Balerun

Balerun is the much-maligned ninth city of the Confederation. Once upon a time, Balerun was a full-fledged member of the Confederation. According to the legends, Thorenn Mireton himself founded the city of Balerun to be home to all those who couldn't find a place in any of the other eight cities. Nowadays, however, it is a lawless place. Some 40 years ago, any semblance of structure in the city crumbled away for unknown reasons. However, since extradition from the Confederation requires either a decleration of war from the city or a formal signing of a declaration of independence by a representative from that city, Balerun is still officially a member. A declaration of independence signed by every other City is rumoured to be gathering dust in the confederate archives in Lyndon, waiting for that final signature.
The city exists under the yoke of the organised crime syndicate called the Chain and is therefore usually referred to as the City of Criminals. There are two laws in Balerun: "Respect the Chain" and "Kill or be Killed".

Demographics

A melange of non-monstrous and monstrous races.

Government

None. It is half-functional criminal organisations trying to coexist somewhat peacefully.

Defences

Since the entire city is underground, only the entrance tower needs to be defended. It is a single spire made of solid adamantite that is largely left abandoned, but before someone reaches the city proper there is a guardpost. This post is usually manned by Chainlings.

Industry & Trade

The Mithral and Adamantite mines are still active, and the city subsists entirely off of guilds mining and trading these minerals to other Confederate cities (mostly on the black market), to the Donylian islands, or even all the way to Bal-Karat.

Infrastructure

As a former mining city, the entire city exists underground. It exists on a broad spiral that moves along the inside of a large shaft, where houses and buildings are built. The upper reaches are more residential, further down are craftsmen and organisational buildings, and at the bottom we find smithies, blast furnaces, and lifts to go deeper down into the mines.

Notable shops

• The Dusty Anvil is a boutique armorer's shop. The proprietor, a no-nonsense cigar-smoking female dwarf named Danelle, takes great pride in her work with particularly adamantine and mithral. 
• Versatile Vials is an apothecary and potion shop run by Hugo, a squirrely human shopkeep who seems all to nervous to be in a city like Balerun.

Guilds and Factions

The Chain has a very strong presence here. There is also the four major mining organisations, each named after an old Duergar noble house: Gorunn, Glanhig, Balderk, Brazzik. Anyone who isn't a Dwarf would be hard-pressed to find a meaningful difference between these four, other than whoever is richer at any given time.

History

During the days of the Old Kingdom, Balerun was known as the Mines of Ghalrrak, the main source of Mithral and Adamantite for the Kingdom. The Revolution reached Ghalrrak last, as it was remote and easily defensible. When the Revolutionaries finally breached the cities defenses, they found that most of the Duergar population had vanished. The legend goes that there may be a way into the Underdark down below the city through which the Duergar escaped, but this has never been confirmed.
After Lyndon had become the new Confederate capital, Balerun existed as a major source of monetary income for the Confederation. However, in the year 671, the then-steward of the city had been levying steeper and steeper taxes off the mining guilds, forcing the miners to work longer days for less pay. The fledgling criminal organisation known nowadays as the Chain saw the civil unrest within the city as an opportunity and led a series of violent revolts against the steward. When the steward was overthrown, the Confederate council demanded that a new steward was vetted by the leaders of the other cities before he was put in place, to prevent another bout of civil unrest from happening. The Chain cut off all communication to the other cities and instated themselves as the leading organisation of the city. As expected, this did not last. The various guilds and organisations within the cities have been vying for control of as much of the cities assets as possible. This lack of a cohesive power structure means that anarchy rules on the streets. Although the city is less safe for most races because of this, it has become somewhat of a haven for races that face a lot of prejudice on the outside. If you know how to survive the streets and make somewhat of a life for yourself, it can be a liberating place to live.

Architecture

Most of the houses are old Dwarven ruines that were carved from the very rock, with wooden structures built as extensions to them.

Alternative Name(s)

The City of Thieves

Type

Large city

Population

14,000

Inhabitant Demonym

Balians