The Shielded City of V'run [44 x 50]

[Made in Dungeondraft with default assets and [1] asset from cartographyassets.com/creator/essendi/]

V'run used to be one of the seven major cities of its Kingdom, before the darkness came. Now, most of the cities have been destroyed or occupied and much of its people enslaved or embroiled in losing battles. Faced with destruction at the hands of the encroaching horde, the Kingdom pooled its resources and fortified what used to be the Noble District of V'run, protecting it with a magical shield that proved enough to stave the grasp of the darkness.

While the shield protects against the evil magics and sorcery that accompanied the horde, it does not always protect from more mundane threats, and so the city suffers frequent attack while serving as a bastion of hope for the people of the Kingdom.

Unfortunately, the Arc Lords, high mages that served the Kingdom, have taken to the castle and live an isolated existence, focusing primarily on maintaining the integrity of the shield, training new initiates and researching ways to defeat the supernatural threat. That leaves little time for the rest of the city, which has fallen under the sway of three rival mercenary outfits that have taken over former homes of the nobility.

Most refugees that find their way to the shielded city are given a choice to serve one of those companies, or to join the rest of the men and women as soldiers in the periphery of the walls, known to most as the "Round". That group of men and women are largely comprised of lost and displaced citizens, trying to piece their lives back together while defending the city from the horde and its many beasts, especially wolves and dire wolves, that plague it daily.

How do players fit in?

v'run could be a great starting location for a group of players that has found its way there to assist with the Kingdom's mission to push back the darkness and seek a way to reclaim their lands. They could also make their way there as part of a quest or mission, to locate a particular item, talk with a specific person or see the threat diminished.

Potential Adventure Hooks

| The party has been hired by one of the local mercenary guilds to help them secure a formidable tower to the west and claim it for the city, establishing a defensive point beyond the shield.

| The party can collect coin by heading out into the woods and thinning the number of wolves, dire wolves or other creatures crawling in the darkness.

| The party can attempt to seek audience with the Arc Lords for some knowledge they seek, in return for carrying out an important task they require to be done outside the walls.

The city will eventually have a 2nd Level (several of the buildings are 2-story), as well as a lower level, mostly beneath the Castle, which contains some of the valuable secrets which made V'run a primary target to defend against the darkness. Once completed, these will all be available on Patreon.

Comments and feedback welcome!