The village of Mandipani sits in the hills of the Camari Pass amongst spare, rocky, rolling grasslands. Originally a hobgoblyn village, the generally unfriendly atmosphere of Dosa to other races, villages like Mandipani have grown larger and become important stops on the northern caravan route. Mandipani is still mostly made up of the low, round hobgoblyn huts, but new structures have sprung up and the central part of the settlement has been turned into a broad road lined with landsman businesses catering to darkman and boar-cat traders. New, lime-washed brick buildings have started to fan out, forming streets and plazas, but gaily painted hobgoblyn huts clustered around ceremonial firepits still form the bulk of the structures.
Region: Camar, Inner Sea Basin.
Total Population: 900 approx.
Demographics: 70% Hobgoblyn, 20% Kelorn, 8% Goblyn, 3% Other
Government:
Wealth:
Tech. Level: 6
Major Industry:
Major Religions:
The village occupies the crest of a pair of long barrows , with the shallow valley in between having once been home to a now abandoned tin-mine. The shaft is now boarded up and the winch that once let into it a rotten ruin. The hobgoblyns say that the mine was tapped out and that they believe it to be flooded, but those who live near the vertical drop claim that they can hear wailing from the depths of the mine on the darkest nights. The main road winds through the valley past the mine, and many buildings here were cut into the hillside, having sloping courtyards at their hearts, with some having second stories that exit at ground level in the rear. Broad second level verandas and large shuttered windows are common here despite the relatively cool climate and higher altitude.
The crests of the two barrows are occupied by the distinctive geometrically-painted huts of the locals. Like all of their kind, they cluster around the central stone firepits, that both keep animals away and serve as the hub of hobgoblyn spiritual life. The flanks of the village are occupied by the sizeable herds of cattle and terraced vegetable gardens that feed the village, and a number of tanners workshops stand a little way from the town, to spare peoples homes of the smell of tanning hide.
Aside from leather, wood is gathered to facilitate repairs to passing caravans, and crude whiskey is brewed to trade with the boar-cats, and these are the main industries of Mandipani. Thanks to the presence of strong drink Mandipani also does a good trade in chitin goods, such as the composite bows favoured by the nomads from the north. Strider-meat, being an acquired taste, has never become a commodity despite being readily on offer.
At the northern approach to the town a crude log fortress guards the approaches to the town. Here the small elite mercenary body known as Bruke's Lances have made their home, and for a fee they are happy to offer their services to the settlement. Indeed it is the close proximity of a well respected mercenary body that has made Mandipani preferable to nearby settlements such as Kadu or Donda, where aid might be days away. When the Lances ride out, and this is frequently, they make sure to leave a force holding the fort against potential attack. It is here that the town's only sizeable smithy operates, and the mercenaries charge a handsome price for their middling services, meaning most locals have turned to softer metals for tools.
Locations of Interest
Fort Bruke
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Old Tin Mine
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Mandipani Hostel
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Donak's Brewing House
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Hammat's Brewing House
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Caravan Stop
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Marketplace
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Notable Groups and Individuals
Jabaji Vik
The elder Jabaji Vik is the ostensible leader of the community in Mandipani, as was his father before him, and as was his father's father. The hobgoblyns here undoubtedly look to the sage Vik for guidance, and though he is almost blind and well past his fiftieth summer, he remains a clever and wise presence, though like many elders he is resistant to change, and has been vocal about his distaste at the recent additions to the settlement.
Manat thew Dosan
If Jabaji is still the leader of the community of Mandipani, Manat thew Dosan is snapping at his heels. The proprietor of the Mandipani Hostels, the wealth and influence of this half-Darkman merchant from Dosa grows every day, and his willingness to lend coin puts more and more of the village in his pocket with each passing season. Manat knows that Mandipani will only grow in years to come, and more than once he has defended his patch, both by hiring Bruke to keep the peace, and hiring locals to harass opposing businessmen trying to establish themselves, once a couple of years ago even arranging the burning a hostel across the street to the ground with its proprietor in it.
Bruke the Tyrant
The Haedrasian mercenary known as Bruke the Tyrant is amongst the most efficient and feared of all of the mercenary leaders north of the Inner Sea. Leading a band of some fifty men, all hardened fighting men, and surrounded by a core of Haedrasian warriors, it is rumoured that Bruke was once a paladin of Haederas - it is certain that he served in the Imperatry Legions - and that he deserted after a particularly brutal conflict along the Maldrak border to the north.
Shatki the Gecko
Finally, the shifty Shatki the Gecko has a reputation for procuring things, difficult things. Shatki is no thief, but he is well connected and for a price he can obtain anything, form information to items, and the more rare, difficult or secret the more he relishes the opportunity to test his network of connections and resources. No one would know to look at the furtive little hobgoblyn, but everyone in Mandipani knows that if they want something done they go to Shatki, with a very full purse.