Korovia - The Free License Fantasy World

Tuirn
Population: 14,000 (mostly Minotaurs)
Terrain: Mountains, hills and rivers
Economy: Good, manufacturing and raw materials
Military: Very strong (no militia needed)
Leadership: Council of Elders

Tuirn has almost no fortifications. The buildings are relatively short, but broad. The buildings themselves are usually quite large and spacious. Most buildings are made from stone and connect to each other with many alleys. The city itself is more like a maze and only a person who was raised there or a minotaur would not get lost in this city. The city also has walkways along the tops of buildings, but even that is difficult to get from one part of the city to another without a minotaur guide.

The minotaurs in Tuirn are good at crafting many things (not weapons of course). With their strength their abilities to build things out of steel, wood and stone are quite useful in mass production. The minotaurs are not greedy however and there is a surplus of goods such as rope, wooden objects like tables, tools, etc. Minotaur merchants have a reputation of being very honest and selling their goods at a fair discount.

The mines near Tuirn are operated by minotaurs and bring out large amounts of quality ore. Forestry is also a strong industry. Logging by minotaur workers and replanting by minotaur druids (rare, but becoming more common) has allowed Tuirn to create a renewable source of wealth. Tuirn supplies about half of the building lumber for all of Korovia.

Farms near Tuirn tend to grow larger vegetables for produce. Squash and pumpkins are very common products in the city’s food markets. Nuts and walnuts are important commodities for protein. Milk is also important. Many minotaurs claim their strength (and height) is derived from a strong milk diet. Dairy farms exist near Tuirn. The cattle are buried when they die and are treated with relative respect. Local bylaws prohibit cattle from being killed for meat.

Minotaur philosophers compare their affinity to cattle to be the same as humans with monkeys. Humans don’t eat monkeys and when a monkey dies, they bury them. Minotaurs treat cattle in the same way. Minotaurs often argue that cattle are not stupid and are more intelligent than humans assume. Minotaur druids often have a bull as their animal friend and can confirm that cattle are intelligent, often shy/peaceful, but have tempers if they are threatened. Jokes about bestiality are shrewdly ignored by most minotaurs, but they will lash out if their tempers get the best of them.

There are no pubs that serve alcohol in Tuirn. Such things are illegal according to local bylaws. Merchants caught with alcohol will be arrested and their alcohol will be quickly mixed with oil and used as fuel for torches. People can also be arrested with drunkenness and thrown in jail until the effects wear off. This law is considered effective within 2 miles of the city.

Selling meat (or attempting to sell or buy meat) is also illegal in Tuirn. Punishment is a herbalist pill that when swallowed requires the person to make a Fortitude save (DC 18) every time they try to eat something with meat in it, or else suffer nausea for the rest of the day. Roll twice for each meal that contains meat, once at the start of the meal and once at the end. The effects of the pill last one week. Any meat that is meant for such a transaction is burnt. Travellers and merchants who are carrying meat for sale/use in other cities are to report that they are carrying meat and will receive a tag that they must carry. A person who is caught with meat and does not have a tag may be fined and their meat burnt. This law is considered effective within 2 miles of the city.

Tuirn has a black market for both meat and alcohol. There is a human inn just 2 miles east of the city that serves both meat and alcohol. There is currently a push to extend the law to 3 miles, but the humans who manage the inn claim this is unfair. There are some conservative minotaurs who believe the humans are criminals and are helping the black market inside the city.