Guruma

History

Guruma was established sometime during the early Upheaval period when explorers began to take more of an interest in Gothir. The local Ettinor had no interest in establishing trade, but some members of the Kingdom of Derunadel decided to build a town along the coast anyway in order to have a place for merchants and other ships to dock there. The Ettinor were skeptical, but welcomed the travelers, as they were not strangers to the other races of the world, having traveled a bit themselves. However, once the Kingdom of Derunadel was well-established, they began to establish a military presence there, which angered the Ettinor, who were not so naive as to not understand the significance of this action.

This military presence was not innocent, and the Kingdom of Derunadel eventually decided to expand their territory in Gothir, moving east, capturing Ettinor settlements as they went. However, as they reached the city now known as Ebondel, they were overwhelmed by the Ettinor response due to their sheer number and ferocity. The Kingdom of Derunadel's forces were driven back west toward Guruma; but as they did, they began to take hostages from Ettinor villages. They used these hostages as a bargaining tool to negotiate safe passage back to Guruma with the understanding that they would leave the continent forever. They would not make good on this promise, however, as upon arriving in Guruma, they did not release the hostages, and instead publicly branded the hostages in view of the Ettinor war band with a mark that, in the Letheni tongue, meant "trash". They then put the hostages to work in some nearby mines and worked them to death. After using them up, they partially burnt the bodies and flung them back at the Ettinor over the walls with a message reading "EAT UP", mocking the Ettinor's cannibalistic practices.

This enraged the Ettinor, who gathered other war bands from around Ettinor and marched on Guruma and sacked the city. They left 1,000 soldiers and civilians alive and brought them to the city center, where they forced 500 of them to watch while they ate the remaining captives alive. The survivors were not spared, however, as after witnessing this horrific act, they were subject to the Soulbinding ritual known as Sari'negol, during which they are killed before having their soul captured by a Soulbinder and then bound back to their physical body under the Ettinor's control. The undead soldiers were then placed in 100 ft. deep holes in a cavern somewhere in the mountains of Gothir, each given their own pit, to spend eternity rotting in isolation. No efforts have ever been made by the Kingdom of Derunadel or their successors to locate the soldiers, who as far as the public is aware, are still out there somewhere.

Foreigners were not welcome in Gothir for many years, and it is only during the Restoration period when the Kingdom of Derunadel was finally disbanded in favor of the Synodical Republic when apologies were made for their sordid past that relations with the Ettinor were mended. The memory of the event, which later became known as "the branding", still remains; and the Ettinor have not let visitors forget it. However, in the wake of the Spellscar anomaly, relations with the Ettinor have improved when the nations of the world came together to help the Ettinor reclaim their homeland. In the current day, Guruma is filled with mercenary agents who compete over recruiting those who disembark looking for work to participate in the Spellscar Crusade.

Government

There is no official government in place in Guruma, per-se, though the Spellscar Crusade's military forces have a presence here, so the law is upheld by military guards. There is a Prellaton of the Crusade in residence however, a Letheni man named Erenon Doviryan. He works with the mercenary companies in Guruma to find assignments for new recruits and coordinate the defense of the town. It is relatively rare for the Bakari to show up near Guruma, but it does happen.

Economy

Guruma doesn't have much in the way of trade, with any local merchants being geared towards providing equipment for the mercenaries in residence to fight the Bakari. A large portion of the arms used by the Spellscar Crusade are produced here, as it is relatively safe. Weapons are provided to recruits upon contracting with a mercenary company. None of this would be possible, of course, without the patronage of a number of wealthy benefactors from overseas who donate to the cause in order to afford the weaponry needed to fight the Bakari. Some of the local Ettinor are suspicious of these donations, wondering why so many foreigners have been willing to aid their cause, but these donations have been made without condition. These donations are also used to pay the mercenaries.

Although there is not much in the way of trade, there are a handful of unique export goods that merchants seek in Guruma; in particular, Akronite. This metal is used for a wide variety of enchanted weapons and items, but is perhaps most well-known for its usage to create soulstones used by the Soulbinders of Gothir. The metal has to be kept a safe distance away from the town thoroughfare however, due to its side effect of attracting spirits. These areas of the docks are avoided by most due to the spirits that lurk there, but they're mostly harmless, mesmerized by the strange green metal. However, if disturbed, they can become a serious problem that Guruma's mercenaries are unequipped to deal with.

Notable Locations

• The Docks - A very large port comprises more than a quarter of the size of Guruma, welcoming adventurers from all over the world seeking fortune and glory by fighting the Bakari threat in Gothir. However, those disembarking in Guruma can look forward to being swarmed by a host of recruiters from the local mercenary companies seeking to strike a deal with new arrivals, offering competing wages to secure their contract in the fight against the Bakari. However, these recruiters are known to offer stagnant wages not in line with the reality of the work. A group known as the Advocates have a limited presence on the docks in order to inform new arrivals of their options and negotiate fair wages; when they're able to get to them before the recruiters secure their contract.
• Registration Office - A building in the town center in which the Spellscar Crusade requires new arrivals to Gothir to register themselves. They are located along the main road, and there are walls to prevent visitors from going anywhere else in the city until they pass through registration. Visitors must choose whether to sign on with the Spellscar Crusade itself, or with one of the local mercenary companies. The Spellscar Crusade doesn't pay as well as any of the mercenary companies, as they do not have the private patronage mercenary companies utilize, but they have greater opportunities for advancement and are geared towards those in leadership positions. The office is guarded by a number of armed soldiers to prevent visitors from sneaking past.
• Mercenary Camps - Situated along the docks, separated from the rest of Guruma by large walls similar to the ones along the road to the registration office, are the mercenary camps. These camps represent the various mercenary groups operating throughout Gothir, helping the Spellscar Crusade to combat the Bakari threat. These camps serve as a staging area to recruit new arrivals and train them. To proceed to the registration office and enter Gothir, one must first choose a mercenary company to contract with.
• Tournament Grounds - Found near the town limits, the tournament grounds are a gathering place for the mercenary groups of Guruma to train and put on shows to entertain wealthy patrons that are seeking to donate to the most skilled group. The mercenary groups fight it out here to secure funding to get the equipment and wages needed to continue the offensive against the Bakari. The local Ettinor have mixed opinions, with some believing it is distasteful, and others cheering on the fights, taking enjoyment from the violence.

Culture

Unfortunately, Guruma has lost much of any trace of Ettinor culture that once existed there, as it has a long history of association with foreigners ever since The Branding, and the Ettinor that do take residence there are typically Bone Collectors looking to aid in reclaiming their homeland. Guruma is now a melting pot of nearly every race in Aellorah, with the notable exception of Dwarves, who have not gotten involved in the Crusade, likely not wishing to broach the sensitive topic of sharing their Runetech. The various adventurers coming to Gothir to join the Crusade bring their culture, food, games, and stories with them.

At the docks where new recruits first arrive are a number of recruiters who swarm those disembarking, hoping to get an adventurer or two to sign on to their cause. However, this isn't simple competition, but exploitation, as these recruiters universally offer poor wages that the fresh recruits may not realize are so bad. In response to this, a group calling themselves the Advocates has a stall in the docks where they wait for fresh arrivals, acting as a representative to negotiate fair wages from the various mercenary companies. There are only a handful of them, so they're outnumbered and don't always manage to get to visitors before the mercenary recruiters do, but they consider it important to ensure that those putting their lives on the line for the Crusade's cause are compensated adequately.

Once recruited by one of Gothir's mercenary companies, adventurers must register with the Spellscar Crusade before they are permitted to take assignments. This registration is both for logistics and to ensure rogue agents aren't attempting to take action in hostile territory without the Crusade's knowledge. Those who are caught in hostile territory outside of approved Spellscar Crusade operations can be imprisoned or even killed if they are found to be harming the Crusade's efforts. Ettinor are expressly forbidden from joining the Spellscar Crusade due to the danger of them becoming converted by the Bakari. This has been a constant source of tension between the Crusade and the native Ettinor population, as they wish to reclaim their homeland. However, the Ettinor not residing in Guruma or Ebondel are typically confined to the frozen tundra in the north, and the lush green plains of the eastern coast.

Defenses

Guruma's defenses are limited. Though they have plenty of mercenaries and soldiers of the Spellscar Crusade in residence, the majority of fighting capable forces are redirected to Ebondel to be given assignments to help the war efforts. Those that remain in residence in the town patrol around the town, which has rudimentary wooden stakes acting as defensible walls, which was imported from Reshyk due to lack of lumber throughout Gothir. It is rare for the Bakari to attack Guruma, but it has happened on occasion. Guruma is isolated from southern Gothir due to the dense mountain range to the south, as well as several bodies of water preventing direct travel to the town.

The Spellscar Crusade does not have the resources to patrol Gothir's coasts, so there are no resources to monitor for outsiders entering the country from other areas; however, unregistered persons found by the Spellscar Crusade are subject to arrest and detention in Ebondel. Those who cannot explain their presence in Gothir or who are believed to be there for dubious purposes are deported. Those believed to be acting against the Spellscar Crusade or who have harmed their operations can be imprisoned indefinitely or even executed.

Crime

Life is different in places like Guruma. Crime exists here like any other place in Aellorah, but takes different forms. Theft isn't very common, as not many have anything worth stealing in a land where wages are low and risks are high. Thieves aren't so much interested in money as they are in any specialty equipment adventurers may be bringing to the fight, such as magical weapons or armor. Murder is about as common as any other place, especially when you're surrounded by rival mercenary companies seeking to make a name for themselves. However, crime in Gothir carries a much harsher sentence than in most of the rest of Aellorah.

Guruma, as well as the rest of Gothir, have a unique dual punishment system in which Ettinor criminals are punished by the Ettinor, and all others are handled by the Spellscar Crusade, unless that crime was committed against the Ettinor people. Though the Spellscar Crusade provides legal counsel for those caught committing crimes, due to their Myrian origins, those handed over to the Ettinor are given no such luxuries. The Spellscar Crusade doles out harsh punishments for crimes to discourage future criminal behavior, as they do not have the resources to rehabilitate criminals, nor the patience for it. A thief might have their hand chopped off, or simply be imprisoned, while a murderer will be beheaded.

However, the Ettinor are much harsher with their punishments, especially on foreigners, as they have already suffered much at the hands of the Kingdom of Derunadel long ago and they do not share the Myrians' sentiment that criminals can change their ways. Many crimes are punishable by death among the Ettinor, but some may even warrant being subject to the capital punishment of Sari'negol, in which a criminal is killed and then rebound to their body, and tossed in a deep hole somewhere isolated to be forgotten as they are trapped inside their own body in isolation forever.