Diamond Lake

(Pop: 2,500) Nestled in the rocky crags of the Cairn Hills region of the Barrens, Diamond Lake is a large mining settlement located upon the shores of its namesake.

Diamond Lake is a poor, gritty, mining community which lies huddled along the shores of a crystal clear lake, its collection of ramshackle wooden buildings sagging under layers of soot and dust. Narrow streets, slick with coal-black mud, twist between haphazard rows of decrepit wooden shacks. The air is heavy with the acrid tang of smoke, sweat, and iron. Smoke from the various furnaces of the smelting house spiral into the gray sky, blending with the low-hanging clouds so that even in daytime, the sky is always gray and gloomy. Overlooking the entire town from a large hill is a sturdy stone keep.

From the mines on the outskirts of town come the constant clatter of pickaxes, a relentless percussion against the background hum of creaking carts and rattling wheels. Most faces here are streaked with grime, eyes are hardened and wary, and lips are cracked from the dry climate. In the town's filthy central square, a dozen raucous brothels and ale-houses feed the desperate desires of local inhabitants.

Diamond Lake is technically part of the Freehold of Norwald, but is ruled by Lorstan Neff, who enjoys a great deal of local autonomy because of the town's remote location. Lorstan may be the official "Governor," but in truth, the town is controlled by the Lakeside Mining Guild; a group of six greedy and competitive mine-owners led by Balabar Smenk. Neff has only been able to keep his position because he is protected his brother Allustan, a wizard who took up residence here five years ago.

In ages past, Diamond Lake boasted an export even more valuable than its mines, in the form of treasure liberated from the numerous tombs and burial cairns crowding the hills around the town. These remnants of a half-dozen long-dead cultures once commanded scandalous prices from collectors, whose insatiable desire for ancient artifacts triggered a boom in the local economy. Those days are long gone. The last cairn yielded up its treasures a century ago, and few locals pay any mind to stories of yet-undiscovered tombs and un-plundered riches. These days, only a handful of treasure-seekers ever visit the town, and even fewer return with anything more valuable than a wall rubbing or an ancient tool fragment. Similarly, the lake once held a thriving fishing industry, but the acrid pollution from the mines literally killed off that industry decades ago. Today, the iron and silver extracted from the mines are Diamond Lake's only source of wealth.

In the surrounding mines, hundreds of laborers spend their days underground, breathing stale air in cold, clammy passages of rough-hewn rock. These hard-working miners are the life-blood of the local economy. The fruits of their labor enrich the owners, while their weekly pay cycles back into the community through a handful of gambling dens, brothels, and ale halls located along the “Vein,” a strip of seedy establishments located along the town's main square.

Most residents of Diamond Lake can be categorized into two groups: those with nowhere else to turn and those who exploit them. Because work in the mines is so demanding and dangerous, only the hardiest of folk manage to survive. Many are foreigners, displaced from their native lands by war or famine, or dwarves whose natural skills in dark, underground environments suits them well. Since conditions here are so squalid and miserable, the town often sees outbursts of violence.

Ostensibly to maintain law & order, a force of sixty mercenary soldiers is stationed at a nearby keep named "the Garrison." Commanded by Captain Trask, these soldiers are really here for only one reason—to protect the mines against raids by either bandits or lizard folk from the neighboring Steaming Marsh. Trask and his men usually ignore petty crimes, but when justice is dispensed here, it is swift and deadly.

Prominent NPCs

Allustan Neff; A mysterious local wizard and the older brother of Governor Lorstan Neff.

Balabar Smenk; Said to be the wealthiest merchant in Diamond Lake, Smenk owns the Glitterstone Mine and is director of the Lakeside Mining Guild—a powerful trade consortium. He is rumored to have much political influence in the nearby city of Redmark. In town, Smenk owns a large estate and a seedy tavern called the "Feral Dog." He has several goons in his employ: Kullen, Chiswyk, Danforth, Merro, Rafia, and Tyrus

Balthus Ellival; A wealthy local merchant who owns the Sparkling Slate Mine.

Dietrik Tilgast; A wealthy local merchant who owns the Deepspike Mine.

Fergus; A strange wizard who lives on the outskirts of town.

Gaspar; The best weaponsmith in Diamond Lake. Gaspar sells a variety of arms and armor in his shop and can make repairs to any broken weapon.

Kasilda; Local shopkeeper whose store carries much needed supplies for both miners and local adventurers. Kasilda is an excellent source of local gossip because of her frequent interactions with reidents, local miners, and travelers.

Khellek, Tirra, and Auric: A rival band of adventurers currently in town with plans to explore one of the nearby Cairns.

Kullen; an albino half-orc brute who serves as bartender at the Feral Dog and chief enforcer for Balabar Smenk.

Lorstan Neff; The Governor of Diamond Lake; a corrupt bureaucrat who remains in power solely due to his political connections in the city of Redmark and the protection provided by his brother Allustan.

Merric Lhazar; A wealthy local merchant who owns the Crookshank Mine.

Ragnar; An unfriendly dwarf, who owns the Dourstone Mine.

Saffron; Local Korghani fortune-teller, who is viewed with suspicion because people believe she can lay on curse on those who displease her. Saffron makes her living by selling potions, herbal remedies, and card readings.

Shadwell; Local farmer, who has lived in town his entire life and knows just about everyone who lives here. He often runs errands for Allustan.

Theo; Local cleric of Pharos, who tries to turn a blind eye to the mountain of corruption and vice in Diamond Lake

Tidwell; Local Halfling storeowner who specializes in gems. Tidwell can appraise any item, but drives a very hard bargain on buying and selling gems in his shop.