Lulh'orn
Lulh'orn is a small town in Inner Felora, located along the Grand Feloran Canal. 50 years ago, the Fortress surrounding the town was (re)claimed by the Dotharan Alliance, rebuilt and upgraded, and about a hundred human and half-elf settlers moved in to much of the empty town. In the time since, the town has grown to over 800 residents. As such, the cosmopolitan atmosphere of most of the rest of the Alliance is somewhat muted here, coming mostly from the diverse newcomers.
The sound of traders harping their goods breaks the tranquility of the afternoon as the boat pulls into the docks. A gentle breeze from the south carries warm, dry air. As the dockmaster's people tie your boat to an open pier, a human woman throws a half-elf out of a nearby tavern, though the ruckus goes unnoticed by the townspeople on the adjacent street.
Important Locations
- Ancient Walls. Expanded, rebuilt, and reinforced over the millenia, the Ancient Walls are, despite their common name, some of the strongest in Felora. The Dotharans reinforced the structure after taking the fortress and refounding the Je'thor Council, making it capable of withstanding all but the strongest of cannons for a time. The walls contain several towers, most notably at the two entrances on the Grand Canal. The entire wall is navigable by foot, and routine patrols at all times of day are made.
- Lulh’orn Castle. The castle is located on the eastern portion of the pentagon, reflecting the castle’s original defensive target, raiding parties from the slopes of the mountains to the east. It is approximately 2000 years old, of the Late Feloran Era. The core compound is where the occupying military is headquartered. The three spires provide a clear view of the town, or at least the part of it that is inside the fortifications. Entering the castle, there is a small room for storing weapons and armor, a corridor that navigates the outer wall and connects all the rooms. The central chamber is where most briefings and plans happen, there is a rotunda in the middle with a diorama of Lulh’orn and the surrounding area for a 20kms radius, showing your troops and ships and your knowledge of the Dotharans.
- Central Canal. The social and commercial core of Lulh’orn. It is also part of the Grand Feloran Canal, a route that connects Til Formen’ya and Lumaira, it is over two thousands kilometers long. The banks of the canal are crowded with smaller barges and merchants on their way to and from the various points of commerce in the Feloran Successor States. One will find the travelers and merchants (and some of the locals) here during the day, while the more mysterious merchants will pass through at night. The Feloran Unification War has disrupted this, however, and now only a few merchants come through. When the Alliance controlled Lulh’orn, it was mostly human and half-elves that were the only merchants, now it is mostly elves and half-elves. The tavern is located here.
- Old Town. Home of most of the original inhabitants predating the Dotharan annexation. Some workshops are here, whose keepers may be willing to work on commission for their wares. Located here as well is the home of the Shrine Custodian and the common meetinghouse.
- New Quarter. This part of Lulh’orn was constructed by the Dotharans 26 years ago to house the burgeoning population of newcomers. Most of the town (~600) live shere. The houses are of typical Dotharan style, reflecting the stoneworking and brickmaking methods of Qua’adar and Feloran construction techniques. It is situated to the southwest of the city, towards the main road out of the Alliance.
Demographics
The current inhabitants of the Fortress and surrounding area were listed at 831 when Dotharan authorities last conducted a census. 24 in total, the Lulh’orn Natives are diverse in their lives and opinions. Some support the Sorens, others do not. Along the oldest is 903 year old Vael’ra Nograv’ash, an Ekoran-trained Priestess Celestia, and the youngest is 200. The Dotharan settlers are mostly half-elves and humans. They've lived here for a few decades, however only the youngest (13 & 19) were born. They're mostly skilled artisans and farmers, a healthy working class community.
Government
The Governor of the Fortress, appointed by the Alliance Council, is in charge of the garrison and in law enforcement within the town walls and on the town's canals. The mayor is in charge of administering laws and the functions of the town, and is elected by the Local Council. The Lulh'orn Je'thor is a fifteen-member elected council o of representatives from Lulh'orn and its immediate surroundings. Five are elected from the Old Town, and five from the New Quarter. Another five are elected from the farming families and tortle refugees. In order to run for the Council, one has to have lived in the region for at least 15 consecutive years, taken the Councillor Exam with a score of 70 or higher, and not hold office elsewhere (previously, the requirement was 75 consecutive years, however the Dotharan Alliance lowered it to 15 to accomodate shorter-lived races).
The town receives support from the Alliance, which pays the salary of the garrison in town and in repairs or expansions. Taxes mostly come from tariffs and transit fees collected by the Dockmaster in the Central Canal, from the boats that stop or pass through the town. The town also levies a food quota from the local farms in lieu of other taxes as well as more direct involvement in their affairs.
Defences
The fortress, from which the town grew out of, protects all but the New Quarter, which was the first part of the town to be constructed outside the fortress walls. It is able to drain parts of the canal approaching the town, and can additionally block the Grand Canal, which must pass under gates on either side of the town. A small town watch of 15, paid by the Je'thor Council, keep order in conjunction with the 100-strong garrison of Oyemörn and Félmörn, which lives within Lulh'orn Castle and are not considered residents of the town by the Alliance census.
Industry & Trade
Lulh'orn grows enough food for its population, and a little more to be exported to the more populous Dotharan cities in the north. The town is also the outpost for many venturing into the Vhaelhest regions to search for mineral deposits and sell their surveys to the Alliance, which is eager to exploit the resources to feed its growing industrialisation. Their is relatively little by the way of industry, with only a forge run by the local blacksmith.
Infrastructure
The town was built around the need for a fortress to protect the Grand Feloran Canal, which runs through the middle of the town as the Central Canal, creating the main thoroughfare both on water and foot. The other notable Feloran feature is the Castle, which comes out of the walls and canal and forms part of the landscape of which the rest of the town has been built in. Outside the walls are 3 main roads leading to the north, east, and southwest, connecting the Dotharan Alliance, Feloran Wilderness, and Sorenian Soveriegnty respectively.
The recent Dotharan settlers have constructed new bridges across the canals in town, and the New Quarter contains the first new canals built outside the Dotharan Coast in around 500 years. Irrigation systems in the countryside are integrated into the canals, and a plumbing system provides most repaired or new buildings with running water.
Guilds and Factions
The two major factions in the town are pro-Dotharan or pro-Sorenian, with many of the town's original inhabitants resenting the newcomers and the Dotharan way of life (or attitude). The Sorenians are significantly outnumbered, with only 2 of the seats of the Je'thor Council held by councillors who support closer allegiance with the Sovereignty. The Dotharan military exerts great influence in Lulh'orn, and many of the Dotharan settlers volunteer for the Félmörn.
History
The town was initially founded as a defensive outpost to protect the frontier regions between imperial provinces from raids, as the newly constructed Grand Feloran Canal was proven to be poorly defensible away from the Empire's populated areas. In 378 PE, the town became part of the Dotharan Alliance when it annexed the region surrounding T'Loric's pass. Before it was annexed, the town was inhabited by 24 Elves, the lone survivors of the Collapse. After the Dotharans moved in, the fortress and walls were rebuilt and upgraded, and about a hundred human and half-elf settlers moved in to much of the empty town. In the time since, the town has grown to 831 inhabitants. As such, the cosmopolitan atmosphere of most of the rest of the Alliance is somewhat muted here, coming mostly from the diverse newcomers. During the Feloran War of Reunification, the town was occupied by the Sorenian Sovereignty.
Architecture
Lulh'orn Castle is construccted in typical High Feloran style, spires reaching into the sky and melting into the ground, smoothly integrated into the walls. Newer constructions by the Dotharan employ Hadar methods of construction, however both Feloran and Hadar designs are made mostly from mud bricks and wood from the nearby forests in the hills.
Geography
The town is located at the southern end of T'Loric's Pass, where the Grand Canal was dug through to what is now the Dotharan Alliance. It is bounded on either side to the west and east by the Tèluran hills, in the valley of Lulh'orn for which the town is named. The nearby hills provide drinking water for the town, which has an aqueduct leading into the northeast from the springs of the mountain. The area to the south opens up considerably, and during peaceful times the fields to the southwest are cultivated.
Founding Date
2610 EIE
Type
Town
Population
831
Inhabitant Demonym
Luhl's
Location under
Owning Organization
