Admundfort (Hamlet): Conventional
AL LG
100 gp limit
Population 300?; Mixed (77% human, 8% halfling, 5% elf, 5% half-orc, 2% dwarf, 2% gnome, 1% half-elf).

Authority Figure: Knight Commander Galeoth Korsen (Military Commander of the Enclave); Lady Katarina Walworth (Knight Commander of the Shield Lands); Countess of Walworth (High Marshall of the Great Northern Crusade)

This walled city, with its magnificent twin keeps overlooking the Nyr Dyv, was evacuated during the wars and captured by Iuz with little resistance from the exhausted men who had retreated many scores of miles south on long, wearying marches. A battle for Admundfort would have been glorious, but it would have cost thousands of lives for little useful purpose. So Admundfort is in a good state of repair, though Shield Land mages destroyed most of the naval barracks and inflicted significant structural damage on the keeps before they left, so that the sea keeps are still being rebuilt with human slave labor. It is by no means certain that all the booby-traps hurriedly placed here have been removed by the city’s new occupants, so humans are used to explore the few semi-derelict city areas remaining.

The Lesser Boneheart mage Vayne rules from a great townhouse in the city district once known as The Guilders for the members of the powerful artisans’ guilds who used to live there. Vayne had the central citadel of the Knights of Holy Shielding looted and the many shrines to Heironeous defaced and befouled. Fiends prowl there now, tormenting the handful of Shield Land minor nobility captured in the city. Vayne is a bitter man; he has been demoted from the Greater Boneheart for a lack of distinction in the wars and Null was promoted in his stead. This was an especially cruel blow, since the Greater Boneheart is one short of its maximum number and Vayne is now isolated from his master and fellows.

Also, Vayne has to deal with the Rhennee who ply their trade from this city across the Nyr Dyv. They tell Vayne much of what happens in Greyhawk, Urnst, Nyrond and Furyondy. Vayne passes on some of what he learns to luz, but not all, and he is beginning to consider the possibility of defecting and telling all he knows of Iuz’s plans to a country which would reward his treachery, such as Veluna. However, he is too terrified of luz to put this plan into action yet.

Admundfort has a naval barracks and a handful of surviving caravels, but these are not used much by Iuz’s forces. Hobgoblin troops cunningly used ships with chained human galley slaves to dissuade the Furyondian navy from ramming them or using fireball/wall of fire attacks, but after a couple of successful boarding actions by determined naval militia out of Willip, this strategy was soon abandoned. Likewise, the fishing vessels here are unused. There are no humanoids capable of sailing them and Vayne does not want to risk any human fishermen using them. Only some 6,000 humans are left in this city, but a third of the pre-war numbers, and in many abandoned and increasingly dilapidated homes the only occupants are rats and other vermin, including, so it is said, a large group of wererats.

Admundfort is secured by a mix of orcs and orogs from the Land of luz, but absurdly these do not include the Kazgund who are the most happy with fishing and sailing. Instead, luz placed a force of 200 Uroz from the Horned Society here as well. The garrison is larger than the town needs, so conflicts break out constantly. Humanoid fights are one of the few lively sights in Admundfort now.

Admundfort’s major importance is reflected in the role of the Rhennee. The Rhennee have taken the caravels of Admundfort for longer-distance sailing to supplement their own barges, and they ship furs, electrum, and a little silver and gems south, usually to Greyhawk, and bring back food and weapons, if they can get the latter. In addition to the trading Rhennee, there are some five vessels of pirate Rhennee, who are all of evil alignment. They raid the Nyr Dyv, capturing vessels which they then sell along with other booty and slaves in Admundfort. Vayne has placed priests and mages on these pirate vessels, using spells of concealment and disguise, and undead troops to make boarding actions less hazardous for the Rhennee. In return, the Rhennee give a share of any booty taken to Vayne and sell the rest to him at a low price.

Shield Lands