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The content here was originally published on my Storybridge site during my student days. Its archived here.
The word Draven comes from a Dwarven word for “bird as black as coal”, after the wing-shaped coal seams that are riven through the cliff faces along the pass here. Once a mighty fortress town overseeing the Silverstream Pass below it, Dravencliffe is now a huddled group of wary villagers offering the services of a inn, a tavern and a wheelwright to travelers on the treacherous mountain way. Standing aloof on a mighty crag, not far from the village is ancient Dravencliffe Keep, standing amongst the misty peaks of the Dramorthian Mountains. Dreyfers Eckert, Baron of Dravencliffe is ruler of Silverstream Pass and he keeps a small guard of soldiers in the village, and taxes the local trade to pay for them.
The road to Dravencliffe itself leaves the Silverstream Pass road near the highest point of the pass. The perilous switchback road was hacked into the mountainside by ancient dwarven engineers many hundreds of years ago, before the spellplague. Stone bridges, mighty buttresses cantilevering out over the crags and icy rock faces carry the precipitous mountain roadway upward from the pass below.
The perilous road continues 5 miles from the pass before it opens up into a small basin, overlooked by a watchtower, and its here that the small township of Dravencliffe with its Taverns’ warm lights and welcoming hearth have been the salvation of many a half-frozen traveller.
The watchtower is manned by two guardsmen rotating every 4 hours, or at least it is when they’re not in the tavern flushing the cold from their bones with an ale.
The Snow Vulture Inn is run by Gloin Fewgage, a stout dwarf, and his wife Rheilia. He keeps a pen with a run of pigs and chickens to feed the guests, and sells some basic food and supplies also.
Prices for everything here are 50% greater than normal due to the costs of both transport, the hardships of living in the high altitude, and the taxes imposed by the Baron to pay for the Rastlers and the Guard. Produce comes in from Hardendale every 2-3 days, the first township East of the pass, but supplies are kept up to two weeks worth in case weather knocks out the road or prevents access.
Also in the township are a small stables run by Frost Stollenkrat, a Goliath Ranger. Frost has a contract to keep 6 warhorses in good health in case the soldiers of Fastogan need to ride hard through the pass. He also keeps 3-4 riding horses available for purchase. All are at 50% greater than normal prices.
Opposite the stables is the wheelwrights shop and smithy operated by Jokim Phost, a dwarven smith. Phost’s shop has some basic supplies for sale, including oats, potatoes, some leather goods and basic tools.
Near the centre of Dravencliffe Town is a rambling part-open, part enclosed structure which functions as a guild house of the Rastlers. The Rastlers Retreat will accept non-guildsmen as guests, but the prices are steeper than usual. Saws, tools and cartloads are usually stashed under cover and mounts hitched there at the end of a hard days work. The enclosed section has a rough alehouse with serviceable wooden tables and benches, and always a roaring fire is in the hearth.
The only other large building is a guest house that doubles as a hospital, schoolhouse and barracks when necessary. The Warriors Rest is run by clerics of Kord led by Pewter Hann, an enigmatic Deva. Usually there are 4-5 clerics rotating in and out of the staff at the guest house and adherents of Tempus, Torm and other gods of warriors true are welcome to serve there.
There are 20 other houses and buildings dotted through the tiny township. Two of them are barracks for the guardsmen, with a single mans quarters having 16 rooms and the married mens quarters having 8 rooms. The Sergeant, Garren Wyverntree a hard-bitten Dragonborn, has a house to himself and his wife. As well as running his rosters, he acts as informal administrator of the town in day to day matters.
The remaining houses are occupied by the Rastlers: loggers and frontiersmen, paid by merchant taxes from the Baronetcy to keep the Silverstream Pass Road open, repair bridges, and keep the way stations in order.
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