dnd-setting-TheNewWorld/Locations/Gnomish Holdings/Breech.txt

1. Overview
--------

	Built into a large crater in the side of one of the Eastern 
Mountains. The crater is the bowl of an ancient dormant volcano,
which the Gnomes use as an infinite source of Geothermal power, and
as a natural heating source. They also use it as a resource, 
occasionally tapping into a magma flow for this reason or the other.
The Engineer's Guild is tasked with the sometimes interesting task
of ensuring that the volcano stays dormant - and that if it doesn't,
then that the city has no less than one week's advance notice to 
evacuate or help out.

2. People
------

	The population of Breech is, for the most part - quite obviously - 
Gnomes. Every Gnome here, with few exceptions, is part of one of the
ruling Clans that founded the city 75 years ago. Many gnomes that live
here are old enough to remember escaping from the Alliance; 30% of any
gnomes encountered will be more than 300 years old, and will remember
escape from the Alliance. 15% will have been of adult age at the time,
and will remember actively fighting the alliance during their escape.
(Most of these people are currently working for the Gnomish Military,
but a few are in the Engineer's Guild or the Arcanists Guild). For this
reason the people of Breech take the idea of "Country", "People", etc, 
far more seriously than the human kingdom to the west. Most of the gnomes 
in the city view humans as (for the most part) well intentioned, but 
having excessively short life and memory spans, often leading them to make 
horrible choices - possibly even repeating the past. Gnomes will generally
hold their tongues around humans, however, preferring to simply ignore them 
and hope that they go away (and "don't touch anything").
	The few humans who have taken up residence in Breech are generally 
either political refugees from the Western Kingdom, farmers who were driven 
out of their holdings in the Free Frontier by advancing Alliance armies, or 
intelligent humans coming to study with the various guilds in Breech. Few 
humano-centric adventuring guilds exist here, and human thieves are generally 
viewed as "western barbarians" by the more sophisticated Gnomish thieves in 
Breech. Still, humans are welcome; gnomes aren't as aloof as the elves. Most 
humans coming here have brains, as there isn't much use for brawn here. So 
humans coming into breech will have little trouble.
	Elves coming into Breech are viewed with some amount of suspicion. The 
Gnomes have never agreed with the elitist view that the Elves take of 
themselves, or the elitism related to their elven arcane arts. The few elves 
in Breech are generally members of the Arcanist Guild, and are serving at 
the Academy of the Arcane Arts. Elves, however, generally don't stay long in 
Breech; it's simply not their kind of place.
	Breech has a strict ban on any residence by any monstrous humanoids; 
this includes Goblins, Kobolds, Orcs and Half Orcs. While the gnomish clan 
leaders despise the elitist attitudes of the Elves, they also distrust the 
collectivist immigration policy of the Western Kingdom, where anybody who 
"accepts the Lord" can immigrate from the frontier. If a monstrous humanoid 
approaches a Gnomish Holding Border outpost, as long as he's peaceful, 
there'll be no trouble; but he'll certainly be turned away, with instructions 
to head south, and look for the nearest church, at which he may seek some sort
of western kingdom citizenship. If he is hostile, monstrous humanoids in and 
around breech are dealt with decisively. "We were enslaved for millennia; we 
won't have it any more. And if that means I have to blow your brains, out, 
well..."
	While certainly not common, Dwarves do live in Breech. The activities and 
technology of the gnomes are of great interest to the dwarves of Stonehold, 
and unbeknownst to those not reading over my shoulder, there are tunnels 
connecting the two cities. The tunnels have existed as long as Stonehold, 
and are old Underdark passageways. Dwarves patrol them along with Gnomish 
Recon agents, and Dwarves will often settle in Breech as a result. Many of 
the dwarves in Breech are representatives of Stonehold, or prominent Dwarvish 
merchants purchasing materials and technology from the Gnomes. (It is also 
not uncommon - again, unbeknownst to those not reading over my shoulder - 
for gnomes to settle in Stonehold, under a strict gag order about that fact.)
	For the most part, the people of Breech are, by and large, quite happy 
and peaceful. But as with any gathering of peoples, there are bad elements, 
criminal elements. Those residents of Breech fill the ranks on both sides, 
as well as those caught in the middle.	But all said and done, the people 
of Breech are far more united and peaceful than those of the rest of the 
Western Kingdom (except for the elves, who nobody knows what the *!@#& 
they're doing).

3. Notable Persons
------------------

4. Notable Locations
--------------------

	4.1 [Gnomish] Academy of the Arcane Arts [at Breech]
	----------------------------------------------------

		A great octagonal tower complex rising out of the center of
	Breech, soaring to a height of almost 900 feet at its apex. The 
	single publically advertised and attendable arcane school in the 
	entirety of the Western Kingdoms (if the elves have such 
	academies, they - in their elitism - are not advertising).
	It is also the headquarters of the Arcanist's Guild, and the 
	school is currently ran by the heads of that Guild.

		4.1.1 Admission
		---------------

			Admission is allowed twice per year, during the 
		Spring and Fall equinoxes. The admission is done by test; 
		specifically, anyone with an intelligence of less than 12 
		is denied entry, period. They will be tested out on a 
		standardized test. After that, candidates are put through a 
		battery of physical tests to 	see if their bodies will 
		endure the rigors and dangers of magical training; the 
		specifics of this test are up to the DM, but they
		generally follow the same pattern - subjecting the 
		candidate to severe elemental stresses, endurance tests, 
		etc. (Nobody can complete a 24 hour chant if they can't 
		stand on watch for 8 hours and function normally the next 
		day.) After that, they are subjected to a series of mental 
		tests; a series of illusions and terrors meant to test 
		their resolve. Any failed test will instantly disqualify a 
		candidate, and not even the hand of an Arcanist Senior 
		member can save his candidacy. Once the candidate has 
		passed entry exams, they are allowed entry into the 
		academy. Academy students, for their first four years, are 
		required to live on the Academy grounds with their 
		Arcanist mentor. They are nearly severed from contact with 
		the outside world, steeped in study and practice, 
		meditation and reflection. If they successfuly maintain 
		their studies for the first four years, then they will have 
		attained 1st level magic user, and will have placed 3d3 1st 
		level spells into their spellbook. After the four years 
		have passed, they are allowed	limited contact with the 
		outside world, but still must live on-site with their 
		Arcanist mentor. In another 8 years, they will achieve 2nd 
		level of mastery, and may begin going on expeditions with 
		their Arcanist mentor or other Arcanists.	Once they have 
		achieved their 3rd level of mastery, they are free - if 
		they wish - to acquire their own quarters and move out of 
		their Mentor's quarters. They will, however, maintain
		the same mentor, regardless of their location. At the 3rd 
		level, the student will be assigned a student of their own 
		to mentor -	whether they still live with their mentor or 
		not (naturally, the student's mentor at this time will 
		either inform his student that he needs to get his own 
		quarters, or the mentor will leave on field studies).
			Admission to the academy and continued study there is
		dependent upon a fee paid yearly, adjusted for the level of
		study of the student. The fee is equal to 25 sp to the Nth 
		power, per year, where N is the level of mastery that the 
		student is studying. So, for 1st level, the fee is 62 gp;
		but 4th level will cost 39,062 gp. That fee is *per year*.
		Further, the student must maintain an active membership in 
		the Arcanist's Guild, which carries its own costs on top of 
		that.	If the student is unable to pay the fees, then the 
		student may	request that their mentor - or another Guild 
		member - sponsor 	them. When this happens, the sponsor will 
		agree to take on the student's debt, in exchange for the 
		services of the student, and forfeiture of any pay for said 
		services, outside of that to satisfy basic needs, until 
		such debt is repaid. If the student cannot attain 
		sponsorship from any of his peers or guild members, he may 
		make an appeal to the school board, consisting of the 8 
		school heads; if they agree with his hardship, they can 
		form an agreement similar to that formed between mentor and 
		student - but with the school as the benefactor. The 
		various banks in Breech also offer loan programs for the 
		students of the Academy, but given the nature of a bank-
		being more interested in finance than the furtherance of 
		the science -the student's Mentor must submit the 
		application to the school council, and it must be approved 
		by the council, and the student's mentor, rather than the 
		student itself. The bank's terms are often even worse than 
		those of a mentor or the school, making this option the 
		least interesting of all.

		4.1.2 Levels and Advancement		
		----------------------------

			If a student relies only on book study, then it will 
		take 4 years (per level) to attain first level, 8 for 2nd, 
		16 for 3rd, 32 for 4th, 64 for 5th, 128 for 6th, 256 for 
		7th, 512 for 8th, and 1024 for 9th. So, to attain the 9th 
		level of mastery through nothing but book study, the 
		student would have to study for 4 + 8 + 16 + 32 + 64 + 128 
		+ 256 + 512 + 1024 = 2048 YEARS. This means that nobody 
		will ever attain the true understanding of magic necessary 
		to use 9th level spells just from books and study at the 
		Academy. Generally, once someone reaches the 4th level of 
		mastery, if they aren't going on expeditions already, they 
		will. The question of "how much XP is a year at the academy 
		worth?" will often come up. Specifically, here is the 
		chart:

		Level of 		Years		XP Per Year   Magic-User
		Mastery Sought	To Mastery	of Study	    Level
		----------------------------------------------------------
		1st				4			625					2
		2nd				8			937					4
		3rd				16			1875				6
		4th				32			1562				8
		5th				64			2500				10
		6th				128			6835				13
		7th				256			4394				16
		8th				512			1464				18
		9th				1024		732					20

			For every year spent at the academy, in pursuance
		of a given level of mastery, the student will be taught
		- in theory and practice - a number of spells of a given
		level which they can scribe into their spellbook, as shown 
		in the table below:
						Spells Per Year
		Level of			   By Level
		Mastery	1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9
		---------------------------------------------
		1		5   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -
		2		1   3   -   -   -   -   -   -   -
		3		-   1   1.5 -   -   -   -   -   -
		4		-   -   -   .75 -   -   -   -   -
		5		-   -   -   -   .33 -   -   -   -
		6		-   -   -   -   -   .20 -   -   -
		7		-   -   -   -   -   -   .05 -   -
		8		-   -   -   -   -   -   -   .03 -
		9		-   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   .01

			Fractional spells per year represent that
		it will take more than one year to learn a given spell of
		that school just by book learning; for example, when 
		pursuing the 5th level of mastery, each spell takes
		(1/.33 = 3.3r) 3 years to master. At the 9th level
		of mastery, it takes 100 years to master the magical
		energies required to cast the Wish spell, for example.
		This is another reason why most people disembark for
		field studies once they reach the 3rd level of mastery,
		because they can acquire spells far more quickly.
		HOWEVER, note that in order to gain the spells for a given
		year of study, the student must be present *for the entire
		year of study*. So the student does not get automatic 
		spells from the academy while out on field studies.


	4.2 Breech Master Pentagonal Library
	------------------------------------

		The single most complete library in the Kingdom. Gnomes
	are known for their love of writing down whatever comes to mind,
	and the Breech Master Pentagonal Library is the single largest
	showcase of that. The library is built - if viewed from above -
	to resemble a sort of pentagram, with five "spokes" coming out
	from a central "hub". Each of the spokes houses a wing, which
	will cover a specific topic (or group of related topics). The
	wings are (at current - they may be rearranged, but have not
	been yet):

		North Wing: Agricultural and Economic texts
		East Wing: Engineering, General Mathematics
		Southeast Wing: Arcana, Arcane Mathematics
		Southwest Wing: History and Public Records
		West Wing: Fiction, Art, etc

		Any texts which do not fall under those topics can be
	found in the central "hub" of the library. The building itself
	is a full 9 stories tall, standing almost 100 feet. Gnomish 
	elevators and simple staircases allow for travel between floors.
	Most of the books can not be checked out due to their rare
	nature, but there are few restrictions on what can be viewed and 
	copied.

	4.3 Council Home
	----------------

		The Council Home is the location of the Gnomish Clan 
	Council, and is where they hold court. The Gnomish Clan Council
	holds court once per month, lasting 14 days, with each session
	per day lasting 9 hours (sometimes more if circumstances permit).
	The council then takes two weeks off to "be amongst the people,
	and understand their affairs far better than we possibly could,
	cloistered in the lavishly decorated comfort of the Council 
	Home." (It is, in fact, a requirement that the Gnomish Clan 
	Council members - each one the head of a prominent Gnomish Clan -
	hold some sort of employment outside of their council duties.)
		The building is made of white marble, and is in the 
	Athenian style - an open building surrounded by columns,
	onto which the original Clan Law, to include the Knight's Old 
	Code handed down by the Council of Nine, is magically carved so 
	that it may never be eroded and forgotten. At night it glows
	with a faint white light, and those who cannot see need but
	touch one of the pillars, and they will hear the law spoken
	in their mind. Law and lawlessness are central issues to the
	Gnomish people, as they believe that only by strict adherence to 
	the law - with the occasional slip by a well meaning engineer's 
	device - can the society remain free of corruption and tyrrany.
	The Council Home is carved with various Gnomish art and sayings,
	but the most prominent is carved above the main entrance. With
	a sword and a scales flanking the phrase, carved in the stone
	(again magically to prevent erosion), it says:

				"AS ABOVE - SO BELOW"

		... A reference to how the law must apply equally to
	all people in Breech, whether they are a Clan leader or a 
	beggar in the street. Walking through the main doors
	of the Council Home, you are instantly placed in the
	Auditorium. Stairs lead down into an open pit in the floor,
	built as an Amphiteatre, where speakers present their cases
	to the court. The Council sits behind the amphitheater floor,
	in a semi-closed box, facing the pit and the rest of the
	seats on the other side.
		The people of Breech, by and large, detest the idea of
	secrets - secret societies, secret meetings, secret 
	organizations. For that reason, all meetings of the Council
	are held open to the scrutiny of the public eye and the Breech
	press. In fact, one of the reasons why the clan leaders 
	declared their independence from the Braddock line 75 years ago
	was the increasing talk of secret meetings and societies in the 
	ranks. 

	4.4 Advanced Agricultural Growth Advancement Domes
	--------------------------------------------------

		In the AAGDA (pronounced simply "Ag-da" by those who 
	speak of them frequently), the Agriculturalist's Guild 
	attempts to develop methods by which:
		- crops that grow well only in the foothills may
			be made to grow in the mountains for additional 
			security of the crops
		- any crop can be made to grow faster, and produce
			more yield per square acre of planting
		The domes stretch over an area of about 20 acres at
	current, with 10 separate aquaducts feeding only this site.
	At any given time there will be from 10 to 100 different 
	experiments taking place here, with an unknown probability of
	success. Most players won't go here often.

	4.5 Breech Aquifer and Aquaducts
	--------------------------------

		The Breech Aquifer itself is located deep under the 
	mountain, above Breech proper, somewhere beneath the peak
	of the mountain. The various stations that make up the
	Gnomish Aquafier System are lined up and down the side of 
	the mountain, sometimes above, and sometimes below, Breech
	proper - sometimes even outside of the walls.

		4.5.1 Boiling Station
		---------------------

			Water collects here from the aquifer, and is brought
		to a boil by a combination of copper heating elements and
		magical heating effects. The Boiling Station is large 
		enough to hold approximately 5,000 gallons of water, 
		and will not release to the pumping station unless the
		water has reached boiling temperatures. This is both a 
		general sanitation concern, as well as a security concern-
		Slaadi hate hot water, and they're renown for their love of 
		underground, cool fresh waters, like the Aquifer below 
		breech. The Gnomish Defense Force and Engineer's Guild 
		would rather not deal with the consequences if a Slaad
		somehow found its way out into the Aquaduct.
			Grills above the boiling station open into a network
		of massive iron pipes, which open out into natural steam
		vents from the underground volcanic flows. While the 
		steam pipes are theoretically large enough for a full sized
		Orc - or even a Troll - to fit inside of and infiltrate
		the Boiling Station, the intense heat of the Boiling 
		Station's own steam, combined with the constant - and
		occasionally violent - steam release of the underground
		magma flows, it is doubtful that any creature would be
		able to survive the trip.

		4.5.2 Pumping Station
		---------------------

			Water is pumped here from the boiling station, into 
		the aquaducts, out into the city and out to the outlying
		foothills. It consists of no less than ten (and they are
		often constructing more) huge pumps the size of the average
		human house (each pump is approximately 60,000 cubic feet
		in size, or about 100 x 50 x 10 feet tall). The pumps
		are capable of moving up to 10,000 gallons of water
		per hour, though they are hardly ever used to capacity.
		The extra capacity was built into the pumps so that,
		if Breech ever experienced flooding, the polarity on the
		pumps could be reversed, and the city's excess water level
		emptied out into surrounding ravines. Here, much like the
		Boiling Station, there are massive iron pipes leading out
		to the city and the aquaducts. It is an extremely dangerous
		place, access is highly restricted, even amongst the 
		Engineer's Guild members who operate the location. (For
		example, just because you work for the Engineer's Guild
		at the Aquifer, if you work at the Boiling Station, 
		or the Recovery Station, you won't be granted access to
		the Pumping Station).

		4.5.3 Recovery Station
		----------------------

			Water is collected here from both rainwater sources,
		street runoff, sewer return, and aquaduct return flows. The
		recovery station measures the volume of water coming in -
		of each variety - and ensures that contaminated ground
		water (e.g. street run off and sewage) do not mix with
		fresh rain water and aquaduct return flows. Contaminated
		water is sent out to the Sewage Treatment Station,
		and the fresh (or mostly fresh) water is sent to the
		Boiling Station. The Recovery Station is also a magical
		detection point; water is taken in from the various sources
		and held for five minutes in large 500 gallon storage 
		tanks, where Detect Magic spells are cast upon it. Any
		water showing traces of magical tampering is sent to the
		Sewage Treatment Station instead of the Boiling Station,
		regardless of its type.

		4.5.4 Sewage Treatment Station
		------------------------------

			Contaminated water is sent here after being separated
		out from fresh water at the Recovery Station. Here it goes
		through a number of cleansing and preparation steps, to 
		include mechanical separation of waste matter, sediment
		removal, chemical antibacterial and antiviral treatments,
		etc. The final step of the sewage treatment station is to
		undergo a final separation; non-magical water elements get
		delivered directly back into the boiling station, but 
		any water showing magical enchantments is separated off
		into a separate holding tank where the nature of the 
		dweomer is determined, and Dispel Magic spells used upon it 
		if necessary. Any water showing magical enchantments that 
		cannot be dispelled, is immediately dumped into one of the
		various underground magma flows under the treatment 
		station, thus ending any threat it may pose. 

		4.5.5 Secondary Pumping Station
		-------------------------------

			Located in the foothills at the base of the mountain,
		it is the job of the Secondary Pumping Station to ensure 
		that any and all water coming in from the aquaducts in the
		foothills, and any captured mountain rainwater, is pumped
		positively back up the mountain, back to the Recovery 
		Station. This station is almost identical to the 
		Pumping Station, except that its pumps are smaller and it 
		has less of them. Each pump here is capable of moving only
		about 2,000 gallons per hour, but with more force, to
		propel the water back up the mountain. There are currently
		five pumps at the facility, each measuring about 30x30x10
		feet.

	4.6 Gnomish Military Headquarters and Command Center
	----------------------------------------------------

		Built in the same area of the city as the Academy of the
	Arcane Arts, the compound is walled and rises approximately 120
	feet above the streets (the single tallest structure in the city
	next to the Academy itself). It consists of two main structures,
	one for the Headquarters and another for the Command Center.
	Headquarters houses the administrative and financial branches of
	the Gnomish Military and Gnomish Defense Force. Its 10 story
	building is full, for the most part, of offices, and the type of
	people who spend their day in an office.
		The second building in the pair is the Command Center,
	which also houses the Gnomish Defense Force Command Center. Few
	know what goes on in this 12 story building - or in its 5 level
	basement.

		4.6.1 Jail
		----------

			Also on this site is the Gnomish Clan Holdings Center 
		for Administrative and Military Judicial Punishment and 
		Executions, or "the jail" for short. The jail here is more 
		technological, and much more comfortable, than the one in 
		Throne, which is the only known jail to which it may be 
		readily compared. The building itself is a 4 story
		building with concertina wire surrounding it,
		in addition to the stone wall already surrounding the HQ/
		Command Center site. Guards patrol the wire, and are 
		stationed on the roof, all equipped with Gnomish Light 
		Rifles and short swords. Escape is difficult if not 
		impossible. The entire 	site is built on top of the 
		mountain's own stone floor, making tunneling - again - 
		difficult if not impossible.
			The cells are generally 10x10, have a
		commode which may be flushed (rather than the simple
		watered channel the ones in Throne are equipped with),
		a mattress on a stone slab, a foot locker for the 
		holding of personal effects, a writing desk - "so that
		one might study and better one's self whilst in prison,
		to be a useful member of society upon one's release,
		rather than yet another criminal awaiting re-entry into
		a criminal world" - and, in the cases where the prisoner
		is lucky enough, a reinforced glass window looking out
		over various portions of the prison/city (which may or may 
		not be green). The rooms are also equipped with "less-than-
		lethal prisoner compliance systems", which amount to a hole
		in the wall through which water can be blasted at high
		pressure, targeted at a troublesome prisoner, "inducing
		compliance rapidly".
			Those criminals unlucky enough to be assigned to a
		"high risk" cell will find their stay far less enjoyable.
		These prisoners are generally kept under chemical sedation
		while in prison, inside their 8x8 cells with simple
		stone beds - to which they may be electronically shackled.
		The flushing commode has been replaced in these cells
		by the simpler watered channel, "to reduce the amount of
		frangible material available to a prisoner, which may be
		reduced to weapon-like shards to be used against
		themselves, other prisoners, or their guards". Closed-
		circuit electronic/magical hybrid cameras monitor the 
		cells 24/7, giving the prisoners not one minute of privacy.
		And if that wasn't enough, the room is equipped with not
		one, but two, means of automatically doing away with a 
		troublesome prisoner. Inside of an armored hemisphere in
		one corner of the roof rests a gnomish machine pistol on
		an automated turret with a 1,000 round magical magazine
		which may be controlled from the same room as the
		cameras. This should be scary enough. The rooms also
		have the same "less-than-lethel prisoner compliance 
		systems" of the simpler cells, with a rather nasty twist; 
		not only can they direct water into the room, but they can 
		also fill the room with knockout or poison gas.
			Gnomish prison is not a place that anyone wants
		to find themselves. The only thing that is worse than
		being in a Gnomish jail, is being in Throne, with the
		Church being out for your blood.

	4.7 Power Generating and Recyling Station
	-----------------------------------------

		The PGRS is the station at which all the electrical 
	power is generated in Breech. The power is generated through 
	a collection of geothermal and biological generation methods,
	to include the standard geothermal generation from magma flows,
	to the production of electricity using Methane gas from 
	decomposing garbage as it sits in the Recycling Station,
	awaiting incineration. (Sitting atop a dormant volcano, with
	access to its magma flows, Breech has no problem disposing of
	its garbage.) The site is a sprawling location, covering almost
	150 acres of property, much of which is bare for the purpose of
	separating the station from the rest of the city in case of
	some sort of disaster. The power generation site is located
	on the southern edge of the city just behind the walls (in case
	a disaster does ever happen and a magma flow erupts from the
	site, it will flow down the mountain, and not out into the
	rest of the city). The plant is currently operating near
	capacity, and plans are being made to expand it further, outside
	the city walls, with a second site closer down towards the 
	foothills. The plant provides power to the entire city,
	as well as the pumping station down in the foothills, and
	select outposts along the mountains. Much expense is spent
	policing the miles of electrical power lines stretching out into
	the mountains and the foothills, against monstrous interference.
		As for the location itself, it is, as has been said, ~150 
	acres square. The entire site is fenced off with a stone wall
	and concertina wire, much as the Jail. Entry is allowed through 
	only one narrow gate on the eastern edge of the facility, which
	is under armed guard at all times. (Guards generally carry
	Short Swords and Gnomish Light Rifles with 20 rounds of 
	ammunition).

		4.7.1 Power Generating Station
		------------------------------
			 The facility itself is located in the center of the 
		150 acres, with the ground level building being only a few
		thousand square feet, consisting mainly of administrative 
		offices. All engineering levels are below ground, closer to 
		the magma. The facility holds 20 geothermal power 
		generators,	each capable of generating 120,000 killowatts 
		of electricity continuously. Each generator sits directly 
		atop a shaft that goes between 200 and 500 feet straight 
		down into a magma flow.	There is one generator per level, 
		given their massive size (each generator shaft is 
		approximately 40 feet wide, and the generators themselves 
		are about 200x200x30 feet, *massive* machines).	The area 
		around the generators is excessively hot, and excessively 
		tangled with a maze and mess of thick electrical wires, 
		carrying current out to distribution sites across the 
		mountains, and ultimately into gnomish holding buildings.
			The entire area is plastered, quite obviously, with
		signs simply illustrated. The illustration is generally of
		a stick figure touching something, and exploding, or 
		vaporizing, or melting, or having some other similar 
		horrific fate visited upon them. Warnings in common, 
		gnomish, elven, and even in Goblin and Orcish, read:

		"DANGER! EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS! INSTANT DEATH GUARANTEED!
				(or your money back)"

			The only other location of note on the surface here
		is the Recycling Station and the Methane Power Generation 
		Station, located adjacent to it.

		4.7.1 Recycling Station
		-----------------------

			A smaller facility added on to the side of the
		generating facility at a later date, this facility is
		located just by the gate on the inside of the walls.
		It houses various holding tanks/rooms for garbage and
		various substances. Once the room or tank is filled,
		it is sealed, and a large rubber tube - measuring about
		3 feet in diameter - is attached to the room, and to
		an outlet in the wall next to it. The tube leads to
		a great iron pipe that leads back to the Methane 
		power generation site. 
			The garbage substances are allowed to generate
		the gas for some time before being released to the 
		recycling center proper. Some materials are reclaimed
		and used again; such as precious metals (copper, aluminum, 
		etc). Some are milled up and used to produce other 	
		materials (such as paper). Some are unusable and,
		once they stop generating methane, are taken to 
		the "Dump Chute" - a 100 foot wide chute, leading straight
		down into a series of magma flows.

		4.7.2 Methane Power Generation Station
		--------------------------------------

			This is where the methane gas produced by 
		trash waiting recycling in the Recycling Station is
		pumped to generate additional electricity. The
		Methane Power Generation Station is responsible for
		only about 8% of the power generated and used in the 
		kingdom, but it is an essential part of the equation
		nonetheless. It consists of 2 large generators that
		burn the gas to spin large motors which generate
		electricity, which is fed back into the master
		grid at the Power Generating Station (proper), to which
		the MPGS is adjacently located.

5. Government and Politics
-----------------------

	5.1 Ruling Body - Gnomish Clan Council
	--------------------------------------

		The Gnomish Clan Council consists of the family head of 
	each large gnomish clan. The "large" gnomish clans are the ones 
	that :
		- Originally escaped Alliance enslavement
		- Have ammassed considerable wealth, and therefore are
			in a position to help (or hurt) the gnomish
			holdings with their actions
		- Have ammassed a large extended family size (500+) but
			are not extremely wealthy

		In this way, almost every segment of the population of
	Breech is represented - with the notable exception of those
	*who are not gnomish*. Non-gnomes can *not* sit on the
	council, by its very design. This issue has only been briefly
	discussed by councilmen, outside the Council Home, before.
	It cannot currently be concieved why a non-gnome would want
	to sit on the council; outside of influence from the Western
	Kingdom's Royal Trading Company, that is. And the fairly simple
	tactic of refusing non-gnomes on the council makes that easy (as
	the Royal Trading Company's distrust of gnomes is well known).
		Currently, there are 7 clan leaders sitting on the 
	Council. Presence on the Council is not voluntary; if a clan
	falls within the designations above, their leaders are required
	by law to be present at all council hearings to speak for their
	people. It is also Gnomish law that presence on the council will
	provide the person with no special powers or priveleges beyond
	their normal status as clan leaders; by law, no single member of
	the council has legal power. Rather, the council - acting in
	majority - have the power to create, repeal, modify laws, and 
	manage the finances of the Gnomish Holdings at large. This policy 
	was created to help curb additional abuses of power seen in the
	Western Kingdom at the time of the Clan Leaders' separation.

	5.2 Police and Military
	-----------------------

		The Gnomish Military is designed around the essential 
	feudal system with some differences. Each Clan maintains its
	own fighting force, much the way British lords did in the 
	olden days. Each clan is required to outfit its army on its
	own, but they can petition the Council for additional funding 
	from the nation's coffers if necessary. When operating,
	each clan's unit is under the specific command of that clan.
	Therefore, unity of purpose in the Gnomish Holdings is of 
	ultimate importance; if they saw fit, a clan could take its army 
	and go home, since they do not take orders from some detached 
	government entity, but rather from senior clan members to whom
	they are directly related.

		5.2.1 Gnomish Defense Force
		---------------------------

			The Gnomish Defense Force is the domestic branch of 
		the Gnomish Military, tasked with defending Breech and the
		outlying foothills. The GDF does not - in general - have
		the advanced weaponry, training, and support networks that
		the Gnomish Military proper does. The GDF generally
		operates in pairs of 2, patrolling the streets. GDF agents
		are, in general, armed with short sword and billy club, 
		short spear and billy club, or light crossbow and billy 
		club. It is not common to see GDF members operating in 
		teams of more than 4, and that is only in high crime 
		areas. The GDF does, however, have a few big guns - 
		specifically, they have the Machiners. (See new monster,
		"The Machiner".) The GDF has a force of 10 Machiners
		in reserve. They rarely operate at all, and when they
		do, it's generally a terrifying thing to watch.
			The Gnomihs Defense Force is the only branch of the
		Gnomish Military that breaks free from the clan system;
		the Council agreed early on that, in order to provide for
		efficient security at home, the safety of the city at large
		must take precedence over individual clan interests. 
		Therefore, a separate command was created - the GDF - and
		troops are donated to the GDF in equal number by all clans 
		(to prevent one clan having an excess of troops in the GDF,
		and attempting to stage a coup). The troops in the GDF
		are commanded by GDF leaders, and from the council - in 
		majority - above them. 

		5.2.2 Gnomish Military Proper
		-----------------------------

			Generally speaking, the gnomish military is too busy 
		on the frontier - and other places - to be bothered with 
		policing Breech itself, and prefer to leave that to the 
		Gnomish Defense Force. That, however, shouldn't be taken to 
		believe that the gnomish military never operates 
		domestically - just that it's extremely rare.
			The Gnomish Military headquarters, however, is here
		in Breech, as well as the Gnomish Command Center. (Head-
		quarters is the administrative branch of command, while the
		GCC is the active branch that actually controls troops in
		the field). For this reason, there is - in reserve and 
		on standby - one company of Gnomish Reconnaisance 
		operatives in Breech (about 200 men), under the direct 		
		command of the GCC. They are only given out to the GDF in 
		*extremely* dire circumstances; they generally are kept to 
		protect the Military HQ and the GCC itself in case of 
		attack. The only activity that the gnomish recon here
		in Breech actively engage in on a routine basis is the
		patrol and policing of the magma flows (yes, magma flows)
		beneath the city to ensure that they are not somehow
		being magically penetrated by denizens of the underdark.
		The same applies to the various caverns underneath
		and around Breech. Naturally, "GCC Duty" for gnomish
		recon is not sneezed at - not just anybody has the big
		iron balls to go patrolling a magma flow.

6. Economy
----------

	Breech has an economy that could be labeled as "sufficient". 
There are a few wealthy people in Breech, but for the most part, 
everyone is "comfortable". There are various programs ran by the Clan 
Council to provide low cost health care, copyright and trademark 
protection of valuable assets and products, and all the economic 
trappings expected of a high technology / high magic society; yes, 
including crooked banks.

	6.1 Agriculture in Breech
	-------------------------

		Little Agricultural activities are performed in Breech 
	proper outside of the Domes. The city has no soil to speak of,
	making agriculture mostly impossible. What little agriculture is
	done in breech revolves around research and the herding of 
	mountain goats/sheep for food stuffs, wool, horn, etc.

	6.2 Imports and Exports
	-----------------------

		The single biggest export of Breech is gnomish weaponry
	and engineering devices to Stonehold. They trade with Stonehold
	far more than they do with any other nation, and are the only 
	nation with which Stonehold will trade. Medicines and various
	technology are exported to wealthy people and governments in the
	Western Kingdom, mostly King Braddock in Throne, and those in
	Mast. Beyond that, information and personnel are the largest
	export from Breech. Many troops leave from here to join up,
	under Clan leadership, with various Western Kingdom armies on
	the Frontier. Gnomish Engineers often leave and hire out in the
	larger cities of the Western Kingdom, and sometimes work pro-bono
	in smaller villages throughout the Kingdom. Gnomish Arcanists
	will sometimes - though rarely - be invited to come and visit 
	with the Elven Archmages in the Elven Protectorate.
		The other lesser known exports of Breech are the precious
	stones and metals turned up by Dwarves using Gnomish mining
	techniques. The dwarves are able to mine so quickly using gnomish
	engineering, that the Gnomes worked out an agreement; the Dwarves
	purchase gnomish mining equipment at a reduced price in return 
	for a small cut of whatever is produced from the mines. (This 
	allows dwarven miners who are down on their luck to purchase
	equipment, get back on their feet, and provide additional 
	continuing revenue to Breech all at the same time. It's a win-win 
	situation.) Most of the results of this agreement are used here
	by the various Guilds, but many of them are exported down towards 
	Mast and Throne for a hefty profit.

	6.3 Domestic Markets in Breech
	------------------------------

		Breech doesn't have markets like most people think of them;
	gone is the Bazaar of Mast. Most needs are filled by a few large 
	"shopping centers" where a single merchant guild member will 
	contract the service of various artisans to work and stock the
	various "departments" of their stores with the goods they need.
	Food is bought in bulk from the farmers in the foothills, and 
	some in the free frontier, and presented in the "grocery" 
	department of these stores. Some food is even magically preserved 
	and smuggled through customs in the Western Kingdom to provide
	fresh seafood in Breech, to those willing to pay for it. Many
	of these "shopping centers" are open 24 hours per day, seven
	days per week, providing a continuously operating economy.

	6.4 Currency and Banking in Breech
	----------------------------------

		The standard currency of Breech, and the entire Gnomish 
	Holdings, is the standard Gold Piece. On one side, it is graven
	with the seal of the Western Kingdom; on the other, the seal of
	the Clan Council. "Thus shall it always be recognised, by all
	who do business with us, that we are eternally connected to, and
	hold respect for, our brethren in the West; while also displaying
	obviously and proudly that the Gnomish Holdings are a free and
	sovereign entity." The currency of the Western Kingdom proper is
	also accepted, but the use of Breech currency is encouraged by
	those who intend to reside here long.
		The Banking system in breech is above and beyond anything
	in the Western Kingdom, and would make the bankers in Throne and
	Mast wet their pants. There are 2 or 3 large banks in Breech,
	each having large gnomish safes inside. All the banks in the city
	are electronically connected, and many of the "shopping centers"
	are electronically connected to the banks (which often own the 
	centers...) in turn. Often money changes hands in Breech without
	any coin or chits being present; many locations have small
	plates on which a customer can reference their bank account
	and transfer money into the account of the shopping center, thus
	reducing the amount of cash actually carried on a person. Most 
	residents of Breech - specifically the more wealthy ones - have
	welcomed this system, while many others - Dwarves and low income
	gnomish clans specifically - have rejected the system and 
	refuse to work within it, instead opening traditional banks and
	spending money in traditional ways. Even in Breech, and even in
	the financial sector, there is still often a divide drawn - when 
	everyone begins to ponder just how much technology is too much.

7. Notable Non-Government Bodies
--------------------------------

	7.1 Thieve's Guilds
	-------------------

		7.1.1 Gnomish Guild
		-----------------

			The Gnomish Guild in Breech is part thieves guild, 
		part separatist organization. They maintain a firm stance
		that non-gnomish thieves should not be allowed to operate
		inside of Breech, and that when caught they should be dealt
		with swiftly - before the law has a chance to swoop in and
		save their sorry hides. Non-gnomish thieves don't have the
		finesse of a gnomish thief, they don't understand the 
		technology, and they don't understand the risks inherent
		in the city's operations. They just wind up using the same
		tactics that work back home where torches and swords are
		your biggest problems, and most locks can be defeated with
		simple picks, or a prybar. All they do is bring down the
		heat on the Gnomish thieves when their idiocy gets them 
		caught. When the Gnomish Guild catches a non-gnomish thief
		operating in the city, they send a simple warning - a 
		rat skewered on a long knife, delivered in a black box.
		"Get out" is the meaning of the warning. If they don't 
		clear out within a week, the Guild will generally eliminate
		them by whatever means are expedient.
			Aside from their separatist leanings, the Gnomish
		Guild is extremely efficient and is highly wanted by the
		Gnomish Defense Force. They live amongst and apart from the
		people, using the shadows of the city, the technology and
		the magic, to make off with the most choice valuables. 
		Purses of coin and a rare vase are above the Gnomish Guild
		thief; magic items, engineering plans, equipment, all these
		are their aims. They will use their catch for their own
		ends, or sell it to the highest bidder on open markets.
		But even the Gnomish Guild, consisting of some very old
		Gnomish Thieves, understands the nature of the situation
		at large; anyone caught dealing with monstrous races
		is dealt with decisively. Stealing from your neighbors
		is one thing, but giving your neighbor's enemy a weapon
		against them, is entirely another. The Gnomish Guild has
		a strict honor code to which they adhere, despite their
		roguish appearance outside. In fact, many Gnomish Thieve's
		Guild members are ex-gnomish Recon operatives who decided
		this life was much more exciting than going straight. 
		Much to the surprise of most players, the alignment of the 
		average thief in the Gnomish Guild is Lawful Neutral.

		7.1.2 Other Guilds
		------------------

			Other guilds will pop up from time to time, 
		consisting mostly of non-gnomish thieves, due to the 
		Gnomish guild's separatist leanings. Occasionally there
		will be a gnome amongst them; sometimes they are genuinely
		interested in working with the others, often times they are
		a plant sent there by the Gnomish Guild to bring this new
		upstart "mongreloid" guild down from the inside. Non-	
		gnomish guilds don't generally last more than a year,
		and even then they generally aren't all that successful. 

	7.2 Arcanist Guild
	------------------

		Not much is known about the Arcanist Guild, other than 
	that they run the Academy of the Arcane Arts. They're not a 
	secret society per-se, but most people simply don't have an
	interest in what they do. And besides, most of what they do
	pertains to arcane research, which is - by necessity - secret.
	For the most part, the hierarchy and operations of the Arcanist 
	Guild is the hierarchy and operations of the Academy.

	7.3 Engineering Guild
	---------------------

		The Engineering Guild serves an obvious purpose; it 
	provides support to engineering workers in Breech, as well as
	providing uniform testing and certification criteria for various
	occupations. It also provides legal support to any engineer whose
	trademark gnomish careless zeal has resulted in some form of
	accident or other legal liability. The Engineering Guild is a
	perfectly respectable organization, whose headquarters are
	located just outside the Aquifer Pumping Station.

	7.4 Merchant's Guild
	--------------------

		The Merchant's Guild is actually populated, mostly, by 
	bankers. It is not so much a guild, as a lobbying entity; those
	in it have money, and firmly believe that the council should be 
	doing more for them, to ensure that they get more money.

	7.5 Argicultural Guild
	-------------------------

		The Agricultural Guild is composed entirely of 
	agriculturalists from the surrounding foothills and countryside,
	and is both a lobbying entity and a guild. The agricultural guild 
	runs its own bank, the First Farmer's Bank of Breech, with 
	offices scattered across the countryside to assist village 
	farmers who are having difficulties. It also works to ensure
	that those members of the Council who are not actively engaged
	in agriculture, are certain of how important agriculture is,
	and that they do not rule against agriculture in their court
	proceedings. The Agricultural Guild also runs experiments at 
	the Domes with the cooperation of the Engineers Guild.