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THE
DWARVEN
CITY
OF
TYR
FAERATH |
Tyr Faerath is the last
remaining dwarven city of the old High
Dwarves. It is a mighty trade city and controls the trade routes from east to
west of Nybelmar. The military presence is not great
but enough to defend the trade routes and no army has ever taken the city by
force, this much thanks to the great walls and military pacts with both the
Korweyn Empires. The three city
gates are located more than 100 peds above the grasslands below. Only stairs
may reach two of them.
The dwarves of Tyr Faerath are no
mercenaries or guides like their cousins, the
Plain Dwarves. They are
mostly merchants, smiths and salesmen. The city is run by the Traders Council,
elected from the seven mighty families of the city.
Description. The
plains of Moredein Tyrath slowly climb up against the feet of the mountain. The
grass and bushes gently give way to the stone and the rock. Where the mountain
starts to rise, there you can find Tyr Faerath.
For a city of this size it’s pretty hard to spot from a distance. Most of the
houses are carved directly into the living rock, which is of a dark grey,
almost black colour. Shades blend into the buildings. As the city has expanded
further up the mountain, the houses and towers have become higher and higher.
The city appears to be unpopulated when looking at from a distance. The roads
appear empty and no people are seen in windows. But this is an illusion arising
from the fact that the Kiingerim
have built roofs over every street and square. The roofs are made of strong
timber from the Emeraldwoods and then covered with a thin pavement of black
stone. The roofs are there both to prevent people from looking into the city
and to block the rays of the sun. That
the windows appear empty is just an illusion. There are almost no windows above
the cityroof.
The first thing you see is the wall. Black and shiny, it represents the power
the city has over the trading. It took the
dwarves two hundred years to cut out the stones from the black rock and to
build the wall as it was rebuilt before it was completely done several times.
The dwarves polished the black stones until
they shone and no crack or space between the stones could be found.
For a city of 30.000 souls it covers a rather small area. When walking in the
streets you rarely see any warehouses or storage-houses. When it comes to
digging the dwarves have a big advantage
compared to other races and the buildings often go as deep below the ground as
they go above it.
The city is the largest dwarven city on the
whole continent of Nybelmar. It is a great proof of
the craftsmanship of the dwarves, and the
last of the dwarven metropolises. The mighty
walls, at some parts higher than 20 peds and more than 10 peds thick, have
protected the city from intruders until this day and the magnificence of the
towers of stone are only matched by the mountains.
A great waterfall drops more than 50 peds from the rock above the city down
through a hole in the roof into a pool in the central square. At evening the
sunlight is split up by the
water and a rainbow of colour sparkles
all over the roofs and houses of the stone-city. The
water was led there by engineers more
than three thousand years ago. Nobody really knows exactly when it was built,
although they do know how much it cost. On the side of the pool is engraved
“Cost: 300 barz”. - This is a
Kiingerim tradition that shows how much these
dwarves value their money and belongings.
They want everyone to know how much they spent on their house or statue or
monument.
The city was at first a muddle of houses, stores and smithies. As time passed
the districts of the city became more and more demarcated and specialized.
The Wall and
the Gates
The backbone of the city is the mighty wall. It stretches more than 4
strals and is completely
black. There are three gates in the wall, but only one wide enough for a
horse-pulled cart to go through. This is
called simply the Main Gate. All day and night carts are rolling in or out of
the city through this gate.
The other two are just for walkers. Because of the fact that you get close to
the desert when you use the western gate it’s called the Sun-Gate. The eastern
gate is called the Shadow-Gate.
Kanvil DenAnulerons
– The Bathhouses (Thergerim lit. "The Holy
Waters of Kanvil")
Most dwarves can wash at home or at a local
washing-fountain almost every day, but going to a bathhouse is more of a
luxury.
The dwarves have
learned how to use the hot water that
sometimes can be found within the mountains. Kanvil the Marble-Lord, the
dwarves say, has
blessed the water.
They have made canals that lead the water
into different pools. On its way to the pools many
minerals dissolve from the stone and become mixed into the
water and the
dwarves believe it
can cure those who are sick. The famous bathhouses of the city are located
within the mountain on the eastern side of the city. There are three in number
and they all have different classes. The working family Orilin has run all
three of the bathhouses since they were built in 1720 b.S.
The AnulAril ("Gem Water") is the best and the pools are all covered in gold
and gems. The really rich dwarves
and some wealthy travellers use these pools.
The medium-class one is called AnulMithmez ("Gold Water") and there the pools
are inlaid with black stone and gold. Most of the traders and workers can
afford a few trips a year to the AnulMithmez.
The simplest and cheapest bathhouse is not much more than a hole in the rock
where the edges have been trimmed and the stone has been polished smooth. The
bathhouse is called AnulSthomm ("Stone Water"). It is the biggest of the three.
The House of Records
This is the closest thing to a library there is in Tyr Faerath. The building is
located in the middle of town and holds the records of more than 5.000 years of
trading. All the goods that pass through the city are noted in the books as
well as all the tax paid. The building itself is only two stories above the
street, but has nine stories under it.
Military-Area
Closest to the gates the guards and military live and train. The army is not
large but they are well trained and very well-equipped. They get constant
training from dealing with the barbarians living south of the city. Every four
years or so the barbarians gather small armies and try
to attack the caravans, and in some rare cases even the city itself. This is a
suicide mission, but for unknown reasons the barbarians keep trying.
Tent-Area
Along the wall the less prosperous of the
dwarves live. That is where all the refugees come to live in times of war.
It isn’t much more than an open space next to the wall between the Shadow-Gate
and the Main Gate. The area is often filled with tents.
Guard-Area
The guard area is on both sides of the main gate. There, the guards live and
train all day. Underground is the city’s
weapon-storage. Many of the weapons
have never been used and their actual number only the
council knows. Rumours among the dwarves
say that there are ten weapons
for every dwarf in the city. Even if it’s
only a rumour, it is credible, as the Thergerim
are known for not taking any chances.
Market-Area
Along the main street the markets are situated. The street goes straight from
the main gate to the most inner parts of the town, the Council-Area. All the
way from the gate the sides are crowded by market stands selling everything
from common food to exotic goods from Zhun and even
Orcal. As you get closer to the council-area the goods
get more and more expensive. From
Orcal come both spices and
herbs, but also glass.
House-Area
There are four areas of houses. The oldest is also the smallest and has the
smallest houses. As the city has expanded into the mountain the houses have
become bigger and bigger. Some of the more recent houses are more like palaces,
some with up to 100 rooms.
Smithy-Area
The smiths of the city have their own area. In this part of the town the noise
is incredible. With the smiths hammering their anvils and hundreds of
fires burning, this is no place for a
child. There are numerous forges and also a few foundries, where the molten
metal is poured into crude slugs for later forging. Some smaller stalls, which
make commonplace items such as pots and pans, are located here, and even a few
jewellers workshops.
Council-Area
This is the centre of power in the city. The council-area isn’t actually an
area. It’s just one building, a very large building. The place of the council
area is changed every time the city expands into the mountain. The current
building is the seventh and it’s the most magnificent yet; a large dome in
black stone with a golden spar at the top next to the mountainside.
Inside there are two large halls, one for the council and one for general
meetings and trade negotiations. Both halls have floors of stone inlaid with
gold tracery and cut gems and black stonewalls with beautiful sculptures and
stone carvings.
Somewhere inside the Council-building, the rumours say, is the entrance to
Kormor Toltrumerim, the great mine of the Deep Dwarves.
Location. The city is
located on the southern end of Zsharkanion Peaks, at the foot of Mount Hizkan,
in the center of the continent of Nybelmar. To the
south it has the heaths of Moredein Tyrath, to the east Fauthuin Lundain and
the Crystalwoods. For controlling the trade route the city is perfectly
located. The only way to get from east to west by foot is by the gates of Tyr
Faerath.
People. The city is
populated by the last of the High Dwarves. Before the
War of Chosen the High Dwarves
were numerous and had three known mountain-cities. After the war Tyr Faerath was
all that was left. The survivors travelled to Tyr Faereth and the settlement was
expanded even more. The ones that couldn't make a living in the city took off and
settled in the deserts and plains.
The people of Tyr Faerath were true survivors. They were the ones who had lived
through the wars. From a strong race only the strongest survived. The
dwarves of Tyr Faerath therefore grew
stronger and prouder in the years after the war. More than 30.000
dwarves live inside the walls. Their numbers
are increasing slowly as they have only a limited space. Every year some of the
poorest dwarves have to move out in the
deserts due to overpopulation.
There is a society-class-system in Tyr Faerath that is not found in any other
dwarven city. It’s based upon the wealth of
your family and what class you’re in has great influence on how your life is
going to be. As the dwarven businessman
Validon Perlin (1198 a.S. – 1401 a.S.), member of a rich trading-family, wrote
in his biography:
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"Strictly separated by classes and districts one thing, one desire, still
holds the city together; The desire to have more money than your
neighbour. |
The society-classes of Tyr Faerath can be defined as follows:
The Council-Families
There are seven council families in Tyr Faerath. They are the wealthiest
families in the city and they control the city through the Traders Council. Each
family has control, not monopoly, over one of the main areas of business. They
often own several companies in their area. Since 1456 a.S. no new family has
made it into the council.
The families currently are:
- The Krumilins (heads of smiting)
- The Ylberglins (heads of quarrying)
- The Amanlins (heads of building)
- The Perlins (heads of trading)
- The Marilins (heads of military)
- The Osklins (heads of the treasury)
- The Tomlins (heads of food and water)
Every seventy-seventh year the families gather and choose one family-member to
represent them in the council. A council member can’t be over 123 years old when
chosen into the council. This way no council member will die of age.
The councillors become presidents of the council for 11 years rotating in a
specific order - for instance if a Krumilin was president for the first period
then the next Krumilin will be president for the second period and so on. All of
the seven families are descendants of the first miners that lived in this area.
One can always see what family has the power by just walking through the city.
If an Amanlin is president there will be building-sites and improvements of the
city-buildings and if a Marilin is power then you will see militaries walking on
the streets.
The Traders
The next class on the ladder are the traders. These are the ones who own a store
or a smithy. They are often wealthy even compared to other cities' traders. In
Tyr Faerath merchandise from all over the continent comes and most of the
dwarves know how to make money from them. The
businesses are often inherited from father to son (the employees may not be
considered traders).
The Militaries
They aren’t many, but every 7th period a Marilin-type of family is president of
the council and thus more militaries are recruited. These warriors are at
constant alert due to the possible attacks of the barbarians living on
grasslands south of the city. On a few occasions mercenaries from the
Plain Dwarves have been
recruited. Almost all militaries remain unmarried for all their lives.
The Workers
The title indicates that the person actually works even though it may not always
be the case. The workers are the lowest of the four classes and one belongs to
it if one doesn’t fit in to any of the other. The workers' wealth may vary from
nothing to very wealthy. The most famous smiths are still just workers if they
are employed.
Coat of Arms/Sign.
Unlike their cousins on Sarvonia the
dwarves of Tyr Faerath possess a coat of
arms. The Coat of Arms of Tyr Faerath is something that has been changed over
the years. At first it consisted of two mining-picks on a black background. That
represented the mining business the city first was founded upon. When the mining
ended and the city took more and more control over the trading routes, the
symbol changed several times. The last change was made 752 a.S. by the Trade
Council. It is now a simple black background with two thin red crossed lines
going from corner to corner.
The black stands for the colour of the city and the red lines for the trade
routes it controls. When printed simply on a bag or a chest to say where it’s
from, the sign of Tyr Faerath is usually simply a square with a cross in it.
Climate. The city is
used to fast changes in the weather. Living so close to the mountains the storms
strikes quick and hard. From blue skies and
sun the weather can change to black storm and thunder in a matter of
minutes.
The region is however a rather moderate place. Not too hot in the summer and not
too cold in the winter. It rains about as much as the
sun shines for most of the year, but in
the winter the skies are most often clear.
Resources. The city
makes its money as a intermediary between east and west. Since the mine went dry
there hasn’t been any real resources to trade with. Large cubes of the black
rock itself are sent away to different building-sites. Even though the stone is
hard it’s mostly the colour the builders are after.
The craftsmanship of the smiths is the greatest resource of Tyr Faerath next to
the trade. It’s the only place on Nybelmar where the
dwarves’ skills of old times still remain. A
wide spectrum of products is made within the walls.
Myth/Lore. The city
was founded next to the old mine of Mor Fearath. The mine was running dry and
many miners became unemployed. One of them, Korl Perlin opened up a small market
where he sold simple food and mining tools. After some time travellers and
caravans made stops at his market and he got more and more exotic merchandise.
He cut himself a large warehouse and other followed him. Many houses were built
near the markets and soon there were more traders than miners.
The great myth of Tyr Faerath is still the connection to KorMor Toltrumerin, the great mine
of the dwarves of
Nybelmar. It is said to reach 9 strals deep and more than 300 strals north
from where Tyr Faerath is located. The treasures that were found and brought up
from deep under the mountains are legendary, and according to the myth, the ones
that wasn’t brought up, even greater.
According to history the Deep Dwarves were destroyed along with their great
cities and mines in the War of the
Chosen, but rumours still say that the mine still exist and that one can
enter it at Tyr Faerath. The council has always denied this, though.
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Information
provided by Victhorin
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