Beneath the shade of the Iron Mountains, the glens and vales of the highlands are damp and green: tall forests and rushing creeks hide behind every ridge, and it is easy to get lost in the wilderness. The small village of Flintbake would remain lost, methinks, if it weren't for the coal mine that takes its name.
Flintbake was a small village for decades before the gnomes from the Falland Cities to the north of the Kingdom of Endon decided to move their trade into the embrace of the Valley of Endon. Those gnomes opened several mines in the Duchy of Firbost, such as Whitehill Mine and Flintbake Mine. However, only a handful remained open and successful.
The village is almost constantly in partial shadow - the looming bulk of the mountains above blocks out the sun for the better part of the day - but the locals are known for a peculiar tradition of creating and hanging paper lanterns, perhaps as a way of battling against the shade.
On Entering Flintbake
"The wind is silent here in the long valley beneath the Iron Mountains, and in a clearing beside the stream, where the pine trees leave a meadow of grass and flowers, is the peaceful village of Flintbake. A mossy palisade circles the village, with a stout gate: old and worn, but not useless. There are things, it seems, from which the villagers still feel the need to protect themselves."
The village would perhaps have faded into obscurity without the mine, but there is another claim to fame for Flintbake: it sits not far from the edge of Ithilenna's Grave, one of the handful of feywild forests within the Kingdom.
Longhall. Like many of the villages and towns in the area, Flintbake's population comes from a much older stock than those that founded the Kingdom of Endon. Their ancestors lived in the valley of the Moonwash long before the fall of the Ssthessic Vrasa, and they have their own traditions. Among them is the function of the Longhall, a cross between Town Hall and community church.
Hunter's Lodge. Many of the local villages have a building like this: a large, fairly public building that plays host to the roving hunters, a place where goods can be bought and sold, and travellers can stay the night.
Tower Watch. A lone stone tower stands on a rocky outcrop a short walk from the village, able to keep an eye upon the valley to watch for approaching forces, and up along the ridge, towards the nearby Tower of Night.
Gnomish Mines
The mine in the hills above Flintbake is known for the production of coal - a material apparently common to the region. Along with the veins of coal and the occasional lode of iron or even silver, the caves and tunnels are filled with blackdamp, a kind of toxic gas that sinks into the darkness.
The mine is a fairly simple layout, but is mostly quiet these days - few gnomes are still around to operate the equipment, and strange creatures come to the tunnels in their absence, for the quiet lair.
Lanterns in the Wilds
The villagers of Flintbake - and those from surrounding villages like Cardin - have an enchanting tradition of hanging and lighting paper lanterns along the paths and trails of their lands. Not only do the lanterns ensure that travellers can more easily find the path in the dark and the snow, but their colour often communicates messages to those who know their meaning: red for danger, blue for caution, green for no trouble, and with symbols to denote further specifics.