Settlements and Sites of the Four City-States #192

Settlements and Sites of the Four City-States #192 

July 11th, 2023 

• Number: 192 

• Name: Deep Dive on a Site of Interest: Lake Natia Vai of Taodeas Part 3: Mine 23S38W 

• Location: Central Tuton Maug mountains on the slopes of Lake Natia Vai 

• Population (approx.): Minimum staff of 30, increases when finds are exploited 

• Brief: Mine 23S38W is the most distant mine of Dwarven Clan Earthmule (#161). The Dwarves have long explored and examined the magically induced geological oddities of the mountain home of Lake Natia Vai. The exploitation of the area is fraught with dangers from the frequent earthquakes to all manner of strange phenomena likely tied to the Earthblood Flow in the depths. There is no more cautionary tale of the dangers of 23S38W than that of Galgrim Caveshaper, prophet of rock and speaker of stone. 

• Galgrim Caveshaper, 93, Dwarf man, is an inspirational speaker for Clan Earthmule. He has a unique appearance; pieces of the Spire of the Ancients are attached to his entire body. Galgrim's clothing is woven specially for him and designed to highlight the rock pieces. He keeps his shaved head and long chestnut beard meticulously clean and neat. Galgrim wears a belt that has many pouches where he keeps herbs and a notebook.  

• When Galgrim was a young Dwarf swam the lake and was playing near the Spire of the Ancients, a small earthquake occurred, and bits of the magical Spire buried him. His Dwarven brethren unearthed him but they could not remove all of stone from his body. The embedded stone from the Spire gave him prophetic power. As he matured, his visions of the future became more precise and accurate. The local Dwarves learned to listen to his visions, and they helped the whole tribe prosper. 

• Galgrim is happily married to Tumalin, 87, Dwarf woman. They work well together, and she arranges for him to speak to his fellow Dwarves when the visions possess him. Galgrim dislikes travel and cannot or will not be separated from the Spire for any length of time. They live in several chambers on the lakeside of the ridge so that Galgrim can always keep the Spire in his sight. 

• Geography: Mine 23S38V is roughly 44 miles southwest of the citadel of Clan Bloodmule. Its precise location is a closely kept secret. A combination of tunnels, natural passages and surface trails zigzag through the Tuton Maug to the north slope of Lake Natia Vai. There the Dwarves established their minehead. Tunnels extend into the depths, west and east in the ridge and a main avenue crosses through the ridge to an exit on to Natia Via side where Galgrim meditates at the water’s edge in view of the Spire of the Ancients. His companions and wife eagerly await his visions as some have led to notable deposits of unusual aether-infused metals and gems. 

• Next Article: Notable persons and sites of the Arc part 4