Cruach Emyn

Cruach Emyn, The Forge of Shadow

The weather in the region is often foul. The hills are the interface between the lowland and highland terrain of northwestern Erenland, and suffer the effects of weather fronts that break against the immovable flanks of the Highhorns. Rainstorms are frequent. In the winter arcs these become snowstorms and blizzards of uncommon ferocity; many valleys and roads are completely isolated during this season. In the spring and summer, the weather is less harsh, but no less treacherous. Thick fog and constant rain are the enemy of travelers throughout the Lía Rudh Emyn, enshrouding the landscape, transforming dirt tracks into rivers of mud, and triggering lethal rock slides.

The city of Cruach Emyn stands at the intersection of two river valleys in a barren landscape that is in stark contrast to the rest of the Lía Rudh Emyn; years of felling to feed the ever-hungry furnaces of Steel Hill’s foundries have all but depleted the local woodlands. The valleys of the Be’Neeya and Coinlin rivers are tangles of brambles and gorse growing over countless rotting tree stumps. On the higher slopes, the brambles give way to heather and bracken. These bring forth a riot of purple flowers in the spring, but are prone to fire during the summer. These moorlands are a rich source of peat, which is used year-round by locals to fuel their hearth fires against the ever-present damp and cold.

In the brooding skies above Steel Hill, carrion birds circle amidst the pall of smoke that hangs expectantly about the city. Beneath their dark wings and merciless cries, the Road of the Damned carries human slaves to the Tarish mines. Exhumed iron returns by the same route and feeds the city’s foundries. To the south, the River Be’neeya and the Iron Road carry the fruits of this human suffering to the waiting armies of Jahzir’s host.

A Brief History of Cruach Emyn

Gerard the Northsword, a long-ago lord of House Falon, founded Cruach Emyn more than fifteen hundred years ago near the site of a simple Dornish iron works. The outpost quickly attracted settlers and grew into a walled settlement. As the iron mine’s prominence grew, Steel Hill’s placement near the river Be’neeya proved perfectly suited for both defense and trade. The settlement grew from outpost to town to city, and House Falon enjoyed an upturn in its fortunes. Falon’s ascendance was not an easy one, and was set against a backdrop of many savage battles with the Shadow’s forces in the merciless north. Despite the clan’s heroism and sturdiness, however, it was eventually one of their own who destroyed them, betraying his kin and casting the Great House into darkness. The Shadow’s forces plundered the city, raped and murdered its people, and then enslaved the survivors; these were put to work in the mines to equip Jahzir’s war machine.

CRUACH EMYN

aka. Steel Hill, The Forge of Shadow

Small city, Nonstandard

• Alignment: Chaotic Evil

Authority Figures

• Prince Aushav Falon, CE shadow servant male Sarcosan Rog3/Chn12

• Dorgath Blackhand, LE male Erenlander Lgt11 (High Legate of Steel Hill)
• Sharzun the Bloodaxe, NE oruk Ftr12 (Lord Commander of the Splintered Skull Legion).

Demographics

• Major trade products: Steel
• Notable locations: ???
• Native population: 8432 (mixed)

• Shadow minions: ???

• Dorns 68%
• Erenlanders 10%
• Sarcosans 2%
• orcs 8%
• halflings 5%
• goblins 3%
• gnomes 2%
• oruks 1%
• others 1%

Important Characters

• Morgatha, NE female orc Chr14 (kurasatch udareen of the Mother of the Blooded Claw tribe)
• Bazan Githuran, LE Erenlander Ftr7/Blr5 (High Captain of Steel Hill)
• Vylaria, LE female Erenlander Lgt8 (Preceptor)
• Halding Ironhammer, LE male dwarf Exp12/War2 (Lord Smith)
• Voratch Darksworn, LE Erenlander Ftr4/Lgt3/Sbr6 (Knight Commander of the Brotherhood of the Black Sword)
• Cleite Fir, NG male Dorn Chr5/Dru6
• Alarin, CE male Sarcosan Rog8
• Essylt, N female Dorn Com8/Rog3 (Whoremistress of Tarish)
• Fethwik One-Eye, LE male dwarf Exp7/Rog6 (Master of the Mines)
• Kregar, NE male oruk Bbn3/Ftr8
• Mackav, CE male Dorn Ftr12 (Champion of the Tarish Fighting Pits).

Legion of the Splintered Skull (1,000+)

• Morgatha, kurasatch udareen of the Mother of the Blooded Claw tribe, commands the fierce loyalty and is owed by Bloodaxe greatly

• Lord Commander Sharzun the Bloodaxe

• oruk Ftr6 (6)
• oruk Ftr3 (30)
• orc Ftr3 (60)
• orc Ftr2 (240)
• orc War1 (360)
• goblin War1 (200)
• goblin Wld2 (75)
• goblin Bbn1/Ftr2 (50)

Bloodguard of Cruach Emyn (250+)

The bloodguards wear:

white linen shirts

black fur hats

black pants

knee length boots

broad leather belt

a long red cloak

Watch sergeant's cloak is black trimmed

Blood Riders are silver trimmed

• High Captain Bazan Githuran

• human (mixed) War1 (100)
• human (mixed) Ftr1 (75)
• human (mixed) Ftr2 (25)
• human (mixed) Ftr5 (10)
• human (mixed) Ftr7/Blr1 (30)
• human (Erenlander) Ftr7/Blr3 (3)

Brotherhood of the Black Sword (150+)

• Knight Commander Voratch Darksworn

• Erenlander Ftr4/Lgt3/Sbr4 (1)
• Erenlander Ftr4/Lgt3/Sbr2 (3)
• Erenlander Ftr4/Lgt3/Sbr1 (8)
• human (mixed) Ftr4/Lgt3 (6)
• human (mixed) Ftr2/Lgt3 (13)
• human (mixed) Ftr1/Lgt3 (26)
• human (mixed) Ftr5 (7)
• human (mixed) Ftr3 (14)
• human (mixed) Ftr1 (28)
• human (mixed) War1 (51)

Others

Bbn10 (1), Bbn8 (1), Bbn5 (2), Bbn4 (2), Bbn3 (4), Bbn2 (4), Bbn1 (16), Chr6 (2), Chr3 (4), Chr1 (8), Def8 (1), Def4 (2), Def2 (4), Def1 (8), Ftr9 (1), Ftr6 (2), Ftr4 (2), Ftr2 (4), Ftr1 (4), Lgt6 (2), Lgt5 (2), Lgt4 (2), Lgt3 (8), Lgt2 (4), Lgt1 (24), Rog12 (1), Rog10 (1), Rog7 (1), Rog6 (2), Rog5 (2), Rog4 (4), Rog3 (8), Rog2 (8), Rog1 (32), Wld8 (1), Wld7 (1), Wld4 (4), Wld2 (8), Wld1 (16), Ari10 (1), Ari9 (1), Ari5 (4), Ari3 (8), Ari1 (71), Com15 (1), Com14 (1), Com 8 (2), Com7 (2), Com4 (8), Com2 (16), Com1 (6229), Exp8 (2), Exp6 (2), Exp5 (2), Exp4 (4), Exp3 (8), Exp2 (8), Exp1 (412), War14 (1), War8 (1), War7 (2), War4 (6), War2 (12), War1 (102).

Most of Cruach Emyn’s commoners are slaves; most of its experts are smiths, armorers, or other types of metalworkers.