In the Shadow of Khaza Dhuril

"No Law at all in Deadwood. Is that true...christ almighty. No Law at all. Gold you can scoup out of the streams with your bare hands, and I have to go and F&\*$ it up by stealing Byron Samson's Horse."

The residents of a tiny non-charter town in the shadow of the now abandoned and locked Dwarven fortress of Khaza Dhuril. The underground city lies in the mountains between the Stori Empire, the Nungar Kingdom, and the Xentos Wastes. The residents of the town mostly moved into the razed ruins of the dwarven stronghold to search for treasure, to escape the law or for personal reasons.

**Khaza Dhuril** - A mighty fortress and one of the farthest outpost embassies in the 3rd great dwarven empire. It was an early staging post for spies and trade, but became the main staging point for the takeover of the Stori empire. In the first days of the last war, the dwarves used it as the primary base for the re-assertion of their dominence upon their human subjects and the primary place from which they attack their hated enemies, the elves.

In the last days of the war, elven and human barrage broke open the formerly enchanted Iron Gates, and laid seige to a deathly quiet Dhuril. The walls and enchantments seemed almost impenetrable. A few spies with the help of magic brought themselves into the mighty Fortress, and were according to legend found it abandoned and desolate, with the exception of a number of dwarves dead or dying of a pox-like disease. They could find nothing that showed any living dwarves, so they closed the tunnels as best they could, and left. They abandoned the siege, and went home. Within 50 years, the village across the river has been repopulated, by misfits, treasure hunters, outlaws, and exiles.

**The Village:**

A small community of 200 people, who have rebuilt the market town in the shadow of Dhuril. Most of their economy is simple farming, treasure hunting or the robbers of dwarven graves. Tunnels go from the caverns to the North, and to the East and the main road emerges quickly into a Stori province.

Prominent People

**Prominent Places and Locations:**

**The** **Diamond** **Fields**: Usually used for industrial purposes, the functional benefits of diamonds in restorative magics have become more well known at the same time the small number of diamond mines in Vidgart have run dry. Khaza Dhuril however had a number of diamond deposits that have remained unmined since the war began (and were barely claimed then because they were used for the purpose of mining more valuable jems). In the last year, a large series of diamond deposits were found, and has led to a number of capable miners taking up residence and making claims, subsequently growing in wealth. People are slowly and quietly getting messages to relatives in order for them to come and lay claims. Technically the fields are a large series of open mines, and streams that wash diamonds into the lake.

**Gnome** **Town**: About 10 years ago, a small group of gnomes emerged from the tunnels of the formed dwarven kingdoms. Then more came. Their total population is around 40, but they all share the harrowing story of new creatures emerging in the darkness of the power vacuum left by the collapse of the dwarves. Pale white elves riding spiders, goblinoid factions run amok, but worst of all creatures that have never been heard of before and resemble nothing else imagined by historians. Creatures that burrow into the skulls of victims to masquerade as them, and squid like creatures that eat the minds of their victims. The gnomes of Dhuril are a militant lot as a result, usually travelling in groups, waiting for more occurences, but willing to help any who were victims of these creatures.

Sideways Gates:

**Lake Dhuril**:

The Amphitheater: An open air amphitheater, carved in stone, and a previous century was bejeweled and ornate. The stonework remains, though it is a shadow of his former glory. It has become the defacto setting for meetings, announcements, and has also become the base of operations of a small drama troupe, who tell stories for small change.

## Outside Forces:

**Stori Road:**

**The Nessari Family** - led by their matriarch Susualana Nessari, an aged woman. The Nessari Family

began as a low class family of ranchers and herders, who expanded their territory into the former Galasian Family, and into their Mansion of the Gales (from their Nessari Mill). The Galasians were killed early in the last war, by the dwarves of Dhuril as traitors, leaving the area rulership and administration open. Now, on the northern border of the Stori empire an upjumped family of herders control one of the largest food producers on the continent, as well as substantial routes into the nungar kingdom.

While some imperial garrisons remain, the Nessari pay their own soldiers to "keep the peace" and collect the tolls from merchants travelling between the Nungar and the Stori markets. They know there is a settlement somewhere along that road, but are careful about raising too many questions, so as to avoid the involvement of the interference of their territory. Currently the tolls are relatively small considering the productivity and wealth production of the small town, but they are starting to catch on that this is not a town of small means.