Llanybydder, sitting in the pass of the foothill of the Greenmounts, is the doorway to the southern mountain towns. Once a thriving marketplace for the livestock that sustain the mountain communities, in recent years the economic gap has been filled by the human-owned community at Shepshed. Now, Llanybydder makes its living as a mining community.

The population of Llanybydder is mostly dwarfish in origin, and as such, the town itself shows much evidence of their architecture. Established after the Treaty of Endon's Pass, the town is governed by a town council, headed by the mayor, but most of the day-to-day decisions are delegated to the reeve, as the mayor - appointed by reigning monarch in Endon - has better things to do than care for his charges.

Travelling to Llanybydder

The road from Shepshed to Llanybydder is steeper and rougher than the high road, but heading up, one will still pass the occasional traveller or rider. The pine forests at the bottom of the ridge will gradually thin out as the players climb higher, and the occasional thin snaky track will branch off the road and curl away around the mountain.

The Town Beneath the Mountain

Llanybydder was once an elvish town, but was conquered and occupied thousands of years ago by the dwarven population of the mountains: the houses are blocky, angular, and have stone walls and slate tile roofs. The cliff-face on the eastern side of town is dominated by the carved frieze of Dragonbreach Hall.

There are several important buildings in Llanybydder, as well as the town square and the marketplace:

Dragonbreach Hall. High cliffs rise above the slate-grey town, and cast long shadows. Beneath them, carven with precision and artistry into the rock, is a many-pillared facade: an ancient fortress of Dwarven make. The doors, thick enough to withstand an attack by a dragon, are flung wide, allowing entry to the chambers within.

Constructed ages ago when dragon attacks were more common, it was designed to be a shelter for the population in case of a winged menace. The outer façade is carved with columns and statues of dwarven warriors, and the interior has many small rooms branching off the enormous main hall. It opens onto Dwarrow Square.

It was expanded and updated several times, and now serves as the Town Hall. It is the home of the town guard and the mayor, and the starting site of most local contracts.

Dwarrow Square. Before the brooding face of Dragonbreach Hall are the wide, worn cobbles of the Dwarrow Square: beneath the cliffs, the sunlight only occasionally touches it directly, and many mosses and lichens grow in the damp stones around the fountain.

The original town square, this is where most of the notices are posted. There is the intricate Drakebane Fountain in the middle, and it is nearly always in shadow from the cliffs above.

Town Square. Bright and open, the town square of Llanybydder is a bustling cacophony of shouts and calls amongst the merchants and the townsfolk. But where this would normally only concern the business of the day, the price of fabrics, and the occasional pickpocket, today the crowd gathers around an elderly falf-elf, waving a poster.

The town's eight main avenues connect in the centre of town, where the main square is. This is where the markets and caravans meet, and where the players can gather resources and information.

Bydder Library. Tucked away in the heart of the city, the old bluestone library stands weathered but proud, its heavy stone walls etched with the weight of centuries. Inside, the scent of ancient parchment fills the air, and towering shelves of faded tomes create a maze of forgotten knowledge. Dim, magical lanterns flicker softly, casting long shadows over dust-laden tables where only the bravest scholars still tread.

An ancient building with crumbling stones and missing mortar, the library sits beneath the western cliff, and is tended to only by Tylsa, the aging librarian.

The Huntsman Inn. The inn is alive with noise and warmth, a haven for weary travelers and rowdy locals alike. Wooden beams creak above, and the air is filled with the scent of roasting meat and the sound of clinking mugs. Servers weave through the crowded tables with practiced ease, delivering frothy ales to laughing patrons as the crackle of the fire echoes in the hearth.

The rowdy tavern on the northern wall is the recommended destination for travellers, as all of the others are patronised exclusively by the local miners.

A History of Defense

Llanybydder's long history of defending itself - from dragons, from marauding bandits, and from beasts of the forest, has made it one of the most formidable towns in the Kingdom. While its location in the centre of the Kingdom means that it now no longer has any reason to fear attack, the impression that it gives is one of strength.

Drakebane Fountain. The fountain in the centre of the square has images and reliefs carved into it, of the slayings of the great dragons of the days of yore. Significant images are of warriors cutting out of the dragon from within its belly, collapsing mountains on a dragon, poisoning it with false gifts, and forstalling them with praise and riddles.

Mountaintop Watch. Llanybydder is one of the most secure towns in the kingdom: it was built as a defensive fortress against the wandering draconids that infested the area and, as such, few mortal forces could penetrate the town with ease. High walls, deep tunnels, and sturdy gates are the most obvious defenses, but the most significant, and impressive, are the two towers built on the cliffs on either side. They act as watchtowers, and the ballistae at their tops serve as deterrents.

The Mines of the Bydder

In its heyday, the Byddervein was one of the more impressive examples of dwarven craftmanship in Endon, and in its centre the Vein itself, a chasm stretching deep into the heart of the mountain. The tunnels were lit with a type of reflective crystal lantern constructed in the smithies at Glaston, and graceful stone bridges arced across the darkness below. Now, the main bridge has fallen due to disrepair, and the props and walls have begun, also, to collapse on themselves.

Llanybydder was once the trading hub for the dwarvish communities, was itself a conquest by the dwarves from the elves in ages long past, and the dwarves purposefully built a route from Llanybydder to their mines further up the peaks – the winding tunnel of the Byddervein.

When Llanybydder lost its position of trading hub to the cattle town of Shepshed below it, the tunnels through the Byddervein were shut, and have lain abandoned for many decades. In the darkness, new life has flourished in the abandoned tunnels, and any traveller trying to traverse the Byddervein must be prepared for the unexpected.