The City of Xorhun

HE city of Xorhun is located a ong way south of Sarbreenar, across the sea. It lays at the edge of the Halondar Valley, surrounded by the Aphrunn Mountains to the south-east, the Orsraun Mountains to the south-west, west, and north-west. Deep within these mountains is the Volcano of Mount Ugruth, numerous mines and caves. Due to its situation on a well travelled road through Turmish, linking Hlondeth in the south to Alaghon in the north, Xorhun has become a major trader in goods, sending out it’s wares all around the Sea of Fallen Stars, and beyond.

Xorhun sprung up around a number of springs, and small pools, that were used to create wonderful gardens, that have attracted numerous races – mainly elves – so much so, that the city has also been named “Correlon’s Cradle” and “Lifeblood Falls” by the residents. Small rocky outcrops pour out water into large natural fountains, wetting the air, and giving the city a tropical feel, with trees, bushes and flowers filling the spaces between the buildings. The architecture of the city has been planned around the natural gardens, making Xorhun a wonder to live in, with stone buildings carved into smooth cliff like structures, or hidden away, to look like giant tree trunks.

Xorhun has an unusual effect on elves, dwarves and gnomes, increasing their fertility rate – sometimes by up to four times the norm for their race. This has made many of these creatures stay, and become citizens of Xorhun.

The city has welcomed this influx of people, especially the skilled. So much so, that the main two exports of Xorhun have become masterwork items (leather, goods, armour, weapons, wood goods, jewellery), and magical items. The spellcasters of Xorhun are skilled craftsmen, making myriad magic items, that give joy to their owners, or pain to the bearer’s enemies! In order to thrive – and not to make too many enemies, they have been very careful about who they sell to – especially with magical items.

The city is surrounded by 20 ft. high walls, with two gates breaking through the wall. Inside this wall, there is a ring of spare ground, before another wall of 20 ft. high, and then the city proper. This defensive wall was built after many years of bandit attacks, with the second wall being built after the goblin siege of last year.

The council buildings are a vast sprawl, holding many areas – store rooms, barracks, stables, a Harper safe house, and visitors rooms. The main hall is used as the Council chambers – with overlooking balconies and a central plinth with a horseshoe shaped table in the centre.

Groups of Xorhun

There are a number of groups of note within Xorhun.

The Council

The council is made up from a mixed group of people, along with the leader, Huss the Half-Orc. They are:

Vargus Hettle, Male Merchant, Human – Merchant Guild Leader
Emelis Greenstar, Female Druid, Human – Head Druid
Anna Corpice, Female Warrior, Human – Commander of the Xorhun armies
Alvesta Lightmantle, Female Sorcerer, Elf – Spellcaster Guild Leader
Barinis, Male Bard, Elf – Performer’s Guild leader
Marvinikinus-Farvus, Male Jeweller, Gnome – Craftsman’s Guild Leader
Balorn Grazin, Male Engineer, Dwarf – Engineer’s Guild Leader
Huss, Male Ranger, Half-Orc – City Leader.

After the problems with the last council, Huss removed them all, and called for the election of the leader by the people, who would then bring in the main guilds’ leaders to run the city. The people of Xorhun voted in Huss first time, and he called on the guild leaders to help him run the City. So far this new council is working for the city, and all the people of Xorhun are happy with this new way of politics. The members of the council all take turns in advising Huss on matters, but his main supporter, and advisor is Alvesta Lightmantle, his wife and friend.

The Armed Forces

The armed forces of Xorhun are led by Anna Corpice, a 5th-generation soldier. After Huss’ election to leader of the council, he placed Anna in charge. Whilst she may not have all the experience of some other soldiers, she does have a great knowledge of tactics, that have given the army a added bonus on many times, and a ability to work with everybody she comes into contact with.

There is the normal Infantry, Shock Marines, Light Cavalry, and Heavy Cavalry. The Light Cavalry scout the surrounding lands, along with a team of rangers – personally trained by Huss. The Shock Marines have been built around fast strike teams, able to be portalled into areas to strike and then leave – taking a leaf out of the goblin tactics. The pride of the Xorhun forces are their griffon riders – a crack team of heavy shock troops mounted on griffons, based within the city. Guilds

The guilds oversee various areas in and around the city. All have elected leaders, selected by their skills and voted in by the guild members.

The Spellcaster guild, for example, has numerous levels – circles. The higher the number, the more power they have, and can wield in the guild. Initiates are the basic circle member, with Staff members leading teams, and Crown members ruling their circle, and all below.

Huss The Ranger

After the fall of Malervik, Huss became the leader of the Xorhun council. Once the guardians of the roads, and leader of the militia, Huss has made the council leader post his own. The soldiers and the citizens all respect Huss for his defence of the city against the goblin hoards – especially as he fought off the evil forces for over three weeks, leading strike teams into the goblin camps, and thought of the plan to get help from Sarbreenar.

Huss is a giant of a man – 6 ft. 7 in. in his stocking feet, and with a large amount of orc blood flowing in his veins. With powerful eyes, that call for respect, Huss is a leader from the front – if he won’t do it, neither will he let his own men. Usually dressed in dark blue leathers, Huss is a large, strong man, willing to die to protect people, gaining the support and respect from all his troops for his belief in what’s right and proper. When he was offered the Sword of the Spirits, he didn’t want it, feeling that there was someone else more needful of the weapon, but after the mistake of Malervik, and the choosing of Huss by the sword, he has realised that it was a gift from the Gods. Using this weapon has freed Xorhun, and saved many lives. The sword is now always by his side, changed from the weapon that was rescued by the Sarbreenar heroes, to a long sword, with a blue steel blade, and a griffon headed hilt in dark blue leather.

Abandoned in a orphanage in Alaghon, Huss was picked on by the other children – that was until he started to get bigger than them, and he became the bully. Thrown out of the orphanage, Huss ran off into the wilderness, where he learnt to live off the land, and was befriended by an old ranger, who tried to teach him the error of his ways.

But Huss wanted non of it, and ran off again, and joined up with a band of robbers, that attacked caravans up and down the Vilhon region. This went on for a few months, until the band attacked a caravan of prospectors – trying to kill all, including children. Something snapped in Huss, as the women pleaded for help from the bandits, and Huss stepped to save then, attacking his own band, and siding with the prospectors.

He wondered about for a few more years, before meeting up with the old ranger, who finally taught him the meaning of being a ranger, and of the life lessons he had learnt on his way to becoming a Ranger of Mielikki. Due to these lessons, Huss became a warrior to protect the weak, and a better person for it. Huss then went travelling all around Turmish and the Vilhon Reach region, meeting many different people, and making friends with prospectors, hermits and other groups living in the mountains.

Huss is not ashamed of his past, as it has made him what he is today, but he does use it to make him more responsible to the people of Xorhun.

Huss is a 19 th level Ranger of Mielikki.

Access to most magical items that are stored in the Spellcasters’ Guild headquarters, and the Sword of the Spirits. At any time, he will also have 3 to 5 spirit jars waiting to be used.

As for feats – he has all the two handed weapon attack feats, Cleave, Great Cleave, Power Attack, Track, and suchlike that a warrior will need. His skills are Local Knowledge, Wilderness Lore, and Animal skills.

Alvesta Lightmantle

Elf Female Sorcerer, and Harper
18th Level Sorcerer of Xorhun – Crown of the 9th Circle of the Xorhun Spellcaster Guild.

Alvesta Lightmantle is a proud, upright woman. Outcast from elven society, due to her half-elf status (the non-elf half is probably orcish), she travelled far, before settling in Xorhun and meeting Huss. She met many people in her travels, and is well briefed on the lands around the Sea of Fallen Stars. During these years of travel, she travelled with a number of rangers and bards of the Harpers, and after a couple of years, was asked to join their organisation. She did, and found many friends, some enemies, and lots of adventure.

She is still a active Harper, working for the Harper cause, in and around the Turmish area, and has built up a large network of informers and contacts throughout the region. In Xorhun, she has set up a lower level of the Council Buildings as a Harper safe house, guarded by magic and harpers. She is trying to gain the trust of Sarbreenar, in order to attract more to the cause of the Harpers from that city – a city without too many harpers, and many enemies, deep in the wilds, and near two large power houses of harm – Thay and Zhentil Keep.

After trying to find a home she was happy with, Alvesta came across Xorhun, with it’s multi-racial council, and it’s mixed society of magic users and craftsmen. She joined the Spellcasters’ Guild, and quickly rose to the 8th circle as a initiate.

During the attacks by the goblins, the number of high mages was reduced, and with her ability to learn and grow and adapt, she became the first woman to join the 9 th circle as a Initiate. Soon after, she was given her own command, and became a Staff of the 9th Circle.

A few months ago, the leader of the guild stepped down, and handed the reins of power over to Alvesta. She then became the Crown of the 9th Circle – the most powerful spellcasting position in the city of Xorhun. All spellcasters fall under her command, and she has a place on the council of Xorhun.

The Spellcaster guild are classed as a military organisation in times of war, and the chief duties of the guild are to investigate new spells and items to help the city, aid the craftsmen, and advise the council about magical matters.

As part of her duties to keep watch on various groups outside of Xorhun, she met with many people – hunters, rangers and hermits, that travelled about in the mountains. One such person was Huss, the newly elected leader of Xorhun, a Ranger and half-orc. They became close, as each one found support with the other – neither judging the other about their backgrounds and family. After months of being close, they were married 3 months ago, just after Alvesta became the leader of the Spellcasters.

The city respect their new leader for his strengths, and direct way of getting any job done, but they love Alvesta for her kindness, and the forethought in how she works on the council and ‘guides’ Huss through the political nightmare that is the city council.

Alvesta is 6 ft. – tall for a half-elf, but the suspected orc influence has made her taller. Thin and graceful, bright and happy, but with a inner strength that has earned her the moniker Smiling Death (but only by her apprentices and behind her back!), she loves her work, and has started to steer the guild into working with the poor and needful, by setting up schools and other training areas. She can be headstrong, but tries to do the best for the city as a whole, then the guild.

At festivals, the fireworks have got bigger and better – something Alvesta made sure was to happen, to increase the influence that the guild has over the city – last thing she wants is to have spellcasters feared, and putting on displays seems to have made the city more relaxed with magic.

Access to most magical items that are stored in the guild’s headquarters, and her list of spells is vast – what she can’t cast from memory, she can cast from scroll or wand.

As for feats – she has all the metamagic feats.

Wears comfortable robes, that are quite plain – doesn’t want to scare the public. At first glance most people take her for a low powered mage, but if you watch for a moment, the way she moves speaks power, and her gaze is startling and powerful (and scary if you’re a enemy).

She is calm under fire, and tries to not be too destructive, but if anything was to happen to Huss, she would loose it, and rain fire down on the heads of the wrongdoers.

Her skills are mainly Knowledge, covering Local History (of Turmish, and around the Sea of Fallen Stars), Arcana, Religion, Music, and Law. She loves to play the Flute and Harp in her time away from the Guild office, and can paint.

Consult the guide to the best inns and taverns in the Vast
Find out about the calendar
Find out about the customs and festivals
Learn about the political background
Consult the maps

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