Llorkh

Llorkh was a human town to the northeast of Loudwater in the Gray Vale.

Early History
Llorkh was originally founded by Netherese refugees fleeing the downfall of Netheril, sometime after its fall in the Year of Sundered Webs, −339 DR. The neighboring settlement of Loudwater was founded around the same time.

Later on, further settlement of Llorkh and Loudwater, as well as Longsaddle, Secomber, Triboar, and others, was undertaken by pioneers from Waterdeep after the establishment of the Lords of Waterdeep there in 1032 DR. These pioneers were sponsored by noble and mercantile Waterdhavian families.

Llorkh grew to become a sleepy mining town, its people busy working mines in the nearby hills and farming the surrounding land. The town was led by a series of lords, well-respected, retired miners and warriors. However, the mines were shallow and their lodes soon exhausted, so iron and silver production soon started to wane. Llorkh began to dwindle.

Take-Over
Finally, shortly before 1357 DR, the last of the old lords, Phintarn Redblade, was found dead at the foot of the Lord's Keep. Overnight, the mage Geildarr Ithym seized the Lord's Keep and claimed the throne. Soon after, four hundred "Lord's Men" arrived and in a handful of battles slaughtered all of the existing militia under the pretext that they were trouble-makers. Phintarn's brother died mysteriously one night, and his inn was razed the very next day.

A significant number of townsfolk left Llorkh, along with the dwarves.

Zhentarim Control
As soon as control over the town was consolidated, Zhentarim caravans began to arrive from the Anauroch. Llorkh thus became the western end of the Zhentarim trade route, the Black Road, and a point from which to further trade interests in western Faerûn. The Zhentarim maintained both a significant number of soldiers and three hundred purple-cloaked Lord's Men. These defended the city against orcs, adventurers and ungrateful townsfolk.

15th Century
After only a handful of decades of Zhent occupation, the veins of gold and silver in Llorkh's mines played out. The occupiers left, taking everything of value with them and leaving Llorkh's buildings in a state of ruin.

Although Llorkh was still disreputable, one incompetent ruler after another caused the remaining citizens of integrity to leave, and it suffered a dramatic decline in the 1470s DR. By 1479 DR, the city lay in ruins and served as a stronghold for a self-styled bandit king and his henchmen.

The bandit king was eventually killed and people started to return to Llorkh in an attempt to restore it. It was then that a clan of stone giants, led by an evil, xenophobic giantess named Kayalithica, in alliance with the Uthgardt Blue Bear Tribe, smashed the town into rubble.

Government
Prior to the Zhentish occupation, Llorkh was governed by a succession of human lords, often retired miners or warriors who'd earned the respect of the community. It's said they would never have tolerated the Zhentarim in their town. Phintarn Redblade was the last of these old lords, until he was found dead shortly before 1357 DR.

Inhabitants
Llorkh became an important mining town of approximately 2,000 humans and 300 dwarves.