Settlements and Sites of the Four City-States #357

Settlements and Sites of the Four City-States #357 

December 27th, 2023 

• Number: 357 

• Name:  Deep Dive of Four Places of Interest: Starting Points – Part 2 

• Location:  Rockport, City-State of Taodeas 

• Population (approx.): 555 (Rockport and the Undercity) 

• Brief: Rockport is one of many mining settlements in the two ranges of Taodeas, the Lanu Maug to the west and Tuton Maug to the east. Those run by the Dwarves of the Cantons are usually entirely underground. Surface mines, like those run from Rockport, are controlled by the Tribes. Rockport is a lesser settlement, her mines not terribly profitable, so the locals, both surface and underground dwellers, look for other means to make a living. A thriving undercity has been built about a mile into the hills, centered around an old mining pit converted into an arena. 

• Tazzt Beltith, 153, male Drow (Night aspected Elf) is an underground fight organizer. He is tall and wiry. His gravel-gray skin is smooth except for a scar on his right cheek. Tazzt has pale yellow hair that he chops short and red eyes that know how to intimidate. He wears black trousers and comfortable tops in various colors. His favorite weapon is a scimitar, but he is very quick with daggers.  

• Tazzt runs an underground fight ring in the undercity arena twice weekly and once on Saturday. His fights are always well attended. Lots of betting occurs, and he gets a percentage off the top. The opponents he stocks are creatures that his minions capture from the local underdark. Local men and women are also encouraged to try their luck. The current house champion is a martial arts fighter who has defeated ten opponents. The current monster champion is a nasty, enormous hobgoblin that fights with a whip. 

• Tazzt is married to the fight card lady, Nirith, 130, female Drow. They live in a lovely house near the entrance to the fight ring. Tazzt pays a Human, Webster, male 24, to get supplies from Rockport for them. The people in Rockport genuinely shun Tazzt and Nirith, so they have had to resort to this. Despite that plenty of people from Rockport attend the fight club. 

• Threads: Rockport and the Undercity are a crossroads in the depths, all manner of Kin passing through. Many opportunities exist for young adventurers including but not limited to: 

• Taking contracts to capture monsters or retrieve escapees for the arena 

• Fighting in the arena itself 

• Assisting in other (potentially frowned upon) activities of the Undercity such as debt-collection, smuggling and thieving 

• Scouting missions to explore near the Diabas Cathedral to the northwest 

• Escorting mining expeditions to the Gap to the southwest 

• Protecting the mining operations for the owners of the surface mining company 

• Serving as an intermediary as required between the Guilds (Mining, Adventurers’) and Shadow Guilds (Thieves’ and Gambling)  

• Surface or underground guard duty (to protect versus raiding Gray Skull Orcs) 

• Geography: Rockport can be found at the west end of a box canyon on a trail from the main highway through Taodeas. It is about 35 miles west northwest of Blackstone Fortress (#15) the capital of the City-State. The main entrance to the mines is surrounded by the local mining company warehouse, offices, store and dormitories for the miners. The nearby hillsides feature secondary entrances both known and secret. Just downslope is an Inn, two taverns, a general store, a less than reputable healer, the stables and assorted boarding houses and residences.