I can't help it. I like designing neighborhoods altogether too much. At this point, I'm probably just amusing myself, but hey, I'll post regardless! This housing area could go anywhere, really. Just needs to have an opening on the side of some mountainous area and it's set.
What faint light filters in from the world outside is just enough to show the outlines of the carving around you. The arched opening leading into the shaft is heavily worked with runes and knotwork done by a skilled Dwarven hand. Even the stone floor is polished, and a keen eye can pick out subtle inlays of onyx and obsidian in the dark granite. While the opening is barely large enough to clear the head of a Gor'Tog, the echoes down the path give promise of larger chambers within. (Out, north)
Torches begin to line the walls just as the last bit of exterior light fades. Soot darkens both the walls behind them and the ornately carved sconces which stud the carved surfaces. Haakish runes are barely visible below some of the heavier blemishes, but the clear areas of the walls are treasure troves of Dwarven lore, from snippets of epic poems to bawdy drinking songs. (south, north)
Footsteps seem louder now, reflected back on travelers from the great volume which opens up beyond a second carved arch just ahead. Stone hooks line the walls here in groups of two. The varying widths between the respective pairs suggests a decent sized armory of various weapons could be displayed along this path, the better to whet visitors' appetites for tales of great battles over a stout brew. (south, north)
The sudden change from a low tunnel to this enormous cavern is enough to take any first-time visitor's breath away. Large enough to hold a sailing ship without scraping the mast, this great gathering hall lives up to the purpose for which it was hacked from solid stone. Eight pillars like great trees bound the space between floor and ceiling, standing in a circle like the points of a compass. The inlay here is more ornate, and extends off the floors onto the walls into an elaborate knotwork pattern of black on grey. Smaller halls, no larger than the entrance tunnel, branch off in three directions. (South, west, north, east)
(Taking the western tunnel)
The stones under your feet become rougher the further away from the great hall they rest. Just a few steps inside this tunnel's arch marks an end to the masterfully done inlay that marked the public areas. The runes on the wall are rough and look almost unfinished. They are most heavily concentrated around the doors set deeply along both walls, mimicking the arches found throughout the tunnels. You also see: doors. (West, east)
The sconces are simple affairs in this section, plain cones of granite with uneven holes in their tops. It is easy here to believe that Dwarves carve their dwellings out of solid stone, for the marks of pick axe and chisel still lie visible on the surface of this hall. A sense of partial completion hangs over the area, as if it is patiently waiting for the craftsmen who exposed this space to come back and turn it into a work of fine stonework. You also see: doors. (East)
(Taking the eastern tunnel)
Cobblestones seem to spring up under your feet as soon as you leave the great hall. This tunnel is covered in jagged edges marking where each strike of a pick axe fell. No runes decorate this space, and even the entry arch is little more than a semi-circle covered in angles and bits of rubble. Holes have been drilled into the very walls to hold torches. The light from the burning reeds reflects in odd ways off the angular stone, glinting in a way that could easily throw off perception on the uneven floor. You also see: doors. (East, west)
All but the shortest races must duck down in this rough end to the tunnel. The ceiling quickly curves down to meet the jagged floor. Scree lies in heaps along the junction of floor and ceiling, left abandoned by the miners. Holes nearly an arm's length deep stud the wall, where doors were placed but no decorations were made. No torches line these walls, and any visitor must rely on keen eyes and what light travels from further down the hall. You also see: doors. (West)
(Taking the northern tunnel)
This abrupt end to the tunnel gives more than adequate explanation for why a great mining project such as this was left abandoned. Huge pillars of foreign marble and pale speckled granite have been wedged under a ceiling that threatens to rain down shards of crumbling stone on any traveler who steps too heavily. The rock this deep within the mountain is criss-crossed with fissures, likely a remnant from some ancient earthquake below the peak. Though not looking to come down any time soon, it seems a good idea indeed to not press luck further than need be and let this cavern lie. (South)
-Arestil's player
