The Soul of a Day (Vol. II - The Stone and the Storm)

This is the story of the souls who live in the heart of the mountain and in the heart of the storm. This is the truth of those who have chosen a life of honor and those who have had all honor stripped away.

Life in Khazad-Mor (The Iron Dominion)

Daily Routine: A dwarf's day is measured by the ringing of hammers and the roar of the forges. Life is centered around work, which is seen as a sacred duty to repay the "Great Debt" to the mountain. Whether mining for ore, forging a blade, or carving runes, every dwarf contributes. The day ends not in solitude, but in the great, echoing halls of their clan, sharing a meal, drinking Stone-Stout, and telling the epic, boastful stories of their ancestors.
Food & Drink: Dwarven food is hearty, savory, and built to sustain hard labor. They feast on roasted giant cave-lizards, thick stews made from phosphorescent mushrooms, and hard, flavorful cheeses. Their most prized beverage is "Stone-Stout," a dark, potent mushroom beer that is aged for decades in stone casks, so strong it would kill a lesser man.
Social Customs (Graphic/Vulgar Detail):
- Family & Clan: The clan is the center of a dwarf's universe. Loyalty to one's family is absolute. Disgracing one's clan is a fate worse than death. A dwarven feud is a terrible, bloody thing, often ending in a formal, honor-bound duel to the death in a sealed chamber, far from the eyes of the elders.
- Craftsmanship: A dwarf's identity is their craft. The most sacred rite of passage is the "Rite of Forging," where a young dwarf presents their first masterwork to the clan elders. To be a master smith is to be a king.
- Death: A funeral is a solemn and respectful affair. The deceased is interred in a stone tomb deep within the mountain, and their greatest creation—be it an axe, a shield, or a gem—is laid to rest with them, a testament to a life of worthy work.

Life in the Free Cities (Hollowgate & Port Despair)

Daily Routine:
- In Hollowgate, life is a constant, dizzying hustle. The city never sleeps. A merchant's day is a blur of haggling, deal-making, and watching your back. A mercenary's day is spent in taverns like The Broken Pact, waiting for a contract that won't get them killed. A commoner's life is a struggle against the verticality of the city, hauling goods up and down the treacherous bridges and stairs. The fighting pits are the city's great theater, where a nobody can become a legend like Valeria Gorgon in a single, bloody afternoon.
- In Port Despair, life is a knife fight for survival. There is no routine, only the tide. When the pirate ships of the Kraken's Maw come in, the city explodes into a frenzy of trade, booze, and violence. When they're gone, a tense, hungry quiet settles over the grimy streets. A person's day is a simple calculation: how to get enough Shards for a meal and a bed without getting your throat slit.
Food & Drink: In Hollowgate, you can find anything, from exotic elven wine to hearty dwarven stew, if you have the coin. In Port Despair, the food is as desperate as the people: greasy, fried sea-monsters of questionable origin, hard biscuits that can break a tooth, and a cheap, brutally strong grog known as "Gloomshine" that is rumored to be brewed with a drop of the sea's own corrosive mist.
Social Customs (Sexual/Graphic Detail):
- The Law: In Hollowgate, the only law is the contract. A man's word is nothing; a signed piece of paper is everything. In Port Despair, the only law is the whim of Syndicate King Krexus.
- Pleasure: Both cities are hubs for the Fleshcrafters' Guild, but their nature is different. In Hollowgate, the Crimson Lanterns are more "respectable," businesses where a contract is signed for a night's pleasure. In Port Despair, the trade is raw and brutal. Sex is a commodity sold on the street corners, in the back rooms of taverns, and on the decks of the pirate ships themselves, often ending in a brutal beating or a sale to the Guild's press-gangs.
- Death: In Hollowgate, a murder is a business expense. In Port Despair, a body floating in the harbor is just part of the morning tide.