Farval

In the old days, Farval was a mighty citadel and the center of diplomacy and trade for the Seven Kings of Hadzstuun Vraznig, the dwarven homeland. Merchants and ambassadors from the nations of men, elves, and other peaceful races came to broker trade agreements with the many dwarven factors sent to Farval to represent the interests of their lords, exchanging the bounty of the surface for the riches of the earth. The factors were charged with the handling of the wealth of the dwarven kingdoms in foreign lands, investing coin and holding goods in the kings' names.

When the Mad Times fell upon Orengaard, however, the lines of communication between Farval and the homeland were suddenly torn apart, and the factors and guildsdwarves were forced to fend for themselves against the encroaching horrors. Many of the lower levels were lost, miles of tunnels collapsed or sealed to stave off the nightmares welling up from deep within the earth, while the surface entrances were buried in rockslides to prevent the foul things that fell out of the sky from discovering them.

For centuries, the dwarves remained entombed of their own accord within Farval. That was a time of much turmoil, as none knew what had happened to the world beyond their sealed gates. Many believed the dwarven kingdoms had fell along with all the other lands, and that there was no light remaining to guide them in the darkness. The situation seemed doomed to descend into anarchy, but the factors and guildmasters held a meeting, and when they went back among the people, they had new wisdom to share.

"Kings may die, and nations may fall, but no matter what changed, the one thing we and our ancestors have always held onto were the workings of trade. There will never come a time when a dwarf cannot find an agreeable exchange if they have the wisdom and tenacity to do so." This philosophy spread throughout the survivors of Farval, and by the time the Mad Times had begun to wane, they had organized themselves into seven banking clans.

For a long while, the clans only had eachother to trade with, which lasted for many generations, but was not sustainable as their population grew and their resources dwindled. It was not untill less than a hundred years ago that they were able to make contact with the outside world again. An entrepeneurial merchant had uncovered the location of a hidden door into Farval, and brought an expedition with him, hoping the plunder it of its long-lost riches. When he found a bustling dwarven city instead of a tomb, he changed his plans and hoped to exploit a desperate populace low on supplies. But the canny dwarven merchants had only grown more crafty competing with eachother, and so the news soon spread that once again, great wonders and riches were to be found in the halls of Farval for anyone who could match the dwarves in their skill for acquiring gold.

The Banking Clans

Unlike traditional dwarvish clans, the banking clans of Farval are not based upon blood relations and familial ties. Rather, as the term suggests, the members of each clan are united in their shared ownership of a bank. By pooling their wealth they can more effectively turn it towards mercantile efforts, investing in promising endeavors and reaping the benefits mutually. Every dwarf in the clan has a say in the direction the clan's business is headed, but their influence is proportional to the wealth invested into the clan's coffers. This has allowed some clans to be dominated by individual donors who invest a substantial amount of capital, but most clans have unified blocs of smaller investors that combine their weight to compete with wealthy individuals.

However, while the banking clans are not bound together by blood ties in an official sense, the ingrained importance of family that dwarven society holds means that most members in a clan are related to numerous others in it as well. The shares of deceased members are often passed to their kin, and many family members buy into a clan with the help of an already established relative. Marriages often occur between members of a bank's 'branches', as the separate families with dealings in a clan are often called.

Clan Adzebrin(Axeborn)

Signature business is guard services and mercenaries.

Clan Daldelv(Fardelve)

Made its name through reckless exploration.

Clan Erdbraad(Earthbeard)

Dirty jobs, legal and otherwise.

Clan Forjrayl(Forgelord)

Invests in craftsmen and inventors.

Clan Gemhadz(Gemheart)

Ruthlessly exploits any potential for wealth.

Clan Tovrahamuur(Spellhammer)

Magical items and services.

Clan Zilfrstegn(Silverstein)

Specializes in providing food and drink.

Districts

Murder Holes

The outer ring of city defenses, riddled with traps and killboxes.

Market Vault

The grand central chamber of the city, a multi-tiered marketplace with an underground waterfall plummeting through the middle.

Guild Chambers

Though the banks are the most influential organizations in the city, much of their business is done through(and indeed could not be done without) the guilds of craftsmen and skilled workers in the city.

Black Alleys

The unreclaimed tunnels and chambers of Farval conceal both valuable relics and lurking danger.

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