"Hold it right there, civilian! Only those on official Watch business are allowed into the Labyrinth." Background and Character InformationShow
1. Knight Commander Valgein is the highest-ranking member of The Watch, Firepoint's army. The Watch's primary duties are patrolling the walls surrounding the city and protecting Firepoint from external threats, whether that threat is an invading army, or an undead incursion from the Labyrinth.
2. Valgein is an eladrin, but most people don't realize this. He's much more muscular than the average eladrin, and he generally wears a hood that obscures his face, and his gravelly voice is not something one expects coming from an eladrin.
3. Unlike most members of The Watch, who have levels in fighter or warlords, or occasionally paladins, the Knight Commander is a swordmage, blending arcane power with swordplay to protect Firepoint.
4. Valgein's demeanor is one of world-weary apathy. He's seen it all, living in Firepoint since it's founding over a century ago. He worked his way up from a simple militia grunt to one of Firepoint's most capable military men. He never talks about his family, if he even has one, and he appears to be completely to his job. He is rarely seen off the walls, or outside the gatehouse where he lives.
5.As one of Firepoint's oldest residents, Valgein is knowledeable about the general history of the city. He's rather tight-lipped about things though, since he figures that the past is the past, and digging around in it does nothing when you've got enemies waiting at your gate in the present.
1. Valgein's primary goal is the defense of Firepoint from her enemies, such as the shadar-kai of Narsopath, and the undead of the Labyrinth. He may recruit the PC's to gather intelligence on an enemy, or to launch a pre-emptive strike and disrupt an enemy's plans for Firepoint.
2. While the Watch no longer handles day-to-day law enforcement in the city, Valgein still remains wary of internal threats to the city. He may have the PC's act on his behalf in investigating suspicious things in the city that might threaten it.
"I've lived in this city since it was built. You pick up a lot of secrets in that time." SecretsShow
1. Valgein has a bastard child who lives as a mercenary somewhere out in the Vale. The young man lives for fighting, and wants to become renowned as the Vale's single greatest warrior. He plans to do this by allying with any cause that will allow him to find good fights, and challenges warriors of repute to duels to try and establish himself as the best. Valgein is personally ashamed that his son has thrown himself into a violent life with such gusto, and personally fears the day when the mercenary will come to fight him, given Valgein's status as a great swordsman and military leader.
2. Valgein has his suspicions that a terrorist group is infiltrating the city, but he does not know the horrid truth yet. An anarchistic cult of nature worshipers called The Thornheralds have placed sleeper agents within the city, and are working to try and destroy Firepoint so the Thorns of the Vale may claim the land once again.
3. Valgein has been keeping his eye on the formation of the new shadar-kai city of Narsopath. As one of the few who remembers the war that destroyed Narcica, the shadar-kai city that Firepoint replaced, he realizes Narsopath has made Firepoint its first target. Because he's so busy watching their army however, he has no idea that they've sent spies to Firepoint.
"I don't presume know everyone. Only Miss Cutter can make that claim." ContactsShow
1. Duchess Ekaterina Lursis is Valgein's immediate superior, and she has his unwavering loyalty. He considers the Duchess to be somewhat naive about Firepoint, but he finds her enthusiasm refreshing. He believes it's good to see a leader who actually cares about the city.
2. Valgein views Miss Cutter, Firepoint's day-to-day ruler as a kindred spirit. Both are upwardly mobile eladrin, and both have a devotion to the city and its protection. He doesn't really have much else to say about her, since she rarely concerns herself with the affairs of the Watch, which are the concern of the Duchess.
3. Valgein also maintains a steady communication with Doomlord Zekaligos, though their relationship doesn't extend beyond a professional level. They work together to coordinate The Watch's strikes into the Labyrinth to thin the numbers of the undead beneath the city. He's grateful for the clerics Zekaligos sends with his troops, since they keep his men alive longer, and make fighting the undead that much easier.
"This old soldier's got many memories of this thrice-cursed city. Most of them aren't that good." MemoriesShow
1. Valgein's earliest memories concern the war with Narcica as a child. He was a page, serving an eladrin general long dead, and remembers polishing his commander's armor till it shined like a mirror. He never did see that armor again. The general won the battle, but succumbed to many wounds as the enemy retreated.
2. Valgein was a junior member of the Watch when they first organized the practice of raiding the Labyrinth. He remembers the dark, cold tunnels, full of crumbling masonry and with bizzare carvings all over the walls. The undead reek was everywhere. They were unprepared for the seemingly limitless number of undead in the Labyrinth, and Valgein was one of the few survivors.
3. Valgein's promotion to Knight Commander of Firepoint was his proudest moment in life. He'd been through so much garbage and strife in his life to get to this moment, and so had Firepoint. He hadn't bothered to wash the grime of his last patrol off when he arrived at his knighting ceremony. Though he probably offended some of the noble guests, he felt it was an important symbolic gesture, to show the impeccably clean nobles what The Watch that protects them is really made of.
"OY! Welcome to Firepoint, stranger! Name's Jasper, Jasper Locke. You lookin' to buy supplies?" Background and Character InformationShow
1. One of Firepoint's most unique features is its economy. There are no stores and there are no bazaars or markets of any kind. If you want to shop in Firepoint, you talk to the bagmen. Each bagman is part scavenger, part thief, part door-to-door salesman. When someone in Firepoint wants to buy something, they contact a bagman, and when the bagman acquires the item for the person, they recieve a finder's fee. Given time, a bagman can get almost anything for you in Firepoint. Some have become so wealthy that they only handle the books, and have other bagmen do the work for them.
2. Jasper Locke is a large, round man with a red leather coat, a red face and a great red beard. Some people mistake him for a fat overgrown dwarf, though Jasper is actually human. He speaks in a loud, boisterous tone that has endeared him to many of his customers.
3. Jasper is the singlemost successful bagman in all of Firepoint. His successes in his younger years as a bagman led him to form the Bagman's Union, which organized the bagmen who work for him into a united force for Firepoint's economy. Jasper himself avoids the legwork of a true bagman in his old age, now sticking to book-keeping and customer service. In essence, he has become Firepoint's minister of finance, though he'd deny such a stuffy title.
4. Jasper's demeanor is one of the friendliest in Firepoint. He treats every customer like a valued friend, even if he's only interested in selling them some widget one of his boys dug out of a trash-heap. He is also an honest merchant, wanting to avoid the headache of managing illicit profits and money laundering. He also works with the trade caravans that wander the Vale, making sure that Firepoint recieves a steady flow of raw materials, especially food, since Firepoint can't produce food on its own.
5. Jasper also has a deep love for what he calls "the simple things." In his mind, this means hard-earned cash, some strong cordial, a jar of pickles in lard, and a good woman by your side...and underneath you later.
"My goals? Profit, profit and lemme think profit! Profit for Firepoint that is!" GoalsShow
1. Jasper's main goal at this point is to keep the money flowing through Firepoint, since the city depends on trade. He may also ask the PC's to acquire something that's out of reach for his boys, or to collect on a debt someone owes the Union. Jasper is not a crimelord, and anything he asks of the PC's should be legitimate and legal.
2. Jasper has a deep love of pickles in lard, a snack that only he seems to like, and which is very rare. He'll pay handsomely for the stuff if the PC's find any.
"OY! Secrets are nothin' but trouble, mate! You know how much of a headache it is to sift through the books to find one missed shipment or one hidden expense?!" SecretsShow
1. Jasper has become concerned about the destruction of Lunaer, Firepoint's greatest trading partner. He, like most others, knows the shadar-kai bear ill will to Firepoint, so he's reluctant to send them an offer of trade.
2. The Bagman's Union is getting drawn into a criminal conflict brewing under the noses of the Razor Guild. Two criminal elements, a crime syndicate and a gang of halflings are conducting a clandestine war for control of Firepoint's crime, and are hurting the Union's profits as a result.
3. One of Jasper's underlings, Allistaire Benzago, is angling for Jasper's position as head of the Union. He feels that Jasper's lush behaviour and his overtly friendly manner repel customers, and that he's hurting profits by not cooperating with Firepoint's budding criminal element.
"If someone needs somethin' in this town, they come to me!" ContactsShow
1. As a person of influence in Firepoint, Jasper naturally knows Miss Cutter, Firepoint's day-to-day ruler. Jasper views her as a smart woman, but contends that she's such a stiff that no one'd realize it if she died. Miss Cutter, in turn, views Jasper as an obnoxious lush, but they respect eachother's skill in their respective spheres of influence.
2. Andros, a tiefling bagman, is one of Jasper's finest boys, and the best procurer of medical supplies in Firepoint, since he has a deal with the Pelorian Sunspeaker. Jasper trusts Andros implicitly, and Andros looks up to Jasper like a father-figure.
3. Jasper is a good friend of Andros' wife, a tiefling named Charity. She runs one of Firepoint's more expensive brothels, and caters to unique tastes. Both Charity and her girls enjoy living large, like Jasper, and he visits Charity's place often to find a nice fat woman to spend the night with. Charity, in turn, gives him a discount, since he visits so often.
"I've got a memory sharper than Miss Cutter's razors! In this line of work, ya need it!" MemoriesShow
1. Jasper's fondest memory is of his early days as a bagman. He was an adventurous youth, always willing to accept the dangerous jobs that no other bagman would take.
2. Jasper also remembers the day the Bagman's Union was founded. He was standing at a podium, addressing the other bagmen who'd agreed to help him with this somewhat risky proposition, and he spoke to the group like each and everyone like his own best friend. When he had finished, he recieved a standing ovation, and grinned ear-to-ear, knowing that good times were coming for every bagman in Firepoint.
3. Another memory that Jasper's mind often wanders back to is when he first tried pickles in lard. It was when he was a little boy, living with his dear ol' granny, and he remembered thinking the stuff looked and smelled gross. One bite of the crunchy snack, however, erased those thoughts for good. He took another and another until he'd eaten the whole jar.
Well, if you need a format for what it might look like, The TMB of St. Clarice might give you a good stating point. A well-developed city can be as much of a character as any NPC (or at least that's my philosophy).
The Ten-Minute Background of The Hundred Years' Chaos
Step 1: "Run, fools! It will do you no good! I, Von Kruger the Death Knight, shall wipe you from the face of the world!" --The Death Knight Von Kruger, during the battle of Nentir Vale
1) The Hundred Years' Chaos is a general term for the century of war, strife, and violence that destroyed the human empire of Kelsenon and the dwarven kingdom of Keregorn in The World and the eladrin empire of Avaleron in the Feywild. The Hundred Years' Chaos is generally measured from the years 1369 KR (The invasion of the Witch Lord) to 1470 KR (The battle between Rogar MacCwellen and The Great Beast Drekeshan).
2) At the beginning of the period, the Kelsenon Empire was already in turmoil, as the last emperor of Kelseon, Lucius Arguis XVII, died without a legitimate heir to the throne. The power vacuum had several power-hungry noble claimants up in arms, and civil war loomed. Then a lich known only as "the Witch Lord" used the turmoil to march an army into Miir, an important trade city, and from there began conquering province after province. Due to the ongoing succession crisis, the armies of Kelsenon were slow to react to this dangerous invasion.
3) Meanwhile, in the Feywild, a conspiracy of Vecna-worshiping Eldarin under the leadership of Morcar Zargoni infiltrated the fractured and intrigue-laden Faerie Courts, manipulating them with ease with the help of doppelganger replacements. The Zargoni conspiracy secretly worked on creating magical anchors that, when fully powered, opened a huge rift between the Feywild and the Shadowed Hell. Legions of devils marched into Avaleron, subjugating the Eladrin over the course of several decades.
4) Back in the world, the Kelsenon Empire managed to put aside its internal struggles long enough to appoint a regent, but by this time many provinces had lost faith in the Empire's leadership and declared themselves sovereign nations. The dwarves of Keregorn, once Kelsenon's staunchest allies, sealed their borders, crippling access to desperately needed iron and steel. The armies of Kelsenon resorted to issuing charters to various adventuring mercenary groups. Many of these groups turned out to be little better than bandits, but a scarce few made names for themselves beating back the tide of undead that flowed out of Miir. One of these bands, the West Star Companions, would turn the course of the war.
5) The Witch Lord was eventually defeated by the West Star Companions, with the help of Miir's deposed nobility, and the lich was sealed away in his stronghold of Barak Tor. The Kelsenon army managed to make headway clearing out the remaining undead, and it seemed that the crisis was over. But the worst was yet to come. The Army of Darkness that had conquered the Feywild was not content to rule one world. It began to force its way through the Veil between the Feywild and the Middle World. The Army enslaved tribes of orcs, goblins, and ogres to use as cannon fodder to bolster their numbers. Kelsenon collapsed completely under this assault, with men fleeing from battlefields in routed panic as the Army of Darkness marched through Argius City, and then on to the south lands. It was a dark time indeed.
6) However, all was not lost. A band of loyal wizards banded together in the remains of Avaleron and assaulted the towers of the Zargoni conspirators, destroying the portals between the Feywild and the Shadowed Hell. In the World, the West Star Companions waged a guerrilla war with the devil army's forces, harrying supply lines and wiping out countless orcs and goblins. In the south, the Great Church of Cyra Morwyn stood as a bastion of hope, protecting the people of the lands that would eventually become Coralton from diabolic claws and orcish axes. With no new reinforcements coming and a war on two fronts wearing it away, the Army of Darkness slowly collapsed. Several prominent devil generals were destroyed, and the Zargoni conspirators rounded up and executed. Avaleron began to rebuild itself, and the newly independent nations of the former Kelsenon empire began to explore their own forms of self-government.
7) But there was one last violent shock. During the fighting, all contact with Keregon had been lost. When emissaries of the Young kingdoms came to trade with the dwarves now that the crisis was over, they found nothing but slaughter and death in the ancient halls. Something had broken through the worlds, smashing one of the Gates of Hell. An Elder Devil Lord, Drakeshan the Beast, was free in the world. If he was not stopped, the world would be plunged into war once again. So Rogar MacCwellen and the West Star Companions went to face this final elder evil. The survivors told tales of how Rogar fought the Great Beast for days on end, stopping only when his wounds felled him. But at the end of the fighting, the Great Beast was dead, and Rogar was hailed as more than a hero. Worship of Rogar spread across the land, carried by dwarves who had survived the destruction of Keregorn, and the land was finally allowed to rebuild. The West Star Companions each went their separate ways, fulfilling their own epic destinies in peace.
Step 2: "And for what? The 'Empire?' HA! The Empire doesn't even exist anymore, Corrin! No. I'm not giving my life for this muddy ditch. I'm gone." --a deserter from the Imperial Knights, to a comrade.
1) The Witch Lord was not destroyed, just sealed. She (most texts confuse her gender) still has a phylactery intact, and waits in the catacombs of Barak Tor for a group of foolish adventurers to stumble on her and wake her from slumber.
2) The Great Beast's arrival in Keregorn was no accident. One of the West Star Companions, the dwarf Balgron Stonehammer, was an exile from Keregorn and held a deep resentment of his people. Over the years with his fellow adventurers, he sought out the Runeblade Key that opened the Great Gate To Hell at the bottom of Keregon's delve. Once he found it, he returned home and opened the lock, unleashing the Great Beast on the world. The West Star Companions went to face the traitor as much as defeat the devil lord.
3) Landril Goldenbow, son of Emperor Nyroni Goldenbow, returned home with the Soul Stone, an artifact that had allowed the Witch Lord the power to raise such a vast army of the undead so quickly. He meant to destroy it, but wound up sealing it away when destroying it proved impossible. When he married the Lady Wynowill and she began poisoning his mind, she came to learn of the Soul Stone and its powers over undead as well. She has no interest in Necromancy, but she figures that the Stone will prove to be an excellent resource during her planned invasion of Coralton.
4) What neither Landril nor Wynowill know is that the Soul Stone is actually the Heart of The Dark Reaper, torn out during that god's rampage across the World. With the right rituals, it can be used to summon The Dark Reaper himself!
5) The Hundred Years' Chaos was actually the result of the latest battle between the Nine Hero Gods and their ancient enemies the Seven Devil Lords, played out through mortal proxies. The battles began when the God Lucius Vecna allied himself with the Seven in a ploy to take over heaven. The battle in heaven had echoes on earth as Vecna used the Zargoni Conspiracy to attack the followers of the Nine and establish his religion as the dominant one of the Feywild. This spiraled out of his control, however, and resulted in the death of Khorn, the God of War and Storms, and the escape of the Great Beast. When the dust settled, Zargon was stripped of his position as one of the Nine and unceremoniously tossed into the Shadowed Hell as a punishment. Two new gods ascended to fill the vacancies left by this battle: Rogar, who was given dominion over storms and battle, and The Smiling One, who took Zargon's role as the keeper of secrets and mysteries.
Step 4: "The Empire is lost, I guess. I guess you all think that means it's time ta quit, ta lay down an' let them devil sons o' *****s roll on over ya, beg fer scraps from their clawed feet, hope they don' take a fancy to yer spouses. Well, I say NAY! A thousand times, NAY! I aim to take this sword, and ram in down the gullet o' the nearest slimy beastie from the pit 'til it's poking out his arsehole! And then I'll do it again! And AGAIN! AND I AIN'T A GONNA STOP TILL THEY TEAR MY BEATING HEART FROM MY CHEST! Now, WHO'S WITH ME!?" -- Rogar MacCwellen, to a thunderous cheer.
1) The most immediate aftermath of the Hundred Years' Chaos was decades of turmoil as the lands of the former Kelsenon Empire adjusted to self-rule. The Young Kingdoms slowly coalesced from scattered fortress city-states into thriving realms of their own. Of these, the Republic of Coralton has become the most prominent, working its way from a neglected fortress into a powerful mercantile force in ;ess than two hundred years, a remarkable achievement.
2) The Feywild has been less successful. It took longer for the remains of the Devil Army to be wiped out, and the Eladrin of Avaleron took to embracing nationalism and a harsher view of life. Fascism, the idea that the many were stronger than the individual and that all should bow to a strong leader, took hold in the Eladrin Court that came to call itself Avaleron reborn. So far, this court has united many scattered fey demesnes together in a semblance of the old empire, but it holds only a fraction of the land that the previous empire controlled. It has taken to brutal conquest and the 'cleansing' of undesirable elements from its lands to stabilize itself. This is not helped by the Eladrin tendency for madness. Many of the rulers of this new Avaleron are elderly, and thus quite mad, but no one dares challenge their power.
3) There were other changes, as well. The old lord of War, Khron, who was a murderous god of slaughter, mysteriously fell silent. In his place, Rogar has become worshiped as a patron of storms, battle, and athletics. And worship of a new goddess, the mysterious Smiling One, has spread in secret across the continent, spread by changelings fleeing from oppression.
Step 5: "Balgron!What have ye done!?" "Only what I was destined to, old friend. As we all were." -- Rogar to Balgron, meeting for the last time in the ruins of Keregorn.
I had the urge to cover another event, this one with more long-term effects on my campaign world than the Doom of Abbeville. The trouble with this one is that it's a very broad subject, like the fall of Rome, World War II, or Eberron's Last War, so an overview like this doesn't have the space to go very in depth. Still, a board overview is helpful to understand the various events in context.
The Hundred Years' Chaos is my version of the Fall of Nerath from the core D&D, or the Fall of Rome in the Real World--a huge event that will echo across the centuries. I don't use Points of Light per se, but I felt the Hundred Years' Chaos should be a suitably epic way to smash an empire to bits.
You asked, and I delivered! Here's the TMB for the city of...
Firepoint
"Welcome to Firepoint, the shining center of the Vale of...oh, who am I kiddin'?" - an anonymous and unenthusiastic human member of The Watch Background and City InformationShow
1. Firepoint is the largest city in the Vale of Thorns, averaging about 25,000 people, humans being the largest ethnic group, followed by eladrin. Member of almost any race, even the monstrous ones, may be found here however. Situated in a Shadowfell-aligned glade, the city feels noticeably darker and oppressive the closer one gets to it, and within the City itself, the sky is constantly overcast, and there is a light drizzle of rain 24/7. Most residents of Firepoint have never even seen the sun. The mood of the city is one of depression and hopelessness.
2. Firepoint is an urban sprawl, built over the ruins of the shadar-kai city Narcica ("raven's cradle"). It had to be built completely from scratch, as the attacking eladrin force had systematically executed every shadar-kai man, woman and child, and had razed the city to a smoking ruin out of sheer hatred. Today, it is a chaotic blend of many different architectural styles. Regardless of style, all buildings in Firepoint look run-down and ugly, and sometimes a building will simply collapse unexpectedly. The city is also honeycombed with alleyways and tight spaces, and the streets are almost always crowded. A large, high wall surrounds the city, patrolled day and night.
3. Firepoint is a center of trade and industry. Because of its primarily urban orientation, and the fact that the weather makes growing crops impossible, Firepoint relies on the two large rose-ways that connect it to the rest of the Vale. Should they close or become blocked, the city would starve. Firepoint has many factories and warehouses, where raw materials from other cities are made into finished goods the city can export. Also of note, is the fact that there are no shops in Firepoint. Individual business transactions are handled by a bagman who takes a customer's order, and then attempts to acquire the item, whether through commerce, scavenging or thievery. The largest group of bagmen is the Bagman's Union, run by Jasper Locke.
4. Firepoint effectively has two rulers. The first is Miss Cutter, the leader of the Razor Guild, who serves as Firepoint's day-to-day ruler. The Razor Guild started as an illegal guild of assassins, but Miss Cutter has molded it into a legitimate organization, and the Guild serves Firepoint as its law enforcement. Duchess Ekaterina Lursis is the nominal ruler of Firepoint, having been elected recently. She handles Firepoint's relationship with the world and is also "commander-in-chief" of The Watch, Firepoint's army.
5. Firepoint is also known as a sort of religious center, with most of the city worshiping The Raven Queen. The church of Erathis is also prominent in the city, and the church of Pelor has recently established itself. Both the churches, and the resident arcane university are prominent in the instruction of Radiant-based magic, as Firepoint has many underground entrances to the Labyrinth, the ruined metropolis that the entire Vale sits upon, which is infested with a seemingly limitless supply of undead. Because the undead make incursions into the city from time to time, and because the Watch raids the sections of the Labyrinth beneath Firepoint to keep them at bay, the practice of necromancy in Firepoint is frowned upon at best, if not treated with outright fear and suspicion.
"I got no idea why someone'd build a city in this shithole." - Wiggin Galdros, human, a junior member of The Bagman's Union GoalsShow
1. Firepoint is meant to be the main hub of our campaign. Our center of operations. As a result, I wanted to make sure there was enough to do in the city that we could actually do something there rather than just heal, rest, recharge and repair.
2. All these NPC's need to have a home, do they not?
"There are many secrets throughout the city, civilian. If you are smart, you will leave them alone." - Avagdu, elven sub-commander of the Razor Guild General Campaign SpoilersShow
1. Firepoint's greatest threat comes from the newly built city of Narsopath, built over the ruins of Firepoint's nearest neighbor, the eladrin city of Lunaer. Lunaer's destruction was shadar-kai retaliation for the destruction of Narcica, and already the shadar-kai are eyeing Firepoint as their next target.
2. A lesser, but perhaps more insidious threat, is the Thornheralds. The Thornheralds are a cult of nature-worshiping primitivists that worship the Thorns of the Vale. The Thornheralds see the existence of civilization as evil and unclean, and they have made it their mission to exterminate all cities in the Vale, and allow the Thorns to consume the glades where civilizations exist and everyone in them. The Thornheralds have placed agents within Firepoint to gather information and determine when the time to strike is right. With Firepoint and Narsopath entering a sort of cold war, that time may be closer than expected.
3. Crime is a problem in any city, and Firepoint is no different. For years, crime in Firepoint has been controlled by a syndicate called the Mawtooths, led by a wily and ruthless dragonborn named Gar Mawtooth. Lunaer's destruction, however, has changed things. A thieves guild, mainly made up of halflings, called the Lords of Luck was Lunaer's reigning criminal organization. Members of the Lords of Luck are among the refugees from Lunaer that have sought shelter in Firepoint, and they are currently trying to establish themselves there, challenging the Mawtooths for control. So far, the conflicts haven't broiled into open streetfighting, but it's only a matter of time before Gar decides he's had enough of competition and attempts to kill every last member of the Lords.
"No city can truly stand alone. What are you looking for?" - Luugro, orc ranger, and trailblazer for the church of Erathis ContactsShow
1. Firepoint's nearest neighbor is the shadar-kai city of Narsopath ("raven's flight"). The city is relatively new, built over the ruins of the eladrin city of Lunaer. The relationship of the two cities is generally antagonistic, but both cities are currently trying to avoid war, Narsopath because it is still establishing itself, and Firepoint because a war with the shadar-kai could cripple the city's trade and defenses.
2. The Thornspire is now Firepoint's most prominent trading partner, formerly being second only to Lunaer. With Lunaer's destruction, the dwarves of the Thornspire have stepped up trade with Firepoint. The products of the mining and quarry operations of the dwarves make up the majority of the exports they send to Firepoint, which are then manufactured into finished goods by Firepoint craftsmen and factories. They also sell dwarven carvings and art, as well as the occasional dwarven weapon.
3. While not technically a city, the Labyrinth is one of the most important parts of the Vale. Once a massive city, whose name nobody remembers now, the Labyrinth is so large that the entire Vale sits atop it. There are entrances to the Labyrinth all over the Vale, and it's unknown just how many there are. Firepoint has a number of Labyrinth entrances, mostly in the sewers, and each one is guarded by The Watch. The Labyrinth has been infested with undead for as long as anyone can remember, and there seems to be an endless supply of them. Why they haven't overrun the Vale yet is anyone's guess.
"I tell you what, hon, this city's seen a lot." - Charity, a tiefling prostitute, madam of the Orange Lounge brothel Fun Facts about FirepointShow
1. The oldest part of Firepoint, which serves as the city's red-light district, is also one of the most confusing. It's as if the alleyways are made deliberately to disorient and confuse people. Rumor has it that the Razor Guild makes its headquarters here, but no one outside the Guild seems to be able to find it.
2. While Firepoint is a center of religious worship in the Vale, religion in the city isn't as prominent as one thinks it would be. The majority of the citizenry are to bitter and depressed to care about the gods, paying only lip service to them and complaining that the gods don't do a damn thing, or else they'd lift them out of the squalor they live in. The churches serve more as a rallying point and safe haven for the faithful, though all try to bring in new worshipers. The Pelorian church, located at the Sun Fane, is currently the most active in seeking new worshipers, but Pelor's message of hope and warmth is often rejected by the cynical and cold-hearted people of Firepoint.
3. Because of the lack of a truly organized and codified set of laws, the Razor Guild only enforce the most basic laws that can be expected in any city, concerning things like murder and such, which are generally punishable by death. The guilds and other organizations generally police their own, with the greatest punishment among them generally being a slap-on-the-wrist fine, or expulsion from the organization of guild in question. Because of this, Firepoint doesn't actually have much in the way of prisons or jails.
