Ekastushil (Eck-ast-Ush-ill)
The dwarven hillock of Ekastushil (literal; safe-snow) is located in northern Galtarland and is a stop on the High Road trade route. Oddly enough this leg of the Road is navigated by water, specifically the river Á Fagna which the hillock is buried close to. The town gets many travelers in both the summer and winter due to the fact that Á Fagna never freezes over in the winter because of ambient volcanic heat in the region.
The hillock is constructed primarily underground within a rounded hill. A few buildings do exist above ground, notably a boathouse and dock for the riverboats, some above ground farms tended to in the summer, and defensive watchtowers with no surface access point instead being entered with ladders by climb up from the tunnels.
Access to the tunnels is by one path, minus the watchtower's entrance tunnels which can be sealed internally. A great ramp that runs down past reinforced walls silted for arrows and many other nasty surprises. Despite being an average sized trading tor (village) Ekastushil is still a dwarven settlement and so excessive defenses were worked into all of the outer structures. These defenses are primarily to act as a deterrence for bandits, protection from wandering monsters, and the stoping of ne'er-do-wells.
The tor itself is divided broadly into three districts: the trading ward where inns and taverns (including the famous tavern Ucatlanlar; the Drunken Bird) catering to the merchants and travelers are located as well as the market hall where residents and traders conduct business; next is the residential ward where the native population live and work their artisanal trades; lastly is the industrial ward where the mines, forges, and craftsdwarf workshops are located.
Ekastushil is ruled over by a council of four sveitarherrar (Borough Lords). Each sveitarherra governs one of the three wards, along with the Marshal who commands the tor militia and is only included to create voting ties with the other three in order to foster debate. The three lords are; the Mayor of the Residential Ward, the Broker of the Trade Ward, and the Forgemaster of the Industrial Ward, along with the Marshal Throzir Ironmaul. The three who hold the titles are Mayor Dhuwilyn Goldspine, Broker Gríðr Uristotad, and Forgemaster Firholin Onyxbraid.
Almost every dwarf in Ekastushil is part of the same Kjanth, Kjanth Iûritmithmis (Spine-gristle). The somewhat strange clan name was one of the nicknames of Oristoick the Berylmaster who by marriage and descent just so happens to be the common ancestor of all the dwarves of Ekastushil. He was also the first brewer and jewlsmith of Ekastushil as his other very punny nickname would suggest. The second nickname, the kjanth name, comes from the fact that his favorite food was bone marrow which he jokingly called spine-gristle. His second nickname was chosen as his kjanth name as he liked Berylmaster more and wanted to keep it.
When the tor was first founded it was decided that each founder would start their own kjanth and by decent they would find which would overcome the rest. Now only three kjanth other than Iûritmithmis, not counting immigrated kjanth, remain. The Uristotad (Dagger-hand) kjanth, who's most notable member is the Broker Gríðr, and Vesrulflagga (Worm-flagon) kjanth, who's family run the Tavern Ucatlanlar, are the reaming other original kjanth.
The hillock is constructed primarily underground within a rounded hill. A few buildings do exist above ground, notably a boathouse and dock for the riverboats, some above ground farms tended to in the summer, and defensive watchtowers with no surface access point instead being entered with ladders by climb up from the tunnels.
Access to the tunnels is by one path, minus the watchtower's entrance tunnels which can be sealed internally. A great ramp that runs down past reinforced walls silted for arrows and many other nasty surprises. Despite being an average sized trading tor (village) Ekastushil is still a dwarven settlement and so excessive defenses were worked into all of the outer structures. These defenses are primarily to act as a deterrence for bandits, protection from wandering monsters, and the stoping of ne'er-do-wells.
The tor itself is divided broadly into three districts: the trading ward where inns and taverns (including the famous tavern Ucatlanlar; the Drunken Bird) catering to the merchants and travelers are located as well as the market hall where residents and traders conduct business; next is the residential ward where the native population live and work their artisanal trades; lastly is the industrial ward where the mines, forges, and craftsdwarf workshops are located.
Ekastushil is ruled over by a council of four sveitarherrar (Borough Lords). Each sveitarherra governs one of the three wards, along with the Marshal who commands the tor militia and is only included to create voting ties with the other three in order to foster debate. The three lords are; the Mayor of the Residential Ward, the Broker of the Trade Ward, and the Forgemaster of the Industrial Ward, along with the Marshal Throzir Ironmaul. The three who hold the titles are Mayor Dhuwilyn Goldspine, Broker Gríðr Uristotad, and Forgemaster Firholin Onyxbraid.
Almost every dwarf in Ekastushil is part of the same Kjanth, Kjanth Iûritmithmis (Spine-gristle). The somewhat strange clan name was one of the nicknames of Oristoick the Berylmaster who by marriage and descent just so happens to be the common ancestor of all the dwarves of Ekastushil. He was also the first brewer and jewlsmith of Ekastushil as his other very punny nickname would suggest. The second nickname, the kjanth name, comes from the fact that his favorite food was bone marrow which he jokingly called spine-gristle. His second nickname was chosen as his kjanth name as he liked Berylmaster more and wanted to keep it.
When the tor was first founded it was decided that each founder would start their own kjanth and by decent they would find which would overcome the rest. Now only three kjanth other than Iûritmithmis, not counting immigrated kjanth, remain. The Uristotad (Dagger-hand) kjanth, who's most notable member is the Broker Gríðr, and Vesrulflagga (Worm-flagon) kjanth, who's family run the Tavern Ucatlanlar, are the reaming other original kjanth.
Founding of Ekastushil
Many years ago circa 400 AFS a dwarven caravan was traveling down the Á Fagna. Normal the river stays frozen even in the winter due to the geothermic vents but a particularly deep winter, the legendary mikið frost, caused so much snow to cover Á Fagna that it compacted and froze over. The layer of ice on top continually melted to the still warm water beneath but was replaced by fresh powder.
The caravan happened to be on the Á Fagna when it froze over. They decided to dig a shelter into the nearby hill, being a dwarven caravan they were carrying enough mining equipment to arm an entire cadre of tunnelers. As the winter dragged on they expanded the not so temporary shelter further into the earth. After the winter subsided and the spring thaw flooded the valley, for which a number of channels and levees had dug and piled to avert, the caravan was free to leave.
But, after much consideration, they decided to stay and turn their winter shelter into a town and rest stop for travelers and merchants. As they were half way between the two points of a long stretch of Á Fagna a rest stop would surely be appreciated by travelers.
Two hundred and change years later Ekastushil has become a vital step of the High Road trade network that caters to every possible need a traveler could have. Inns, taverns, and a large underground market for buying and selling goods. A common tactic is to sell off excess goods on the cheap to the Broker who then resells them to the next wave of merchants.
Many years ago circa 400 AFS a dwarven caravan was traveling down the Á Fagna. Normal the river stays frozen even in the winter due to the geothermic vents but a particularly deep winter, the legendary mikið frost, caused so much snow to cover Á Fagna that it compacted and froze over. The layer of ice on top continually melted to the still warm water beneath but was replaced by fresh powder.
The caravan happened to be on the Á Fagna when it froze over. They decided to dig a shelter into the nearby hill, being a dwarven caravan they were carrying enough mining equipment to arm an entire cadre of tunnelers. As the winter dragged on they expanded the not so temporary shelter further into the earth. After the winter subsided and the spring thaw flooded the valley, for which a number of channels and levees had dug and piled to avert, the caravan was free to leave.
But, after much consideration, they decided to stay and turn their winter shelter into a town and rest stop for travelers and merchants. As they were half way between the two points of a long stretch of Á Fagna a rest stop would surely be appreciated by travelers.
Two hundred and change years later Ekastushil has become a vital step of the High Road trade network that caters to every possible need a traveler could have. Inns, taverns, and a large underground market for buying and selling goods. A common tactic is to sell off excess goods on the cheap to the Broker who then resells them to the next wave of merchants.
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