TEW - Settlements - Frost's Grip
Far to the north, nestled in the deep snows and ruinous mountain ranges lies Frost’s Grip. The town marks the last point before the Endless Snows and the Glittering Skysea, or at least the last point it is safe to venture. Farther north, the skies become irresistable to even the most hardened hunter, drawing him or her deeper and deeper into the icy night. Even at Frost’s Grip, the pull is often difficult to resist. Every citizen lives their days in fear of the call from the star-filled night sky.
The town was originally a Dwarven mining town, but the unending snowfall of the Great Bloom buried the settlement. Years later, teams of Northern Dwarves and the hardiest Hunters set out to reclaim the town and begin the mining operations again as the growing Post-Bloom world needed the rare metals that once came from the northern mines to fuel the Manatech explosion. The snowfall was too deep to assemble a mana-siphon on the ground; the Consortium engineers instead built them halfway up the mountain in a sheltered cave. This cave complex became host to the new Frost’s Grip. The layout of the caves shifts in a way similar to the Dungeons, and so much of the town was built on enormous platforms that were built jutting out from the mountain. The forest of support beams and mana-tech that keeps the town from collapsing is enormous and requires hundreds of dedicated workers to keep in full condition. Most rappel down through special manholes to maintain the underside of the city. Temporary worker’s platforms have, over time, coalesced, and now support a tiny town of their own underneath the main city. The city itself is rife with rowdy miners and aloof Consortium executives, and ruled by a Foreman, who has near-absolute power for one year after he is elected. The city is beset by freezing winds and endless snows, which are plowed off the platform by Manatech plows. Houses are built as large multi-room one-story buildings, which are easier to heat than individual houses. Only the very wealthy can afford houses that have more than one floor, and none have buildings taller than three floors.
All this work is funded by the wealth of metal and minerals that emerge daily from the Frost’s Grip mines. Immense caravans pulled by specially-bred bears and dogs carry the resources to Valeria, who have the most need for raw materials. From there, the metals are shipped to other industrial towns who receive their shipments several months or even years after their initial order. Most cities have regular trade agreements to receive materials monthly. Frost’s Grip is a relatively peaceful and wealthy settlement, despite the difficult conditions they live under. They are mostly reliant on overland shipments of food, as their few greenhouses cannot produce enough food for everyone. Most miners eat at huge Consortium meal-houses that provide plentiful (if mediocre) food. Miners stake claims to sections of the mines which are mapped out on an enormous board on the wall of the city hall. Fights over jumped claims are common but rarely deadly; it’s far too cold to waste energy trying to kill someone. The Miner’s Union tries to keep the map up-to-date and represent miners in getting the best prices, but is generally considered ineffectual and bloated. Cartographers willing to risk the mines are usually heavily armed and paid very well.
- Existence: 100 years
- Government: Constitutional dictatorship
- Economy: Mining
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