Settlements and Sites of the Four City-States #266

Settlements and Sites of the Four City-States #266 

September 24th, 2023 

• Number: 266 

• Name:  Deep Dive on a Site of Interest: The Banks of the Red River’s Run of Taodeas  – Part 7 

• Location: Central Taodeas between the Tuton Maug and the Danthas River 

• Population (approx.): 233 (Red Hills Citadel) 

• Brief:  There’s an old giantish expression, “If ya hungry, lift a hill, ya find Dwarf!” Certainly not true everywhere but one might be surprised to find small Dwarven settlements scattered throughout the Tuton Maug. South of the Brown Forest, east of the Red River, there’s a trio of hills nicknamed the Three Brothers. At the foot of the southernmost point on the middle brother is a small Dwarven citadel, the home of the Red Hills Canton. The resident population, 90% Dwarves, is a surprisingly harmonious mix of Dwarves from all 3 Clans of the Tuton Maug to the northeast and two families from the Clans of the Lanu Maug in the northwest corner of Taodeas. They make their living through typical underground (mining, gemcrafting, smelting) and above ground (farms, ranches, orchards) occupations. 

• Gerlyn Stronggift, 23, female Dwarf, owns Red Hills Orchard and Farm. She is tall and trim and has a heart of gold. Gerlyn has short black hair, which she wears in a pixie cut. Her deep blue eyes sparkle over everything apple. Gerlyn wears serviceable work clothes but then changes into lacy dresses for the rest. Gerlyn has a scar on the left side of her face from a fencing accident. Her favorite weapon is a short sword. 

• Gerlyn's family recently purchased the Orchard and Farm. Her parents were going to run the business but died in a fire. Gerlyn is not ready to run everything but is prepared to do her best. The orchard part of the business is thriving, so she will focus on the farm. She has experimented with growing new types of vegetables, and the results seem positive so far. 

• Gerlyn is currently dating Grandan Wildhold, 30, male Dwarf. Right now, they have a lot of fun together. Gerlyn's house seems empty with her parents gone, but she can't bring herself to leave. She has several friends from school and loves to party on the weekend. Her best friend is Katri Stormfinder, 23, female Dwarf. They spend lots of time knitting and chatting about their friends and family. 

• Geography: The range of hills containing the Three Brothers rises about 5 miles east of Forstford and runs east for about 20 miles. Red Hills Citadel (location 8 see below) was founded midway up the slopes of the “middle” Brother. A cart path runs a touch south of west about 12 miles to meet the road from Red River Marketplace (#263) to Kolosau (#265). As expected, Red Hill is built at the mouth of an ancient mining complex delved under the hills. A tall circular tower rises over a main gate built astride the main tunnel mouth. A curtain wall, pierced by an outer gate, encompasses a large courtyard, featuring stables with space for carts and riding animals, which doubles as a market square. The businesses of the settlement are underground in the main gallery beyond the gate. Red Hills Orchard and Farm is about two miles down the road on a stretch of open land between the hills and the ridge south of Forst Falls (#262).