The Gate-Villages of Ristagarhd

The Reason of the Gates

These surface settlements serve as defensive buffers, customs hubs, and public faces of the kingdom. Each one guards a major entrance into the underground cities.

Stonewatch Hollow.

Purpose: Primary military gate and fortress-village

Inhabitants: Dwarves and halflings

Architecture: Thick stone walls, squat watchtowers, iron-reinforced gates built directly into cliff faces

Description: Stonewatch Hollow is the first line of defense against invasion. Its gates can seal entire mountain passes, and its residents are trained militia. Beneath its central keep lies the Grand Descent, a massive lift-shaft descending directly to the capital below.

Hearthfall.

Purpose: Trade and civilian entry

Inhabitants: Halflings, gnomes, and dwarves

Architecture: Rounded stone homes, terraced farms, windmills, and tunnel-mouth marketplaces

Description: Hearthfall is warm and welcoming, famous for its inns and surface markets. Merchants from across Gorthoria are allowed here, though access beyond is tightly controlled. Its lifts and spiral tunnels lead toward the artisan quarters below.

Gearford

Purpose: Engineering and mechanical access point

Inhabitants: Gnomes and dwarves

Architecture: Stone-and-brass structures, exposed gearwork, ventilation towers

Description: Gearford guards the most complex entrance to Ristagarhd, where massive mechanical gates, counterweights, and steam-driven lifts descend into the depths. The hum of machinery never ceases here.