1. Locations

Duun-Kharag

Grimwold Marches in Tenh

Duun-Kharag (Hamlet)

“Where stone endures and soil remembers.”

Population: ~95 (seasonally rises to 110 in late summer)
Demographics: ~55% Human (mostly Flan), ~40% Dwarf, ~5% Half-Elf & others
Province: Grimwold Marches
Barony: Baron Ghalder Veymar (seat: High Haldleigh)
Alternate Name: Dian-Kharag (Old Flan; still used by elders)

Overview

Duun-Kharag lies where the last arable grasslands of the Grimwold Marches give way to the cold, marsh-fed foothills of the Griff Mountains. Each spring, meltwater from the white-peaked range floods the low ground, turning fields into sodden marsh before draining south into firmer hill country by midsummer.

The hamlet exists because humans and dwarves needed one another.

Flan farmers till the southern slopes and lowlands, growing hardy grains and grazing sheep, while dwarves work the stone seams and shallow iron veins threading the northern hills. The settlement began decades ago as a pragmatic alliance, and though peace holds, the cultures remain distinct rather than blended.

Religiously and culturally, Duun-Kharag sits on a fault line:

  • Old Flan traditions linger quietly—seasonal rites, ancestor stones, and unspoken taboos.

  • New Flan faith, especially Pelor’s cleansing light, is encouraged by Baron Ghalder’s agents, particularly in response to persistent rumors of Ur-Flan ruins in the foothills.

The barony’s patrols keep undead and unclean creatures at bay, but they do not linger. When patrol banners vanish southward, Duun-Kharag relies on its own people—and on stone.

Character of the Hamlet

  • Low timber halls with stone foundations dominate the human quarter.

  • Dwarven structures are partially delved, with visible lintels and smoke vents along the hillsides.

  • Weathered standing stones sit at field edges—officially “boundary markers,” unofficially something older.

  • The air smells of wet earth, peat smoke, and iron filings.

  • Outsiders are watched politely, not warmly.

Places to Go

The Stonebound Cup (Inn & Tavern)

A thick-walled, low-ceilinged inn built around an old glacial boulder.

  • Patrons: Farmers, caravan drovers, dwarven stonecutters

  • Food: Barley stew, smoked mutton, hard bread, mountain cheese

  • Drink: Dark ale brewed with peat-smoked barley

  • Rumors: Ur-Flan tales emerge late, after the second cup

Note: The Cup enforces a quiet rule—no necromancy, no relic-talk, no altar preaching. Break it, and service ends.

Hearth-of-Two-Forges (Smithy & Stoneworks)

A shared human–dwarven operation, unusually cooperative for the region.

  • Produces tools, nails, fittings, horseshoes, simple weapons

  • Occasional dwarven-quality items when raw material allows

  • Acts as an informal meeting place for dispute resolution

Marshedge Fields

South of the hamlet, these fields flood each spring.

  • Grown crops: rye, barley, turnips

  • Grazing land in summer; treacherous bog in spring

  • Old Flan field-stones are never moved, despite Pelorite objections

The Coldwater Shrine

A modest open-air shrine beside a clear spring.

  • Officially consecrated to Pelor

  • Quietly incorporates older Flan symbols worked into the stone

  • Used more for blessings against sickness than true worship

Hillside Delves

Shallow dwarven excavations in the foothills.

  • Iron, granite, and slate

  • Occasionally sealed tunnels marked with runes meaning “left to sleep”

  • Outsiders are not allowed inside without escort

People to See

Torren Feldric

Human (Flan), Hamlet Reeve

A practical, weather-beaten man chosen because both sides tolerate him.

  • Keeps peace between dwarves and farmers

  • Publicly loyal to Baron Ghalder, privately wary of overreach

  • Knows which ruins are talk and which are real

Bruni Deepmantle

Dwarf, Master Stonewright

Leads the dwarven families and oversees the delves.

  • Gruff, fair, and stubborn

  • Believes some foothill sites should remain sealed

  • Resents Pelorite cleansing rites near old stone

Maelis Thornrow

Human (Flan), Field-Warden

Responsible for fields, flood management, and grazing boundaries.

  • Deeply traditional; practices Old Flan rites quietly

  • Knows marsh paths no outsider could follow

  • Will test adventurers before trusting them

Sister Elowen Brightwake

Human, Pelorite Initiate

Sent from High Haldleigh to “encourage proper worship.”

  • Young, earnest, and increasingly uneasy

  • Has encountered things she cannot explain

  • May become an ally—or ask for protection

Old Harrek of the Stones

Human (Flan), Elder

Rarely leaves his bench near the standing stones.

  • Speaks in half-parables and old proverbs

  • Knows names no longer written

  • Avoided by officials; quietly respected by everyone else