Gevblaith
“If it hasn’t burned down this year, it’s not Gevblaith.”
Type: Settlement – Dwarven Waystation / Mining Outpost
Location: Vashkelholme, Northeastern Flank of Mount Tharnzul
Major Exports: Emberglass, Lava-Touched Iron, Ignacite, Sulphur-Crystal
Known For: Constant reconstruction, mineral wealth, thick ash air, and exceptionally fireproof beards.
Gevblaith is less of a town and more of a promise to rebuild—again and again and again.
Built both on and within the ever-rumbling volcanic massif of Mount Tharnzul, this hardy Dwarven settlement serves as both a waystation for travelers bound for Broyoto and a hotbed (literally) for rare mineral extraction. Its defining feature is its impermanence: lava flows and earthquakes frequently obliterate entire quarters, only for them to be rebuilt days or weeks later by soot-covered Dwarves muttering "That’s the fifth time this decade."
Gevblaith is not just endurance embodied, it is a crucible of pragmatic engineering, raw resource harvesting, and spicy hospitality.
Strategic Importance
Gevblaith sits on the only safe(ish) northern route toward Broyoto, making it a vital midpoint for:
- Merchant caravans
- Military supply runs
- Pilgrims to the Grand Forge
- Smugglers and Veiled Kin agents, depending on who you ask.
Though modest in size, its proximity to the Forge Heart and wealth of rare resources means it’s often visited by dignitaries, alchemists, BRASC researchers, and other curious (and flammable) folk.
In Summary
Gevblaith is destruction, determination, and dwarven tenacity incarnate. In a place where the earth itself fights you for every footstep, the people of Gevblaith dig deeper, build stronger, and drink heartier.
And if it all comes down tomorrow?
Well, they’ll just rebuild it again.
“The mountain may roar, but our forges roar louder.”
Guilds and Factions
Gevblaith is home to a proud caste of miners, craftsfolk, and volcanic survivalists, including:
- Quake-Finders: Tunnel experts who “listen” to the stone and direct miners away from imminent collapses.
- Ashcloaks: Scouts and caravan guides who know the dangerous paths in and out of Vashkelholme by scent, temperature, and tremor.
- The Emberhands: A loose collective of smiths and stonebinders who use natural lava channels in their forges.
- The Red Bucket: A beloved public house, rebuilt over 60 times, currently held together by hope and slightly charred scaffolding.
Architecture
Architecture & Rebuilding Culture
Most buildings in Gevblaith are constructed using modular basalt blocks, ash-reinforced planking, and collapsible iron scaffolds. The idea isn't to build forever—it's to build fast and again.
- Quick-dismantle hinges are used for valuables and shrines.
- Fire-resistant tarps are draped over merchant stalls.
- A Gevblaith saying goes: “If it takes more than three days to build, it’s not worth mourning.”
Underground tunnels suffer constant tremors and collapses, but are rebuilt just as fast, often slightly to the left or higher up.
Natural Resources
The Volcano’s Bounty
Gevblaith’s dangerous location is offset by its immense mineral wealth:
- Ignacite – A volatile ore used in rune-reactive weaponry and alchemical forges.
- Emberglass – Semi-transparent volcanic glass that glows faintly in darkness; used in lenses and high-status ornaments.
- Lava-Touched Iron – Iron veins heated and tempered naturally within lava flows; prized for its durability.
- Sulphur-Crystal – Used in dwarven explosives, incense, and highly illegal chewing gum.
Cultural Identity
Life in Gevblaith has shaped a unique Dwarven subculture, often described as:
- Cynically cheerful – "If you can still smell your eyebrows, you're lucky."
- Resilient to a fault – Known for staying behind to save a pot of soup while lava seeps through the walls.
- Soot-souled – Covered in ash, proud of it, and deeply suspicious of anyone too clean.
Local cuisine features heavy use of lava-thistle, ash-spice, and tunnelgrain, with many recipes requiring fire so intense they can only be cooked during minor eruptions.
Notable Dangers
- Ashlung: A chronic coughing illness caused by volcanic air—though many wear charcoal-lined cloths in their beards as natural filters.
- Magma Slips: Sudden eruptions of lava through rock fractures.
- Lava-Fang Lizards: Aggressive heat-dwelling reptiles with valuable hides and terrible tempers.
- Falling Sky Stones: Pressure-blasted boulders that randomly erupt from vented shafts like angry gifts from the mountain.
'currently held together by hope and slightly charred scaffolding' ***ing SENT me, cackling my goodness. What a terrible, ridiculous settlement to live in, the most stubborn of folk in the most stubborn of places, I love it. Well written my friend, certainly adding this one to my collection :)