Who Rules: First Lord of the Free Cities, Sir Kiril the Rock (LN, Dwarf Male, F26), rules the city of Dorgan, but he is also the ruler of the Free Cities of Dorgan. As such, he sits at the head of the Dorgan Council where all have a voice in governmental matters, but Kiril has the final say on council decisions. Kiril, though, is extremely wise and listens to his fellow Lords and Ladies, but when he sets his mind to something, almost nothing will change it. It is from this huge stubborn streak that he acquired the title of "the Rock."

Who Really Rules: Sir Kiril the Rock rules with complete authority.

Population: 115,000 (90% dwarven, 5% gnome, 2% sea elf, 3% human and other)

Major Products: Gold, silver, masonry work, mercenaries, preserved meats, arms, armor, mushrooms, bricks, and beer, especially Redaxe Ale, a dark red ale that is said to be descended from The Ale of the Gods

Armed Forces: 20,000 of all types, including a navy of 16 large warships, manned by elite crews and loaded with more than the usual complement of artillery equipment. Each ship also has a small force of sea elf scouts.

Notable Mages: Mistress Danya of Narva (LG, Human Female, W19) was originally brought into Dorgan as a half drowned refugee whose ship had been sunk while coming to the rescue of a Dorgan ship that was being attacked by a blue dragon. She succeeded in driving off the dragon, but not before her ship was sunk and most of the crew slain or drowned. Grateful for her assistance, the dwarves granted her the status of Citizen and said she could stay as long as she wished. Grateful for the hospitality she was shown Danya planned on staying for just a short while, but she grew to love the city and decided to stay a bit longer. That was 35 years ago. Though she is now well into her 60's, she is still active, and quite attractive. Danya is almost a dwarf herself, being only 4' 6½ tall.

Notable Churches: Dwarven churches only, very large shrine to Istisha, Water Lord of the Elementals

Notable Rogues' and Thieves' Guilds: While Dorgan is a well-policed and civilized city, it is currently in the midst of a guild war. The last unified guild master, Lothair Slyhands, died of mysterious causes about two years ago. Many thieves died in the ensuing power struggle to take over. Fortunately for the citizens of Dorgan, no one has been able to unify the different factions. Since most of the thieves' efforts are directed towards eliminating or winning support of the competition, thefts have fallen drastically. Currently, there are 6 different factions vying for power, though this can change as rapidly as a dwarf swings his axe while hewing orcs. Most of the thieving that does take place is from outside thieves who slip into town for a short stay to make a quick profit. This, though, isn't a sure thing, as all of the factions will kill off any outside thief they find.

Equipment Shops: Full, though human sized equipment isn't in great supply and can cost more than the standard price.

Adventurers' Quarters: Adventurers are free to go anywhere within the city, if they can (see important features), though they tend to stay in the portside quarters more than anywhere else.

Important Characters: The Rat (CG, Dwarf male were-rat, F5) is Captain of the Granite Quarter's sewer patrol. He has been offered promotions over and over again, but he turns it down as he loves the seediness of the poorest of the cities sections. He is a great commander, but he gives his lieutenants free rein in what they do as he is a loner and prefers to roam the sewers, alone, keeping them clear of vermin. The Rat, and other members of the sewer patrols, is a great source of information, for they hear just about every rumor that works its way through the city. The easy point is finding them, for they all hang out at The Gutter, a seedy bar where they gather after their shifts' end. The hard part is getting past the stench that they carry with them after work. Buy them a drink, though, and they'll talk your ear off for hours on just about anything, especially rumors.

Chrycheva the Tracker (LG, Human Female, T14) doesn't practice any of her thieving skills, except when she is following her true vocation, which is that of a bounty hunter. She works only when specifically sought out, or if she happens to run across someone whom she knows has a bounty on him or her. She has never failed to fulfill a contract.

Freeja Warfinger (NG, Dwarf Female, P12) was once captured by drow while on patrol in the Underdark region surrounding the Warfinger Kingdom. She was rescued soon after but not before the drow priestesses had nearly tortured her to death, multiple times. The trauma of the experience was too much for her to cope with and she soon left her home and the Underdark for good. She so detests being underground that she actually lives in a small tower that is perched seemingly precariously on a cliff near the entrance to the city. A long and winding staircase carved into the rock leads to her humble abode. There she dispenses healing spells, potions, and salves to those in need, or to those who come on the behalf of others. She is very familiar with the underdark regions around Warfinger Kingdom and will dispense information, so long as a donation is made to help her with her mission to heal those who are hurt.

Greilk Stormnose (CN, Dwarf Male, F/T 10/10) is known primarily for his large nose and his penchant for getting into fights with those who mock it. He is also known for his uncanny ability to figure out and solve crime mysteries. He is said to be able to look into the eyes of a victim and see who was responsible for committing the crime. Many people hire him to help in the recovery of stolen goods or to seek revenge on those who wronged them.

Important Features in Town: The City of Dorgan is built inside the last mountain of the peninsula that it sits upon. The mountain is quite large, and has been partially hollowed out. There are two entrances into the mountain, one a large castle built right next to the side of the mountain and heavily fortified, the other being a series of three massive gates that block off the artificial channel that enters from the sea into the mountain itself. This channel is just as heavily fortified, and leads to a lagoon that is a mile square. Surrounding three sides of the lagoon are open spaces filled with traditional, human style buildings. Surrounding all of this are the entrances into the dwarven underground sections of the city. Most of the "true" dwarven areas are built to dwarven dimensions, and are uncomfortable for human sized beings. All main corridors, though, are built quite large to handle human, elves, and anything large.

Local Lore: Legend has it that the town was founded 1,000 years ago by a dwarf named Negruk who washed up after the ship he was on sank. When he washed up, though, he washed up several miles upstream, in the heart of Mt. Dorgan. Sensing divine intervention, he immediately sent for his family and their families, and started building the town. Over the years the city kept growing and growing. At some point, Negruk's grandsons took to sailing and their direct descendants are now admirals and Captains in the Dorgan Navy, the only known Dwarvish Navy on the open water.

The lagoon and the human-sized open quarters were expanded about 150 years ago after more and more human merchant ships started trading with Dorgan. Dorgan also has an underground entrance that is the terminus of The Dorgan Highway, which is a massive underground road that connects all the major and minor cities of the Free Cities. Interspersed along the highway are minor villages, inns, "chariot express stations," and patrol stations, each of which is a mini-fortress in its own right. The road itself is 70' wide and 20' tall, with the middle 20' being reserved for the chariots that take messages back and forth in a system similar to the pony express.