Zinduhl

"Even the wormly Yolps and serfish dolts of Zinduhl are loved by and love Ustav, in their peculiar way" - A Treatise on Universal Uvara
Beneath the mountains of Northern Hain, beyond the flatlands of the Delent, a bright and bustling city sits beside a small lake. On one hill right beside the lake, clustered buildings painted rainbow sit behind a wall that is itself painted with a massive image of a knight skewering a huge snake with a lance. On the hill, a massive half-ruined tower has been turned into a windmill surrounded by little houses and shops. Kobolds and starspawn come bearing cattle and grain, and the wide streets bustle with sales and greetings. Walled gardens dot the compact neighborhoods, and everywhere there is produce and livestock. Mystics and fortune-tellers are not an uncommon sight, and many visitors come from distant parts of the kingdom seeking magical cures or insight. The air smells foul, but the sights and sounds are full of art and music. 
Zinduhl is the jewel of the Delent and the largest city in Hain that is neither on the coast nor on the Saress River. The city is the seat of House Hugelma, a powerful Hainish noble family, and it serves as a major supply depot for military rations and supplies. The engine that drives this city is the Shkodule, a magical mill that is driven by a huge Ederstone monster - a half-buried metal serpent (or worm?) that seems to be biting its multiple tails with its multiple heads, chasing them through the earth without rest in massive coils. The Shkodule uses the perpetual motion of this monster to create an enormous mill that never stops and needs no rest; grain from all around the region pours into the city to become flour. The monster is also sacred to the region's Yolps - a kind of burrowing mole-like variety of starspawn common in the Delent. Yolps often visit the city to be blessed by "Ustav of the Roots", who is said to forever-present at the Shkodule. The presence of Yolp pilgrims, Kivish herders, and numerous local mystics has given the city a reputation as a place of superstition and peasant-ness; even the city's leaders seem exasperated at their own subjects. While this can be a superstitious place, note that this is near the chaos wastes, and what may seem like superstition to an outsider can be genuine local wisdom to an insider. 
There is more here than just milling and mysticism, though - Zinduhl is a wonderful supply point for anyone seeking to venture into the Northern or Eastern chaos wastes, and it hosts many adventurers and monster-hunters at the Oldtower Inn near the windmill. Those seeking to restock, research, and train will find knights, priests, libraries, and shops, as well as a slew of local problems that they may or may not choose to get involved in. The city is a messy and divided place, choking on its own prosperity. But Zinduhl is not Vruhafen - it is still small enough to be swayed by the hearts and blades of those committed to saving it.

Demographics

10,000 humanoids live in Zinduhl. Species-wise, they are 55% Starspawn, 25% Kobold, 8% Dryad, 7% Human, 2% Prism, and 1% Other

Government

The city is managed by a mayor-knight, known as the Junker (pronounced Yun-kar), who rules in the name of the Elector-Prince. The influence of the Elector-Prince is muffled, as the Junker has legal rights to autonomy that restrict the direct involvement of their liege.
In terms of actual day-to-day rule, most power is in the hands of the Junker and the council of Burghers. The Junker is a semi-hereditary title that is granted by the Prince, where the child of the prior Junker has automatic nomination for the position but no guaranteed granting. The Junker's job is to manage the local garrison, act as high judge, lead the city guard, and act as overseer and tie breaker for the Council of Burghers. The Burghers (pronounced Boor-gars) are city elites such as major merchants and guildmasters who are granted title and Honors in exchange for services rendered to the city and kingdom. The Burghers are expected to contribute to the city's infrastructure funds and to donate time and energy running the city's treasury and bureaucracy. In exchange, they get a seat on the council that does most of the actual governance of Zinduh; this comes with special perks and privileges.
On matters of magic, religion, and moral law, the priesthood is given full state power to operate courts, set policy, and request action by the city guard. The priests of the city are divided into the mainline temple-priests and the local cult-priests, all of whom answer to the same religious overseer- the Rosgen.

City Elites

The Junker of the city is a prism starspawn woman named Tyar Erlinkeil. The Erlinkeils are a prominent prism family from the Kingdom of Nidever (in Andrig), with close connections to ruling House Hugelma. The Junker is known as a military woman, friendly with the city guard and the local warbands. She is quick to respond to any threats of violence in her city, and is a competent fighter and commander. She is not so great at navigating local laws and courts, and is unpopular with both the local priesthood and the Burghers. Unfortunately much of her job is managing both of those groups, and she is quick to take out her frustration on any perceived obstacle in her path. While prickly and even cruel to those that inconvenience her, the Lady of Zinduhl can be quite generous to those she likes. She is not a woman of the people, and she spends most of her time with the local prism elites, city guard, and court elites.
The local Rosgen of the city is a dryad-starspawn woman named Gendra Halagond. Gendra is a stubborn and anxious academic, haughty and rules-oriented but also idealistic. Gendra is a very knowledgeable woman and a capable spellcaster, and she is quick to dismiss the illiterate or ignorant. While Gendra's willingness to fight the local Burghers has won her some loyalty from the priests of Zinduhl, her scornful attitude towards mysticism has made her some enemies within the local Cult of Rugon. Gendra is reasonably competent, though she is also not entirely comfortable in her position. She would certainly rather be a scholar, but feels obligated to advance in politics to support her siblings (all of whom are children of a Graf in Oskdelent).
The liege-lord of the city is Elector-Prince Olgar Hugelma, a half-prism-starspawn known as something of an ambitious schemer. Prince Olgar is a decadent man, fond of lavish celebration and the sense of power that excess brings. Prince Olgar is a bit of a rebel, who often fumes when talked down to or given commands by the Hainish monarch. He also enjoys toying with those who he deems to be stuck-up or irritating; he is known for his arbitrary and spiteful antics. For all his flaws, he is a capable knight and a skilled navigator of court intrigue.

Local Lords

All of the surrounding lands are controlled by vassals of the Herzog of Shodelent: specifically, the Graf of Gahlsk in the West and the Burgrave of Ontorosh to the East. To clarify, these locals lords are vassals of the Herzog (a middling lord) who is a vassal of Elector Prince Olgar.
The Herzog of Shodelent is Lord Einzor Tolemshol, a starspawn known in equal parts for his impatience, his protectiveness of his kin, and his mercy. The Herzog is somewhat disobedient and rowdy, and has frequently preferred to fortify his and his vassal's holdings instead of contributing money or soldiers to his liege's ventures or the defense of the neighboring March of Gonenka. He has ongoing feuds with both the Herzog of Oskdelent and the Margrave of Gonenka, and yet has defended his title well in court. The Rosgen and Junker of Zinduhl are both known to oppose the Herzog. The Herzog has recently been trying to build a legal claim to rule over the city as a vassal (rather than having the city's Junker be a direct vassal of the Prince)
To the West: The nearby Graf of Gahlsk is Lady Brida Degahl. She is not particularly ambitious or political (particularly since the death of her husband in 2015), and prefers art patronage to jockeying for power. She has been slower to respond to banditry on her lands than her neighbors, though, which can be a problem for travelers.
To the East: The Burgrave of Ontorosh is Lord Sodett DevOntorosh, a harsh and fickle lord eager to rise in rank. Lord Sodett is a pragmatist that has brokered alliances with local Promised Path Kivish  ranchers, though he does have a soft spot for the idea of building a university on his lands. The Lord is eager to curry favor with the Herzog, and has started picking fights with the Herzog's many smaller enemies to do so.

Defences

Zinduhl is not the most fortified city, but it is a hard nut to crack by non-Hainish standards. A large and sturdy wall encircles the city (except for the suburb of Kermga, which is beyond the Western Wall). A series of inner walls divide the districts and encircle the central marketplace. Ballistae bristle across the walls and towers, ready for any attack by land or sky. A small fort connects to the Junker's mansion in the North, and the central core of the city is also basically a small fort. Small fortified gardens, or "Hains" dot the cityscape as well, allowing for a considerable defense-in-depth if the city walls are ever breached. Further protecting the city and surrounding countryside is Helmshal Keep to the North, a large citadel with a sizable garrison.

Industry & Trade

Milling is a huge trade here; as is butchering, tanning, dyemaking, brewing, textile production, and Monstercrafting. A series of small guilds organize craft work and regulate who is allowed to ply what trade; virtually all jobs have some kind of associated guild. These guilds organize work and often play a large role in solving neighborhood-level disputes or problems. These guilds have been rather unstable in the last twenty years, with tension between apprentices and masters as well as between specialty craftsmen and general craftsmen, but they remain an important part of city life.
Trade is quite robust in Zinduhl, though there are only a handful of major merchants here. Mostly, peddlers and small-merchants thrive here. Villages often send a representative or sell their goods to a local smallmerchant to be sold in the markets of Zinduhl, and craft goods from the city flow through them back into the countryside. Most of the major Burgher families have some kind of relationship to other Hainish towns and to noble houses, and often deal in bulk goods for military expeditions or other big projects.

Infrastructure

The people of Zinduhl may be away from the coast or the Saress river, but that doesn't mean that the city is dry. Dozens and dozens of ancient wells dot the cityscape; while it is no longer safe or easy to dig into the earth, the city has inherited a wealth of large wells that have yet to dry up. To supplement this groundwater, a large conduit (wood pipes that direct water similarly to an aqueduct) has been built from the river to the Northeast, directing fresh riverwater into the city from the mountains. This conduit is owned by the Council of Burghers, but is maintained by the guilds. Two guilds, the Brewers and the Dyers, have thrown money at the conduit - to both maintain it and expand it further. These private additions have allowed for more water to reach the breweries and the dyeworks. Boiled lakewater is also sometimes used by parts of the city.
While the systems bringing water into the city may work well, the ones taking water and garbage out of the city aren't so efficient. Zinduhl just uses canals - basically ditches that follow the main roads through the city - as a place to throw garbage and sewage. These canals are too few, too small, and too open to work well; they also lack consistent waterflow, leaving them to sometimes become stagnant and fetid. They were originally built by the old city lords, when the river was partially diverted to flow through here - but that is no longer true and the river has changed course just enough to make it nonviable without major expense.
On top of the inherent problems (inconsistent waterflow, insufficient canals), the waste infrastructure has been plagued with misuse. Butchers and tanners have been dumping excessive waste in the canals; the Burghers tried to compel them to use a private waste removal service or to pay for extra water to flush the canals, but the guilds were able to use bribes and clever tricks to drag the issue into messy city politics. Common people and landlords have also contributed by dumping their thatch roofing and bulk trash into the canals - which often get stuck even when the water runs well. The result is massive blockage by debris that creates accidental dams and clogs in the system. If the clog happens near a wealthy guild or community, expect dredgers to clear it; if the residents are at the bottom of the social ladder, it may be months or years before the problem is fixed. Blockages become a major problem when it rains, as the system is prone to minor flooding (it takes regular dredging to keep the canals from flooding during the wet season) even without a make-shift dam of garbage. Add a clog, and the canals blast muddy trash water directly into the street. All of these problems converge at Wretcher's Lane, the main point of exit for most of the system's canals; it is a constant mess of debris that no one bothers to clear, that is a swamp of disease at dry season and a nightmare when it floods.
To avoid a situation like this elsewhere, private "Dreck wagons" are often hired by the wealthy to gather trash every week from various neighborhoods; one wagon for trash one one day, one wagon for excess sewage the next. These have become popular in recent years, and the Orgentossler family of Burghers has made a killing owning a fleet of the most reliable such wagons - as has the Porter's Guild. The Orgentosslers have also been expanding into water carts (for easy delivery of conduit-water to your shop or home) as well, though that has been a trickier deal. These various private wagon services are available only to neighborhoods with wealthy patrons (nobles, Burghers, priests, or guilds). While the Orgentosslers have eagerly attempted to get the city to hire their services for districts, the Junker and priests believe that this is blatant corruption (the Burghers selling the city the services of the Burghers) and have opposed such measures. The Junker and head priest would rather just build permanent physical systems to deal with the problem, though the Junker has struggled to get anyone to agree on how that should happen and the priests seem to mostly want to drain the Burgher's wealth and power for such a venture.
The roads of Zinduhl are well-made and maintained as Hainish cities go; many have cobblestone, and they tend to be broad enough to allow for separate traffic of horses/wagons and pedestrians. The lakedocks are fairly well maintained, but nothing to write home about.

Districts

City Districts

A Stildanian name and an English descriptor name will be included for each district, to allow potential DMs to have more choice in naming.

Yolngar, or Snake Gate: The largest and oldest district, largely residential and workshops with some small shops. This is the core residential district of the old city, and it is still the beating heart of local life. Densely populated, Yolngar has packed housing and large communal wells. There is also a robust underground tunnel system under Yolngar, that people sometimes stumble into digging latrines in basements; parents often tell their children that these ancient tunnels are haunted, and it is common wisdom to stay out of them. This district's aesthetics are defined by the large serpent statues that dot the urban landscape (many of these were once actually worms, but they have been modified into snakes to be less overtly "pagan").
Skolrem, or Milltown: The other half of the old city, this district is like Yolngar but a little nice. Better-to-do artisans live here, though much of the district isn't quite "middle class". Commonborn priests, successful peddlers, accountants, and other "better than average" folk live here. This district is aggressively painted in a rainbow of color; it also contains two dye-works. The workshops here are bigger, and poorer artisans often commute here to work. This district also contains its own festival grounds and is dotted with many small shrines; this is holy ground, and mystics and their flocks often go here to commune with Gods or spirits. The district is built around the great Temple-Mill of the Shkodul, after all. There are more ancient tunnels and structures under here, that are also forbidden for most people.
Goagar, or Horn Gate: The other big residential district, where all animal-related work is legally restricted to. Butchery, tanning, and animal sales must all take place here. Cattle and horses are kept in large pastures outside the city gates waiting to be sold in market. Beasts from the wastes are kept in secure cages in designated areas. This is also the mostly-Kobold district (easy access to regular meat and dairy here makes it cheaper and more convenient for them to live here), though plenty of non-kobolds also do. On average, Goagar is worse to live in than Yolngar; the infrastructure is less developed and more strained by the presence of large animals. Some parts of Goagar are downright inhumane to live in, while parts are actually very nice. The paintings and statues of Kobolds and cow-people that dot the district give it its name.
Yolpar, or Market District: Yolpar is a less densely populated commercial district. At its core is the Garden of Bells (the Jokmosh), a walled compound containing the Burgher's Assembly Hall, the city guard headquarters, and Guild Halls. Around the Jokmosh is the Inner Ring, a circular road that connects the four main markets of Zinduhl: Greenmarket (plants and agricultural products), Redmarket (animal products, meats), Bluemarket (luxury goods), and Orangemarket (common non-agricultural goods). Between these markets are a number of small shops. Around this Inner Ring is the Outer Ring, which is the more loosely organized sprawl of small markets, hostels, small inns, and festival grounds. This is where visitors to the town are generally sent to.
Lenplod, or Lakeside: Lenplod is not the only part of the city bordering the small Lake Isholess (Goagar also does), but it is the primary lakeside dock of the city. Lenplod receives salt and ore shipments from the North, and also is the launching point for most fishing boats. It is a mixture of wealthier merchants and artisans (especially in the North) and poor fishermen, entertainers, and workers (in the South). There is a more relaxed attitude in Lenplod towards entertainment venues, drinking, and sex work, and for this reason it tends to attract locals seeking a night on the town. In many ways, Lenplod is the more lived-in shadow of the Market district.
Orhark, or Princetown: This is the elite district where the Junker holds court and where nobility or wealthy visiting merchants are housed. Many servants and those who sell to servants also live here, so it isn't a rich-only district, but it is an area with no tolerance for commoner misbehavior; any hint of thievery or brawling can provoke a quick and harsh response here from the city guard or the garrison (which is stationed here).
Kermga, or Tower Hill: A connecting suburb West of the city, Kermga is a very mixed district of artisans, merchants, farmers, and total outsiders. Odd folk (especially wastelanders) who would face hostility moving elsewhere in Zinduhl are welcomed in Kermga; smalltime artists, art-models, inventors, and tinkerers often live there as well. Beside them are local farmers, merchants who dislike the local order, and artisans who struggled to find a place in the city to move. Once, Kermga was a castle overlooking the city - but it was repeatedly damaged and eventually abandoned prior to this land's full integration into Hain. Parts of the old walls remain, but most of the stone has been cannibalized into local buildings. The most notable remnant is the old central spire - the top half of the tower has crumbled away, but new ownership has renovated it into a large windmill. This windmill is the biggest competitor to the temple-mill in town, and it has angered the priests in the city a great deal; only by the support of the Burghers does it remain.

Relevant Nearby Locales

Helmshal Keep: Helmshal Keep is the citadel where the Hugelma Elector Princes hold court. It is upriver, in the nearby mountains, and its close proximity to makes it the political elephant in the room. This is also the full headquarters of the Autumn Knights currently.
Lontorov: A temple-commune Southwest of the city, famous for its holy relics and its resident artists; the commune hosts painters, sculptors, and calligraphers that have caught the eye of the elite, and provides a space for them to work in luxurious isolation for noble commissions. Lontorov's library contains some of the only condensed bardic lore in the Delent, and it is not unheard of for ambitious youngsters to go there seeking bardic training. It is also a place protected by paladins of Hiku Matsune, as well as Uvaran monks. Supporting all of this (outside of the patronage of nobles) is the village of Fottlehof nearby, which is sworn to pay a percentage of their taxes to the Temple.
Telund Preserve: The nearby Ketarun Cat Preserve, that rules over all of the city's cats. While most cats are discouraged from subsisting off of humanoids, strays are an accepted inevitability. To ensure that they are not denied Cat Heaven for being domesticated, the strays are placed under the rule of the local Ketarun cat nobility - that sends their warriors (led by the "Starry Knights") to extract tribute in food or corvee labor. The local Ketarun are led by Lord Dovestar DeTelund, an ally-vassal of sorts to the Grahf of Gahlsk. Humans are forbidden from this land without permission, but a group of poachers and bandits have begun raiding the forest in recent days.
Ontorosh-town: A village/small town Southeast of Zinduhl. A good chunk of the population of Ontorosh-town seasonally migrates into Zinduhl, and the Ontoroshans stick together whenever they work in the city.
Isles of Lake Isholess: The Isles of Lake Isholess are small and are known to flood when it rains, but there are many fishing shacks and even a tiny pub that operates on the largest island (Toragel). Teens and young adults are known to row out to these islands to party or partake in other rowdy behavior, much to the frustration of the city's moral leadership.

Guilds and Factions

The Burghers of Zinduhl: The local merchant-gentry, who own the largest workshops and have legal control over the Guilds. The Burghers have a united council, but are often divided over business rivalries. They are willing to put aside their differences to fight together against the Uvaran Priesthood or other threats to their united power. The Burghers have great influence over the districts of Yolpar, Lenplod, and Kermga, where they have been solving local problems and pushing their influence in the neighborhoods. The Burghers control the large windmill in Kermga, which is basically a symbol of progress and freedom of business to them; it is also a sticking point in their grand feud with the priests.
The Guilds of Zinduhl: The artisan associations that manage the daily lives of craftsmen. The Guilds are ruled by the Burgher's Council, though many guildmaster families have intermarried with the burgher's families at this point so the line between them can be blurry. Several powerful guilds have great local influence: the Butcher's Guild, the Brewer's Guild, the Tanner's Guild, the Dyer's Guild, the Weaver's Guild, the Porter's Guild, the Mason's Guild, and the Painter's Guild all have substantial clout, and the Pulper's Guild (parchment and paper) is on the rise. The Guilds have been having some issues with apprentice revolts and rogue workshops that have defied guild authority in recent years, and some guilds have been devoured by infighting. Some local ongoing politics:

• The Leatherworker's Guild has collapsed into many more specialized guilds (the Glovers, Pelters, Pursers, etc) after a legal dispute in 2002 over specialized trades was stuck in court for a decade. The new component guilds all have major beef between their leadership, despite most leatherworkers drifting between the specialty trades. The Burghers and the Kivish are working together to broker a long-term solution, and have worked out a temporary truce to let production continue with minimal disruption.
• The Butcher's Guild and Tanner's Guild have conspired to ignore regulations on animal waste disposal, and have played the system to avoid having to pay more for their disposal of animal parts and fetid liquids. Recently, the Weavers threatened to send mercenaries after them if they wouldn't stop.
• The Weaver's Guild and the Porter's Guild both had apprentice revolts. The Weavers went as far as hiring mercenaries to suppress the apprentices, which proved a great success; the Porters had a big brawl in the guildhall that ended in concessions. The Burghers have thankfully been able to ease some of the tensions among the Porters recently.
• The Brewers and the Dyers have formed an illegal alliance to control the water conduit system, though no one has much minded as they have largely expanded the conduit system rather than hoarding public water. The Burghers are still worried, but the priests have intervened to prevent meaningful action.
• The Pulper's Guild is not-so-secretly taking money from the Herzog in exchange for some kind of city support. The Burghers know, but don't seem inclined to act until the Junker gets the priesthood out of their business.

The Uvaran Priesthood: The Uvaran priesthood of the city is divided into two groups, generally. Both are led by the Rosgen, though the current Rosgen is generally tied to the standard clergy rather than the Cult. The priests provide patronage for the Yolngar and Skolrim districts.

• The Cult of Eternal Spring: Mystics devoted to the Gods Rugon (the plant God) and Ustav (the King God) in particular, the Cult of the Eternal Spring keep the magical mill - the Shkodule - running and bless the city in its peculiar ways. The mystics of the Cult are the only ones allowed to freely legally go into the underground of Zinduhl, which they do very carefully to visit the sacred shrines and chamber under the city for sacrifice and ritual. The Cult has many ritual echoes of the old Yolpine religion, though they can be more aggressively Uvaran than your standard clergy. The Cult are more secluded from the general populace than the clergy, and might be considered monastic. Many among their ranks have been growing dissastisfied with secular government. To join this group is to swear off property rights and family ties. 
• The Standard Clergy: The Standard clergy of Zinduhl are the ones who maintain the temples, conduct standard Uvaran rituals, and interact with the broader Hainish clerical hierarchies. There is a major divide between the local priests, who are overwhelmingly common-born, and the city's leadership, which is noble-born. The Rosgen is aligned with this faction. 

Warriors of the Elector-Prince: The Elector-Princes of the Hugelma family have long believed that control over the martial elements of the city equates to ultimate control over the city itself. Through the small military garrison, the family has spend a century and a half building ties to the city guard. Now, both the city guard and the garrison share a culture and a political stance apart from the rest of the city. The garrison tends to men-at-arms from across Hugelma holdings and vassals; the city guard recruits from local artisanal families. The Junker is currently aligned with this faction.

• The local Seihov, or Shalehouse, which supplies minerals and salts to the city's prisms, is basically a part of this faction. The Seihov's owners, the Krintoller family, has ties with House Hugelma and is able to use military river barges to ship in minerals from the Northern mountains for basically free. In exchange, the Seihov pressures prisms dependent on the mineral imports to act as a political base for the Hugelma family.

The Promised Kivish Temple: The Promised Path Kivish are a religious minority in Zinduhl, but one with a lot of clout and numbers (about a quarter of the population). Of Kivish sects, the Promised Path are the most compatible with sedentary non-Kobold societies, and the local Promised Path is not seen as especially threatening by locals. The Kivish temple is the core of the Goagar district and the local animal-work industries. Especially as the city government has been floundering, the Kivish temple has risen as a local political force in their main district. While locals may not have a problem with it, outside academics (such as the current Rosgen) tend to have problems with the Liberated-Path elements of local Promised Kivish rituals and sentiments. The Promised Kivish temple has no singular leader, but is led by a triumvirate of major priests.

• Currently, a respected Kivish Guru named Yeifella the Merry has moved into town, and has been bringing together many Kivish residents of Zinduhl. Yeifella is charismatic, well-read, wise, and lives entirely on charitable alms. Yeifella has recently accumulated enough clout to begin influencing politics - and while she chooses to live humbly, she has been an open advocate for the Kivish community closing itself off from the rest of the city. While she is hardly anti-Uvaran, she argues that excessive religious cross-pollination risks future conflict and theological confusion, and that focusing on city politics or "big picture" events distracts from the more important issue of community morality
• In recent years, the Herzog has been funding Kobold small-merchants to try and build connections with the city's Temple.

The Agents of the Herzog: The Herzog, whose vassals rule the surrounding lands, has been trying to build a claim on the city of Zinduhl since 1975. This has gone from a minor back-burner project to a serious endeavor in recent years, and the nearby Burgrave of Ontorosh has been the main operator (and fall guy) for this. While the Agents of the Herzog are a minor faction, they tend to pop up wherever things are unstable.

History

The First Settlements (pre-1100)

Zinduhl is a city built on the rubble of bones of prior settlements. The first recorded settlement in the area was that of the Ishoteb tribe that lived along the banks of lake Isholess sometime in the late 400s ME. They were likely one of the "Toshvem" tribes - the diverse communities of the Delent that were grouped together by early chroniclers in the Andrigan Empire - though they may have migrated in later. Regardless, they were the inhabitants of the area before the Yolpine tribe conquered the land sometime between 600 ME and 900 ME. The Ishoteb were a cautious group that fixated on the river and the lake; they avoided the nearby hills, with their strange anomalies, just as they refused to use or accept wild magic sorcery.
According to some local stories, the Yolpine burst out of the ground without warning and set upon the people of the lake with iron axes and wild sorceries. The Yolpine agree that they emerged from the Earth, but claim that they were the original inhabitants of the land who were driven underground by the "Geltmog", a demon in the shape of a bird that demanded a regular tribute of innocent babies to eat and ruled over a cruel avian army. They say that the "Buried Lord", a powerful God that rules a magical land under the surface of the earth, accepted them and transformed them to live in his Kingdom. He taught them to work with iron and magic, and promised to one day spare them the terrors of the surface world when the Ederstone seeds sprout and end the surface as we know it - in exchange, they would revere him and call him God and King. They then emerged to the surface and, led by a great champion, slew the Geltmog. Having toppled the terrible birds, they took their lands back and offered the newcomer lake tribes safety in exchange for grain. Strangely, the folk stories that are likely descended from the Ishoteb's descendants seem to not describe any kind of Demon-birds, while the Yolpine legends and Andrigan chronicles do. The folk tales do tell of a different horrible witch-monster that ruled the lake before their ancestors, though. Are all these accounts related? Who knows?!
These stories are typically told after the Scouring history, but the timeline has become unclear after centuries of cultural assimilation and disturbances. It is possible that this is a simple tale of neighboring migrating tribes clashing; it is also possible that the Yolpine are an external group from a chaos waste that migrated underground into the Delent during the 600s. Some might even say that the Yolpine might be an exiled group from a subterranean civilization under the Delent, but that theory raises far more questions than it answers.
The point is, by 900 ME, a new settlement had been built in Zinduhl - a fortified town on a hill named Ishlaht that was further inland than the old Ishoteb settlement. The Yolpine were a militaristic group that seemed to embrace the magic of the land more than their predecessors. Not much is known of this older Yolpine society, as memory of it has been overshadowed and replaced by the Yolpine kingdoms that came after it. We at least know that they traded a great deal with Hain, had fierce warriors that assisted Hain against the Kivish, and had ambitions of rulership or tribute-taking. The tribe conquered (or were allied to, or drew tribute from) all of the Eastern Delent from their seat in Ishlaht, and concentrated their loot in Ishlaht - where their tribe's many splinter groups held common council. The Yolpine saw Ishlaht as holy - a place where the Buried Lord could influence the surface world, marked by the endlessly curling metal Worms of Eternity.

The Spectacle of Ishlaht (1100 - 1200)

The Mageplague of the 1000s ME shattered the Yolpine tribal kingdom; the other tribes rejected their leadership, and their society crumbled. It rebuilt itself as a militant and domineering kingdom in the 1100s; it took slaves, built infrastructure, created hierarchies, and centralized power into a hereditary monarchy. It expanded local agriculture, tying its subjects to the land as serfs while using subjugated labor to build great walls and castles. Ishlaht was a primary center of power, partially thanks to technological assistance from the local Kivish groups. The Worms of Eternity, which had once been a symbol of Yolpine religious truth, were harnessed to power a series of four massive mills - they were still worshipped, but they now represented both religious truth and imperial productivity. A version of this mechanism, the Shkodule, continues to this day. The role of Kivish technical assistance in the sacred Yolpine temple established a close relationship between the local Liberated Path and the intimate spaces of Yolpine religion - a connection that would slowly grow more intense over time.
Through raw force of labor, the Yolpine redirected part of the nearby river to flow through town as a source of freshwater. Two castles were built: one watching over the Temple of Eternity, the other serving as the royal seat of power on the nearby hill. The city concentrated around them, and filled the space between them. The modern-day suburb of Kermga is built from the ruins of the old royal palace, for reference. The sheer size and splendor of Ishlaht at its peak is impressive even by modern standards; the spire of the royal palace was an architectural marvel. While the monuments of Ishlaht were spectacular, the actual population was smaller than today's city, though, and the maintenance costs of the rerouted river and large castles were unsustainable.
According to Hainish legend, the Yolpine sacrificed innocent maidens at the Temple of Eternity during this period - until the Brave Knight Heillesh, ancestor of the Hugelma family, rode in to interrupt the sacrifice and to seal away the monster that devoured them. Heillish was chased from the city in a dashing escape, and he and the sacrifice were disguised by a spirit of forest mist a day's ride away from the city. The maiden he rescued was named Lontora, and she supposedly became the first Uvaran priestess of the land - and eventually died at the misty grove of the old forest spirit (she was supposedly martyred by fire for four days, but would not burn, and was taken by Ustav to die restfully in a bed of undying daisies in a cave). The place of her death became known as Lontorov, and continues to be a locally sacred place. While there is no evidence that the Yolpines actually fed maidens to giant snakes or underground monsters here or anywhere, Heillish and Lontora were actual actors during this time. The legend of this supposed rescue is told frequently, and Heillish riding with his lance at the dread serpent is a common part of local symbolism and art.

Hainish Vassaldom (1200 - 1500)

The Yolpine kingdom was fragile; it had a rebellious population, frequent monster incursions, and severe economic issues. It was not particularly difficult for the Kingdom of Hain to intimidate the Yolpine into becoming a vassal state in the 1200s, especially since Hain showed little interest in actually changing the local rule. If anything, the Hainish were impressed with Ishlaht's fortifications and actively supported them as a buffer against Northern threats. Ishlaht began subtly adopting Hainish elite culture and Uvaran religion; the Buried Lord had already been equated with Ustav by some Yolpine, and it was an easy sell that Hain's King-Earth-God was the Yolpine King-Earth-God. Local Uvara conflicted with many of Hain's basic beliefs and symbols, though - Ustav as a weird-looking cthonic ruler of an underworld that will save the righteous from an inevitable Ederstone apocalypse unsettled some visiting priests.
Ishlaht fell on hard times during the Scouring period of 1390 - 1440 , even as the Yolpine became more independent. The Kivish that failed to breach Artoril (until 1425, that is) attacked the Delent instead. While the Delent had been able to use migration and negotiation to make allies of some invaders and wear down the rest during past Scourings, that was simply no longer an option; the invading Kivish were more numerous and had a greater awareness of the region's geography, and the Yolpine were more sedentary. Ederstone weapons, warbeasts, and war engines tore into the royal palace of Ishlacht and destroyed much of the outer wall. The dam redirecting the river was destroyed, devastating the city's water supply. Fires set by siege engines burned down large swaths of the residential districts. The invaders were repulsed by an alliance of Yolpine knights and local Kivish allies, but the damage to the city was immense.
Ishlaht limped onwards after 1440, despite the damage; and struggled to get the riverwater back, but well-water worked well enough for many residents and the city survived. The city migrated Eastward, towards the lake; all but the Eastern fringe of the city was burned or destroyed, and it was easier to move Eastward towards the lake and river to rebuild. The Liberated Path allies of the Yolpine played a major role in the reconstruction effort, and played a larger and larger role in government as a result. Eventually, this increased political and social power became obvious when the 'Angel of Blessed Chains', a Liberated Path semi-sentient monster of notable power, was moved into the Temple of Eternity. This, along with a number of other Hainish grievances, led to increased tension over the next century.

Conquest and Rebirth (1500 - 1750)

From the 1480s to the 1570s, the Yolpine Margraves relied on Hainish courts and gradual concessions to crown demands to try and maintain their autonomy - but such a fragile arrangement was always temporary. In 1575 Princess Sammara Hugelma seized control of the Delent with her forces, and she demanded that the city of Ishlaht remove their Angel. The local leadership rebelled and the Angel remained, and the region entered five years of bloody civil war. When the city fell in 1578 after nearly a year of siege, Ishlaht was sacked and set aflame by furious peasants from the countryside. For centuries, Yolpine lords had crushed the other tribes and denied them full status; now, led by the charismatic bastard Karenta (the possible half-sister of Sammara), the subjugated peasantry took vengeance on the city that represented the old oppressive order. Princess Sammara rode in with a pair of Spring Knights to slay the Angel amidst the chaos, and did so with great fanfare. The Princess was far less successful in preventing the rebel's slaughter, and Ishlaht burned terribly once again. 
When Sammara finally established proper control over the Delent, she declared that Ishlaht had been destroyed - her new city built from its wreckage was to be named Zinduhl (though the monarch of Hain had already chosen to calling it "Chorfel", leading to centuries of naming confusion). In modern retellings, the destruction of Ishlaht was absolute and the new city was a complete social revolution and mass conversion to Uvara. To be true, the new order was a substantial change: Hainish law was instituted absolutely, and connections to the broader kingdom were greatly strengthened. But the image of a mass conversion is misleading and ahistorical; the people of the land had already been adopting Uvaran festivals, rituals, and symbols for centuries, and Princess Sammara tolerated most of the local deviations. While new art and monuments to Ustav were much more traditionally Hainish, plenty of people saw no problem with "Ustav of the Trees" being the public face now, while they still gave homage to "Ustav of the Roots" in private. The most substantial changes regarded the Kobold population: the Liberated Kivish were encouraged to convert to the Promised Path or face exclusion from any official positions or land ownership, though they were allowed to keep most of their old rituals and customs. This came with a clearer physical and legal divide between Kivish and Uvarans, while the two traditions had been equally holy in the old regime. 
From 1580 to 1680, early Zinduhl struggled with deep social divisions and early growing pains. The "Toshvem" (a term that referred to all non-Yolpine locals at this time), Kobod, Yolpine, and Hainish residents of the town all jockeyed for position in the new system and were often quite spiteful. In 1680, though, a new Kivish Scouring in the North united many in Hain against the new threat. In 1709, a Kivish campaign into the Delent destroyed Zinduhl again and enslaved many of the local residents. Many remnants of the old city were completely annihilated, and the new city took serious damage. It is considered a miracle to this day that the Kivish did not destroy the Shkodule - many stories of Ustav intervening, or the Angel of Chains returning, or of roots emerging from the ground to swat away invaders explain the survival of the temple-mill, but none of them are much more than sacred rumors. 
When the Scouring was pushed out of Hain in 1728, the true rebirth of Zinduhl began. While many cities hit by the Scourings were permanently scarred and irradiated, Zinduhl bounced back with astonishing strength. The moment the Schkodule mill was rebuilt, the city became a major vehicle of agricultural reconstruction - the Delent's strange soil seemed to only grow more fertile with Ederstone radiation, and the new farmers had a great deal of wheat but few intact mills. The Delent played a major role after 1728 in supplying food for the offensive campaigns of 1728 - 1750, and Zinduhl received significant royal support as a military supply depot and processing center. The social tensions of the 1600s were largely gone now that a new shared trauma bound the Toshvem, Yolps, and Hains together. 

 New Zinduhl

In 1730, House Hugelma moved their court and base of operations to Helmshal Keep, North of the city. In doing so, they bound together the economic fate of the House, the Delent, and Zinduhl - and kept the city safe during the next century of monster incursions from the wasteland. Zinduhl became a refuge for displaced farmers as well as a military supply depot and milling center. Continued coastal chaos also rerouted a great deal of trade through the Delent - turning Zinduhl into an important marketplace for a time. As monsters and bandits undercut the other towns of the Delent, Zinduhl rose as a producer of tools, textiles, and commercial goods for the many small farming communities of the region. Times were good. Perhaps the peak of this era was the period from 1830 to 1873. The Queen of Hain, Bolta Hugema, was particularly interested in funding the city and invested it with enhanced trading privileges. When the aging Queen was pressured into abdication by riotous nobles and dissenting court allies in 1837, she took her entourage of artists with her back to Zinduhl - and turned the city into a cultural hub for several decades. To supply the artists flooding into Zinduhl, the retired Queen funded the construction of several large dye-works that used local methods of dye-making attuned to the unique local flora and fauna. Hobbska, perhaps the most famed artist of the 1800s, lived in Zinduhl and beautified the city's monuments for the retired Queen.
The cultural bloom of Zinduhl brought money and prestige to the city, but was not entirely appreciated by all of the nobility. Bolta's successor deemed art patronage to be a waste of money, and a reaction against outside artists in the 1850s and 60s followed. While the dyeworks and art continued, the art boom declined without direct support. Artists and intellectuals increasingly migrated to the suburb of Kermga, outside the city proper, for cheaper living and more artistic freedom from the local nobility. Unfortunately, many of these people fled the city entirely for the neighboring refuge of Lontorov in 1873, when disaster struck: squabbling between the Great Houses had led to a war between lords, and House Savadan marched an army to Zinduhl. The siege did not destroy the city, but it did drive away many and put a damper on the recent prosperity. More fighting in the countryside between 1874 and 1881 (in short bursts, but still bloody) drove refugees into the city, but also undercut its economy. All the while, the reigning monarch took potshots at the city's economy, as he saw the city as a rival rather than a subject. The city declined even after the conflict was resolved, as the nearby Savadan-Humelga border generated tension and new Savadan and Dezuren tariffs hurt the city's trade. 
In 1910, a massive monster attack and border crisis to the Northwest attracted a new wave of Questing knights and merchants to Zinduhl. The Autumn Knights, an elite order of Hainish mage-killer knights, even opened a chapterhouse in the city. Due to a dispute between the Autumn Knights and the vassals of the Geinmen family, the knights moved their headquarters to Helmshal keep in 1916, bringing prestige, trade, and good press to the city for once. 

Modern History

Recent history generally starts with Election of 1965, a turning point in Hainish politics. The election was extremely tense and almost failed entirely; in Zinduhl, a panic erupted after a group of Savadan couriers passing through the city were brutally murdered. Thankfully, the new Queen Frashia Savadan was not particularly vindictive and was ultimately aided the city's economy a great deal by banning inter-House tariffs within Hain proper. The newfound stability and enhanced trade has benefitted the city. Since the 60s, the local Herzogs of Shodelent have also changed position: they have gone from being largely annoyed about the city (as it steals their local milling revenues and tempts peasants away from their farms) to actively trying to support and influence it. This newfound benevolence is thinly disguised ambition, as the Herzogs seem to be building a legal claim to the city to try and make it their direct vassal, but it has benefitted Zinduhl nonetheless. 
The new general prosperity of Zinduhl has made some aspects of life there better, but some worse. The booming population has brought new ideas, crafts, and entertainment to the city, as well as new technology. The money has helped support a large water conduit system that has increased public access to freshwater and has enabled new breweries and other water-intensive businesses to open. A boom in renewed mysticism has opened new forms of spirituality for the commonfolk, and has validated old folk traditions that were previously considered un-Hainish. 
However, not all parts of the city have gotten better, nor has the city thrived in harmony. The Burghers and the local priests have been at each other's throats, particularly after the Burghers built a massive windmill in 1989 to start competing with the magic Shkodule mill. Further windmills were planned in the surrounding area to the West (positioned near a windy mountain pass), but the priesthood has worked tirelessly to block them. The conflicts between House Hugelma (the Prince) and House Tolemshol (the Herzog) and between the priests and the Burghers have gotten in the way of resolving major infrastructure issues. Guild regulation and waste disposal are the two big problems in town. Guild matters that would ordinarily have been judged have been delayed indefinitely, allowing rogue businesses to flaunt their guild regulations and for guilds to be divided into bitter internal divisions. As the guilds play a major role in maintaining local neighborhoods, this has caused a lot of tiny problems around the city - which the Junker, priesthood, and Burghers have all tried to step in and solve as a powerplay, leading to very messy politics. The sewer system issue is one that is too big for any one group to solve, though: the waste disposal system of the town is simply overburdened and nonfunctional, and a complete overhaul of the sewer system is necessary. However, an underground sewer system in the modern style would be very expensive and also might stumble into some nasty problems: the city has a large underground network dating back to the Yolpine days, and it is said that old Kivish warbeasts were often tricked into the network and sealed away. Digging might be dangerous, or might cause structural issues in the city foundations - a cleverly made system could navigate these issues, but would require more money and an expert designer. Lastly, the city has faced sharper wealth inequality as it has grown.
Basically, the city faces a number of major obstacles and hurdles, but has great potential if they can be overcome.

Points of interest

Places of Authority

The Shkodule Temple-Mill: A huge combination of mill and cathedral, the Shkodule is a strange place indeed. At its heart, a massive coiling metal creature churns in place, driving a massive rigging device for the super-mill. Twelve huge grinding stones process massive amounts of grain ceaselessly, while priests chant and the ground rumbles rhythmically. The Cult of Eternal Spring, monks in rainbow hues who wrap their faces in rope masks, rule this place. Many Uvarans and Kivish alike perform rituals here on holidays, revering Ustav of the Roots and ritually unbinding the Irunek's spirit. The Temple-Mill is the religious and ritual heart of the city; it is also the central hub for the underground tunnel system. It is strictly controlled by the monks who run it, and they have little tolerance for misbehavior - so trespassers and miscreants beware. Unsurprisingly found in the Skolrim district.
The Grand Temple of Ustav the Purifier: The actual cathedral of the city, the largest and most illustrious temple that isn't a mill in the city. This is the headquarters for the standard clergy, and a major site for local piety. Stained glass colors the light, and bright paints cover every surface. This is the grave of the ancient Angel of Blessed Chains, and its remains are still on display in the crypt in a glass coffin. Relics and bones of the heroes of House Hugelma are also here, as well as of several heroic knights outside the house. Knights seeking a blessing on their quest often go here and swear their oaths before the great Crystal Chalice of the city. This place sits on the border between the Skolrim and Yolngar districts.
The Crown Plaza: A large open plaza for announcements, duels, displays, and feasts in front of the Junker's Manor. This is where elites and commonfolk meet in formal ritual and society. Executions typically occur here. In the Orhark district.
The Jokmosh, or Bell-Garden: The fortified center of the city, a little garden-castle that looks over the markets. This is where the guilds hold important meetings, where the Burghers meet, and where the city treasury is held. This is also where the city guard headquarters is. You cannot enter without a position in the guards, an invitation, a title, or a mastership with a city guild. In the Yolpar district. 
The First Temple of Promised Awakening: The largest of the Kivish temples, which hosts the assembled Kivish priests if they ever need to meet. Has a small library for those who are considered trustworthy among the faithful, and hosts any gurus or ascetics considered legitimate. In the Goagar district.

Places of Use

The Oldtower Inn and Salon: Underneath the giant windmill in the Kermga suburb is a large fortified bunker-basement that once served the garrisons of the Yolpine elite. Now, the Erdred family of Burghers that owns the windmill has turned it into a premier traveler's inn. Perfect for the middle-to-do mercenary, smallmerchant, monster-hunter, or courtier, the Oldtower Inn asks few questions but provides great security. They cater to unusual starspawn and monster-hunters, and the inn even has a former Questing Chapel priest from Vruhafen to run a work board for them. Wealthy visitors can book special fortified suites near the salon, to be able to enjoy some privacy. The salon itself requires additional payment to enter, but is a favorite place for visitors to discuss otherwise-forbidden ideas over wine or even imported Sunekan coffee. 
The Autumn Knight's Tower: The local chapterhouse for the Autumn Knights, a special order of Hainish warriors dedicated to destroying dark magic. If you need to learn about strange magical phenomenon or learn how to better slay witches, this is the place to go - if you have the noble bearing or good reputation to be let in. In the Orhark district.
The Skewered Serpent Inn: The largest and most average inn in the city, that typically hosts small-merchants, peddlers, and other visitors from out of town. The Skewered Serpent is a little rowdy when people get drinking, but it isn't exactly exceptional in that regard - this is, by Hainish tavern standards, a business-like establishment catering to the average and the mild-mannered. It can get a little xenophobic towards those who are too weird, though its standards for "weird" are more about dress and custom than physique. It is also rather hostile towards any who flaunt wealth, status, education, or magical talent. There is an unspoken rule here, that anyone who shows off without buying a round of drinks for everyone is fair game to pickpocket, dupe, or otherwise humiliate. In the Yolpar district. 
The Seihov: The Seihov, or Shalehouse, is the place where mineral-eaters (prisms and prism-adjacent-starspawn) go to get better food than the salt-and-gravel they serve most places. Run by the Krintoller family, the Seihov is a meeting place and community center for local prisms. It is also very much favored by the local garrison and city guard (for political reasons), and they tend to get free beers and dinner here; there is always someone with a badge and a sword relaxing here, which makes it a very safe place (or a very unsafe place, if you are a wanted person). They have rooms for rent here, but they tend to ridiculously upcharge anyone without a military background. On the lakeside, at the Lenplod district.
Wretcher's Lane: The worst place in the city, by any metric. This is the place where the broken sewer system meets the lake; it is a diseased swamp of a neighborhood that has basically been abandoned by the city. Guards don't patrol there, and won't enter unless a serious criminal investigation drags them there (like a murder or a theft against a noble). Only people who can't go anywhere else live here. It is rumored that particularly clever and subtle monsters live here as well, though that is often lurid storytelling - like the story of the magical ringworm infestation that now walks in humanoid shape concealed by a cloak. It is known that there are some un-exorcised nasty ghosts here, but none of them are violent enough to be considered worthy of dealing with. Petty thieves and gangsters unable to find a patron tend to meet here - there is no city guard this way. Most of them congeal around the Baron's Belly Inn - the only still-operating business on the Lane. Many call it "The Underbelly", and it is the premier locale for a good shady deal.

Architecture

Half-timbered and brick buildings with tall, steeped rooves and large basements are common. Buildings tend to be stocky but often reach up to three or four stories, with either white plastered brick and black-brown wood framing or orange-tinted brick and black framing. Colorful paints are a local favorite here. Large, open frontal facades are common, as are small towers or spires.

Founding Date

1580

Alternative Name(s)

Chorfel

Type

City

Population

10,000 humanoids

Inhabitant Demonym

Zindulan

Location under

The Delent

Owning Organization

The Kingdom of Hain