Alvion: The Vault of Zhunft

The Gatewatch is the name of the Iron Garrison outpost which stands guard at the walls preceding the Great Seal. This regiment of the Iron Garrison is usually seen as an second-pick “retirement post,” on account of the incredibly uneventful job that is guarding a (at the time) state of the art sealed gate of the finest Dwarf-craft.

The Gatewatch is overseen by an ancient Dwarf by the name of Rondo Casker, who proudly reminds everyone (frequently) that he has been guarding the Gatewatch for the last 250 years. Rondo is kind and jovial, and often offers food and drink to whoever comes to see him, but will avoid work at any cost - he loves the status quo and intends to keep it that way. Rondo is notably practically blind from his extreme age (which is at least 350), and LOVES a good cigar (which are increasingly hard to come by nowadays, as the old stores have dried up).

The Iron Tower is the watchguard station of the Iron Garrison outpost, and thus an extension of the Gatewatch. The Tower is usually occupied by a collection of Iron Garrison guardsmen who are either thrilled to be doing nothing all day, or incredibly frustrated that they aren't adventuring in The Darkway.

Much to the chagrin of Rondo, his Lieutenant, Dosi Tigerseye, is completely obsessed with keeping vigilant watch over the Great Seal. Such is the extent of his obsession that he has constructed a telescopic device on the top of the Iron Tower, and will ramble on and on to anyone who will listen about the state of cave structural integrity and the prevailing causes of magical seepage and water management and so on. Dosi means well, but effectively nobody takes him seriously.

This area is the main work location of all the non-Iron Garrison residents of the Fisher's Quay. Activities here include fishing for Vailin for food, the collection of water for use elsewhere in the city, and some smaller refinement operations of ores collected from The Darkway prior to being sent to the Hall of Trade. This section is managed by Foreman Thormir Stonesong - a gruff and serious but fatherly Dwarf, who takes pride in his role. Although he has a soft side, Thormir is easily provoked - do not ask about his distant Orcish heritage (and the resulting knifears).

As their name may imply, the Workhouses are home to the lowest echelon of the working class in the Vault. The residents of the Workhouses tend to be non-Dwarves, though it's not unheard of for the unusually poor to end up here, especially if they have been disowned from their clan for some blood feud or other factor.

The Workhouses are effectively nothing more than a bed and basic provisions. The mistress of the Houses, a Dwarven Lady by the name of Thiri Greyhammer, runs a “tight ship,” as she often says. She has no patience for the lazy, and will frequently verbally and physically abuse those who aren't pulling their weight in her eyes. Thiri used to serve in the Iron Garrison, but retired due to age and losing an eye in a particularly bad Drow raid. The poison inflicted upon her that day didn't kill her, by the hardiness of the Dwarves, but it did leave her with chronic pains which would continue to trouble her for all the decades since.

Sindri is the best smith in the Vault, and everyone knows it. Although he's a member of the Consortium, he rarely shows up to debate the latest referendum. He would much prefer to work in his work and stoke the fires. Sindri is a quiet and reserved type, and typically responds with a single word and nothing more, unless absolutely necessary.

One of Sindri's most distinguishing features is his Oread heritage - his body's scale is Dwarven, but his flesh is rock - an incredibly durable black stone (which he has put into his works in the past). Ironically, Sindri is known to despise non-Dwarves, and rarely speaks to them, aside telling them to leave his shop. Sindri's father, Rindum, created the Great Seal that now protects the Vault, and in turn he performs a yearly checkup on it, at the request of Lieutenant Dosi.

There are many merchants in the Vault, but when you need something, you go to Tera. Tera is the only Gnome in the entire Vault, and inherited her position from her late father (Thrub the Tinker), who was also a merchant. Somehow, someway, Tera sources and stocks things which would normally be impossible to locate, including ever-elusive cigars, much to the delight of Rondo. As long as she keeps Rondo in her pocket, it's unlikely that Tera will ever be investigated for much of anything, despite complaints from other merchants.

Tera is known for being an absolute sweetheart, even though it's just to sell you something. The best and worst part is that people know this, and come back to her shops anyway.

This workshop is the home of Turo Zhunft, one of the best craftsmen in the entire vault. His workshop is focused upon the creation and maintenance of specialty items, such as advanced mining equipment for use in The Darkway, but most notably for firearms. Turo is one of two gunsmiths in the entire vault, and so to say that his skills are in demand is an understatement. In addition, his workshop is state of the art, and has led to him creating several custom works for high-profile citizens, like the Greyhammers.

Turo is known for his eccentricity, and an absolute love of gold. For all but the best clients, he won't take payment in anything else. Rumor has it that it is on account of dragon blood in his family.

They have taken the Hall. And the stairs. The drums echo in the deep. We cannot get out. The drums shake. We cannot get out. We cannot get out. They are coming.

This camp just outside of The Darkway is home to Foreman Thrain Krieger, a descendant of the original house of the same name within the Erdenheim Consortium. Thrain's grandfather was the founder of The Blackguard, an elite detachment of the Iron Garrison, who acts as the vanguard within The Darkway, seeking to clear out its most dangerous threats.

As Foreman, Thrain authorizes all new mining and expedition operations to ensure the safety of The Vault. He is also a powerful wizard himself, and wields a staff imbued with ancient magic and tipped with infamous Blackstone of the Orcish mountains. The staff provides him with a constant Spell Turning effect, which refreshes each turn. It is said that Thrain's family name, Krieger, is a curse in darkspeech in these days.

The Gem-Master's Halls serve a few functions in the Vault. The first of these is as a bank and currency exchange - the Halls, as they are often called, hosts the largest collection of gems, gold, and silver in all of the Vault. Rumors furthermore cite that the Halls possess a single ingot of dragon-metal, also known as Orichalcum.

Secondly, the Halls acts as somewhat of an exclusive club - private guards stand on duty outside, denying entry to those without the family connections or funds to pay an exorbitant entry fee. The Greyhammers frequent this establishment, alongside other elites such as members of the Consortium.

The Spikes is the name given to the poorest district of the Vault, where those who are unable or unqualified to stay in the Workhouses end up. Staying in the Spikes is effectively free, as if you're here at all your ancestors bought you in. However, food and comfort are quite hard to come by here, and crimes are often the last concern of the Iron Garrison.

The Spikes are so-called due to the homes of this area being cheaply built establishments slotted into Stone Shaped dwellings. Although this area is dangerous and ill-accommodating, at least it's a good place to go to find more unsavory merchandise or services.