02 - Iron Kingdoms W.. - Captain Spud Is Amazing

108.1.141.197
It is no wonder that Corbhen is said to be among
the loneliest places in western Immoren. The ancient
stone towers and walls of the City of Mist, as it is called,
are shrouded in the nigh perpetual vapors that roll off
Mere Tagao to the west and down from the northern
hills. Upon seeing the stone walls rising above the fog,
more than one visitor has remarked on Corbhen’s
similarity to a ship adrift on a still sea. Despite a
reconstruction effort spanning generations, Corbhen
still bears many scars from the Orgoth occupation. The
outskirts are pocked with crumbling ruins, some razed
to their foundations—evidence after six centuries that
Corbhen was one of the first and last cities to suffer
destruction at the hands of the foreign invaders.
Corbhen was again occupied 464–468 AR when
Khador invaded western Ord and captured the city for
several years. Even though the City of Mist has a sizable
population, it is strangely devoid of life. Corbhen
never recovered its population after the Orgoth,
and since those dark days, many families relocated
elsewhere. Something harrowing seems to fester in the
heart of Corbhen; it pulls at the souls of its inhabitants.
Visitors have noted a distant, haunted look in the eyes
of longtime residents as well as a hollow timbre to their
voices. This strange continence is often dismissed as a
natural reaction to years spent amongst the mists.
The two largest and most ancient structures, Castle
Deiridh to the southwest and the Swords of Faith
Cathedral on the northeast, serve as anchors for the
city. The central area is called Amidships, and it is
dominated by the decayed coliseum built in crueler
days. The coliseum is not used today. It merely looms
over the thoroughfare that connects the two inhabited
districts, for most of the buildings in Amidships are
dilapidated and empty.
Noted Persons
Castellan Olyado Caetan (male Tordoran Ari5/
Ftr5): Always seen with his hand on the pommel of
his sword, Castellan Caetan is a man driven by inner
demons. A few years ago his beloved wife Isbet drowned
herself and her unborn child in the peat bogs. Since
that time, Caetan has secluded himself within his family
estate where he drinks heavily and rarely ventures into
town. Those close to him fear for his sanity and claim
that in his more somber moments the castellan swears
he hears Isbet calling to him from the bogs.
Murph and Connor Gallowglas (both male Thurians
Pal7): Handsome twins, these Knights of the Prophet
were reared literally in the shadow of the Swords of
Faith Cathedral and were called to serve Morrow at a
young age. Their father was a cleric-turned-monsterhunter
who defended pilgrims from the depredations
of beasts. He settled in Corbhen to raise a family
and managed to instill in them a deep reverence for
Morrow before he disappeared in the misty fens when
the boys were seven. They have since become hunters
of evil in their own right and are often assisted in their
endeavors by their generous but boorish friend, the
singularly-named Derocco (male Tordoran Rgr5).
Murph carries a great axe and Connor carries a great
sword; each are marked with the Radiance of Morrow,
and both men are festooned with a brace of pistols.
Vicar Quin Kellair (male Thurian Clr10): As
Castellan Caetan withdraws further, Vicar Kellair
has taken on more responsibilities and now literally
governs Corbhen in the castellan’s name. Kellair’s
family has served the Caetan line for generations
and the vicar is distraught by his friend’s decline.
Still, the local Tordorans are grateful for the vicar’s
administrations.
Locales of Corbhen
Castle Deiridh: The ancient crumbling walls of
the castle have seen better centuries. Castle Deiridh
originally consisted of a large central keep with three
outlying towers connected to it by thick walls. The
central keep and the tower overlooking Mere Tagao
and its connecting buttressed wall and walkway are
still intact. The other two towers, the walls between
them, and the keep that guarded a courtyard were
razed by the Orgoth centuries ago. Today the central
keep is used as the barracks for the city’s contingent
of soldiers and active militia members. Morale among
the soldiers is low, especially among those who were
not born in Corbhen. The veterans claim there is no
escape from the mists, “Once you come to know them,
they will haunt you to your dying day.”
Peat Bogs: The North Berck Moors extend from
the Rohannor River all the way to Corbhen. The
northern edge of the moors is extremely marshy and
the area south of Corbhen is covered with bogs and
swampy forests of stunted trees. These bogs are a rich
source of peat, which is cut into slabs and turned
World Guide 297