Numonnuszkal

Historically, Numonnuszkal has been populated by the Eumer who are native to the Gonnak Mountains, tracing their origins to the underdark societies deep beneath the mountains. Nowadays, however, most of the natives have moved on to other mining settlements in the area with richer veins of ore, or even moved back underground in an effort to distance themselves from other peoples. So, most of the residents now are Arman men and women who have immigrated from other parts of the empire to live there.

As Numonnuszkal is a primary location for archaeological research, as well as a historical point of importance for the history of mining in the empire, there are many interesting locations scattered in and around the town, ranging from ancient battle sites to underground ruins, well-preserved historical mining equipment, and mysterious shrines to long-forgotten deities.   One recently discovered site is that of the Battle of the Obsidian Spine, uncovered by Gorlami Boulderson, a professor from the Suszeng Academy for Societal Arts; thought to be the site of a long-ago battle between a great beast and a group of indigenous clansmen, the entirety of the battleground has not yet been uncovered and much remains to be learned from this discovery.   Another recent discovery is the Lake of Bliss, a cavernous lake with a mysterious blue glow which some scholars believe may be a well of intense magical energy responsible for strange mutations in local flora and fauna.   Yet another point of interest lies high above the village. Reaching out from the cliffs of nearby Mt. Shokai, the ruinous Tower of Wheimar, believed to have once been a watchtower, is a sentinel overlooking the entirety of Numonnuszkal and the surrounding area - it is said that on a clear day, you can see all the way to the great tree of Kastatsz Tuszimos in the distance.

Architecture in Numonnuszkal is unique due to its deep-rooted history and its odd status of being half in-ground and half above-ground. Most of the underground buildings and homes rely on architectural techniques no longer employed by modern builders, and are thus more prone to destruction from earthquakes, poorly ventilated, and have little space for activities aside from eating and sleeping. In contrast, the modern homes built outside of the old mines are much larger and constructed more efficiently, with prevalent arches designed to resist earthquakes, and plenty of windows to keep smoke and foul odors from lingering indoors. The downside of these modern homes is that many of them are created with imported lumber, which makes repairs significantly more difficult than for the underground homes, which are simply carved into the surrounding rock. Additionally, the outdoor buildings of Numonnuszkal see significantly more erosion due to weather and must be designed in a way that incoming - and often-times highly abrasive - wind and snow will not topple them over time.

Numonnuszkal is frigid. Although it is not at the highest peaks of the Gonnak Mountains, it is one of the highest-situated permanent settlements in the empire, sitting at approximately 4,320m above sea level. While the climate in the plains below is generally pleasant and temperate, the extreme elevation makes for a difficult environment in which to live. Snow- and wind-storms are frequent, and often come from the even colder North, bringing with them absolutely freezing temperatures. During winter, many residents of Numonnuszkal abandon their homes on the surface and move to the underground for a warmer and more stable atmosphere.

Once, Numonnuszkal was a rich mining outpost with many inhabitants who lived to extract iron and copper from the mountainside. However, those veins have long since run dry, and unless some new material or massive ore deposit were discovered here, the town hardly has any natural resources to offer whatsoever. It exists now mainly off of imperial resources and what little the locals can scavenge from the sparsely wooded forests nearby.