Most dwarven holds are vast and ordered halls filled with solemn and stoic craftsfolk. But that’s not Feigrvidr. Some say it’s not a dwarf hold at all, but rather a lawless mining camp ruled by dwarf thugs and ruthless agents of the ruling thane. 

Founded less than three years ago by Svingal Halfbeard, the ore coming from a vale carved out of the headlands of the Titan Peaks is of the greatest purity and the works coming forth from Feigrvidr’s forges are both subtle and ingenious, rivalling those of any traditional dwarven stronghold. The great wealth coming from the foot of the Titan Peaks was only the beginning, now with the discovery of ancient and abandoned giant halls deeper among the mountains’ spires adventurers are flocking to the camp, increasing its wealth and its danger.

Ruler: Grand Thane and Imperator Svingal Halfbeard
Government: Overlord
Population: 187 (40 humans, 97 dwarves, 7 half-elves, 20 half-orcs, 23 halflings)
Alignments: NE
Languages: Common, Dwarven, Halfling
Resources & Industry: Mining, silver and gold smelting, gem cutting, trade in plundered artefacts, crime, gambling and prostitution

Hidden in the headlands of the forbidding Titan Peaks, remote Feigrvidr was founded three years ago when Svingal Halfbeard and his band of dwarven outcasts and brigands discovered rich veins of gold and silver among the pebbles and silt of the Feig River. The find was purely by chance. Halfbeard’s group was on the run, hiding from the forces of various barons and petty princes they had raided during their years of brigandage.

Tracking the source of the gold nuggets and dust to the Shadowtop Peak and other mountains amid the lower range, Halfbeard and his dwarves dug mines and craft halls to maximise their haul. With this influx of treasure, they were soon able to pay off the bounties and warrants levelled against them, and Svingal became the sovereign of his lucrative, remote hold.

Since its founding and the building of the first mines and halls, Feigrvidr has seen an influx of the desperate and the dangerous. At first, it was a haven for criminals and those who wished to escape feudal realities of life, including clans of halflings fleeing enslavement. Now the hold is a bustling hotbed of get-rich schemes, broken dreams, desperation and violence.

Notable Locations at a Glance

Most of Feigrvidr is a patchwork of small businesses providing services to the miners and wayfarers. Many large shabby flophouses dot the village—here dwell desperate miners, pauper adventurers and other itinerant travellers. A few locations, however, are of greater interest to adventurers:

1. Raggedy Wall: Built from a hodgepodge of debris and many stone shape spells, this 15-foot high wall protects the village’s southern entrance. Guards are always posted here.

2. Flamegaze Tavern Inn: One of the cleaner buildings in the village, it’s kept relatively peaceful by the retired (fallen) paladin, Shadra Flamegaze and her paranoid husband Venthis Flamegaze. 

3. Imperator’s Hall: This great hall serves as the village’s seat of power and home for Svigal Halfbeard. He dwells therein with his wife, Lytha Boldbrow, and his most trusted cronies.

4. Shadowtop Mines: This cluster of four mines was the first dug by Halfbeard and his dwarves. They are the richest mines in the vicinity of the village and wholly under Svigal Halfbeard’s control.

5. Clanging Halls: These four large workshops resound with a rhythm of clangs as ore is refined and turned into works of art. The guards here are particularly vigilant, and the workers are particularly miserable.

6. Sin’s Roost: A den providing gambling and sins of the flesh, this is a popular spot for miners, miscreants and adventurers. The Sin’s Roost is a particularly dangerous place for the unwary or the naive.

7. Little Lordling’s Inn: This inn is popular with adventurers delving into the Titan Peaks in search of giant enclaves. An air of faded grandeur hangs over the place, although it is only two-years-old. 

8. Hawkers’ Maze: This jumble of small stalls and shops sells a variety of goods (of which many are illicit).

9. Halfling Town: This collection of stunted shacks and burrows houses a tight-knit halfling community. The halflings rarely mix with outsiders.

10. Middens: These large vats contain the waste from both the village and the mines. 

11. Upper Mines: These minor, less profitable, mines are leased to others by Halfbeard.

12. Last Tower: From this roughly-finished tower Halfbeard’s minions watch for returning adventurers to tax.

Credits

Design by Stephen Radney-MacFarland; Cartography by Maciej Zagorski

This article is an extract from Village Backdrop: Feigrvidr.