Ratscheschachtel

**Ratscheschachtel** (Common: *Ratchet Box*) is a Gnomish community in Citadel Abdar deep in the Ice Mountains. It specializes in producing fine wooden music boxes and clocks, though it has recently expanded its production to specialty jewelry and watches. Its most exquisite handicrafts utilize both complex machinery and illusion magic, the likes of which have never before been seen in all of Toril.

## The Elders

Three gnomes known as "The Elders" lead the commune: Mergrim the wizard, Father Safan the cleric, and Jexif the woodworker. Mergrim arranges contracts with vendors and caravans and serves as the visionary of the group. Father Safan's role is to maintain worker morale, organize housekeeping duties, and schedule festivities. Jexif oversees operations as architect, overseer, and general "maintenance gnome"; he will occasionally craft special orders himself or with other mastercraftsgnomes.

## Layout & Facilities

### Cavern

The cavern housing the commune is dome-shaped with three *layers* carved along the circumference of the walls. The levels are connected by a single staircase. All floors are predominately lit by naturally-occurring crystals embedded in the cavern walls, giving a turquoise tint to the common areas. Apprentices reside in single-room quarters at the top layer, where as Masters and Elders enjoy more spacious accommodation closer to the facilities at the bottom.

 **Bottom** | (*From west to east*)Gate, Workshops, General StoreCanteen, Chapel of DawnfatherElders' Quarters

### Workshops

At the time of Waylon's visit, Ratscheschachtel's operation had expanded to three workshops. Clocks are generally built in the Music Box Workshop. Jewelry are designed by Vokini and Jexif in the Watch Workshop, though are seldom ordered.

 **Music Box** | Callin | Arthur\*

\**recently deceased*

### General Store

Elephina runs a dusty, underwhelming goods store stocking basic necessities for the workers. Her catalogue is pre-approved by the Elders; special orders are logged in a journal to be approved by Mergrim.

### Canteen

Garben is the sole chef.

Every gnome gets their own tankard; ale casks are self-serve.

### Chapel of Dawnfather

The Dawnfather is the god of the sun, summer, and agriculture, none of which exists in the dark depths of Citadel Abdar. Father Safan, the eldest of the gnomes, may be the only resident to have ever seen the Surface. Whenever craftgnomes feel melancholy, they visit the cleric to hear his fanciful tales about bountiful harvests, scantily-clad she-gnomes, and the foreign concept of "sunbathing".

The chapel itself is modest, with only enough room to fit 6-8 [stout] people. The walls are decorated with small but impressive sun mosaics.

### Forge (2nd Layer)

Due to a design oversight, the community's only forge sits one layer above the workshops. The lower staircase receives heavy foot-traffic during the workday. Apprentices will occasionally return after a long day to find the floor on the third layer covered in soot.

## Footnotes

1. ↑ *There has yet to be a festivity held at Ratscheschachtel.*

## Bibliography

Orthrix. *Deadly Music Box*. Dungeon Masters Guild, 10 October 2021, https://www.dmsguild.com/product/373597/Deadly-Music-Box/.