Brightstone

Brightstone is a small but rapidly growing town in the Free Cities region, northeast of Karst. Its primary export are gems and ores from the mine at the north end of town. At its center is Brightstone Keep, a small castle that contains the lord mayor's residence as well as a number of other public locations, such as the library. Its location near the wilderness as well as its history ensures that it is a popular place for adventurers looking for work.

History
Brightstone Keep was originally built about forty years ago as an outpost to house the miners from Karst who had begun to dig there. After a few years, however, it began to come under attack by the local orc, goblin, and troll tribes. Mining operations ceased almost entirely as the miners began to shift their efforts towards defense, but it was eventually overrun and taken over by an orcish warlord who used it as a staging ground for raids on Karst. They fought off several would-be adventurers who came to reclaim it, until Tol Sigurn, Leardon Sunflare, Justin Oakenleaf, Prov Coren, and Balon Stonehelm successfully infiltrated the keep and slew the warlord and most of his troops. As thanks, the mayor of Karst gifted the keep to the heroes, who decided to turn it into their base of operations. They hired a team of dwarves from Silverstone and reopened the mines. Over the course of the next few years, the keep rebuilt almost entirely from scratch; very little of the original structure remains. It continued to serve as their home until they all went their separate ways shortly before the War of the Gods, but the dwarves continued to operate the mines under the direction of Prov, who elected to stay behind. Within the last five years a small town has sprung up around the keep, which is continuing to grow.

The Mines
The gemstone mines from which Brightstone gets its name have been in service for many, many years, and have thus become quite extensive. They have also revealed a number of artifacts of some sort of ancient civilization, the most notable being a large obelisk that allows transport to the planes of Mechanus, Acherus, and the ethereal plane.

Wood's End Tavern
Main article: Wood's End The Wood's End Tavern is run by Tol Sigurn, and is a popular spot for traveling adventurers in search of work.

Notable Residents

 * Prov Coren - Prov ended her adventuring career shortly after retaking the keep and decided to remain at the keep to oversee the mining operations and spend some time conducting research. Today she is the head librarian of the keep's rather extensive library.
 * Balon Stonehelm - Balon returned from his grand adventures out of the world, and now serves as Brightstone's captain of the guard.
 * Tol Sigurn - Tol's adventuring days are mostly behind him but he is still known as a local legend in the area. He has (mostly) settled down with his wife, Rosie, and manages the Wood's End tavern.