58 Chapter 2: Gazetteer of tal’Dorei
Providing much of Tal’Dorei and Whitestone’s grown
food and produce, the community must import most all
other commodities outside of wood, making it an eager
stop for trade caravans, and an easy target for swindling.
As such, nearly 150 Shields from Westruun are semi-per-
manently stationed here to keep the peace and prevent
unlawful activity, dragging any apprehended criminals
back to Westruun for judgment. Even so, the influence of
darker interests still creeps up from time to time.
Turst Fields is also one of the few communities in
Tal’Dorei that counts gnolls among not only its allies, but
its citizens. Without the Dustpaw gnolls, Turst would not
have survived its first summer., not with the bloodthirsty
Ravagers running rampant across the plains. Today, the
humans and halflings of Turst Fields have not only been
accepted by the Dustpaws, but many have adopted the
gnolls’ language and animistic spirituality. This alliance
isn’t as accepted by the larger populace of Tal’Dorei, how-
ever, and racial relations do become pressed when dealing
with visiting political and foreign interests.turst fiel Ds aDventures
a ba D inflUence
For low-level characters: A massive shipment of illegal suude
from Stilben has caused a surge of addiction in Turst, lead-
ing to strife within the community. To make matters worse,
a young woman named Shela had an adverse reaction to a
recently arrived batch of suude, causing her to enter a psy-
chotic rage, tearing four people apart before she was killed.
Unbeknownst to its users, the latest shipment was laced with
lycanthrope bile, and many users within the city may not be
aware they are already infected—and the ones responsible
are watching closely to see the fruits of their labor.Gnoll recoUrse
For mid-level characters: A hobgoblin calling herself Grud
the Great has taken control of an arm of the Ravagers. Her
highly-organized regiment of hobgoblins has whipped the
local goblins and orcs into shape, and they now march on
Turst. The army is too large to be stopped by just the PCs,
but perhaps helping the somewhat friendly Dustpaw gnolls
secure an alliance with the standoffish Whitesnout, Priest-
Eater, and Riverwalker tribes will be enough.the six bl aDes War
For high-level characters: The recent promise of profit in
Turst, if only its criminal elements can be organized and
yoked to pull in the same direction, has proven too great
a temptation. A new criminal gang calling itself the Six
Blades is making a bid for control of all illicit activity in
and around the community, and is violently making an
example of anyone—criminal or Shield—who gets in their
way. Efforts to stamp out the gang have proven ineffective,
and its members are unusually dedicated—even fanatical.
The gang’s leadership is shadowy, and unknown beyond
the name “Hexen.” In fact, the mysterious Hexen is a
marilith demon with ambitions to sow chaos and suffer-
ing far beyond Turst Fields, if given the opportunity.West ruun
Large City • Population: 26,205
(65% Human, 10% Gnome, 7% Tiefling,
5% Half-Orc, 1% Gnoll, 12% Other)
The city of Westruun is the center of Tal’Dorei, a
crossroads of culture along the Silvercut Roadway that
welcomes adventurers, traders, and vagabonds of all
kinds. Despite its name, Westruun is more east than
west, and was in fact named after Palest Westruun, the
trader and philosopher who founded the city. Though
Westruun suffered greatly beneath the iron talons of
the Chroma Conclave, the dragon’s destruction and the
razing of the Herd of Storms has allowed the city to
reclaim its place of importance as an economic and polit-
ical power within Tal’Dorei.Government
Westruun is ruled by Margrave Brandon Zimmerset,
appointed after the fall of the Conclave in the wake of the
previous margrave’s execution at the hands of the Herd
of Storms, a now-defunct tribe of barbaric nomads. A
margrave is a military official appointed by the Council
of Tal’Dorei, and is a position held for life, or until the
council deems them unfit to govern. Westruun’s standing
margrave has executive power over the region’s military
forces and holds power to establish and dissolve trading
guilds, the lifeblood of Westruun. The city’s margrave
commands a standing military of about 800 trained
soldiers known as the Shields of the Plain, or simply
“Shields.” Despite Westruun’s importance, its military
is often spread too thin to properly mount an offensive
against the guerrilla Ravagers.revolution
Since Margrave Zimmerset is a military leader, Westruun
is technically under martial law, as are all Tal’Dorei cities
ruled by a margrave. This form of government is a relic of
the totalitarian rule of King Warren Drassig, and some
of Westruun’s citizens chafe under their absolute rule.
Any thoughts of dissent against the previous margrave,
however, were snuffed out when the Chroma Conclave
attacked. The black dragon Umbrasyl made short work
of the Shields and shattered the margrave’s rule before
retreating to Gatshadow, leaving Westruun open for inva-
sion by Kevdak’s goliath herd. Umbrasyl and Kevdak were
both slain by Grog Strongjaw and Vox Machina, freeing
Westruun from tyranny.
In the peace that followed the fall of the Conclave, the
newly-appointed Margrave Zimmerset made plans to
return Westruun to its former glory. Some idealistic young
students and traders take umbrage with this proposal—
when was Westruun last “glorious” under a margrave’s
rule? Word of Emon’s new, elected council has reached
them along the trade roads, and word of revolution brews
in Westruun, with secret meetings occurring in smoky
corners of the Puddlemuck Tavern and in study chambers
of the Westhall Academy.