Diamond Lake

A Small mining town, full to the brim with desperate folks trying to scrap a meager living from working the mines of the great city of Greyhawk three days to the West. Diamond Lake resides in the Cairn Hills, rocky hills full of metals important to Greyhawk’s economy, important enough for them to directly control the mines via mine managers. The mine managers are constantly struggling against one another to gain more power and wealth for themselves, while the common folk try to distract themselves from their situation.

As there are folks spending money, no matter how meager, there is a thriving business in supplying distraction. The Emporium is a large den of iniquity specializing in liquor, women and a freak show to rival any traveling circus, all for just enough money to draw their customers in. Games of chance abound, including the Rat Game, where rats race to the end of a small maze, then the winner gets to fight Jermlaine’s while spectators bet on every aspect of the game. For a more cultured taste, Lazare’s House is a cozy gaming parlor across the street, specializing in Dragonchess for those with the wits to play. Those too poor for the Emporium, find themselves at the Feral Dog or one of its ilk. Dogfights are the height of entertainment, surpassed only by the bar fights.

The Cairn Hills get their name from the large number of ancient burial cairns and tombs that dot the place, evidence of a half dozen different cultures. The last known cairn was stripped dry decades ago though, and folks are always eager to find a new one, but the chances seem unlikely.

Greyhawk has appointed the Governor-Mayor Neff to rule the town and insure the steady flow of material to the city. The mine managers (Smenk, Gansworth, Moonmeadow (elf), Tilgast, Parrin, Dourstone (dwarf)) are more directly in charge of the mine’s they hold title to. Sheriff Cubbin maintains “law” in the sense that he breaks up fights that get too big to ignore. Nearby, a garrison of troops only becomes involved when threats really escalate.

Religion in the city centers around Heironius (chapel in the garrison) and St Cuthbert (large towered church in the city) for the most part, with Obad-Hai worshippers centered in the surrounding hills, and a small group of followers of Wee Jas that protect the cemetery from interlopers and attend to death services. Other religions tend to be low key, with a master/ student relationship rather than an official church indoctrination.