DUNGEON: BELLMARE ENCLAVE

AREA GENERAL

The Bellmare Enclave is situated at the very center of the largest valley in the Bellmare Mountain range, close to the tallest of them all, Meligan. The settlement is arranged in a sort of wheel shape, with four streets stretching out like spokes from the enormous frozen lake right at the center of things. Like the footpaths out in the mountains, the streets are laid with a grit mixed with crushed fire crystals that keep the roads relatively dry and safe to walk on.

Despite the impressive size of the lake, the Bellmare Enclave is only a small town, with a population of around 600 or so. Most of the buildings are residential properties, built from peeled wooden logs like the lodges you might’ve seen in the mountains. There are a handful of shops and even a restaurant or two but most of the buildings here are dedicated to keeping the town running; there’s plenty of warehouses full of preserved food, fishing and hunting equipment. Like the rest of Bellmare, it’s incredibly cold here and when you’re out and about, it’s advised you do like the locals do and keep yourself wrapped up warm.

Speaking of the locals themselves, the residents of Bellmare are all humans native to this world. There’s a pretty even mix of genders but there’s a rather noticeable age disparity -- a majority of the people here are adults, with a handful of people in their late teens, even fewer in their mid-teens and barely a handful under the age of ten. For the most part, the residents of Bellmare are reasonably friendly towards newcomers, even if some of them are a little guarded or suspicious of their sudden arrival. Shopkeepers and business owners will be happy to see new customers, but as you’ll quickly discovery, any currency you might have is pretty worthless. Not to worry, though, as currency isn’t really as much of a big deal in the Enclave anymore and people are happy to accept goods and services in lieu of monetary payment. It should generally be something useful though -- items of clothing, nonperishable food and outdoor tools are considered more valuable.

Note: Due to the size of the Bellmare Enclave and the number of occupants, players are free (and encouraged!) to NPC the residents of the Bellmare Enclave in their toplevels, tags, etc, within reason. We trust you guys to have fun with this, but if in doubt about something you want to do, hit up a mod and ask!


CENTRAL WAY

The largest and busiest of the five streets, though that’s really not saying much. This seems to be the main hub of the Enclave, as it’s where the majority of the shops and places to eat are located.

The Old Willow: A pub-slash-diner catering primarily to adults, owned by a gruff and lowkey intimidating woman named Elya. The interior is warm and wonderfully cozy, with multiple fireplaces burning away at all times. Everything is made of dark, varnished wood with deep red cloth and upholstery for contras. A lot of it has clearly seen some wear and tear, it just seems to add to the charm of the place. There’s quite a few locals who frequent this place and all of them seem to be adults -- which makes sense, considering the brain-meltingly strong alcohol they serve. If you’re underage (under 20, so saith the Enclave), the staff here will always be happy to serve you a hot meal, but you’ll be chased out if they catch you eyeing the booze. And for good reason too -- if you’re not good at holding your liquor, the alcohol served here can make you very sick. Oh well. At least the food’s good -- it’s primarily wild animal meats and fish, some recognizable mountain species (moose, trout) and some… not (what the hell is a roocite?!).
Ida’s Weavery: Your one stop shop for all your cozy winter gear needs, run by the man himself, Ida. It’s a small shop with pretty minimal decoration, though that’s probably because every single available surface has been taken up by sewing and tailoring paraphernalia. Despite the small size of the town, you get the general impression this place is very popular. And for good reason, soo. Ida’s provides day-to-day wear for the residents of the Enclave so the clothes here are more about warmth and practicality than the #aesthetic -- though if you ask very nicely and can provide the materials, you might be able to get something made in your favourite colours, though you will be shunted to the back of the queue. The man’s got orders to finish!
Nettles and Caps: A herbalist's shop that focuses on local, cold-weather plants and mushrooms. There is, however, a small, magically lit greenhouse around the back that provides herbs better suited to warmer climates to the shop. The shop itself is usually staffed by the herbalist's grandson, Alore, who has a passing interest in the subject but not a wide breadth of knowledge compared to his grandmother. The shop owner herself, Iselle, is a woman in her late seventies, who walks stiffly and with a slight lean on her elegantly carved cane. In addition to the herbs, the shop has a constant supply of fragrant nettle-and-berry tea going - it's maybe a bit on the thin side, but a warm drink is always welcome.
The Fur Bank: This shop doesn't in itself have a name - the locals usually just call it "the fur shop," "the fur trader's," or "the tanner's." It serves all of these purposes, certainly; the shop front has a large counter where one can get currency in exchange for raw furs, and completed hides are stacked fairly high as the locals bring in whatever they can. The tanning vats around the back stink perpetually, which at least explains why this business, so central to the town's economy, is very nearly at the outskirts, at the far end of the road.
Skysong Cafe and Hospice: This building was once the cafe-and-hotel of one of the Bellmare ski resorts, and it's been redesigned into the town's hospital and medical care center to make full use of the hotel rooms on the second and third stories. The lowest floor still operates in much the same way it ever did, offering significantly more hearty meals than the 'cafe' in the name would imply. The 'and Hospice' is tacked on via a wooden sign underneath the magical lights of the original sign. It's currently run by a Dr. Trucy Imille and her husband, who serves alternately as nurse and short-order cook.

Town Hall and Library: This large building is usually full of bookshelves with only a few tables for study, and serves as the repository for almost all of the town's knowledge. One night a month, however, the bookshelves are pushed against the walls and wheeled folding tables and benches are instead brought out, for the residents of the town to all come together and discuss things among themselves.
The Hot Plate: The one and only show in town if you're looking for burgers or other, similar greasy fast food. The exact kind of meat varies by what the town's hunters have had extra stock of recently, but it's hot, rich, and ready to go in only a few minutes with cheese of some kind melted into the top and thick-cut fries. A popular spot with the town's younger generation, run by a man called Luca.
Turnstyle Toys: This toyshop is small and only open in the afternoons, as the proprietor, Tay, is a young mother herself with a four-year-old to look after. Her son, Cliff, can often be seen running 'demonstrations' on the toys he can reach during business hours, with the items that are aimed more at older children up on high shelves where he can't reach them. His mother hovers close to him at the sight of newcomers, nervous, but Cliff enthusiastically greets everyone who comes in to the shop, especially if they're obviously foreign or, even better, not human.
The Forge: Another shop that doesn't technically have a name, but everyone knows immediately what you mean. This shop is the only one where open windows can be found, as the heat of the furnaces inside makes it more than toasty. If you can stand the near-constant sound of metal being beaten into shape by the smith, Hyer, there's a few tables out front where you can sit and watch the snowfall in relative warmth. His assistant, Finley, is the town's glassblower, and the two trade positions two days a week to provide the town with the various glass items it needs. Various artistic pieces - glass, metal, and mixes of both - hang in the open windows.
Lucy's Grocery: This small greengrocer caters mostly to the other shopkeepers of the town, as many of the other residents raise or hunt their own food. The extras come by Lucy's, where she sells them out to those who spend most of their time in skilled, specialized labor instead of gardening. Lucy herself oversees the shop during its open hours in the afternoon and late evening (after most of the other shops have closed), and always has a warm, friendly smile, though she seems initially a bit confused at the arrival of people other than her regulars to her store.

LARGOMARE WAY

While not very imaginatively named, Largomare Way is no less important to the daily comings and goings of the Enclave. Quite literally, in fact, as this is where most of the transport equipment for hunting and generally getting around the Bellmare Mountains is kept. And also, Largomares. Lots and lots of very friendly Largomares, often trotting around and investigating anything that catches their interest. Hope you’re good with dogs!

Borthrayte Veterinary Clinic: With all the critters running around the Enclave, it’s only natural that there’d be someone around to fix them up when they get hurt. The veterinary clinic is run by twin sisters, Thetis and Halissa Borthrayte, who gave up their life as movers and shakers in the upper class to retire to the Enclave. Usually Thetis runs the front of the practice while Halissa handles the medical side of things but they trade off every few days. They mostly cater to the enormous number of Largomares living at the Enclave, but if you have an animal who needs looking after, they won’t hesitate to help you.
Transport Garage: While it doesn’t have any official name, this large imposing building is simply called “the garage” by the residents of the Enclave. It contains all of the transport and hunting equipment needed to survive such harsh conditions. There’s a few magic-powered sleds, but for the most part, things seem to be geared towards Largomare-pulled sleds. If you’re interested in travelling further into the mountains, then the garage should be your first stop.
Largomare Kennels: A cozy home for any of the Largomares who stay at the enclave but don’t have a particular family to call their own. A majority of the Largomares here are working pooches, who help with transport and hunting and any other number of odd jobs, but a handful of them are long-time patients of the Borthrayte twins who need to keep them comfortable. The kennels are generally staffed by a rotating team of townspeople, who will be happy to lend a Largomare to anyone who needs their help to get deeper into Bellmare.

LAKE ETTAH

Laying at the heart of the Bellmare Enclave, Lake Ettah is the metaphorical foundation upon which the town was built. It’s enormously sized, even deeper than it is wide, and covered in a remarkably thick layer of solid white ice. Spooky as it may be, it’s generally safe to walk out onto the lake so long as you don’t stray too far towards the center of the lake. As soon as the ice starts to get darker and you can see the cold depths below then you might want to scoot yourself back to safety as soon as humanly possible.

Fishing Holes: A number of holes have been carved into the ice to allow the residents to fish in Lake Ettah. Some are occupied, but there seem to be a few that are set up for anyone to sit and try their hand at fishing. It’s chilly and lonely work and more likely than not, you won’t hook a thing. But if you do get a bite, you might be lucky enough to end up with a roocite, a type of fish native to Bellmare. It tastes delicious when grilled but it’s an unspeakably ugly fish.
Skating Rink: Calling it a full rink might be overstating things a bit, but there’s been a section of lake cordoned off with rope that serves as a place to get your skate on. There’s unfortunately no store to purchase skates if you don’t have a pair yourself, but The Old Willow is known to keep a handful of spare pairs around, if you don’t mind hand-me-downs.
Power Station: It's more accurate to call this an ex-power-station, as it's not really functional anymore and doesn't seem to be providing power to the town as it exists now. Those who've looked at the setup in the bottom of Keystone will likely recognize the general shape of the lake-side turbines as an earlier version - an attempt at mingling the concept of electrical water power and magic. It's now covered in frost more so than rust, but wiping that away will reveal the Skymountain Energy logo on the sides of the turbines and the frosted-shut control panel's outer casing.