Graywall

Droaam is a young nation. Just 30 years ago, Graywall was a broken mass of Dhakaani ruins. In the intervening decades, a nation has taken root in the wilderness, and Graywall has become the frontier between the realms of humanity and the land of monsters. During the Last War it became a staging ground for monstrous forces, both those serving as mercenaries with House Tharashk and the warbands raiding Breland. With the war’s end, the Daughters of Sora Kell have devoted significant resources to establishing a strong presence on the border of the Five Nations. As a result, Graywall is a booming town. The expansion never ends, since teams of ogres, orcs, and medusas work on new barracks and reinforce the fortress walls. Ogres quarry and shift stone, while kobolds and goblins delve in the byeshk mines and toil in the workhouses and fields. Gnoll hunters bring hides and meat in from the surrounding wilds. And then there are the people of the east—bandits, deserters, merchants, and more, all looking for opportunities.

The majority of the monsters that live in Graywall are in the employ of the Daughters of Sora Kell. The rewards for this service are food, shelter, and a sense of pride, along with rations of bitter grog. It’s a hard life, but better than many of them would have had decades ago—especially for the goblins, who were typically subjugated by more powerful creatures. In recent years foreigners have brought the gold of Galifar to the town, giving birth both to services catering to the outlanders . . . and to criminals who prey upon them.

Most of the monstrous inhabitants of Graywall serve Droaam. Sora Katra strives to inspire her people, so that they want to work to create a stronger Droaam— but where inspiration fails, force is employed. Every work crew has two overseers, a minotaur and a harpy. The minotaur serves as the iron fist when brute force is employed. The harpy calls the team to work and entertains them with her song whenever they are granted a period of rest. A harpy overseer uses the standard harpy statistics, but replaces Stealth with Diplomacy +12 and Insight +10. A minotaur overseer might be a soldier or cabalist depending on the group he is minding; either way he receives a +3 bonus to Intimidate checks. A laborer typically serves an 11-hour work shift and engages in an hour of militia drills. Given the choice, most of the inhabitants of the town are nocturnal; however, the work yards and mines run 24 hours a day.

Although the citizens of Droaam are theoretically equal, centuries of tradition and bloodshed have ingrained certain habits in the population. On the streets, monsters typically defer to more powerful creatures, and most citizens have a good sense of this hierarchy. The goblin steps out of the way of the ogre, and the ogre steps aside for the troll. Frequently this breaks down to size, but there are definite exceptions to this rule. Even a troll steps out of a medusa’s path. People of the Five Nations might find the casual presence of deadly creatures to be unnerving. Although they are relatively rare, medusas walk the streets of Graywall. A female medusa keeps her eyes closed, observing the world through her serpent mane; lacking this option, a male medusa typically ties a strip of gauze loosely across his eyes to protect others from his deadly gaze. But it is easy enough for an angry medusa to pull away the gauze, or for a harpy to raise her voice. In practice, this rarely occurs; Xorchylic has no patience for monsters that kill without reason, and the people of Droaam know better than to provoke their deadly fellow citizens. A medusa can kill with a gaze, just as a wizard in Sharn could fling a fireball into a crowd. But neither is likely to do so unless provoked.

Though united under the Daughters of Sora Kell, the creatures of Droaam have wildly diverse cultures. The medusas of Cazhaak Draal have sent envoys to Graywall, but in the past they have had infrequent contact with the tieflings of the Venomous Demesne or the gnolls of the Znir Pact. As a result, little religious solidarity exists in Graywall. A host of tiny shrines are scattered throughout Bloodstone and Little Graywall, and they represent the deities of different clans and races. The minotaurs of the north are united in worship of the Horned Prince, but each clan has their own representation of this demon overlord and believes all others to be flawed. The Last Dirge harpies revere the Song of Passion and Rage—an interpretation of the Fury—while the Stormsinger harpies venerate the Stormsong, an aspect of the Devourer. The asymmetric icons of the Traveler hold hidden messages for doppelgangers who pass through Graywall. The Znir gnolls worship no deity or demon, instead raising piles of stones to reflect the idols shattered by their ancestors.

Although each group has their own personal patrons and beliefs, a few forces are respected throughout the nation. The greatest of these is the Shadow. The priests of the Shadow are typically medusas or oni, and they teach that the Shadow created the monstrous races, granting his children powers that Aureon and the selfish Sovereigns withheld from humanity. So far the Voices of the Shadow have largely supported the Daughters of Sora Kell, and these priests frequently serve as community leaders.

The Mockery is also revered by monsters of many species, but his followers are more aggressive. Priests of the Mockery frequently incite violence against the people of the east, and woe betide the foreigner who encounters a pack of Skinners at midnight in Bloodstone.

Most of the creatures of Droaam are indifferent toward the Sovereign Host and their worshipers. They consider the Sovereigns to be weak and selfish gods, and see their worship as more laughable than offensive. The Silver Flame is another story. Champions and crusaders of the Silver Flame have frequently invaded Droaam over the last four centuries, and the people of Graywall have no intention of forgiving these old trespasses. Anyone who openly wears a symbol of the Silver Flame is met with great hostility. Outside the Calabas, this dramatically increases the chance of street violence. Even if nobody attacks him, the PC take a –5 penalty to skill checks or challenges involving Diplomacy or Streetwise, and any perceived allies of his take a –3 penalty to these checks because of the association.

Droaam stands outside the Code of Galifar and the Treaty of Galifar. There is no uniform code of justice in Droaam; instead, the law lies solely in the hands of the designated representatives of the Daughters of Sora Kell. In Droaam, this is Xorchylic, an ancient mind flayer. Xorchylic personally commands the Flayer Guard, a force of ogres, orcs, and minotaurs supplemented by harpies, gargoyles, and a squad of war trolls trained by Sora Maenya. Xorchylic can also call on the mercenary gnolls of the Znir Pact, as well his allies within House Tharashk.

At the end of the day, Graywall is a frontier town. PCs can get away with a lot, as long as they don’t do anything that directly inconveniences Xorchylic. This is especially true when the crime targets a foreigner. Xorchylic doesn’t recognize the laws of other lands and won’t punish Brelish bandits who take sanctuary in his town. But neither will he call on his guards to protect them if someone comes looking for them . . . unless, of course, the newcomers somehow become a threat to Xorchylic. Serious crimes are punished with immediate execution. For lesser crimes, a victim is branded and then sent to the arena for a period of time based on the crime. Should he survive the duration of his sentence, he is free to go. It’s said that Xorchylic sometimes uses his mental powers to punish offenders; some say he implants phobias or psychoses, but this might simply be rumor.

Although there are no written laws, the people of Graywall do have the right to bring grievances before a medusa magistrate. If the magistrate considers the case to be frivolous, she turns her gaze on the plaintiff. As a result, the caseload is light—but many of the weaker creatures take pleasure in the idea that they have a voice.

Xorchylic has granted House Tharashk the right to prosecute crimes committed in the Calabas. Baron Kundran Torrn of House Tharashk can call on the forces of his own house, including a substantial force of orc soldiers, for this purpose; he also employs ogre, gargoyle, and gnoll mercenaries. He acts if a crime directly threatens the stability of the Calabas. Otherwise, he takes action only if it can be conclusively proven that a crime has occurred, which requires the plaintiff to employ the services of Tharashk inquisitives. So justice is available within the confines of the Calabas, but it comes at a price.

The Daughters of Sora Kell have yet to mint coins. Most merchants willingly accept the gold of the east, especially in the Calabas; however, they are also used to bartering for goods and services. Gnoll hunters trade food and meat. Miners might offer slivers of precious metal or rough, low-value gemstones. Another common token of value is the tooth of a dangerous animal. The Daughters offer a bounty on feral creatures that pose a threat to travel and trade, and they reward hunters for turning in the teeth of kills; as a result, teeth have become a form of currency. A common practice is to inscribe the type of creature on the tooth in either Giant or Goblin, but most merchants don’t accept teeth for barter unless they personally recognize the beast.

As a DM, consider the bartering system of Droaam’s markets as an opportunity to plant adventure hooks. Although a merchant in Bloodstone might be willing to accept gold for his goods, odds are high that he has little gold with which to purchase treasures from adventurers. However, he could offer an ancient Dhakaani statue that the group’s historian thinks is worth considerably more than what they have to trade—although to receive its full value, they have to travel to Darguun! Merchants could offer maps leading to fabled ruins, scrolls of Dhakaani lore, or strange relics of the Daelkyr that have never been identified. They might also possess relics from the Last War, which were goods pawned by or stolen from soldiers of the Five Nations. This could be a source of treasures the PCs couldn’t acquire in a dungeon, or it could set the stage for a story. For instance, a widow wants to recover a family heirloom lost by a soldier last seen in Graywall. As a result, the markets of Graywall might have surprising opportunities for even high-level characters. The oni merchant might not have the gold to deal with a paragon-level PC—but it might have treasures the PCs want.

Droaam’s primary export is byeshk ore. However, people frequently come to Droaam to deal in less savory goods. Bandits—both monstrous raiders and Brelish deserters—sell their spoils in the goblin markets. Droaam is also the source of a variety of potent alchemical substances; however, all these are addictive and carry side effects severe enough that wise PCs avoid them. Dragon’s blood enhances arcane powers, but carries the risk of burning out a caster from within. Courage is a stimulant that helps the user overcome fear, a useful thing in a town of monsters . . . but over time it promotes paranoia, ultimately leaving the user in a catatonic state of sheer terror. Blood gin is a powerful necrotic narcotic. The berries used to give blood gin its flavor and potency must be steeped in the blood of a murdered sentient being, and those who drink the gin have visions drawn from the life of the victim, mixed in with the overall euphoria and lassitude imparted by the drug. Withdrawal symptoms include hallucinations and nightmares, frequently involving the circumstances of the original victim’s murder. Traffic in all these substances is illegal in the Five Nations, but expatriates and exiles have become addicted to blood gin, and the criminal organization Daask has opened a few hidden gin dens in Breland and Aundair.

Beyond the Calabas, the people of Graywall are largely given over to simple pleasures. Many enjoy a good brawl, whether a simple wrestling match in the street, a prize fight in a tavern, or a battle royale in the arena. Other forms of entertainment vary by species. Goblins enjoy song and music. The changelings of Graywall practice a form of dance that incorporates their shapeshifting abilities. Ogres love tests of strength and endurance, and adventurers wandering through Bloodstone might come upon a group of ogres holding massive stones over their heads. Although few citizens have gold, many love to gamble, and it’s common to see teeth or other bartering tokens scattered on the ground around an impromptu match.

In addition to grog, many of the monsters of Graywall partake of an unusual intoxicant: harpy song. This is provided as a public service in the grist mills where laborers go in their off hours, and most public houses also have a “songbird.” When performing in this capacity, a harpy rarely engages the fully stupefying effect of her voice; nonetheless, her songs possess a hypnotic beauty. Harpy songbirds typically possess Diplomacy +12 and Insight +10.

An expatriate from the east can find familiar foods in the inns and taverns of the Calabas. If he ventures into Bloodstone or the other districts of Graywall, he can find more disturbing fare. Most of it is perfectly edible, though many Droaamites like their meat to be squirming. Other dishes are incompatible with the human digestive tract. Trolls like to chew dried carrion crawler tendrils, which can paralyze a typical human. Many dishes are also served with a tiny ooze, which is swallowed to help digestion. However, stories have circulated that tell of poorly prepared oozes eating their way out of a diner’s stomach.

The Daughters of Sora Kell provide their laborers with basic sustenance, which is served at dining halls known as “grist mills.” This name is drawn from the primary dish—a form of ground meat called grist, prepared in stew, pie, or sausage form. Grist is tough and has a sour taste that dwarves find especially offensive, but it is filling and the mills have a seemingly endless supply. Few laborers have any idea where grist comes from, and of those who do, few care; however, it might disturb visitors. Grist is ground troll meat. Each mill includes a stable of imprisoned trolls. Some have been bred for this purpose; others are being punished for incompetence; and some have chosen to make this sacrifice for their nation. Flesh is stripped away, slowly enough to ensure that the troll can regenerate from the loss without serious harm (though the pain is agonizing). Troll meat contains a number of minor toxins that normally render it inedible. However, the Daughters of Sora Kell possess the answer to this dilemma. A secret blend of herbs and spices is mixed in with the meat as it is ground up, and this counteracts the nauseating effects . . . though adventurers might still be revolted when they learn what they are eating

Ten thousand years ago, the Dhakaani goblins built a fortress to defend the valley between the Graywall Mountains and the Byeshk Mountains. Droaam was a land of monsters even then, and while the Dhakaani built a number of cities past the Graywall, they wanted to be sure they could hold the gate. During the Xoriat Incursion, the fortress of Korash Khaar stood strong for years of battle. Then the daelkyr took to the field of battle. Dyrrn the Corruptor came to Korash Khaar, and the fortress fell before him. Some say the fortress walls absorbed the guardians, and that this accounts for the blood-red coloring of the remaining stones. Whatever the truth of the matter, Korash Khaar was no more, and the pass was abandoned.

Over the course of millennia, many different groups took shelter in the ruins of Korash Khaar. Savage goblins fought over the bloodstained stones. The goblins were driven out by gnolls, who in turn lost the land to ogres and oni during the Borunan Exodus. The ogres abandoned it, and the tales of this time speak of ruddy gargoyles emerging from the stone and a darkness rising from beneath the town. Following this, the haunted ruins were shunned . . . until the coming of the Daughters of Sora Kell. The tales say that it was Sora Teraza who found Xorchylic, who had been bound beneath Korash Khaar thousands of years earlier. The project was entrusted to the mind flayer, and he was given an army with which to work. A number of the old goblin buildings were restored, while others were stripped for their stone and rebuilt. Quarries were quickly established, and ogres hauled great blocks of stone to feed the appetite of the growing town.

Architecture and Appearance

Graywall is a town built with the strength of ogres, designed by the shared vision of Xorchylic and the medusa masons of Cazhaak Draal. Most buildings are functional structures of bare granite. But as one walks past the plain stone, it appears to ripple and flow in peripheral vision—the result of strange textures designed by Xorchylic. This subliminal patterning produces a noticeable emotional response in sentient beings. A traveler finds that she feels a slight touch of dread when she steps into an alley, while the open square feels pleasant and peaceful. Locations are identified by simple, iconic images; many of the inhabitants of Graywall cannot read, and only the basic icons work for the more dimwitted residents.

Graywall is built atop a network of tunnels, and many buildings have at least one level that lies underground. Some of these subterranean passages connect all the way to the region known as Khyras, but these passages are typically warded or blocked off; nonetheless, a group of adventurers might find a hidden passage to the Deep Door, or break into a building by coming up from Khyras.

Most of Graywall is designed to accommodate monsters of all shapes and sizes. The arch of a doorway is large enough for a troll to step through without squeezing. Some buildings have a second door for goblins or kobolds; others place a hatch in the main door, with a leather curtain draped down to keep out the weather. Any sort of public room includes stools and chairs in a variety of sizes, as well as skins along the floor for larger creatures to sit upon. Public buildings are likely to have high ceilings and a few perches set up along the walls—posts for harpies and gargoyles.

Leader: Baron Kundran Torrn (male orc)

Other Notables: Kel’Ashta (evil male orc), Mor’Ashta (evil male orc bloodrager), Jana Velderan (female orc ranger 8), Lagraa (female orc)

House Tharashk is a powerful force within Graywall, especially within the Calabas. Under Baron Kundran Torrn, the house has reached out to orcs across the town. Through his generosity and feats in the challenge rings, Kundran has also earned the respect of many of the other inhabitants of Graywall. The Graywall enclave is the hub of a number of different operations, including prospecting within the region, employing and training monsters to serve as mercenaries and laborers in the east, and the usual work of finding anything that needs to be found. Kel’Ashta is a talent scout for mercenaries, who is well connected with the Graywall arena. Mor’Ashta commands the house guard that minds the enclave and maintains order in the Calabas—a mixed force of 20 orc raiders, berserkers, and warriors, along with any monstrous mercenaries currently on hand. And Jana Velderan is the chief inquisitive. Jana has faced challenges in Graywall due to her race, but she’s good at what she does and has made contacts with many of the local bandits.

Lagraa is the spiritual counselor of the enclave, and her nature determines what sort of long-range stories might evolve here. She might be an adept of the Gatekeeper druids, in which case she can call on PC Tharashk heirs to fight aberrations and terrors beneath the town. However, she could be an evil priestess of the Dragon Below, slowing spreading her poisonous beliefs throughout the enclave and calling up horrors from the darkness. If this is the case, the Tharashk enclave could ultimately become the hub for an epic adventure, since Lagraa and her disciples release a daelkyr lord! Will this madness taint all House Tharashk, or has it been contained in Graywall?