Fryndul

Fryndul was a gnome village in the southern Shaar circa the Year of the Tankard, 1370 DR.

Geography
Fryndul was located on the Trader's Way east of Kormul in the southern region of the Shaar, sometimes called the Shaareach. It was described as "just east of the bridge" which could be the bridge over the River Shaar or the River Talar, depending on the map being consulted.

The dwellings were mostly constructed from earth with stone reinforcements. From the road, the village appeared to be a group of burial mounds overgrown with vines in a sparsely wooded area.

Trade
This village produced some of the finest cut gems in the region, especially emeralds, sapphires, and ambers of large size. They depended on word-of-mouth to bring discreet customers to their door. The folk of Fryndul did not mine the raw gems; they traded for them with their cousins, the svirfneblin.

Defenses
Fryndul appeared to be an abandoned burial site with earthen tombs haphazardly strewn about. The residents discouraged casual exploration of their village by maintaining this haunting landscape and adding illusions of giant spiders living and stalking around the mounds.

History
Sometime around the Year of the Marching Moon, 1330 DR, the craftsfolk of Fryndul revealed to the outside world a unique work of nature and art known as the Emerald Leaf. It was a massive accretion of emerald as big as a seat cushion that they skillfully cut to resemble an oak leaf and it was offered for sale to the highest bidder. Reportedly, a Waterdhavian noble outbid a Calishite satrap buying the Emerald Leaf for seven million gold pieces.