Latest revision as of 19:50, 12 April 2023

History and Founding

Drakesmeade is the ancestral home of the dwarven Blackaxe clan in the Scab. Its construction dates back to the middle of the 3rd Age, and at its prime housed hundreds of dwarves.

Its thick, rocky walls and huge metal gate provided protection during the 4th age as the mountains of the Scab grew, powers rose, and the land became all the more treacherous.

It was early in the 5th age, that the safety of Drakesmeade was compromised. In a surprise attack, hundreds of duergar burst up from old, abandoned mines deep below Drakesmeade. The dwarves were caught unaware.

Many dwarves were killed and those that survived the attack fled into the Scab. They wandered aimlessly, avoiding the many hazards of the Scab as best they could. Finally they discovered a small abandoned hold built within the southern face of Mount Burrow. This hold would become the new home for Clan Blackaxe.

Times were tough as the dwarves adapted. The duergar meanwhile enjoyed the spoils of battle and settled into Drakesmeade, having claimed the stronghold and mines now as their own.

Years passed. Things had not gotten any easier for the outcast dwarves in Mount Burrow. Domi had been watching though, and guided a group of heroes towards them. The Grim Guard, an elite group of adventurers, banded with the dwarves and helped formulate a plan to retake Drakesmeade.

The plan was simple: gather forces and assault Drakesmeade from multiple points simultaneously. Every able-bodied dwarf from Clan Blackaxe took up a weapon. When the signal was given, the attacks were launched. Siege weapons attacked above ground, some forces burrowed up from underneath, and the Grim Guard attacked from hidden tunnels within. There was nowhere to flee, and few duergar survived the battle. The victory was swift but not without casualties.

Captain Orir Redforge, one of Clan Blackaxe’s greatest warriors, was slain when he threw himself in front of Chief BlackAxe to shield him from a duergar crossbow bolt. A medal was later created in his honor: The Redforge Medal of Dwarven Valour. This prized medal is only bestowed to those, who through great deeds, bring honor to the clan.

Since then, Clan Blackaxe have been zealously guarding Drakesmeade Stronghold, intent that it will never fall into enemy hands again.

Description

Darkesmeade is located near the 5 Sisters mountain range. The size of this ancient stronghold is much larger than the clan currently needs, but they are growing into it.

The only surface sign of Drakesmeade is the huge metal doors set into the mountain that open during the day and close at night. A smaller door within those doors allows egress at night.

Drakesmeade has been fashioned into four levels, each connected via a series of stairs and circular lifts.

• The Mine level is an entirely sub-surface layer where the foundry and mines can be found. Warehouses and the clan vault are also on this level, as well as a large network of mining passages.
• The Main level is the entry to Drakesmeade, and the main hub of activity. General stores, the inn, temple and other amenities that you’d find in a typical town can all be found here.
• The Residential level has the homes, crafting, learning areas and mess hall for communal dining, and is situated above the main level
• The Chief level sits atop the residential level, and is where the Clan Chief resides, along with his advisors. There are meeting rooms here for any private discussions.

In most areas the rocky floors and walls have been polished smooth, and the walls meet the floors and ceiling at perfect right angles. The mine level is still very rough and has exposed rocks and wooden supports. Dwarven darkvision only extends so far, so everburning torches in sconces are spaced every 40ft in every tunnel.

Trouble inside Drakesmeade is extremely rare. There are guards that can be called upon, but they’re there to protect from outside threats.

Everyone in Drakesmeade has a job and contributes to the clan. Anyone without a dedicated job works the mines, apprentices with someone with a trade, or joins the hunting parties.

Noteworthy members of the Blackaxe Clan

Chief Stern Blackaxe. A proud and respected dwarf leader. Now at 253 years of age, his days of fighting are long behind him. His ancestors’ twin waraxes hang proudly behind the Onyx throne of Drakesmeade as a symbol of the strength of the clan. His beard has turned from black to pale grey and his voice has weakened. However, he has a commanding presence and his mind is still sharp. He wears modest clothes (by dwarven chief standards) and welcomes visits from his people, regardless of their status.

Thadean Blackaxe. Blackaxe’s sole heir. He is a fairly young dwarf with cropped, curled, black hair and blue eyes. His beard is neatly plaited and he has a few glass beads tied in it. When Blackaxe dies Thadean will become Chief of Clan Blackaxe. He lacks confidence, worries about what sort of ruler he will become, but hopes he will make his father and clan proud. Thadean wants the Blackaxe name to command the respect it once did and displays his temper towards any semblance of an insult towards it. Stern worries that Thadean’s temper could cause him to be manipulated into conflicts, and has been trying to teach his son to think before he acts. Thadean gladly accepts counsel from Akan and Dinain (much to Stern’s relief).

Akan Minebreaker. Warrior. Older male dwarf with a lot of fighting experience. He has very long, wavy, gray hair and blue eyes. He has rough brown skin and more scars than you could count. Akan stands 4'10" tall. When not dressed for battle, he wears tunics with short sleeves to help show off his muscular build. He has a long, braided mustache and beard and a small piercing on his left ear (a small gold hoop). He wears mithril armor and wields a dwarven urgrosh in battle. He always has a battle story to tell (that is sometimes a little embellished). Akan can be gruff but really is a bit of a softy. He can sometimes be found playing games with the children.

Dinain Brightbeard. A natural diplomat, he is middle-aged with short, braided, blonde hair, brown eyes, a wrinkled face and a very long (but well groomed) beard. Dinain is intelligent, articulate and somewhat of a perfectionist. He’s often very well dressed and obviously prefers diplomacy as a first course of action. That being said, he’s very capable with a warhammer and an excellent tactician. Of the clan leaders, he has had the most contact with the other clans and can be a good source of information about them.

Kada Whitestone. Innkeeper/Tavern owner. 112 year old female dwarf. She has cropped, straight, black hair and green eyes. She has a bit of a beefy build and golden skin. "Never trust a thin tavern owner" she'll laugh. Kada nevers forgets a face and is on a first name basis with everyone. She has regular dealings with the gnome caravans, who provide her with the supplies she needs to keep the tavern running. It was through them that she met Selmyn and adopted her. Anyone who messes with Kada messes with the whole BlackAxe clan.

Selmyn Trinove. Tavern attendant. Selmyn is one of the few gnomes of the clan and Kada’s adopted daughter. She's 25 years old, with cropped black hair and pale blue eyes. She's only 3'1" tall and quite slim, but somehow remarkably strong, and can comfortably carry several large mugs full of ale at a time. Selmyn is mute and communicates with Kada via a shared sign language. She's a talented dancer and passionate about music of any kind. Selmyn is friendly and very empathetic towards others.

Duli Bluntchin. Blacksmith. He has short, curled, golden hair and brown eyes. It’s hard to really tell the color of his skin as he’s always a little dirty, but most say it’s pale. Due to an incident with a furnace, he doesn’t have a beard and instead has scarred skin on his chin and jaw. Commenting on it would be ill-advised. Duli always wears a set of golden bracers, each etched with a holy symbol - one for Domi, and the other Ffloy - and he prays/curses to whichever is most helpful at a given moment. Axes created by Duli are said to be the sharpest in the Scab and warriors lucky enough to own one will carry it with pride.

Shari Earthforged. Blacksmith Apprentice. Shari is a young dwarf (late teens) with short, curled, brown hair and blue eyes. She has rugged golden skin and stands a little over 4ft tall. She’s still learning how to smith, however she is a naturally gifted artisan and her work with inlays and gemstones adds a level of beauty to Duli’s craft. Shari is very attentive and eager to learn anything that might make her a better smith.

Brother Orim Woldbrow. Spiritual leader. He has a bald head and brown eyes, a bushy red beard, and smooth white skin. He wears plain, grey robes with very little decoration and a holy symbol for Domi hangs around his neck. He doesn’t have any weapons and instead prefers hand-to-hand combat. Orim takes his role very seriously and his word is stronger than granite. He rarely conducts any services and instead meets with others at a more personal level. He’s welcoming to all, and those that call him friend know him as ‘Bow’.

Clan Blackaxe's relationship with other clans can be found on this page.

Locations

Main Level

1. Tavern/Inn (“The Jolly Miner”) The Jolly Miner is run by Kada Whitestone, with Selmyn Trinove serving as tavern attendant.

The Inn doesn’t see a lot of outside business as travelers to Drakesmeade are rare at the moment. Two rooms are reserved in the Inn at all times for the gnomish caravan however. The other rooms are well kept and the beds like-new.

The tavern is usually busy as would be expected in a dwarf stronghold. Circular tables are neatly arranged in the room, and an everburning fireplace gives the room a warm atmosphere. A door behind the long wooden bar leads to the kitchen.

Ale prices are marginally higher than elsewhere but the quality is better than you’d find in most places (and they’re strong too!). For 2gp you can indulge in one of the magical steins. These steins magically refill themselves with very good quality ale when empty, essentially making it 2gp for all you can drink. Kada bought a set of these from the gnomish caravan not so long ago and they are still somewhat a novelty.

One of the favorite games played here is called ‘The Long Embrace’. Two participants cup their hands with one another with a live scorpion inside. The first to remove their hand is the loser. Venomous scorpions are only rarely used, and if they are, it’s typically only by the young and foolhardy who want to ‘prove’ themselves. The older and wiser dwarves find their attempts amusing. Rules: Scorpion sting does 1d2 non-lethal damage to each participant each round. A person who sustains 8pts damage has their hand go numb and lets go of the scorpion.

2. Temple (“Domi’s Sanctum”) Domi’s Sanctum (the temple) is small. Formal ceremonies are rare, and tend to only be called for weddings, deaths, and times of great need. In one corner is a large training mat, where followers of Domi can come to sit and meditate, wrestle, or bare knuckle fight with others.

When he is not wandering through the stronghold, Brother Woldbrow can be found here inviting others to wrestle with him or to simply come sit with him a while.

3. Blacksmith (“The Axe & Anvil”) The Axe & Anvil (Blacksmith Shop) is run by Duli Bluntchin and his apprentice Shari Earthforged. There is a large circular furnace in the middle of the room, and scorch marks on the stony floor where searing items have no doubt fallen. Weapons and armor hang from the walls and ceilings, and smaller items are piled on tables around the room.

When Duli is hammering on his anvil the sound echoes through the cavern and nearby areas. For this reason the quieter places - such as the Temple, Library and Inn - have purposely distanced themselves far from his ‘racket’

4. Throne Room Dwarves tend to look at the throne room as a symbol of the power and majesty of the stronghold. Drakesmeade is no different. This towering space is 200’ long, 100’ wide, and 100’ tall. Paneled with finely worked stone and accented with fine wood, gold, and silver, it looks the part. The magical torches add to the effect making the vibe stately, somber, and majestic.

The Onyx Throne - carved from a single piece of black onyx - sits on 6 terraced steps between two pillars designed to glow from within. Blackaxes’s ancestral twin waraxes hang proudly behind the Onyx throne as a symbol of the strength of the clan.

Huge woven tapestries depicting significant events from dwarf history hang on either side of the room. These include:

• The Grim Guard adventurers helping reclaim Drakesmeade from the Duergar
• Domi gifting the Icons of courage to the dwarves (The Icons of Courage: hammer, anvil, and forge)
• Clangden the Stout standing vigil over the Western Wind Tunnel Gateway
• The Torn Tapestry. This tapestry has been torn away and the space is empty. When visitors ask why it was torn or why it has not been repaired, the Drakesmeade Dwarves answer, “We don’t speak of it”.

5. Lifts/Stairs Each of these two rooms have a circular lift in the center raised by 6 chains attached to the circumference of the lift. The lift has two “disks” meaning that two floors within the hold may be loading at the same time. Surrounding the lift is a circular staircase going up and down that is 10 feet wide allowing for quite a bit of traffic.

6. General Stores Rather than an open competing marketplace in Drakesmeade, all locations are communal within Drakesmeade. The crafter or seller has his name attached to the item or the table with his wares and all profits are given to the crafter with a small percentage given to the location for upkeep as needed.

7. Museum/Library The Drakesmeade library and museum share a space. The library pales in comparison to those found in Plateau City or The Float, however many of the books here are considered one of a kind, and extremely rare. The museum is rich with dwarven and related artifacts, and notable pieces include:

• The Mithral Full Plate Armor of Bralin Stoneminder - member of the Sea Dragons. This armor was worn in a mighty battle against an otherworldly being that sought to consume the entire Wold. There are also a few dents on the breastplate caused by kraken teeth. (Note: Bralin was Mike K’s PC in the Bonetown game)
• The Black Bolt. This is the crossbow bolt that was fired by a duergar assassin and killed Orir Redforge. It still has his dried blood on it. Orir gave his blood for his clan, and to remove it would be to dishonor him
• The original Lost Halls Porter recipe, handwritten on a piece of parchment by Master Brewer Balinor Grimstone. This recipe was thought to be lost forever but was rediscovered and now proudly on display in the museum. As a gesture of goodwill, the BlackAxe clan have freely shared this recipe with the other clans, and Lost Halls Porter is now widely available in the Wold.
• A damaged drow curved blade recovered from the Wind Tunnels. Few intact artifacts were recovered from the collapsed tunnels. This blade is badly cracked and chipped and is kept as a reminder of the danger the drow posed to the Wold. A spider motif can be clearly seen on the grip.
• A leather bound set of books known as “The Forged.” These books chronicle the adventures of the dwarven heroes known as the ‘Grim Guard’. The spines of these tomes are creased from wear, as they have proven to be very popular reads to aspiring young adventurers.

8. Hot Springs A bathing area with pools of naturally hot, bubbling springwater. The rocks in the pools have been worn smooth, so it’s easy to relax and not worry about spikey bits. This is one of the few areas that is only dimly lit, and the exposed gemstones in the ceiling twinkle and look like stars. Proper bathing attire is expected at all times.

9. Stables The stables house the typical mounts one would expect to find in a town, as well as a few atypical ones such as bears and wolves. The animals are all well fed, cared for and trained. Mucking out the stables is one of the many ways young dwarves earn a few coppers, and as a result the stalls are usually quite clean.

10. Workshop Well-used workbenches line the rear wall of this room. Cupboards are stocked with tools, gadgets, gizmos and do-hickeys freely available to use. The workshop is often visited by the gnomish caravans when they need to make repairs, and as thanks, the gnomes have been known to offer reasonable discounts to the clan.

11. Waterfall A waterfall pours down through a gap in the ceiling here into a pool below, and from there to underground rivers. Algae in the water makes it glow fluorescent light blue in the dark. It’s safe to drink and children often take big gulps to make their mouths glow for a moment. The water is always icy cold, and in winter it freezes over, no matter how warm the room may be

Mine level

Mine shafts/tunnels. Drakesmeade has stood for hundreds of years, and in that time many tunnels and shafts have been dug, sprawling in every direction from the circular lifts. It’s unclear exactly how many tunnels there are, suffice to say that more will always be dug to keep a steady supply of ore flowing.

Foundry. The Drakesmeade Foundry is operational day and night, and the furnace smelts ore as quickly as it is mined.

Warehousing. Large caverns have been mined to house the iron ore that has been mined and yet to be processed, as well as any other materials bought or traded in large quantities. In smaller caverns (and under constant watch) are kept various ingots, lock boxes of gems, valuable metals and other rare minerals.

Vault. Items of particular value or power are kept in the Drakesmeade Vault. Exactly what lies behind the large adamantite doors is not widely known. Some speculate that items gifted to the dwarves from Domi himself are coveted within. Others say that there are items of such evil that the Clan is guarding them so that they never see the light of the Wold again. This is one of the few areas where guards can always be found.

Residential level

Homes. Each family has a small cave or area carved out of the rock for them. When a new family is made, the clan get together to help build the new home as a gift. Those of the clan that don’t want an area of their own (or don’t have the time or resources to acquire one) live in a communal dormitory area

Kitchen/Mess. No-one in the clan goes hungry. You can order what you wish from the tavern, and of course find or make your own food. For those with no other means, the mess hall area serves a set meal three times a day. 2 copper pieces gets you a plate of whatever is being served at the time. The meals are of basic quality and consist of whatever the hunters were able to provide. This is typically some sort of game meat stew with a piece of rye bread. Children are served first without exception and eat for free. Once a year on the day of the Spring Equinox (the day of the Nymph in the month of Harvests), all members of the clan are invited to the mess. There, the Chief serves each clan member their food. It’s unknown when this tradition started, and some say it’s designed as a reminder to all that the Chief serves the people rather than the other way around. This is a duty that Stern BlackAxe has been adamant to perform every year despite his ailing health.

School. There is no school in the traditional sense in Drakesmeade. Rather, several rooms where experts in various fields come to pass on their knowledge and train youngsters (and some others) that are eager to learn. The only training that is considered essential is wilderness and survival skills - things that every dwarf in the Scab needs to know if they hope to live in this unforgiving and hazardous area.

Crafting areas. Smithing is an important part of dwarf culture, however the members of Clan BlackAxe are capable crafters in many disciplines. Areas on the residential level have been set aside for non-metal crafting (weaving, clothing, leatherwork, etc). Storerooms house any surplus stock that is ready for trading with the caravans.

Chief’s level

Chambers. There are separate chambers on this level for the Chief and each of his advisors. These rooms are much larger than those on the residential level. All are well furnished and unlike some other areas in Darkesmead, they have very secure doors.

Meeting rooms. There are several rooms on this level set aside for private meetings. Each is created with a permanent Mage’s Private Sanctum spell in effect to ensure privacy and prevent eavesdropping - magical or otherwise.

Map room. The wall of this circular room is covered with a massive tapestry map of the Wold. Pieces of parchment with notes on them have been pinned at key locations, including at the location of the other dwarven strongholds. In the center of the room is a circular table piled with many smaller maps.