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. Resting in a sheltered valley west of Thor-
bardin, it was a truce village, a place of respite from
whatever conflicts and hostilities might be currently go-
ing on around it. A motley collection of low stone
cubicles - favored by the mountain dwarves - log struc-
tures where hill dwarves could find comfort, shacks,
shanties, tree houses in the few trees large enough to con-
tain them, mud huts, and a few airy elven lofts, Barter
catered to any who were willing to trade in peace.
Here elves, dwarves, humans, and occasionally ken-
der walked the same paths and sat at the same tables with
robed sorcerers and outlaw clerics. Here voices might
be - and often were - raised in hot discussion, but out-
right violence was not condoned. Here even the bitterest
of enemies stayed their hands and held their tempers.
For Barter was Barter. As in any place and any time,
no matter what grand intrigues may be afoot, no matter
what wars might be raging across the lands, still there
had to be a means of trade and a place to do it. As in all
places and all times, each people had need of what the
others had in plenty, if only for the building of weapons
to fight against one another.
In Barter, it was said, even an ogre could come and
trade - provided he didn't act like an ogre.
Technically, Barter lay within the realm of the
dwarves, though whether its origin was from mountain
or hill dwarves' settlements none could say
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