Hulburg

Hulburg was a small city on the northeastern shore of the Moonsea of north Faerûn.

Description
In the mid-to-late 14 century DR, the city lay in ruins with few other than the Hulmaster family residing within the derelict city itself. Griffonwatch Keep, the ancestral home of the Hulmasters, sat on a rocky outcrop on the eastern edge of the city.

As of the late 15 century DR, the city only occupied a fraction of the area of historical Hulburg, and there were many vacant lots in the city. New construction was built on top of the foundations and basements of ruined buildings. In many cases, the old cellars remained intact and formed interconnected underground passages that could be used to travel underground through the city unnoticed. The inland parts of the city, outside of most new construction but inside the old walls, was a district known as Old Hulburg.

Geography
Hulburg sat just east of Thar on the northeastern shore of the Moonsea, and had a fine natural harbor. The city was situated between two rocky headlands, Keldon Head and Easthead. By the late 15 century DR, Spellplague-changed land was common in the vicinity of Hulburg and unnatural green hills rose just to the east of the city. Additionally, a rock formation known as the Arches jutted into the Moonsea near Hulburg's harbor. The Winterspear River ran through the center of the city.

The road leading south and west along the Moonsea coast to Thentia was called the Ruined Way, while the road north toward Thar and Vaasa was the Vale Road.

Climate
Hulburg had winters cold enough to freeze over the harbor several months of the year.

Religion
The people of Hulburg were pragmatic and seemed to have little use for gods. There was a small sisterhood of Shar priestesses in the city and a temple of Cyric stood briefly during the reign of Maroth Marstel until it was destroyed by Geran Hulmaster and Sarth Khul Riizar.

Government
Hulburg was ruled by a lord called a harmach, a title held by the Hulmaster family for many generations until 1479 DR when the Merchant Council, with the help of the elven shadow mage Rhovann engineered a coup against the Hulmasters, forcing them into exile in neighboring Thentia. The Hulmasters retook their city in 1480 DR and Natali Hulmaster was made harmach, while Kara Hulmaster was made regent until her niece grew up.

Law and Order
In the late 15 century DR, a militia called the Shieldsworn kept order in the town, but that changed when Sergen Hulmaster became the Keeper of Duties for the harmach's council and began giving out trade concessions. The trading companies who came to town formed a merchant council and hired mercenaries to police the town in the form of the Council Watch, though they more often ignored those who worked for—or in the best interests of—the members of the council. Since then, the Shieldsworn were only allowed to deal with high crimes, such as murder.

Slaving was outlawed for several generations, as was the opening of barrows on the lands within several miles of the town, owing to the fear of awakening the undead and incurring the wrath of Aesperus, the King in Copper.

History
Hulburg was founded in the  as a bulwark against orcs and giants in Thar, consisting of a barracks, training grounds, and huge walls, but it became a town as soldiers' families began to arrive. While the Hulmaster clan claimed to be descended from the founder and first harmach of the town, Cosimar Nanthon, the first lord of Hulburg to bear their name was Ivar Hulmaster in the, who was installed by King Aesperus of Thentur.

Hulburg was destroyed and rebuilt several times over the centuries. First, it was destroyed in a surprise attack by an army of giants in the, but was rebuilt shortly thereafter. In the, Hulburg was devastated by hordes of orcs and ogres pouring out of Thar. During the Moonsea War of the, Hulburg was defeated by Mulmaster and razed to the ground, but rebuilt once again. Finally, a horde of orcs in alliance with forces of Zhentil Keep destroyed Hulburg in the. The population plummeted, with only a few still living in the area, and mostly in the outlying areas.

Hulburg remained in ruins for decades, and the fortunes of the Hulmaster family steadily declined. By the, the then-patriarch of the family and harmach of the city, Argyl Hulmaster, began trying to foist his adult children onto travelers in hopes of marrying them off to anyone with money. His heir, Angar Hulmaster, would end up marrying the daughter of a similarly depleted family from Thentia, and would go on to rule as the the next harmach. In the, the city was seized by the Red Plumes after their ouster from Hillsfar by Zhentil Keep, who held the town for a year before their leaders vanished and Angar seized control of the organization, incorporating them as Hulburgians. Angar would go on to rebuilt the city having struck a deal with the lich Aesperus, who at the time dwelt in the Vault of the Dead beneath the city.

The city slowly repopulated, and as of the late 15 century DR, it had several thousand inhabitants. In the, it was attacked by the Blood Skull orcs of Thar and their allies, who were repelled but with heavy losses at the Battle of Lendon's Dike. This was revealed to have been orchestrated as the first of several attempts by the Warlock Knights of Vaasa to seize control of the city in order to secure a trade route over the Galena Mountains. During this time, control of the city was briefly seized by Rhovann Disarnnyl, but the Hulmasters regained control in the.

Appearances

 * Novels
 * Swordmage &bull; Corsair &bull; Avenger
 * Short Stories
 * "The King in Copper" in Realms of the Dead