Who Rules: King Patrick Sharptongue (LG, Dwarf Male, P16), a priest of Moradin, is a very fair and wise king to cares greatly about the needs of his subjects. He is also an oddity among dwarves as he was raised by humans. As such he is pretty much dwarven in appearance only. Over the years, though, he has gone to great lengths to learn more of his dwarven heritage and very few dwarves don't accept him fully as a member of the race. He is greatly admired, respected, and loved by the city.

Who Really Rules: King Patrick Sharptongue rules completely, though he relies heavily on the advice of his chief dwarven advisor, Markel Firestomach (NG, Dwarf Male, F14), but only for matters dwarven in nature.

Population: 14,500 (45% human, 35% dwarf, 10% elf, 5% gnome, 4% halfling, 1% other).

Major Products: Lumber, furniture, wagons, chariots, quarried blue marble, anti-venom, quarried black granite, copperware, and Black 'n Blue, a local brandy aged in apple wood casks and shipped in marble or granite bottles. It is a popular drink that is highly sought after by those with refined tastes. The bottles are also works of art unto themselves. Both are very expensive but worth it.

Armed Forces: 1,000 (500 heavy infantry, 150 cavalry, 150 artillerists/engineers, 200 light infantry/archers)

Notable Mages: Torren Nyrond (CG, Elf Male, W22) is truly fascinated by dwarves, so much so that actually spent several years polymorphed as one. He is an expert on the race, even more so than the wisest dwarven sages in town. He is also an expert on the local environs of the Underdark and has mapped out in detail some of the Underdark locales, especially routes to dwarven cities.

Morena Hilgaragalanorbel (CN, Gnome Female, I19) recently gave up exploring the lands of Faerun and decided to go into the art business. She now spends her time crafting illusionary sculptures, paintings, fountains, and anything else that catches her interest. She is relatively new to this endeavor but her skills have quickly earned her a reputation that is starting to spread rapidly. Some of her works, notably her animated pictures, have been sold as far away as Waterdeep and Calimsham

Notable Churches: Eldath, Gond, Helm, Oghma, Selune, Sune, Tempus, and most dwarven and elf deities.

Notable Rogues' and Thieves' Guilds: Michiko (NE, Human Female, T17) and the one-eyed Hanako (LE, Human Female, F17) are twin sisters from lands far to the East. They came here ten years ago as young adult adventurers and they quickly learned that their exotic looks opened many doors for them. As they grew up they learned that their way of thinking was vastly different from those around them. They quickly took advantage of this and were able to overthrow the local guildmaster. Most of the city simply knows them as the proprietors of The Silken Veil, a high-end brothel with many exotic looking women. The brothel, while a highly successful business endeavor unto itself, is merely a front for their guild, The White Panther. Most of the women who work in the brothel are also expert thieves in their own right. While men are treated as equals in the guild many leave because they find so many of the warm, friendly, and beautiful women to be so cold, hard and ruthless when it comes to their shadier business endeavors.

Equipment Shops: Full, with prices being slightly lower than normal due to the influx of trade goods heading north.

Adventurers' Quarters: Adventurers are welcomed throughout the city, with most favoring The Fiery Breath, a fine inn with great food, lively entertainment, and cheap prices. It is a sprawling two story building that stretches for several blocks along the city wall.

Important Characters: Dogu Hungerfoe (LG, Human Male, P5) gave up adventuring when he discovered he had a knack for cooking. Combined with his love of the exotic his tavern, The Hot Skillet, quickly became a popular and successful business. He specializes in exotic sausages. Some of the favorites of patrons are Smoked Stirge, Peppered Roc, and Wine Marinated Fire Beetle.

Galvin of Go'un (LN, Human Male, R3) is a wainwright of considerable skill. He specializes in making gilded wheels for wagons, carriages, and chariots. His team of artisans also turns out intricately carved paneling in addition to the wheels. There is currently a 5 month backlog on custom orders. Local farmers are always given preferential treatment and often free "upgrades."

Important Features in Town: Farcrest, despite its name, isn't located in the mountains. It is actually situated among the foothills and adjacent to The Roaring Ril, a river that starts high in the mountains and runs swiftly, and coldly, to the edge of the Chondalwood, where it dives to unknown regions of the Underdark. The city is built atop a low and massive hill that is almost a plateau. The outer walls of the town are 50' tall and built along the base of the hill. And inner wall, which is 30' tall, is built back a little ways from the rim of the hill that forms the plateau. The top of the inner wall is 20' above the outer wall and the average distance between the two walls is 50'. Many rope bridges span the gap and these can be easily cut away in an emergency. The main gate is located on the south side of the city and a road leads up the hill where it than runs along the inner wall all the way around to the inner gate on the north side of the inner wall. A secondary postern gate is located in the outer wall just below the inner gate, but there is no easy way to access it. The area between the two walls is a jumble of small jagged pieces of granite and marble and Dire Spikes, a scraggly, thorny shrub.

The city itself is built in an oval shape and is very pleasant, with wide avenues, lots of shrubbery, and several large parks. The streets are paved in marble and granite and most of the buildings are works of art unto themselves. Highly quality dwarven stonemasonry has been beautifully paired with artistic elven designs. There are no divided parts in the city, though the wealthier people do tend to congregate on the west side of the city, overlooking the river. Most of the merchant shops are located within easy distance of the main road that runs from the north end of the city to the soutern end, and the shadier characters prefer the east side.

Local Lore: The area within a day's rid of Farcrest is relatively safe. However, once beyond this area there are plenty of dangers to keep hundreds of adventurers busy for years and years. The mountains are home to kobolds, goblins, hobgoblins, orcs, gnolls, ogres, and giants. The Chondalwood, while home to many elves, has several tribes of orcs and bugbears, a large tribe of quicklings, a small colony of beholders, a family of green dragons, several packs of wyverns, and an entrance to the Underdark. The plains to the southeast are full of bulettes and thri-kreen. There are also rumors of a major cell of the Cult of the Dragon being located in the mountains north of the city and that they are allied with an ancient white wyrm. Despite these threats Farcrest is an idyllic city. It is near the end of a major trade route that runs from lands to the south to the Regions of Rossak to the north. It is also the beginning of the same trade route for goods heading south. As such, the city is generally wealthy and caravans traveling this route are well guarded. To be on the safe side all citizens over the age of 12 are required to practice with a long bow or crossbow once a month.