Toppingward

The closest thing the Gnomes have to a city is Toppingward, a sprawling settlement near the southern border of the Gnomish Moorlands. It is a centre for trade and business with the world outside the Moorlands, and is most folks first point of contact when coming to the Moorlands. It is a wonderfully ecclectic place, in terms of both architecture and culture, and the people are some of the most welcoming I have ever encountered.

— Jerotus Rosethorn, explorer and travel writer

Location, Location, Location

Bally Loch is a small lake surrounded by rocky green hills to the north and boggy marshland to the south. The hills afford excellent views across the Moorlands and the first glimpse of the majestic Ironcrown Mountains. The Loch itself is also beautiful, reflecting the surrounding hills and sky in its still, clear waters, and wildflowers bloom along it shores and on the small island which sits at its centre. Toppingward is built on the northern shore where there is plenty of high ground to avoid the seasonal rising of the loch, and a few large flat areas for some of the bigger buildings.

A Mix of Architecture

Toppingward is one of the few places in the Moorlands that wasn't built entirely by the Gnomes, and also utilises a lot more stone than is normally found in Gnomish villages. It is built on many levels, due to the craggy nature of the land, and some houses are built from stone, some from wood and some from both, some Gnomes have chosen to build into the earth itself. As is always the case Gnomes utilise well what their environment gives them.
The town also has a row of human sized cottages at the end of which stands a large three storey inn. For these buildings the Gnomes enlisted the aid of Humans and Dwarves from the nearby town of Greyhill. The Gnomes rent out the cottages to folk on holiday or nature enthusiasts and the like. They have tried to keep the decor natural and simple, but comfortable and warm, the Gnomish way.

Type

Large town

Included Locations

• Ballytopp Inn