Hearthgate

Physical Description

• General Overview: Hearthgate sprawls across the mountain foothills directly in front of Khaz-Dorahn's massive Mountain Gates. The town exists solely because of and for the dwarven city it serves. Stone buildings with human-height ceilings cluster around wide streets designed for dwarf-laden wagons hauling ore, finished goods, and supplies. The air carries the distant ring of hammers from deep within the mountain, and warm updrafts from the Eternal Hearth's heat vents keep the settlement surprisingly comfortable even in winter.

• Sensory Details: The constant rumble of loaded carts on cobblestones, the multilingual haggling of merchants, the smell of coal smoke mixed with mountain pine, the warm breeze that flows from the mountain gates carrying hints of hot metal and stone dust. At night, the glow from the dwarven forges reflects off the mountain face, giving the town an orange-red twilight.

• Points of Interest:

  • The Mountain Gates Plaza: Massive open square before Khaz-Dorahn's fortified entrance
  • The Scales District: Where merchants weigh, value, and trade dwarven goods
  • Wagon Row: Stables, repair shops, and teamster lodgings for transport operations
  • The Warming House: Largest inn, built directly over a heat vent from the forges
  • The Trading Halls: Massive warehouses where bulk goods are stored and traded
  • The Broker's Quarter: Offices of translators, deal-makers, and trade representatives
  • The Smelter's Rest: Tavern favored by off-duty dwarven workers
  • The Bell Tower: Human-built watchtower with signal bells for announcing caravans
  • Sound Garden: Acoustically perfect valley 30-40 minutes' hike from town, serves as Fellowship forward base

The Trade Economy

Before the Siege

Gateway to Dwarven Craftsmanship: Hearthgate served as the primary point where dwarven goods entered the wider world. Metalwork, precision tools, weapons, armor, jewelry, and specialized components all passed through this town's trading halls.

Two-Way Trade: While dwarves exported finished goods, Hearthgate imported what the underground city needed: lumber, foodstuffs, livestock, textiles, coal (especially recently with the fuel crisis), rare materials from distant lands, and raw materials unsuitable for underground cultivation.

Prosperity: The town thrived on percentage-based broker fees, warehouse storage, transport services, and providing lodging and services to merchants waiting for dwarven orders to be completed.

The Fuel Crisis

Increased Demand: Prior to Session 3, Hearthgate saw increased traffic in coal and fuel shipments. Dwarven purchasing agents paid premium prices for quality fuel as Khaz-Dorahn's Eternal Hearth began requiring double the normal fuel. The town's coal merchants were thriving.

Trapped Resources: The siege may have caught massive fuel shipments in Hearthgate's warehouses—exactly what the besieged city desperately needed. Current status of these resources unknown following Session 4 resolution.

Culture and Society

The Merchant's Code

Dwarven Time vs. Human Speed: A common saying in Hearthgate is "A dwarf's promise is stone, but stone takes time to carve." The town culture balances human urgency with dwarven meticulousness.

Quality Over Quantity: Hearthgate merchants pride themselves on trading in genuine dwarven-made goods, not counterfeits. A merchant's reputation is everything.

Weight and Measure: All trades use dwarven standard weights (significantly heavier than human standards), a source of constant confusion for first-time visitors.

Mixed Population

Humans: Make up the majority, mostly merchants, innkeepers, wagon drivers, and service workers.

Dwarves: Small permanent population serving as trade liaisons, quality inspectors, and guild representatives for their people.

Other Races: Small numbers of orcs (often trading ore or supplying materials), elves (seeking precision instruments), and harbingers (purchasing technical components).

Campaign Timeline

Session 3: Evacuation and Siege

Town Evacuated: Hearthgate's population fled into Khaz-Dorahn when The Mob (thousands of insane people) advanced on the region.

The Mob Advancing: Massive force approaching Hearthgate as part of siege strategy against the dwarven city.

Void Titans Present: Confirmed as part of the siege force, adding strategic-level entropy threat to the mass assault.

Mountain Gates Sealed: Khaz-Dorahn's gates shut tight with Hearthgate refugees inside the dwarven city.

Ghost Town Status: Town sat empty between The Mob and the sealed gates, warehouses and resources undefended.

Session 4: Salvation and Alliance

Void Titan Attack: The valley faced imminent destruction from a Void Titan (revealed to be corrupted fire giant Shod) approaching from lower valley. Reality ceased to exist around it, creating vacuum of heat, sound, and space. Population fled upward; multiple civilians including hermit Jeff and Rattrick from Blackwharf were absorbed by the entity.

Fellowship Intervention: Using experimental Boom-Stick acoustic weapon combined with Nyx's memory weaponization spell, the Fellowship successfully restored Shod rather than destroying him. All absorbed civilians freed and restored.

Alliance Formed: Hearthgate became the Fellowship's first officially allied community, earning formal recognition and support. Connection to Khaz-Dorahn restored when Otso opened the gates after recognizing Ale-ore's family.

Environmental Healing: Valley warmed dramatically by Shod's presence, reversing frost and creating comfortable temperatures throughout the region.

Current Status

Allied Settlement: Formally committed to Fellowship cause, will provide support, supplies, and strategic assistance.

Recovering Population: Survivors dealing with trauma from void titan experience. Some fled in panic after restoration, some passed out, some remain confused. Hours of medical treatment provided.

Supply Hub: May serve as distribution point for Boom-Stick production when mass manufacturing begins in Khaz-Dorahn.

Fellowship Operations Base: The nearby Sound Garden serves as the Fellowship's first forward operating base with guard rotations and strategic operations.

Trade Restoration: With gates to Khaz-Dorahn reopened, the town's traditional role as trade gateway can resume, though economic recovery will take time.

History & Lore

• Known History:

  • Founded approximately 200 years ago when Khaz-Dorahn opened consistent trade relations
  • Grew from a simple guard post to a thriving trade hub
  • Survived several wars by maintaining strict neutrality
  • Has always prospered or suffered with the dwarven city's fortunes

• Cultural Details:

  • Every building's doorway has both human-height and dwarf-height entrances
  • Town charter guarantees dwarven-weight standard in all trades
  • Annual "Forgelight Festival" celebrates the opening of trade relations
  • Children grow up bilingual (Common and basic Dwarvish trade-speech)

• Recent Events:

  • Session 3: Town evacuated, gates sealed
  • Session 4: Void titan defeated, alliance with Fellowship formed
  • Gates to Khaz-Dorahn reopened
  • First allied community of the Fellowship

The Name

Hearthgate: So named because it serves as the gate to the city of the Eternal Hearth. The name emphasizes both its role as entrance and its connection to the legendary forge.

Local Saying: "All roads lead through Hearthgate, but only the worthy pass the Mountain Gates."

Connections

• Khaz-Dorahn: The town exists to serve the dwarven city, built directly before its Mountain Gates (gates now reopened as of Session 4)
• The Deepen: Hearthgate serves as a surface trade point for the entire dwarven realm
• The Dwarves: Deep economic and cultural ties, with permanent dwarven residents
• Trade Routes: Connects to major roads leading to distant cities and markets
• The Fellowship: First allied community, serving as base of operations and future supply distribution hub
• Sound Garden: 30-40 minutes' hike away, serves as Fellowship's forward operating base
• Shod: The freed fire giant who saved the valley now warms the entire region with his presence

Notable Locations Detail

The Warming House

The town's most famous inn, built directly over a major heat vent from the forges below. The main common room has a glass-covered opening in the floor where guests can watch the warm air ripple up from the deep. Rooms are categorized by how warm they are - premium rooms are over active vents, cheaper rooms are farther from heat sources.

Proprietor Possibility: Could be run by a dwarf-human partnership, symbolic of the town's mixed culture.

The Mountain Gates Plaza

An enormous open area capable of holding dozens of loaded wagons. The Khaz-Dorahn Mountain Gates themselves are massive reinforced constructions, built to dwarf-scale (making them intimidatingly huge to humans). When open for trade, they reveal a massive tunnel lit by forge-light from within.

Current Status: Reopened as of Session 4 following Otso's recognition of Ale-ore's family connections.

The Scales District

Where precision matters. This district houses the official scales (dwarven-certified), assay offices, quality inspectors, and verification halls where goods are weighed, measured, and authenticated before sale. A merchant whose goods pass inspection here can command premium prices anywhere.

Secrets & Discoveries

• Unrevealed Secrets:

  • Are there secret entrances to Khaz-Dorahn known to Hearthgate residents?
  • How much critical fuel is trapped in the warehouses and what is its current status?
  • Are there collaborators here who helped the enemy plan the siege?

• Player Discoveries:

  • Session 3: Learned Hearthgate has been evacuated
  • Session 3: Discovered The Mob is advancing on the town
  • Session 3: Confirmed Void Titans are part of the siege force
  • Session 3: Learned the population fled into Khaz-Dorahn and the gates are sealed
  • Session 4: Discovered Sound Garden's location and properties
  • Session 4: Learned Void Titans are corrupted beings that can be restored
  • Session 4: Established Hearthgate as first allied community
  • Session 4: Confirmed gates to Khaz-Dorahn can be reopened through political connections