Korbortun

In the early part of the thirteen century, the hobgoblins of Gorkith came to blows with the Ghorzul. Out of Turak, this ogre tribe was the toughest and most savage of all the Toomrur tribes of the region, perhaps even all of Brucrumus. Convinced by their shamans, the Ghorzul saw Gorkith's hobgoblins as a major threat, with plunder-hungry leaders bent on violating the ancestral barrows of Mauhúlfúr. By 1335, the last of the hobgoblins were driven out of Gorkith. They migrated west, following the trails of thousands of others, settling along the eastern banks of Dargirth, opposite the eerie landscape of Maar'tolaak.

On 16 Hollow 1341, they built a settlement that would grow to be a great bastion, repelling hundreds of attacks by the Toomrur, green dragons and other terrors out of Maar'tolaak. The citadel grew stronger and larger over the centuries, becoming something that to besiege, was a career ending move.

Korbortun is one of the most massively fortified cities of Brucrumus. It has four dozen towers each built to be an independent bastion after the walls they link are captured. They bristle with cannons and mortars and a patchwork of arrow slits. The ground slopes before the walls and is covered with twenty feet of dirt. This cannon-proofed rampart is three thousand feet long, ending at seventy foot tiered and sloped walls with double battlements. The upper battlement holds cannons and other siege weapons. Beyond the double and sometimes triple walls is a city divided into five walled districts shaped like a pentagon.

Those that breach the walls of the city are now caught in a dangerous square with enemies firing into their midst from walls and towers. In 1666, the Fograth lost two divisions in this area. A few dozen escaped by magic and luck, the rest were caught in a storm of magic, arrows and raging fires. The latter were started by fire elementals out of Bolmod, mercenaries that take particular interest in setting towns and cities aflame.

If we could stop seeing fire as the symbol of Surtur, our great armies could also make good use of Bolmod's Inferno Legions.

- Mag Lughakh, Fograth war chronicler - "Ebony Porcupine"

Korbortun's central district is Hangrarg. This area is at the heart of the pentagon. The largest structure of this district is an obsidian and basalt fortress. Visitors to the city often refer to this bastion as the Ebony Porcupine. Officially known as Agrirtheon, it serves as the headquarters and seat of power for the Tormoran Federation. Agrirtheon is ringed with bartizans holding dragon ballistas, trebuchets, and cannons. Only one force has ever reached this place. They were met with such a conflagration and storms of magic from the Embers and the Inferno Legion that few escaped.

Korbortun is a formidable fortress-city, built up over hundreds of years to defend against Toomrur raids from the east and later those of the Toomrur Hegemony. Its western side, that backing the great Dargirth river, was built up to handle the Orchish Empire. During the rise of this empire, Korbortun's hobgoblins often served alongside Githirmil regulars as mercenaries. After showing sufficient loyalty and skill in battle, many of these hobgoblins went on to become soldiers of the Fograth, and citizens of the Orchish Empire.

In the Korbortun War, the Orchish Empire made a weak attempt in annexing Korbortun. The attackers had to cross the wide and fast-flowing Dargirth. They were met with a hail of missile fire along the eastern banks and were never able to consolidate their forces for an advance on the city. Five months later, they abandoned their campaign against the hobgoblins. One of the most ingenious attacks on the city were ships firing chains into towers and walls and then using the currents of the river to weaken them and bring a few down. This war led to an improvement in Korbortun's western defenses with fortification engineered to handle naval bombardments and amphibious assaults.

In 1402, the Tormoran Federation was established with Korbortun as the administrative capital of a federation of hobgoblins states.

Korbortun's western fortifications descend to a depth of 500' or more. This was done to deal with the near-disaster in 1752, when orc sappers mined under them and then flooded the area. This caused the collapse of a two hundred foot section of wall and a quarter of a district. There was so many collapsed structures and deep water pits that the Fograth suffered even worse as they tried to make their way to the next wall. This siege like those of 1400, 1666 and many others were partial or complete defeats, proving that taking Korbortun is no easy task.

The city is home to a cell of the Cult of Worms and one of Embers. The Cult of Worms was responsible for embroiling the Tormoran Federation in the region spanning Chaos War. During this war's Lich Front, the outskirts of the city became the marshaling area for the forces of the Sekbire Pact.

Korbortun is notorious for its gambling and prostitution houses. Many of these establishments are run by military figures, guild masters, and merchant lords.