Crockport

Crockport was formerly the provincial capital of Furyondy's northern Barony of Kalinstren and is now the headquarters for Iuz's troops in Furyondy. The commander is High priest Xenvelen, a brilliant young member of the Lesser Boneheart who is carefully maneuvering himself into position to take up the vacancy in the ranks of the Greater Boneheart. Xenvelen played a leading role in the capture of Crockport and covered the retreat from Chendl very ably, earning Iuz's high esteem.

Because Crockport fell fairly swiftly to Iuz's armies, the town was not greatly damaged in the wars. The town wall has been fully repaired, and dotted around the southern wall are a number of siege machines which were rescued during the retreat from Chendl and brought back. Add to this the ballista batteries on the old naval tower-keeps of the docks and Rockegg Isle, and Crockport has a sound defense indeed.

Crockport has both a naval harbor and a fishing harbor, which is shallow, since Rockegg Isle is not far from the shoreline and it is sometimes possible to wade across to it during the autumn when the level of water in the Whyestil is low. Most of the fishing vessels of Crockport survived the war and are used by human slaves and Kazgund orcs for fishing. The great keep of Crockport, formerly the Baron's residence, is now home to Xenvelen and a household phalanx of 20 orog warriors, some with fighting skills as good as 13th-level fighters, and Xenvelen's hangers-on and cronies. These include at least one alu-fiend, a succubus, and the mage Cryennek, whose ability to summon monsters and unleash them on random raids behind Furyondy's defensive Flare Line is a useful irritant for Xenvelen to employ.

Xenvelen also has some half-dozen junior priests within the keep and an expert alchemist/poisoner. The keep's dungeons are not extensive, although the treasure looted from them has kept the soldiers happy, but Xenvelen and his retinue have ample space for the rituals and sacrifices they delight in.

The naval barracks have been occupied by orc soldiers, while hobgoblins have taken up residence in the eastern laborer’s homes, using humans as slaves and menials. Orogs and a few fiends have taken over the gardened homes of the wealthy who once lived here, and Crockport's unique oak gardens, with their very rare species of woolly-barked oaks, now feature hanging, paint-daubed skulls in a mockery of the colorful paper lanterns which Furyondians used to hang here in spring and autumn.

Crockport is an important travel port for soldiery heading south, and also as an "intelligence" headquarters. Xenvelen is a brilliant and unscrupulous priest, who likes to keep track of what his rivals and superiors are up to. If Crockport could be raided, Xenvelen's notes and diaries would be priceless to the defenders of Furyondy. Xenvelen is also a cruel and clever man. To ensure that human fishermen will not turn on the orcs in their boats and try to kill them and escape, he keeps their spouses and children as hostages. These hostages are executed in public, after horrible suffering, should any fishermen attempt to escape. With such strategies, he has made sure that the 1,500 human slaves here have had to work hard to keep Crockport well-defended, strong, and well-equipped. Crockport is also notable for the fact that many of its elite orogs have magical weapons, armor and even miscellaneous magical items, taken from Furyondians slain in the wars and looted from Crockport itself. Crockport's orogs regard themselves as the true elite of the borderland armies and are unusually loyal to Xenvelen.