This adventuring supplement is designed for D&D5e. On out Patreon page you can get it in PDF format (see image). The downloads include hi-res images for the maps. And there is a variant PDF version designed for Shadowdark RPG.
“Do not allow the goblin insurrection to thwart your resolve. There is a clear superiority in our numbers, weapons, and magic. This is but a petty trifle…”
King Thwayne
Greed and corruption have stained the jewel of dwarven society for the past five generations. At the end of the Hundred-Year War, the penalties exacted on the goblin survivors resulted in considerable debts. Over the centuries, the dwarves have held these debts as a way to coerce the goblins into submission. This form of indentured servitude is crooked and designed to be ever-lasting. The dwarf overlords have developed a system in which the goblins, through their service in the city and the mines, slowly pay the generational debt. But at the same time, penalties, punishments, and interest accrue so that the debt is never paid in full. Goblins are born, live, and die in this form of covert slavery. Most of them do not know any better, robbed of the knowledge of Kithulat, their ancient realm. Rakkar’s revolt in the south changes things; inter-ancestries relations in Faradak have become heated.
Level 1-2 Settlement
- Danger. Unsafe. Check for a Random Event in every other area the characters visit (4-in-6 chance).
- Atmosphere. The dwarves remain impassive and indifferent to the increasing rumors of goblin insurrection. This is even after a quarter of the city’s indentured servants, all goblins, fled to the south. The dwarves do not believe these efforts shall amount to much.
- Light. Most of Faradak is in twilight. Burning braziers provide bright light in the main avenues but the rest are dark. The luminescent fungal growths that surround the city make it almost possible to see in the dark.
| RANDOM EVENT d6 | Details |
| 1 | As the heroes wander near the palace, a crowd of goblins peacefully demand the right to own land and the forgiveness of debts. |
| 2 | The heroes encounter four dwarves (commoners) admonishing their six goblin servants for an apparent mistake. The dwarf lord violently slaps them with a short, flexible stick as he orders a scribe to increase the debt of the goblin family. |
| 3 | Following a natural cycle, the glimmering mushrooms outside the city shine brighter for 1 hour, illuminating the majestic city. |
| 4 | Twenty goblins carrying bags approach a gate intending to leave the city. They are subject to abuse and ruinous taxation by the four dwarf guards. There is a 4-in-6 chance that this encounter turns into a violent skirmish as the goblins refuse to comply. |
| 5 | A family of seven goblins begs the characters to pretend to hire them so they can be escorted out of Faradak without question. |
| 6 | A dwarven residence is set on fire by two goblin rebels. The characters are asked to help find the culprits of this crime. |
Stoneheart’s Armory
Purple-tinted smoke emerges from a tall, stone chimney over the armory. The growl of a raging fire and the sound of hammers can be heard at all times.
The reputation of Carcanno Stoneheart, the master craftsman, is such that his seal and crafts reach even the realms on the surface. Dwarven aristocracy and nobles from surface nations are on Carcanno’s waiting list as his wares are the finest, and most expensive around. The dwarf treats his goblin helpers with a stone fist.
The Forge. A fire spirit is bound to the heart of Stoneheart’s forge. Its arcane-powered heat is essential to the creation of master weaponry and magic items.
Sabotage. During the characters’ stay in Faradak tragedy ensues. Carcanno’s apprentices, four goblins, grow tired of his treatment and break the arcane bonds that surround the forge. The fire elemental is cut loose, wreaking havoc. If the characters help contain it, Carcanno Stoneheart offers a reward of 150 gp.
Garrelkark’s Fungal Groves
What once were two mines were repurposed a decade ago to grow specialty mushrooms. Garrelkark (goblin), is in charge of the fungal groves. He enjoys a particularly advantageous position as the dwarves allow him a modicum of freedom and power because of his trade, which they respect. Garrelkark sympathizes with Rakkar, though. He sees his position as a cornerstone to help other goblins see a better future when the time comes.
- Fugitives. Over twenty goblins who escaped servitude in the manors of wealthy dwarves in the city hide in Garrelkark’s groves. Faradak’s authorities offer a bounty of 40 gp for finding and returning these deserters to their residences. They do not comply without a fight.
- Escape. If the characters are open to aiding the goblin escapees. Garrelkark explains that a barge that transports his produce shall part soon from Faradak Ports to Topaz Beach. The goblin fugitives hide in barrels and crates. The characters are hired for 40 gp as mercenary guards to protect the barge from inspections.
Royal Mining Co.
This entity, co-owned by the seven most wealthy families (including the royal line) is the largest creditor of goblin debt; they have bought debt contracts over centuries. Royal Mining Co. oversees the prospecting and mining operations in the realm. Over three-quarters of its workforce are goblins working to pay off their generational debt. The goblin insurrection has hit the company’s operations and they stand to lose big in an all-out war. Royal Mining Co. is the embodiment of dwarven greed.
- Mercenaries. Royal Mining Co. offers 5,000 gp, a nobility title, and the right to own land in Faradak to whoever tracks down Rakkar and brings him for swift justice. Many see this bounty as cruel and heartless.
Faradak Ports
Characters can buy passage to many places in Ghin Faradun from here. Ferries cross Ghin River twice a day but larger barges set out to farther destinations like Topaz Beach, Sapphire Link, Emerald Glimmer, and Hollow Geode. 10 gp per person is enough to reach any place.
Chapel of the Horned Goddess
The dwarf overseers are aware of the importance of religious practice for the goblinoid population and allow it. The earth deity, the Horned Goddess, is represented in an effigy of welded metal in the form of a kneeling goblin.
- Mother Ahara. The religious leader in Faradak preaches that Rakkar’s insurrection is but a temptation meant to purge the city. She commends others to keep to their orders and activities following dwarven laws. All ignore that Royal Mining Co. has paid for her opinions while also threatening her with death. An insightful character discovers she lies and is afraid (DC 14 Insight). If confronted, she cries and confesses her cowardice.
Goblin Warrens
More goblins live in these four stone buildings than there are dwarves in the rest of Faradak. Some goblins have the apparent privilege of having quarters in dwarven residences but most low-skilled workers and miners are here. The living conditions are poor and deplorable.
The East Mine
This is the nearest active, mining site and the pride of Royal Mining Co. as its yield of iron and copper ores is outstanding. Most goblin servants in Faradak take the ferries to cross Ghin River and work here.
- Revolt. An insurrection erupts as thirty goblin miners take over the mine and incarcerate the dwarf overseers in the mine. The goblins now demand Royal Mining Co. to increase their wages so it becomes possible to pay their debts in 1 year. The company, in turn, posts a bounty of 1,000 gp to break their occupation.
Palace of Topaz
The seat of King Thwayne and the royal court stands far above the surrounding city. Its pristine walls are decorated with gold inlays and topaz stones.
Turmoil boils in the court as some wealthy nobles pressure the crown to be harsher against the goblin rebels; they stand much to lose in their enterprises and investments if more goblins abandon their posts. The king agrees with them but his consort, Lady Galladan Silverstream, believes that a peaceful solution must be found, and he entertains her position, even if it weakens the crown. The nobles have been using their influence with Royal Mining Co. to offer bounties and achieve the same goal, effectively bypassing the monarch. King Thwayne fumes by this but he dares not directly oppose the wealthiest families which have allied against him.
- Hall of Echoes. The palace’s lower level is where the king grants audience to outsiders, surrounded by countless statues of his ancestors. If the characters come, they may witness the court’s wide differences in opinion.
Opposing Views
Despite what appears to be a monolithic way of thinking. Not all dwarves agree with the status quo. While they cannot change the way things are, many are cordial and even generous to the goblins under their charge. Some have even aided a few goblins leave the city to flee south.
In the same manner, not all goblins are sympathetic to Rakkar’s revolt. Many goblins have a mind of servitude and it is all they have known. They are fearful of fighting and freedom. Countless of them would rather waste away in the mines rather than oppose the dwarf overseers, whom they respect and fear equally.
Another factor is that everyone knows that affairs in Topaz Beach are different. The ruler, Lady Mirabel Silverstream, has a different view of the relationship between dwarves and goblins and has allowed them, over her 40-year governance, to enjoy more freedoms and fair paths to pay the debt. Many in Faradak consider that King Thwayne’s methods are outdated as of today. And whether a new perspective is needed or not. The king’s consort, Lady Galladan Silverstream, is Lady Mirabel’s cousin. Lady Galladan has a strong influence on the king’s actions and tries to sway how things are in Faradak toward the methods used in Topaz Beach. The court considers her actions a power overreach.
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