POLITICS OF THUNDER RIFT AND MELINIR
Thunder Rift sits in a no-man’s-land outside the boarders of the Great Kingdom (the kingdom of women and men), Tengoku no Niwa (the elven
empire), and Dwarland (the dwarf nation), making it under the rule of no singular country. Also, there is no common law within the Rift, instead each settlement — whether ruled by a mayor, a thane, a burgomaster, or a majordomo — is essentially its own self-governed city-state.
For the dwarves, this is not so different from their natural governing system in Dwarland, there is no central government, instead their nation is divided into a series of strong Clans ruled over by Thanes, and only through cooperation and the Council of Thanes do they maintain a strong presence among the other races of the Land. The dwarfs of Hearth-Home are Lowland Dwarfs and are more sociable with non-dwarfs than their Highland kin. Like the elves and the orcs, the dwarfs of Hearth-Home, the MacHarding Clan, claim that they were the first to settle in the great valley. They control the Northwest of Thunder Rift, and with good reason. The mines the MacHardings have dug here have proven to be rich in gold. While this often stirs the envy of the men of Thunder Rift, they have never outright attacked the MacHarding Clan for their claim. The orcs of the Horde on the other hand wage an almost constant war to take the dwarven mines (if you
listen to the orcs, they are seeking to “take back” what was stolen from them). In addition to gold, the MacHardings have found other metals within the rock of the Rift as well, and they make themselves busy mining these metals, refining them, and using the metals — and things made from the metals — as trade good with the other denizens of Thunder Rift.
The elves of SIlvercrest are all one large clan that is settling the Rift on behalf of Tengoku no Niwa, and for the most part do not venture outside the borders of the Gauntlin Forest. The most common exceptions being their representatives within the Quadrial, and the occasional trade ships that travel to Melinir and Kleine. The Silvercrest are too involved with holding their lands within the twisting wood of the Gauntlin and holding their borders against the growing army of gnolls that control the Northern section of forest between the Silvercrest and the Burning Hills.
The men and women of Thunder Rift are worse off. The instinct of man to spread out and occupy as much territory as possible could potentially work against them in the valley. Instead of establishing and fortifying one secure settlement like the MacHardings and the Silvercrest, the men of Thunder Rift have spread out — possibly spreading themselves too thin and leaving themselves vulnerable to attacks. They have established three main settlements with the villages of Torlynn (est. pop. 50), Kleine (est. pop. 150), and Melinir (est. pop. 200 +/- in flux). Melinir and Kleine are both ruled over by mayors of their respective villages, both mayors have come into their positions through different ways — Valum of Melinir for example is the unofficial leader of the Quadrial and is well known to make great judgements in the matters of law. He was elevated to the status of mayor and it has never been a question that he would rule over the village. The mayor of Kleine is a descendant of the family that first settled Kleine, and the ruling head of the family made himself mayor, and so the title has been passed down through the family ever since, creating a small ruling family of Kleine. Out of all the major settlements of Thunder Rift, Torlynn is the only one that appoints their leader via democratic process. Every five years an election of the people is held and they decide on who will run the town until elections come up again. For the past fifteen years that honor has gone to Burgomaster Gustovan, he has lead the people of Torlynn with a fair hand and is a rather affable fellow. Whether or not his reign as burgomaster will continue or not is unknown. Rumors persist that a man has come to Torlynn claiming to be a descendant of the original landowner of Torlynn, the mage Barrik. Barrik has been gone for many, many years now, but his descendant has claimed barony over the land and is now ruling in his long-since gone ancestor’s stead.
MELINIR
Of all the settlements mentioned, Melinir is by far the largest of the three — with Kleine coming in a close second. It is a walled village of about 200,
the number is always in flux though depending on trade and travelers.
Men and other humanoids mix so freely, mostly dwarfs, hobbits, and the
occasional gnome, that no one even notices the difference. When they
interact, everyone treats each other as equals. Melinir is a model town where is seems no one hates anyone else. Some may be gruff and impolite, but they intend no real malice.
Melinir (est. pop. 200 +/-)
1) Watchtower and Walls
2) Garrison
3) Guard Post and Gate
4) Town Hall
5) Jail
6) Weaver
7) Smith
8) Butcher
9) The Sarcastic Goat Inn
10) The Goat’s stables
11) Market
12) Temple Sleeping Quarters
13) High Cleric’s Quarters
14) Temple
15) Library/Schoolhouse
16) Moneychanger/Bank
17) Sage
18) Tannery and Leathersmith
19) The Dancing Dragon Tavern
20) Commons
21) Miller and Baker
22) Wharves
23) Warehouses
24) Manor of Nicholas Maybrush
25) Manor of the Recluse
26) Melinir Mansion (base of the Quadrial)
The town is divided into six sections. There are no walls separating these districts, but very little overlap occurs between each region’s function. The first mayor of Melinir divided the neighborhoods into the residential area, the market, the merchants’ quarter (which would also come to house the town’s officers), and the warehouse district. Later, the wealthy and famous, who did not wish to live in “cramped quarters,”
built themselves an exclusive neighborhood in the Southeast part of town. Finally, just before Melinir erected its walls, the clerics of St Cuthbert claimed a section just north of the wealthy borough.
The life-blood of Melinir is the trade that moves in and out of the Rift. Melinir is also a business center for the rest of the Rift. Virtually anything produced in Thunder Rift is available in Melinir. The mayor and influential citizens will never do anything to jeopardize commerce. They eagerly help all merchants resolve their problems quickly and amicably. When trouble arises, the town guards are always available to provide immediate aid. Small wonder, then, that the town centers around the market, and that the market is the center of town.
To the North and West of the central marketplace lies the main residential section. The houses are not huge, but for the most part are larger than other houses typical in Torlynn and Kleine. The neighborhood is clean, well kept, and well lit. Vandals prevalent in larger cities are not to be found here. In
the Northeastern section of town, wrapping itself around the market, is the mercantile district. Its shops provide nearly anything one could want, from exotic perfumes to common iron nails. Some items, of course, must be imported from outside the Rift, which makes them considerably more expensive. Most, though, can be produced at some location in the valley.
The temple grounds, dedicated to St Cuthbert, lie on the Eastern edge of the town. The walled security is proof against most intrusions. However, since the grounds are generally open to visitors, stealth in entering is largely unnecessary.
Directly South of the temple, three stately manors thrust their towers into the skies. Thick stone walls separate this area from the rest of the city, limiting the enjoyment of the grounds’ beauty to the eyes of the privileged residents. Although the inhabitants do not appear to be too pretentious, they do seem to like their own space. The warehouse district and the docks squat on the waterfront to the Southwest. They hold the goods shipped to and from Kleine, Torlynn, and beyond. The warehouses hold nearly everything that must be sold in the market, for the merchants outside the Rift need to store their wares in a safe place. Jewels, spices, and manifold other trade goods find a temporary home in the warehouses.
