Llorkh

Llorkh was a large human town in the Gray Vale of the Savage Frontier. Once an important mining town, it dwindled and was finally annexed by the Zhentarim in the mid–14th century DR, becoming the westernmost outpost for their caravans and efforts to dominate trade in the North. After Zhentish rule, the town continued to fade in the 15th century DR, and destroyed by stone giants in the late 1400s DR.

As of 1491 a few settlers have returned and once again started in rebuilding the ruined town.

Government

Prior to the Zhentish occupation of 1357 DR, Llorkh was governed by a succession of human lords, often retired miners or warriors who'd earned the respect of the community. It's said they would never have tolerated the Zhentarim in their town. Phintarn was the last of these old lords, until he was found dead shortly before 1357 DR.

Afterward, Llorkh was ruled by Lord Geildarr from 1357 DR onward, through the 1360s and early 1370s DR. By 1372 DR, his title had changed to Lord Mayor.

Following the end of Zhentish occupation in the 15th century DR, Llorkh was under the thumb of a series of inept rulers, ending with a bandit king by 1479 DR.

As of 1491 DR after a couple years of rebuilding the town is now ruled by a male human knight originally from Waterdeep called Grand Mayor Taran Kroft

History

Early History

Llorkh was originally founded by Netherese refugees fleeing the downfall of Netheril, sometime after its fall in the Year of Sundered Webs, −339 DR. The neighbouring settlement of Loudwater was founded around the same time.

Later on, further settlement of Llorkh and Loudwater, as well as Longsaddle, Secomber, Triboar, and others, was undertaken by pioneers from Waterdeep after the establishment of the Lords of Waterdeep there in 1032 DR. These pioneers were sponsored by noble and mercantile Waterdhavian families.

Llorkh grew to become a sleepy mining town, its people busy working mines in the nearby hills and farming the surrounding land. The town was led by a series of lords, well-respected, retired miners and warriors. However, production soon started to wane and Llorkh began to dwindle. Only stubborn miners and many sheepherders were expected to remain.

When a cult of Talos summoned the Tempest in the Year of the Bright Blade, 1347 DR, they unleashed it on the towns of Llorkh and Orlbar. Its terrific winds tore apart cottages and the barrage of rain flooded the Grayflow river, washing away swathes of Llorkh.

Take-Over

Finally, shortly before 1357 DR, the last of the old lords, Phintarn "Redblade", was found dead at the foot of the Lord's Keep. Overnight, the mage Geildarr Ithym seized the Lord's Keep and claimed the throne. Soon after, four hundred "Lord's Men" arrived and in a handful of battles slaughtered all of the existing militia under the pretext that they were trouble-makers. The citizens found themselves under the "protection" of the Lord's Men. Thus, Llorkh was quickly and quietly conquered by the Zhentarim and under the control of their puppet.

Thanks to this brutal occupation, the townsfolk had no liking for Geildarr. In the aftermath, Phintarn's brother died mysteriously one night, and his inn was razed the very next day. Lord Geildarr named the aged dwarf cleric Thianos "Ironskull" an outlaw and ordered his troops to find him. Since the takeover, the dwarves of Llorkh steadily and discreetly departed, even disappeared.

Zhentarim Control

As soon as their control over the town was consolidated, Zhentarim caravans began to arrive from the Anauroch. They required accommodations, food, water, animals, wagon repairs, and so the townsfolk were pressed into work supplying these. They erected rough inns and taverns to cater to the caravans.

By 1357 DR, the fiendish forces of Hellgate Keep advanced on newly conquered Llorkh. The Lord's Men met them on the banks of the Delimbiyr river above Shining Falls. They fought a major battle, but beat the demons back.

In Uktar of the Year of Shadows, 1358 DR, one particular Zhentarim caravan was secretly transporting a menagerie of monsters in locked wagons for unknown reasons on a journey to the south. One night, one monster—eyewitnesses described something huge, dark, man-shaped, and with vicious insectoid mandibles, suggesting it was an umber hulk—escaped from its wagon, knocked over three others, and destroyed an inn and three other builds, and finally bolted in the hills. Meanwhile, other monsters spilled from the knocked-over wagons and roamed the streets before the Lord's Men came to deal with them. The caravan masters absconded into the night, and daylight found thirty monster zombies, undead ogres, bugbears, and minotaurs destroyed and ten soldiers and civilians killed.

The travelogue writer Volothamp Geddarm, when visiting Llorkh, once stopped at the Ten Bells. There he was accosted by four thugs, whom he suspected to be Zhentarim agents, and defended himself with magic. Leaving burning bodies behind, he promptly fled town, not desiring to return.

In the mid-1360s DR, the House of Klond, a small caravan trading company, was suspected of smuggling metals out of Mirabar and transporting them to Llorkh to pass to the Zhentarim.

Circa 1372 DR, Lamris Kholl (a former inhabitant of Llorkh) and Adama Miiralin managed to rescue the Kholl family from Llorkh and Zhentarim rule.

15th Century

After only a handful of decades of Zhent occupation, the veins of gold and silver in Llorkh's mines played out. The occupiers left, taking everything of value with them and leaving Llorkh's buildings in a state of ruin.

Although Llorkh was still disreputable, one incompetent ruler after another caused the remaining citizens of integrity to leave, and it suffered a dramatic decline in the 1470s DR. By 1479 DR, the city lay in ruins and served as a stronghold for a self-styled bandit king and his henchmen.

The bandit king was eventually killed and people started to return to Llorkh in an attempt to restore it. It was then that a clan of stone giants, led by an evil, xenophobic giantess named Kayalithica, in alliance with the Uthgardt Blue Bear Tribe, smashed the town into rubble.

After laying in ruins for around 10 years a number of settlers started to return to the settlement once more starting to rebuild for the second time in its history.

Geography

Llorkh was fairly isolated where it stood, on the north bank of the River Grayflow in the western fringe of the Graypeak Mountains. The mountains to the east and north of the town were riddled with tunnels left by mining operations. These were old and almost depleted by the mid–14th century DR.

The town stood on the Dawn Pass Trail, which, via the Dawn Pass, connected with the Black Road over Anauroch.

Founding Date

Around −339 DR

Type

Town

Population

1000

Location under

Savage Frontier

Owner/Ruler

Grand Mayor Taran Kroft

Characters in Location

• Grand Mayor Taran Kroft

Imports
All