLING-den-stone[6]) was a svirfneblin city-state founded in −690 DR by svirfneblin fleeing the phaerimm. In 1371 DR, the city was destroyed and abandoned. However, beginning around 1440 DR the svirfneblin began to resettle the town with support from Mithral Hall and Silverymoon

History

In 1338 DR, Drizzt Do'Urden spent many weeks there (in the company of Most Honored Burrow Warden Belwar Dissengulp) after surviving for ten years in the Underdark by himself. It was ruled by King Schnicktick at the time.
Preceding their attack on Mithral Hall in 1358 DR, Menzoberranyr troops entered Blingdenstone to find it abandoned. The deep gnomes had fled the approach of the advancing drow but returned to their city some time after the drow army had passed through. Later in the year, Most Honored Burrow Warden Belwar Dissengulp led a small force of svirfnibli in a scouting/rear attack move that aided in the defense of Keeper's Dale during the Battle of Keeper's Dale.
In 1371 DR, the drow destroyed Blingdenstone in retaliation, summoning dozens of bebilith demons that slaughtered around 9,000 gnomes. The survivors fled to settle in the Silver Marches, though most wished to reclaim their home. King Bruenor Battlehammer of Mithral Hall extended his hospitality to any surviving gnomes; the 350 or so that resided in the underground town were led by Belwar Dissengulp.
Two years later, Blingdenstone was occupied by two groups living in relative harmony: Drow scavengers, most of whom belonged to House Duskryn, and a band of 25 svirfneblin wererats. The drow excavated the cavern floor using dominated xorns to unearth spellgems placed there by the former occupants to prevent attacks from burrowing enemies. The wererats occupied the maze and entrance area of the city but could not venture further because of the collapsed and flooded tunnels that the fleeing gnome survivors made during their flight. They ambushed and killed small treasure-seeking parties that entered their realm but otherwise lived peacefully and comfortably in their domain.
In the late 15th century DR, the svirfneblin returned to reclaim their land.

Points of interest

My initial joy at reaching Blingdenstone was quickly tempered. The deep gnomes don’t seem to like visitors they can’t recognize or identify, and being a half-orc didn’t help matters in the least for me. After dodging arrows loosed from the high walls of the city, I gave up on going through the gate and snuck in through a small cart tunnel, emptying out part of a load of ore to make room for myself.
I managed to avoid conflict with the guards that discovered me in the cart. When they ordered me to stand, I did so with my weapon held at my side, and I turned to display my back to them. When they saw that it was covered in lashes and the scars of the priestesses’ fanged whips, and they realized that my blade was of drow manufacture (though I clearly was not), they were willing to believe my story.
Though the gnomes kept me under watch, I was allowed to regain my strength for a few days, and I saw a bit of their community in the meantime. Once I was inside the city, I could tell that it’s not much of a city at all. The svirfneblin all live in close contact with one another, and this togetherness can be disconcerting, especially for someone accustomed to small luxuries like shutters on windows and doors on privies. The homes are all smoothed-over natural stone, with little evidence of hard corners.
Each industry has a portion of the city to itself: trading, smithing, mining, and the growing of a special fungus crop. Still many of the old tunnels and caverns remain unclaimed and sealed off, whether to guard against invasion or perhaps because of what now dwells there, I don’t know.
If you’re welcomed long enough to the city, you can trade for fine goods and armor here; the gnomes’ chain mail and mining picks seem most worth acquiring. Before sending me on my way, the gnomes were kind enough to give me a pick, a dagger, and some of their trillimac, an odd fungus that can be made into something like bread. It’s a bit spongy, but it doesn’t spoil quickly, and it got me to the surface before I starved to death.

— Volo

Geography

The city was located some 45 miles west of the Drow city Menzoberranzan in the Upperdark under the Silver Marches near Mithral Hall.

Founding Date

-690 DR

Type

City

Location under

The Underdark