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Cairun (once called Caora Rin)  the stopping point for every warrior, hunter, squire, apprentice, huckster, sneak-thief and spell-chucker looking to make a name for themselves in the Duchy. Like most of the smaller human towns in the area, Cairun is essentially independent from the Duchy's rule, since the Duchess herself openly admits that she can't expect anyone to follow her if she can't protect them.

''The guard force in Cairun is trained pretty well, though they handle drunk and disorderly conduct with absolutely NO sense of humor, trust me on this. The really serious trouble-makers don't make trouble for very long before they get hung out to dry on the city gates.

Areas in Cairun

Entering Cairun

As the main human town in the western reaches of the Duchy, Cairun is quite self-sufficient. (It has to be, since the Duchess cannot send manned patrols this far out.  With traders and adventurers of all races using the town as a stopping point, protection is necessary, and Cairun boasts sturdy stone walls that are well-patrolled and quite secure.  The main road into Cairun runs from the east (eventually leading to Caer Maighdean by way of Threeforks), and the gate breaching the eastern wall is by far the largest. The smaller western gate opens onto a well-traveled path that leads to the village of Bedell about a half-day's travel distant, and the smallest of the town gates is barely more than a heavily reinforced portcullis in the north wall that allows townspeople access to the large clear pool and swift stream that flows from the waterfall just north of town.  The eastern and western gates are left open during the day, but are closed at night.  All gates can (and usually will) be opened by the gate guards at the request of those within the town, but visitors arriving at the city walls after dark will have to wait until a watch captain arrives to find out if they will gain entrance that night.  That can sometimes be a long, cold wait. 

Places of Note

The Brawny Pixie 

Guard Tower 

Proximo's

Shelby the Alchemist 

Otto's Piton and Pack

Jakob, Fur Trader

Zelda's Leather

The Whetstone 

The Temple of Taranth 

The Shrine to Denarius

Areas Outside Cairun & Adventure Hooks

The Ant Tunnels

Southeast of Cairun there's a giant colony of... well, giant ants. Lots of the folks worry about the infestation and loss of livestock to the creatures, but the nest has proven impossible to wipe out: even if you manage to destroy the current Queen, another one has moved in or been raised from some hidden egg before too long. Other towns have wolf problems... Cairun has ants.

The Beach

Due east of Cairun a few miles there's a beach thick with gulls, crabs, turtles, and other shell-covered meals... oh, and a small harbor used infrequently by ship captains on the North Sea -- something about tides and bad reefs in the area.   

Rumors persist that an underwater cave system can be reached from this area, supposedly leading to the home of enormous sea creatures, sea nymphs, and even a haunted pirate ship that sailed into the caves years ago to hide out, and was then trapped by a cave in.

Cairun Valley

The walled city of Cairun stands at the northern end of the Cairun Valley (big surprise), a lush, green area that has proved a mainstay for local hunters and trappers.

Cairun Cemetery

Northeast of Cairun atop a hill, lies the old burial grounds for the people of Cairun. Lately, it's become a nasty, dangerous place that only the adept or foolhardy should consider exploring.

Old Forest Road

Along the eastern road from Cairun to Caer Maighdean, a fork in the road will take travelers safely along the coast of the North Sea towards Threeforks, or onto the 'Old Forest Road', which leads north into one of the only southern passes into the Cairn Mountains.  Though its usefulness as a trade route is undeniable, caravans always find another way to the city of Darnaiga. Considering the road leads directly through through the heart of the deadly Old Forest, renowned for its dangerous and twisted natural inhabitants, this caution is understandable.

The Haunted Mansion

South and west of Cairun lies a dilapidated mansion near an overgrown pond probably once designed to provide a fine view for those who lived within. Built at the order of a wealthy trader, it was obviously once an opulent home, but is now little more than the nesting place of various nocturnal creatures and the tortured ghosts of the family members that once lived here: the Firenze Family. 

Waterfall Caverns

Behind the natural wonder of the waterfall north of Cairun lies an area of unnatural danger. Two humanoid tribes infest the caves that stretch miles back into the Cairn Mountain foothills, and thankfully occupy each other's attention enough to keep Cairun relatively safe. In addition to these two tribes, there are rumors of several creatures that feed off the tribes that live in the area and those explorers that are unlucky enough to discover their homes. Premiere amongst these tales is a green dragon, and a monstrous Hydra.