Orz
Orz is a small but prosperous fishing town east of Hardby. It was settled about 50 years ago by a distant offshoot of the noble family of Ahlissa wishing to get away from the politics and feuding of their homeland. Bringing their wealth with them and renouncing their noble titles, they chose a pleasant spot on the bay and hired laborers from Hardby to build them the first homes of Orz ( an Oeridian word meaning "humble"). Although they were feared at first, they were pleasant, if distant. Soon others came to settle there when it was found how good the fishing was in that area.
The people of Orz have developed a variant crossbow for hunting the larger fish of the bay. Weighing 20 pounds, it can hold a slightly larger barbed hook ( usually attached to a strong silk line) and can even be fired underwater (at half the normal range). The Orz crossbow causes 1d4+3 points of damage vs. medium creatures and 1d6+3 vs. large creatures, weighs 25 pounds, costs 75 gp in Orz (but upwards of 150 gp elsewhere), and otherwise conforms to the statistics of a regular heavy crossbow. The weapons have become quite popular in the Wild Coast, as their punch is usually enough to take out a goblin and often can fell a strong ore with one hit.
Orz is also known for the strange auroralike lights that appear at least once a week in its skies. The lights are visible for over a mile and provide as much light as a crescent moon. The lights are only about 300 feet above the town and do not radiate magic; the Gynarchs have examined them thoroughly and have pronounced them harmless. The village is otherwise typical for a community its size.
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