Holmlond
Overview
Holmlond is a frost dwarven city in the southwestern section of the dwarven kingdom Kuzad-Nikar, at the mouth of the Didžiausias River. It is an old dwarven city and one that has served as a center of trade for many thousands of years. The city serves as the trade hub for trade between the northern section of the Kingdom of Miskunas and .Locations
Trading Quarter
The Trading Quarter of Holmlond is the first section of the city which most travelers will see. It resides in the area closest to the main entrance to the city. This is the Quarter where one is most likely to find non-dwarves and other visitors to the city. This Quarter has the most inns and shops. The most popular section of this district is the Holmlond Bazaar. Only dwarves or non-dwarves approved by the Oathkeeper are allowed to open shops in the Trading District outside of the Bazaar. The Bazaar is open to anyone who is willing to pay the requisite fees.Holmlond Bazaar
Located in a large chamber near the outer gates of the city, the Holmlond Bazaar is where much of the trade happens in Holmlond. Traders from all over come to the bazaar to hawk their wares to anyone who might buy them. The bazaar also serves as a place where traders from outside come to make deals for items made by the crafters native to Holmlond. Pretty much all the items in the Player’s Handbook can be found in the Bazaar as well as many other things. Here are some of the stalls in the Bazaar:Oleg’s Magical Supplies
A male gnomish wizard from Yurinov named Oleg Kapustin runs a moderately sized stall in the Bazaar that specializes in magical supplies such as material components and spell scrolls. He has a decent number of spells scrolls, but none of his scrolls go higher than 4th level and are typically are only Arcane spells.Plentiful Potions
A female copper dwarf named Nuryan Greybrewer runs a small and compact stall in the Bazaar that sells potions and some other alchemical supplies. She has a variety of potions for sale including potions of healing. She also has all the alchemical type stuff that is in the PHB.Helgan’s Bazaar Inn
Helgan’s Bazaar Inn is, as the name implies, located near one of the entrances to the Bazaar. It is located in a large four-story building that was long ago carved out from the stone of Holmlond. The inn is generally quite busy as many of the merchants of the bazaar stay here during their time in Holmlond. It is also quite popular as the proprietor always seems to have frostroot ale available for consumption (for a premium price, of course). The tavern section of the inn often has a quite diverse clientele given it popularity among foreign traders. The inn has around 50 common rooms and 10 luxury room available for rent. The rooms often fill up quickly and are rented out on a first come first serve basis. The tavern area is often rather crowded and seats can hard to fine. The inn is operated by a dwarven man named Helgan. He is looks older for a dwarf with a bald head and a long grey beard. He wears an eyepatch over his right eye which has a nasty scar that does across it. Helgan is the person who works the desk for the inn. His two granddaughters Draelda and Drimora typically work the tavern part of the inn with Draelda tending the bar and Drimora working with some of the other hired help to serve the patrons. Helgan also employs a male halfling cook named Quintas who works hard to make the food for the tavern. The signature dish of the tavern is a lamb cutlet that is covered in a frostroot mushroom sauce and served with bread and buttered potatoes.The Runic Anvil
The Runic Anvil is said to be one of the oldest weapon and armor smithies in Holmlond. The smithy is run by the Forgeguard clan and has been for generations. The Runic Anvil has two primary sections: the showroom and the smithy. The showroom is in the front of the building and contains the majority of the weapons and armor that is for sale. All the weapons and armor that are openly displayed and easy to get at (so to speak) are, while of the highest craftsmanship, mundane and made of normal materials. There are some magical weapons and armor for sale in the showroom, but they are displayed in thick glass cases behind the sales counter. The Runic Anvil is currently run by a female frost dwarf named Gilra Forgeguard. She inherited the store when her father died. She is a taller dwarf who has blond hair that is usually worn in tight braids that are wrapped on the top of her head, pale skin, and blue eyes. She her forearms are covered in blue runic tattoos (which are of an older version of the frost dwarven dialect). While she is a talented smith in her own right, she is mostly seen interacting with customers and selling the smithy’s wears in the showroom.Smithing Quarter
The Smithing Quarter of Holmlond is where most of the smithing in the city happens regardless of whether its weapon, armor, or blacksmithing. This Quarter is typically closed to outsiders. It is possible for outsiders to get special dispensation to enter the Smithing Quarter from the Oathkeeper. But, there is a section of the Quarter that no outsider is able to visit and it is heavily guarded.The Smith’s Respite
The Smith’s Respite is an inn that is close to the Smithing Quarter of the city. This medium-sized inn serves as a place where any weary traveler can get a bed to rest. The primary patrons of this inn are people from out of town who are visiting the Smithing Quarter for one reason or another, or those who are visiting the smithing shops on the border of the Trading Quarter and Smithing Quarter. The inn is in a moderate-sized two story building and has about a dozen or so rooms, all of the same moderate quality. The inn has a small tavern in it where a weary traveler can have a bite to eat or drink. The food is simply yet filling and the drinks are adequate. The special dish of the tavern is a mutton and mushroom meatloaf.Smelting Quarter
The Smelting Quarter is the area of the city where the the majority of the mined ore is smelted. Like the Smithing Quarter, this Quarter is restricted to those who work in the Quarter and those who have clearance from the Oathkeeper.Brewing Quarter
The Brewing Quarter houses the brewing operations in Holmlond. This Quarter is adjacent to the Trading Quarter. In addition to having most of the breweries in the city, this Quarter has quite a few taverns and inns. The Brewing Quarter has a reputation for being the place where dwarves from around the city go to drink and blow off steam after a long days work.The Rowdy Beard
The Rowdy Beard has a reputation for being one of the most raucous taverns in the city and having some of the best drinks in the city. It is a medium-sized tavern with good food and often good music. The tavern is run by Steinard, a older frost dwarf who retired from being a brewer to open up this tavern. The wide variety of good drinks comes from the connections he made as a brewer. Members of his extended family help him run this tavern. Steinard has short brown hair that is fading and a long brown beard with streaks of gray that is worn loose.Demographics
The population of Holmlond consists of mostly frost dwarves. Other dwarven ethnicities inhabit the city in small populations, the largest of which are blue dwarves from the Bluerock Mountains as they are the closest in proximity to the city.
Humans and gnomes make up the largest non-dwarven minorities in Holmhond with the humans mostly being Miskunasian and Polsks and the gnomes being mostly Yurinovic. Halflings from Miskunas and Polsk make up the third largest minority group with a small number of Richlander halflings. There are only a very small number of people of the other races living in Holmlond.
Government
The city is ruled by an Oathkeeper who was given the title by the Frost King. The Oathkeeper is advised by a council of his choosing who also work on particular tasks within the city.(title)
Defences
Like many dwarven cities, Holmlond is built into the mountains. The main gate to the city has been carved into the mountain fitted with a strong and thick metal-reinforced stone gate which can only be accessed by a long stone ramp. The city’s first line of defense is to close the main gates and see if the enemy can breach them. If the gates are breached, it leads to a large tunnel that ends with a second stone gate. However, the side walls of this tunnel are filled with murder holes with dwarven quarrelers on the other side who will show the invaders little mercy.
Industry & Trade
Holmlond is the heart of trade for the southwestern part of Kuzad-Nikar. Holmhond makes a great deal of weapons and armor that it sells to traders that come to the city and its own traders that venture out. The city also trades for whitesteel weapons and armor that are made in the interior mountainhomes which are sold in the markets of Holmlond.
Drinks made from frostroot are also a big part of the Holmlond economy. The demand for frostroot ale and other frostroot beverages outside the kingdom is high and it is both made and traded for in Holmlond. The taverns of Holmlond generally stock frostroot beverages and thus are often filled with travelers who want to try the famed drinks and locals who want to drink more.
Guilds and Factions
Holmlond has several powerful guilds that hold sway within the city. While the guilds work hard to ensure that their members make as much money as possible, they also realize that they are part of a civilization that requires its members to sacrifice for the greater good. They will generally provide support to the army and the crown at a much reduced rate than any outsider.
Smelter’s Guild
The Smelter’s Guild controls most of the smelters and smelting furnaces in the city. They work with the Miner’s Guild and the Smith’s Guild to ensure that all the guilds are able to get enough material, so that they can continue to work but also try to make sure that their guild makes the most. Besides controlling of all the smelting that occurs in Holmlond, the Smelther’s Guild’s power comes from the fact that they know and guard the secrets to smelting whitesteel. This gives them a lot of power within the city.Smith’s Guild
The Smith’s Guild controls nearly all of the crafting of weapons, armor, and other items made from metal within the city. Nearly all of the smiths in the city are members of the guild. They work closely with the Smelter’s Guild to ensure that they have enough ingots to make everything they need. They also work closely with the traders who operate within the city to make sure that their wares are sold at the appropriate prices. The Smith’s Guild has a close relationship with the Holmlond city guard and the army of Kuzad-Nikar because they sell them weapons and armors at a discounted rate. The ability to create weapons, armor, and other items out of Whitesteel is found only in the guild and only among the highest echelon of guildmembers. They fiercely control the sale of these items made from this special material.
Type
Large city
Population
35,624
Inhabitant Demonym
Holmlonders
Location under
Owning Organization
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