The Hilt

The Hilt is the district where Odrun Fell meets the tunnels. It is the main staging ground for delves and patrols. Crews form here, take contracts here, and return here. The work is constant. The people are focused. There is little interest in ceremony or display. The district moves on clear needs: gear, maps, fuel, food, beasts, and bodies ready to work.

The Hilt stands at the thick rise of the greatclub’s handle. Gates, ramps, and loadways concentrate into a few guarded access points. The road from outside the city ends here at the Gate of Tines, where The Cudgel screens traffic and The Promissory records cargo and contracts. New arrivals enter, delver crews muster, and wagons peel off toward forges and pens. It is the district where a day can start with a posting and end with a name on a wall.

Purpose and Function

The Hilt prepares people to go below and supports them when they return. Mission boards, gear shops, cartographers, and animal handlers operate within walking distance of each other. Forge smoke and winch-noise run all day. Supplies are packed and repacked. Armor is mended. Lanterns are filled. The Cudgel keeps order and coordinates rescue when something fails in the tunnels. The district accepts risk as routine and reduces waste through strict routines.

Layout

The Gate of Tines stands at the southern threshold. Its armored plates are built from giant beetle shell. Cudgel sentries and Promissory scribes work in view of the queue. Some travelers pass with a nod. Some are turned back. It is the first point where the district decides what enters and on what terms.

Near the center stands Emberhook Hall, a dome-black hall where postings gather and delves are declared. The Wall of Names sits inside. It is cut into brass and chitin. Delvers touch the great hooks before they go below. Captain Orin Vellak is the one who adds names to the wall, and the hall goes silent when he does. This keeps memory and reminds crews of cost.

Close to the mustering lanes is Eurven’s Forge. The Ashcoat craftmaster Eurven Brel runs it with trusted apprentices. Armor and blades here use chitin and steel. The forge burns hot on alchemical oil. Many buyers come, from coin-lords to tenders, because the work is reliable and fast.

Above the forges and pens runs the Hookline Gantry, a web of beams and tracks. Winches lift raw chitin to shaping bays. Ashcoat shapers cut and rivet plates for The Cudgel. Beetle teams move through this zone without panic. The design reduces ground traffic and speeds conversion from carcass to gear.

Two secure facilities anchor the district’s control of hazards and knowledge. The Dregvault descends under a squat stone shell into locked and warded levels. It holds living threats and specimens that need rotation by trained staff. The Threadspire Archive hosts the Living Loom, a real-time map that tracks collapses and new routes. Cartographers brief crews and update scrolls based on the Loom’s changes. These sites keep the Hilt responsive to shifting tunnel conditions.

For rest and recovery, the Burrowlight Hearth provides quiet rooms, soup, and calm light. It was built for delvers who need steady care between runs and for those who cannot sleep after long exposure to the dark. The Hearth’s reputation for simple, reliable comfort keeps crews functional.

Daily Rhythm

Chitin bells mark work shifts. Dawn brings contract reading at Emberhook Hall and last-minute repairs at Eurven’s Forge. Midday is gear checks and Loom briefings at the Threadspire Archive. Afternoon sees smaller runs and supply movement across the Hookline Gantry. Evening is return, processing, reports, and rest. The cadence repeats with minor changes based on collapse warnings or swarm sightings.

Guild Roles

The Cudgel leads patrols, rescue, and gate security. Its officers decide when a route is closed or reopened. They also manage the Wall of Names and oversee formal rituals before major delves.

The Ashcoats operate forges, shaping floors, and mechanical systems. They keep lifts and winches running, make field repairs, and turn carcasses into usable gear fast. The Hookline Gantry is their most visible asset in the district.

The Barleys support beasts, specimens, and breeding programs tied to the work. The Varlas Breeder’s Archive stands at the edge of the district as their controlled vault of lines, traits, and experiments. It handles records and holds experimental breeds under acid-sealed hatches.

The Promissory records contracts, insures high-value cargo, and monitors passage at the Gate of Tines. Their clerks stand near The Cudgel at the gate, linking entries to payments and penalties.

Contracts and Briefings

Most work begins at Emberhook Hall. Postings show route, objective, pay, and risk markers. Guild seals indicate formal backing and conditions. Independent postings are allowed but note “unsanctioned” terms. Crews register teams, consult the Loom for current hazards, and log expected return times. A runner network connects Emberhook to the Threadspire Archive and the Gate, so closures and rescues can update quickly.

Equipment and Supply

Eurven’s Forge and adjacent stalls handle most armor and weapon needs. The standard kit pairs chitin plates with steel reinforcement. Hooks, lines, oil flasks, pitons, and lamp kits are bundled for fast issue. The Hookline Gantry moves raw plates to where they are cut for size ranges common to the crews. The system reduces wait time between contract and departure.

Beast pens hold armored haulers bred for low-light work. Feed and harness checks are routine. Handlers coordinate with crew leaders to match loads to animals. When a route closes, animals rotate to maintenance duties rather than sit idle. The Varlas Breeder’s Archive advises on traits and medications when needed.

Safety and Rescue

The Dregvault contains live threats for study and containment. Its warded halls reduce uncontrolled release into the district. Cudgel mages, Ashcoat engineers, and Barley breeders rotate the duty, which spreads risk and keeps standards consistent. Rescue teams drill for breaches and collapses. They stage pry bars, stretchers, and spare lamp kits at marked points. Delays between alarm and movement are kept short by design.

The Threadspire Archive’s Loom is the main early-warning system. When threads slacken, cartographers flag a collapse and send runners to close nearby postings. When new paths pull tight, wayfinders verify in person before the district reopens the route. This process prevents avoidable losses and keeps the work predictable in an unpredictable environment.

Culture and Conduct

The Hilt values clear speech, reliable work, and respect for posted rules. Crews that break closures or tamper with signs are blocked from new postings until they submit to review. At Emberhook Hall, delvers touch the hooks and read the Names. This act is not about honor. It is about a shared record that keeps people alert to risk. The Burrowlight Hearth offers quiet support after hard returns. Many crews require at least one night’s rest there between major runs.

Food vendors cluster near the ramps but keep flames and fumes away from lifts and rope stores. Noise is common but controlled. Fights are rare, and The Cudgel ends them quickly when they happen. There are no parades. There are no guild shows. The Hilt focuses on readiness and recovery.

Relations with Other Districts

The Hilt draws labor, meat, and salvage from the Barrows, where many retired delvers and processing crews live. The flow goes both ways: the Hilt’s work creates jobs in the Barrows for butchery, repair, and low-cost supplies. The Spindle sells specialty goods and apothecary stock to Hilt crews, but pricing and time pressure keep most daily needs inside the Hilt itself. The Sprigs send coin and demand product when rare parts return; otherwise, the Hilt and Sprigs have minimal contact.

Leadership and Order

Captain Orin Vellak commands the Hilt and leads The Cudgel’s outward work. He is respected for clear decisions and for how he weighs risk against need. His control of the Wall of Names is accepted by all major guilds. This central authority reduces disputes about blame after losses and keeps standards consistent across crews.

Cudgel squads patrol the ramps, postings, and pens. They maintain crowd flow at the Gate, enforce closures from Loom alerts, and coordinate with Ashcoats during equipment failures. Routine checks prevent lamp mishaps, rope rot, and fuel spills. When a collapse occurs, rescue teams move first from Emberhook and the Gate, then call for support from the Barrows if needed.

Delving

A standard delve cycle follows five steps: contract, briefing, outfitting, movement, and report.

1. Contract. Crew selects a posting and logs names and expected return time at Emberhook Hall.

2. Briefing. Lead meets a cartographer to review current Loom changes.

3. Outfitting. Gear and plates are fitted or repaired at Eurven’s Forge and the Gantry.

4. Movement. Crew passes the Gate if route begins outside; otherwise uses internal ramps.

5. Report. Upon return, lead files route notes; the Loom team updates threads; injuries go to the Hearth.

If a specimen is captured, it goes to the Dregvault. If a breeding question rises, Varlas staff advise before release or cull. When high-value parts arrive, Promissory clerks coordinate secure transfer to authorized buyers or guild stores.

Risks and Controls

Main risks include collapse, swarm, lamp failure, and line break. The Loom reduces collapse exposure. Gantry design reduces ground choke points and falling loads. Forge inspections reduce armor faults. The Dregvault reduces district exposure to live threats. The Cudgel enforces closures when metrics show stacked risk. This approach has lowered deaths on routine contracts and concentrated losses in exceptional events.