Belakest

Belakest was greatly affected by the recent goblin wars. The dwarves of the town are more cosmopolitan than their brothers in Bolaimkakduum and were amongst the first to throw their lot in with the armies of Erlkazar.

Belakest is now a town of mostly widows, orphans and the elderly. A lot of the male folk of Belakest died during the war and this has led to Belakest becoming a little more introverted.

Major Products: Weapons, Armour, Metal Work, Toys, and Fireworks (minor)

Places of Note:

• Terkin's Tradehall:
  Terkin's is the biggest trading house in Belakest. Almost anything can be got here at a price and he is one of the more powerful fences in Tanistan. The Tradehalls are a rambling group of warehouses, sheds and tents that cover a small area in the southmost corner of Belakest.
• The Grove:
  The Grove is home to Bahlain Merifaye one of the most accomplished animal handlers/trainers in the South. Lying in a small wooded vale about 5 kilometres from Belakest it is a most bizarre grove, home to many tropical plants and animals as well as those more common to the region.
• Temple of Vergadain:
  The Bizarre is the Temple of Vergadain, the only true temple in Belakest, as not many other religions are practiced inside the town. It is the headquarters of the merchant and trade guilds and it is where the town treasury and accountants and public servants work and reside. It is a large beautifully carved building that has many rooms and twisting corridors running through it's interior. An outpost of the Golden Hands of Vergadain also resides within the walls of the Bizarre
• Hemp fields:
  The hemp farms of Belakest litter the hills of the surrounding countryside. Farmers in the area grow this herb for it's medicinal purposes, for the drug trade, but mostly to be used in a little heard of practice of weapon and armour producing. The farmers and smiths of the area have worked out a way to make the fibre of the plants into a resin that can be shaped and sharpened and dries as hard as steel. The armour and weapons are just starting to hit the market and are proving to be a very successful.

Important Characters

• Cralkak Goldpurse (CN dm, SP 8) is Hurndor of Vergadain and the leader of the church in Belakest. He is a well to do dwarf and will have nothing to do with those he considers beneath his station. He always dresses in the latest court fashions of Tethyr and wears his beard and hair in the trendiest fashions, employing his own hairdresser and tailor to ensure that he is hip. He throws lavish parties that only the rich are invited to and is a shrewd business man, always managing to get the best of any deal (NWP: bargaining 18, haggling 19).
• Thalin "Big Belly" Axegrinder (CN dm F3) is the head of the local constabulary. As his nickname implies he has a big stomach and is often found patrolling the food halls "just making sure there's no trouble 'ere then". He is lazy and a coward and the only reason he has the job is because the last chief died during the war and Thalin was one of the few dwarves that put up their hand for the position after the war.
• Sheradain Bluebeard (NG df F4) is the real leader of the constabulary in Belakest and is the only reason the town hasn't fallen into chaos after the war. Sheradain sat back and watched the job that Thalin did for two weeks before taking action, joining the police as Thalin's assistant and taking charge in the day to day running of Belakest's legal affairs. As her name suggests she sports a long blue beard that is her pride and joy and that she regularly dyes various different shades of blue.
• Heligin Blark (N gf I5) is the Master of Sparkles, the fireworks guild, she is a large Gnome that always seems to smell of sulphur and has a many burns and scars upon her person. Heligin is missing 3 fingers on her right hand and is usually encountered wrapped head to foot in a special hemp fire suit with facemask, made with the use of a Glass Steel spell. She is a fiery gnome, speaks fast and is quick to anger or take offence. She is very proud of her fireworks and the way she runs her school, and she does not take kindly to criticism.

Notable Mages

There are no notable mages in Belakest as the practice is generally treated with suspicion. The only real spell flinger in Belakest is Heligin the mistress of the fireworks school.

Armed Forces

The armed forces of Belakest are a mere shadow of what they used to be. Made up primarily now of young boys barely in their teens, old men, women and the odd grizzled veteran. Numbering 75 they patrol the surrounding lands, the village and the mountains and work to the town police captain in times of peace.

Notable Rogues and Thieves Guilds

The only thieves guild in Belakest belongs to the Golden Hands of Vergadain and is run from the Bizarre with the full cooperation of the local government (the Temple of Vergadain)

Equipment Shops

Are completely outfitted with all an adventurer could require. The price of any good depends on its quality and its manufacturer's reputation. The better more expensive items are closer to the centre of town where the Bizarre lies the cheaper shops lie closer to the walls or even outside the town's walls.

Adventurers' Quarters

• Deepshaft's Hole:
  (Festhall/Inn)
  A big place that is always busy, this is where a lot of the more powerful merchants and traders do their business. The building has small private rooms where business can be conducted, a large gaming room where patrons can relax, another room that has a roster of different performers. Accommodations start at reasonable prices and can blow out to 100 gp a night. The proprietor is Deepshaft (CN dm T5) and is only interested in making money, but he is a fair dwarf that will not cheat a customer. Grolag (N ogre F4) is head bouncer of Deepshaft's Hole and will not put up with any trouble.
  Quality/Price: Excellent/Expensive.
• The Grotto
  (Tavern)
  A small tidy place that locals will always recommend to characters that look like adventurers or sellswords. The Grotto is run by a halfling woman named Pipilee Solidfoot (LG half-f T3) that is a retired adventurer. She feels for adventurers and will provide them with good meals, accommodation and friendship at very good prices. Rooms in the Grotto are generally dormitory style sleeping, with 4-8 sleeping bunks in a room. Pipilee provides the most expansive, fulfilling breakfast known and is booked out for months in advance with people wanting to eat there.
  Quality/Price: Good (Excellent food)/Cheap (adventurers) Moderate (every one else).
• Rhyak's
  (Inn)
  The largest inn of Belakest, renowned for the strong earthy ale brewed by the now deceased Rhyak and the excellent spiced mountain goat (specially imported spices from Maztica), served by his wife Deliah (NG df F0). Since the war Deliah has had to manage the inn by herself, brewing the beverages and organizing the cooking and guestrooms. Rhyak's is still one of the most open places in Belakest and has a very friendly atmosphere.
  Quality/Price: Good/Moderate.