This city is as far north as most people are willing to live, in the border between the steppes and the foothills left over from long-ago mountains. These who either enjoy the relative solitude of the island or perhaps the cool summers and frigid winters are primarily miners, the foothills being rife with minerals and workable ores. Of course there are also several stubborn farmers, tough enough to work the rocky soil and limited array of crops that can survive the somewhat dry climate. The folks who live up here tend to be a hardy bunch, willing to work hard, fight fast then have a drink over broken noses. The city itself is constructed nearly entirely of native, pale stone, and is a masterpiece of masonry into itself, complete with stone arches that second as bridges, hidden courtyards and soaring towers that all coincide to celebrate the striking beauty of a land most people don't want to visit.