Settlements and Sites of the Four City-States #223

Settlements and Sites of the Four City-States #223 

August 12th, 2023 

• Number: 223 

• Name:  Deep Dive on a Site of Interest: Along the Trave-Inari Highway - Part 6 

• Location: Across the plains of Ceannar connecting the towns of Reston and Southport 

• Population (approx.): 4 

• Brief:  The exodus of the Ceannar Peoples brought with it a many and varied population, but perhaps none as unusual as the Half-Orc tribesmen of the Steel Talons. Their origins (in the east) are murky, but they are a potent fighting force and have always served Ceannar well. The Steel Talon People found themselves a home in an area of rough terrain in western Trave County. They surrounded it with wards and warnings to ensure trespassers know that only Talon Law applies, and it is much different.  

• Meral, 31, female Half-Orc, is a guard who lives on the border between Travi County and the Half-Orc lands. She is tall, beefy, and has long, black hair with a natural wave. Her eyes are black with a touch of purple in them. Meral wears dresses in vibrant prints when she is off duty. While on duty, she is required to wear leather armor. Meral's favorite weapon is a large, two-handed hammer. 

• Meral uses an old Ranger hut as a guard post and lives there with three other Half-Orcs. There is peace between the half-orcs and other Kin of Ceannar right now, but old enemies die hard, and some are just waiting for something to set them off. Meral likes to think she helps keep the peace along the border by being friendly to everyone, regardless of race. Her roommates don't always agree with her behavior and try to taunt her into fighting. 

• Meral's parents are both dead from the fighting between the Talons and the surrounding Peoples. Her roommate's names are Senig, 22, Vanotar, 27, and Alimi, 28. Behind their house is an area to practice fighting, and Seniq grows vegetables. Vanotar is the cook, and Alimi keeps the place clean. It's an unusual family, but it mainly works. 

• Geography: The Steel Talon lands cover several hundred square miles west of the Trave-Inari Highway. Meral’s guard post is on the eastern border on a trail that winds east about 5 miles to the road. Their home is a well-built two-story stone building with a thick tiled roof and shuttered windows. It was designed to be easy to defend and capable of withstanding most mundane attacks. A split rail fence marks the border of Talon lands. Many highly decorated tall wooden totems overlook the fence, carved to resemble both local beasts and past heroes of the Peoples.