Forge Holm

[Jander]

Forge Holm is currently a hamlet, purpose built using rough local stone and slate to form a cluster of simple one-room cottages. It has a rude appearance and it’s a step up from tents but rather less than decent Guildsmen would expect. Nonetheless it sees them through winter, in proper if simple homes. It has a well and a Miners chapter guildhall to keep the miners occupied during the times they are not working.

It is located at the entrance to the First Mine, reported to be the first ever proper mine dug in what is now the Empire. Master Grumps Tunnel Feckers work the mine and every month the results of such are transported to the Deci Markets by Master Wax's Goatskinners and sold by Sire Forge's Traders. Master Dust and his Janders Blades held regularly stop at Forgeholm on their patrols of the rural areas.

Forge Holms outlook is very basic but all the buildings are sturdy, it is a small hamlet full of hard working miners people who support that industry. Very different from the hotbed of brawling excitementand gambling that Forgetown has become. The miners here are hard working and tough, not frightened of a days work deep in the mine. The mine and hamlet have been built up by Sire Jander and The Marks of the Forge over the last year.

[Jander]

During Maii IM 1010, following some further attention from the Marks of the Forge and the arrival of citizens from the wilds of Deci, Forge Holm developed into a village with sturdy dwellings built of stone with sheet metal roofs.

Dour as everywhere in the Deci territories nonetheless smoke wends from the chimney stacks where the two rows of dwellings are built. The mud is ever deep, the air foul, it is a hard working miners community after all, but where a seam of good earth is found, that too is mined.

The Marks of the Forge have been busy over the last few months as Forge Holm also now has a well, a Beacon mounted high upon a rubble tower on the edge of the mountainside, a Miners Guildhall, an Armoury and a Palisade that forms a wall across the gap between the cliff faces that lead to the village and the First Mine.

[Sire Halfblack]

With the threat of Myron ever present across the north of the Empire Jander took to looking towards the defence of Forge Holm. In Noveas IM 1010 he started to reinforce the simple wooden palisade with great sheets of beaten bronze, tin, iron and indeed anything that he could ship from Deci. With some smithing ingenuity these scraps were bolted, banded or bound to the logs. The result was an ugly, jagged and frankly rather nasty looking wall running about Forge Holm that proves a not unresaonable deterrent to assault and attack!

[Sire Halfblack]

Jander erected a Temple to the Forge which seemed also to enhance the area with the power of The Forge.

[Sire Halfblack]

The Marks of the Forge were busy building a better armoury to house the part time defence force or militia AKA 'The Holm guard, who turn out in the best armour Jander can make and wielding his sharpest of blades. The golden pick was also built, a small stable block building were workers can go to drink and strangely relieve themselves also. Root vegetables can also now be found growing set into long rows and boxed, netted and watched by a local Dirtherd with his big, finely milled net.

[Sire Halfblack]

In Noveas IM 1011, after a long absence of six months, Jander returned to Forge Holm and generated a flurry of activity. Despite the disputed rural lands, that lay in the hands of Myron’s allies, Jander’s wagons travelled from The First mine fully ladenm with various different metals, to be sold on Deci’s markets. Forge Holm itself grew with an influx of new people from the city and developed in size into a small town.

The Marks of the Forge worked hard to build many new structures before the Deathly season would take hold. Great chainmail nets are secured over the open areas that seem to restrain what little soil, that resembles dust, is to be found and soon after ‘farmers’ are seen pulling root vegetables from the otherwise barren ground.

The metal plated walls that protect Forge Holm are shored up with stone, the spear step widened and an enchanted bronze chain is struck atop the wall which bangs and clatters in the wind. The Holm Guard take on extra recruits from the newcomers to take their turn on the walls to ensure that the gnollish threat is repelled, well is discouraged anyway!

Meanwhile deep below the ground the first mine is expanded much further and lots of reinforcing struts are seen being taken in to the mine to make it safe. Lots of spoil mounds seem to grow around the area of the mine and are referred to locally as the Forge Hills.

[Sire Halfblack]

Jander was seen curiously wandering the dry and desolate Badlands dressed only in an apron of beaten metal over boots and britches carrying a hammer. A working man’s hammer, not one of war, and with him only a single miner that carried long stakes of iron and bronze one of which when a given rock or dry stream suggested itself he would drive hard into that dry dusty ground with a single tap of that hammer. He then Disappeared into Forge Holm and deep into the First mine. Only then to be seen shortly after, carrying lots of metal on wagons and heading off to Forgetown. Throughout the territory thereafter there was a constant and repetitive ringing noise for hours on end that seemed to be coming from Forgetown.