With a predominant Trollkin population Prinberg is a town of hard working, honest people.
The city is a result of the nearby Silver Mines, the houses are built from raw rocks and wood. The weather is cold but dry.
Silver Ore is piling up in the streets. Wood is used for burning in the mines, cracking the stone.
The town smells like wood and sulfur burning, the citizens are not the cleanest, but they are more often covered in stone dust or ash, rather than brown dirt.
The miners are the biggest working force in town, and their culture values strength and perseverance, over creativity and cultural exploits. The young Trollkin are fast to welcome newcomers, but rumors travel fast, and the road from accepted to shunned may be short.
History
In early Zarthugan history the area was a part of the great elvish empire. The elves subdued the Trollkin who were local to the mountain range to the north of Prinberg.
Founding
Nearby Narbay was established by the elves in the early 1000-ands, but Prinberg was not established until 2051, meaning the town is only about 500 years old. Some of the roads in the area were already established, running from Narbay through Wotirm to Tharostad. When the silver in the Silver Mines were discovered, in about 2046 the Bank of Tharostad started the mining project.
The town started as some simple barracks in 2046, what is now the Bank headquarters, and the town, Inn etc. grew out from there. The Wooden barricade was established in 2511 after the 2509 - War of the Swarms made psychological impact on the Prinbergers.
The town started as a sort of “colony” of Tharostad, but has grown its own identity and the populace is now weighing the pros and cons of this close relationship.
Previous conflicts
About 200 years ago, in 2423, there was a battle between the Guard and the Miners guild, just north-east of the town. The tensions had grown over some time, over wages and days off. And came to a tipping point. The Miners “won”, but at a huge cost. The Miners did after some time, gain higher wages and Wedndays off. The Guard had up to that point contained many dwarves, but because of the rising racial tensions, the Tharostad overseeres, decided, probably wisely, to recruit more guards from the local populace, and employ less dwarves. There are still some resentment against dwarves in the city, which stems from this episode, but its not something people consider much of the time anymore.
The abandonment of Wotirm led to a migration of people. Many Wotirims wanted to move to Prinberg, but Prinberg could not sustain all of them. Some went to Narbay, some to other places. Only a few got jobs in Prinberg. This is 50 years ago, but still a sore point for the elder generations. With hindsight, many think that more should have been able to stay.
The railroad
Tharostad established an “internal” railroad system early on, to move heavy ore and metals around town and to local resources. Prinberg was established before the technology for the Teleportation circles were discovered, and soon a railworks project started, to simplify moving silver ore from Prinberg to Tharostad. For many years this railroad ran all the ore to Tharostad, even after the town got a Transportation circle. But after the railroad fell to ill-repare, the Bank of Tharostad decided that running tracks down to town and carrying the ore, manually through the portal would be more cost-effective than fixing up the railroad.
But due to a recent power struggle, some work has been done to restore the road and railroad from Prinberg towards Tharostad.
Rognar - Overseer from Thurostad currently acts as the governing body of Prinberg. He answers directly to Bank of Tharostad, but has so far balanced the needs of the people of Prinberg against the wishes of the bank. Some Prinbergers might be suspicious of his split allegiances, but so far they have no real reason to complain. Except, for the degrading public Transport Circle, whose degradation is a result of a power struggle between the Guild of Transport and the Bank of Tharostad.
People used to come to see the mines (to the miners dismay), and to buy silver wares from “their origin”. Usually this was combined with trips to Tharostad, with Prinberg being the stop for more “natural” views. Maybe not being something the tourists said out loud, but Prinberg has the highest density of Trollkin in the world, and some tourists might have come just to see the “culture of the Trollkin” for themselves. In addition the view of Everstorm peak or the Emberwood might have been draws for more adventurous tourists.
Traditions, customs and holidays
Payday for the miners comes once a month on the 1st, and is a “holiday” of sorts, with the town reading for it, and relaxing after.
The Miners have Wedndays of, making the town more busy, and the door at the Inn needs to be oiled after.
Other details
Facets
Teleport circles
Prinbergs single public teleport circle goes to Tharostad, to its sister-circle, which runs back to Prinberg.
However, the circle has been degrading heavily and needs a renewal of Aetherflux, it has come to such a severity that most Prinbergers will not dare travelling with it.
Handling of souls
Prinberg has no Soul Repository of its own. Soul Jars have been regularly sent with The Mail to the repository in Tharostad. The use of Crystallize soul is less frowned upon in smaller towns than in bigger cities. Because of the degrading Teleportation Circle there were some Soul Jars being held at the post office. One of the reasons Tarr - postman made his final journey. Having them stored for longer times than necessary in the Mail room might be dangerous.
Points of interest
General Store
Shopkeep - Aina runs the general store. She has most common items, in addition to a large selection of silver wares mostly made by Priestsmith - Kaldirs workshop. She has some healing potions, and maybe one or two magic items, but it is not the place for the most expensive wares. She does not sell food or rations, go to the Inn or the Farmers market for spoilable goods.
Most of her items she has carried herself through the portal, but she has not dared going through it for about a month or two. This has impacted her selection, economy and is worrying here somewhat.
Inn - “The Nugget”
Innkeeper - Friggar runs the local inn, with the help of Bar maid - Rinjah. The Inn is named “The Silver Nugget”, but most just call it “The Nugget”. Friggar lives on the upper floor, where there also are some rooms for rent. Rinjah lives in a house with her parents, on the outskirts. The inn serves alcohol and food. They also prepare rations for travelling parties on demand. Their food is usally some sort of stew, bread, beer and wine. Trollkin have a tradition for home-made stronger stuff. But Captain - Busgar Elthorp has requested that Innkeeper - Friggar stops selling the stronger stuff, cause keeping the order on the Miners’ payday has been quite tough. Keeping the selection to beer on those days has helped a lot. Some see this as an infringement against Trollkin culture though.
Miners guild meeting room
The Guild of Miners rents a portion of the inns basement as their base of operations. Regular meetings here are held to advocate for the rights and pay of the miners, and send signals to Rognar - Overseer from Thurostad about “what the town wants”. Miners Guild - Grosjar is often found here, even when there is not a meeting being held.
Smith
Priestsmith - Kaldir represents Midgond - God of Craft and the Guild of Craft in Prinberg. He has a couple of followers who all work and preach in his workshop. They repair and craft tools for the Guild of Miners and the town, on their “down-time” they create beautiful wares from the abundant silver ore in town. Though the ore extraction techniques employed in Tharostad are much more efficient than what they can manage in Prinberg alone.
Teleport circle tower
Mailroom
Farmers market
Guard Barracks
The armoury
Bank Headquarters
Architecture & Building materials
Geography & Climate
Cold and dry, Prinberg is located inland behind a mountain range to the north. The rain that comes is mostly with winds from the west and south. When the wind comes from the north and east, which is more usual, the air stays dry. Cold air runs down from the mountains, and the winters can be especially harsh, with little snow, but very low temperatures.
A wooden barricade runs around the town. There are regular attacks from beasts, or the results from degraded souls. But rarely from sentient beings. The barricade is guarded at all times. Most travellers are accompanied by members of the Guard. But not when moving within half a day’s distance from the town. This freedom of movement is at the Prinbergers own risk. The wilds push back against the city’s presence…
The barricade allows the guards to have relative good control over who arrives and leaves on foot. But sneaking out and in is absolutely possible for those who know the city.
Economy
Industry
Trade
Natural Resources
The main resource of Prinberg is Silver Ore from the Silver Mines. The main buyer of the Ore is the Bank of Tharostad, which has resulted in a close relationship, as the Prinberg Teleportation Circle goes directly to Tharostad, and was primarily used to transport Silver ore to Tharostad, and other resources back to Prinberg. (Before it started being badly degraded.)
Summary
General Overview: Prinberg is a relatively young town, established about 500 years ago primarily due to nearby silver mines. It has a predominantly Trollkin population known for their hardworking and honest demeanor, though the town itself is rugged, with structures made from raw rocks and wood. The atmosphere is influenced by the cold, dry weather and pervasive smells of wood and sulfur from mining activities.
History and Development: Originally part of a great elvish empire, Prinberg was later founded with the discovery of silver in 2046, becoming a mining colony initially managed by the Bank of Tharostad. It evolved from simple barracks to a more structured settlement with its own identity, especially after the psychological impacts of the “War of the Swarms” prompted the construction of a wooden barricade around the town.
Social and Cultural Dynamics: The town’s culture is heavily influenced by the mining industry, valuing strength and perseverance over creativity. Young Trollkin are welcoming to newcomers, though social standings can quickly change based on local gossip. Past conflicts, notably a battle between the Guard and the Miners Guild over labor conditions, have shaped current racial and social dynamics, with ongoing efforts to integrate more locals into the Guard.
Economic Factors: Prinberg’s economy revolves around the extraction and trade of silver ore, managed predominantly through the Bank of Tharostad. The town experienced technological shifts with the introduction of railroads and a teleportation circle, although recent degradation of these transport systems has impacted economic and logistic operations.
Points of Interest: Key locations include the general store, the inn known as “The Nugget,” and various guild headquarters. The town also features a teleportation circle tower and a defensive wooden barricade that protects against external threats.
Current Issues and Governance: Rognar, the current overseer from Thurostad, governs Prinberg with an attempt to balance the needs of the town with the interests of the Bank of Tharostad. However, this balance is threatened by logistical challenges and the deteriorating condition of the town’s teleportation infrastructure.
This summary encapsulates the primary aspects of Prinberg’s atmosphere, history, social structure, economy, and current challenges, providing a detailed yet streamlined overview suitable for understanding its role and dynamics within the larger world of Zarthuga.
