On the western edge of the desert that occupies much of Haelion lies a deep ravine, thousands upon thousands of feet down into the earth’s crust. Built into the walls of this ravine is Balgud, the Buried City of Dwarves. Considered a site of holy pilgrimage to those with dwarven ancestry, Balgud is a wealthy and sprawling city, tunneling deep into the earth, with the city only growing more lavish the deeper it goes.
Balgud is home to several notable sights. The Great Temple stands at the lowest point in the ravine in honor of Hohth, Dwarven god of fire and metallurgy. The temple is built around an old forge, said to have belonged to the god, and is a popular worship site for dwarven visitors to the city. The city is most renowned for its architecture, entirely carved into the walls of the ravine, an incredible feat of engineering that has drawn the attention of many scholars. Balgud is also known for the catacombs that run through its walls in the lower parts of the city; these catacombs are said to be filled with great treasures that have been buried with the ancient dead, but are also said to be incredibly haunted -- superstitious folks tend to stay away from the catacombs after sundown.
Days in Balgud are short, thanks to the ravine’s walls blocking more sunlight the further down you go. Lower-class homes and merchants reside closer to the surface of the ravine, while the deeper you go towards the ravine’s bottom the more desirable and luxurious the real estate is considered. Because of the dearth of sunlight towards the bottom of the ravine, the rich nobles of Balgud struggle with bright light, are colloquially known as Shadow Dwarves.
Thanks to the notorious lack of hospitality of the dwarves of Balgud to non-dwarven visitors, the city has failed to take off as a source of much magical study; the Great Temple’s three dedicated priests are the primary source of magical healing in town, though the line to see them is long and non-dwarves are typically not permitted to enter the Great Temple. Few if any magical items can be found in the city’s various markets.
OUT OF CHARACTER
The King’s Gambit will be passing through Balgud, staying in and around the town for roughly three days before moving on to their next destination. A shop inventory of items available for purchase can be found below the cut -- please message the main if you would like to purchase anything while in town.
Missions in and around Balgud can also be found below the cut. To claim a mission, please message the main and include the name of the character with whom you’ll be taking the mission. Balgud missions should, to the best of your ability, wrap up around the 1st of March.
MISSIONS
1. DWARVEN HOSPITALITY. Inns in Balgud are notorious for their unfriendliness to anyone not of dwarven descent. Finding a place in the town to rent rooms on the cheap is high priority for weary travelers, so someone of dwarven descent or someone possessing of great charm will need to find a willing innkeeper to rent out a room to the party. ( REWARD: 10 tal ) RIVEN & OPEN
2. HUNTING & GATHERING. Balgud’s healer’s guild is running low on supplies -- particularly of a succulent-like medicinal herb they call Hohth’s Breath, which grows in the shadow of the large rocks spread throughout the nearby desert. The guild generally hires out to adventurers due to the prevalence of monsters in the area, as well as due to the difficult terrain, and are always looking to hire passersby willing to gather some of the plant for their stocks. ( REWARD: 30 tal ) LLYR & SYLVAR
3. WHERE’S MY MUMMY? Just on the outskirts of town, you are approached by a dwarven merchant whose daughter has gone missing. She suspects that the girl has become lost in the catacombs during a game of hide and seek with her friends, and is willing to pay a small sum to whoever can brave the haunted catacombs and retrieve the girl safely. ( REWARD: 45 tal ) SYLVAR & KHOVAKRI
4. A BUG’S LIFE. Trade between Balgud and the nearby town of Thone has been interrupted for weeks thanks to a swarm of giant scorpions nesting along the normal trade route. Get rid of the infestation and free up the road and Størvald Oakenthrone, head of the Balgud merchant’s guild, will be extremely grateful, offering up not only a small monetary reward, but also the possibility of discounted trade for any other items you might require. ( REWARD: 40 tal ) OPEN
5. A SPECIAL DELIVERY. Oria Jalsdottir is a scholar renowned across Haelion for her research into natural elemental forces that affect the landscape, and the cause behind the roaming monsters that occupy the wilderness. She regularly pays adventurers to serve as couriers between herself and nearby universities and cities, and may have work for the Gambit -- as well as providing some direction as to where the Gambit will head next. ( REWARD: 40 tal ) BREN & OPHELIA
6. AN IRRESISTIBLE OPPORTUNITY. With the catacombs practically unguarded at night thanks to the city’s popular superstitions and stories of ghosts, it may be tempting to try to break into the catacombs and find any loose coin or treasure going unused by those resting inside -- but be careful, in case those ghastly stories are true. ( REWARD: treasure worth up to 150 tal ) RIVEN & KHOVAKRI & SPLINTERFOOT
7. SHADOW OF THE DWARF LORD. Ivar Ingstrøm, one of the wealthy Shadow Dwarves who lives near the bottom of the city, is convinced that one of his political rivals has hired an assassin to track him down and take him out. He’s willing to pay a hefty sum to anyone willing to capture the alleged assassin, though the task may involve tailing him for quite some time to uncover any evidence that he’s being followed. ( REWARD: 100 tal ) KHOVAKRI & BREN
8. IT’S GETTING HOHTH IN HERE. Though only dwarves are allowed into the Great Temple as a rule, High Priest Kyrie Stigsvørd has put out a call for adventurers to undertake a sacred mission. One of the Temple’s great relics, a large natural gemstone called the Eye of Hohth, has been stolen, and she suspects that the thief may still be in Balgud. ( REWARD: 70 tal ) OPHELIA & PHOENIX
9. THE OATHSWORD. Rumor has it that famed blacksmith Yvern Stornglass resides somewhere within the walls of Balgud. They have, if those rumors are correct, been working on forging an invaluable sword of unbelievable might which, if the wielder makes an oath to it, can bestow them with additional strength and fortitude until their oath is fulfilled. The catch? Yvern does not sell their swords; they gift them to those who can prove their worth. ( REWARD: Oathsword ) PHOENIX & IULIUS
10. BENEATH THE SAND. Pits of a quicksand-like substance have been cropping up on the surface near the ravine, and several traders have reported that either their carts of goods have disappeared beneath the pits or that their horses have been injured by the sudden appearance of the holes. The town guard has offered a reward to anyone who can determine the cause of the pits so that they can be fixed. ( REWARD: 50 tal ) SPLINTERFOOT & IULIUS
SHOP INVENTORY
if you would like to purchase any gear or supplies from the shops in Balgud, message the main. Balgud is known for sturdy, reliable, well-made weapons thanks to the city’s focus on the metallurgic arts, but there is a relative dearth of arcane items. the following items are available (estimated prices listed):
firestarting kit and bundle of torches ( 1 tal )
10 iron spikes ( 1 tal )
flask ( 1 tal )
crowbar ( 2 tal )
grappling hook ( 2 tal )
hooded lantern ( 3 tal )
hunting trap ( 4 tal )
10 feet of well-made chain ( 5 tal )
lock ( 5 tal )
plain amulet or necklace ( 5 tal )
iron-banded shield ( 10 tal )
fine amulet or necklace ( 20 tal )
sturdy chain mail or scale male armor ( 50 tal )
sturdy longsword, greataxe, or similar weapon ( 65 tal )
