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 remains little more than a lawless frontier settlement. Although the town is officially under the rule of the Freehold of Norwald, because of its remote location, it enjoys a great deal of local autonomy.

Diamond Lake's official ruler is Governor Lorstan Neff. But in truth, the town is actually controlled by the Lakeside Mining Guild, a group of six greedy and competitive mine-owners led by Balabar Smenk. Neff only holds his own against the Mining Guild because he is under the protection of 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, though. The last cairn in the region yielded its treasures decades ago, and few locals pay any mind to stories of yet-undiscovered tombs and un-plundered burial cairns. These days, only a handful of treasure-seekers visit the town, and even fewer return with anything more valuable than a wall rubbing or an ancient tool fragment. Today, the iron and silver extracted from its mines are Diamond Lake’s only real 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 Diamond Lake’s 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, ale halls, and temples 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 are employed here. Many are foreigners, displaced from their native lands by war or famine, or dwarves whose natural skills in dark, underground environments suits them well. Overall, Diamond Lake is a dirty and sullen town, often prone to unpleasant bursts of violence.

Ostensibly to keep order, a force of sixty mercenary soldiers is stationed at the Garrison, which is commanded by Captain Trask. These soldiers are really stationed here for one reason—to protect the mines against raids from either bandits and lizard folk from the neighboring Steaming Marsh. Trask and his men usually ignore most petty crimes, but when justice is dispensed here, it is swift and deadly.

Despite its misery and squalor, Diamond Lake remains crucial to the economy of the Freehold, and it is often said that even in faraway Redmark, Viscount Argus Theed takes a keen interest in local affairs and expects the arrival of tax payments regularly.

Prominent NPCs

Allustan Neff; A mysterious local wizard who happens to be the older brother of Mayor Lorstan Neff.

Balabar Smenk; Smenk is said to be the wealthiest merchant in Diamond Lake. Smenk owns the Glitterstone Mine and is director of the Lakeside Mining Guild; a powerful consortium of a dozen iron and silver mines located in the region. He is also known to have much political influence in the nearby city of Redmark. Smenk also owns both a large estate and a seedy tavern called the "Feral Dog." He has several goons in his employ: Kullen, Merro, Skell, Todric, and Rastofan

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; A local shopkeeper whose store carries much needed supplies for both miners and local adventurers.

Khellek, Tirra, and Auric: A band of rival adventurers currently in town with plans to explore 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 Mayor of Diamond Lake— a weak and corrupt bureaucrat who remains in power solely due to his political connections in the city of Redmark and his older brother Allustan.

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

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

Saffron; A 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.

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.