Mina Hurin

"Don't Crime!"

*Important note - magic is considered crime!
The city that now acts as the Capital of the Hobgoblin Legion.
A bustling and diverse city.
ENTRY: It costs 5gp to enter the city (they will accept a trade of equal value). Upon paying the entry fee you will be given a hand stamp that will allow you to pass in and out of the city for 48 hours (you can stay inside the city beyond that, but you'll need to pay again if you leave and come back).

IMPORTANT NOTES:

• Crime is punished very heavily here (and magic is considered crime). There are still plenty of opportunities for shadiness, but be aware that all public areas are under watch and you may be followed/watched.
• While magic is considered crime (because magic is rare in hobgoblins and they don't trust it), they can be interested in magical items.

PEOPLE OF NOTE:

• Nightbolt - halfling, Tartarus's contact who has connections within the city.
• Cartographer - halfling, offered to sell us a map of the continent for 200gp OR in exchange for us bringing back his brother's magic ring from the ruins beneath Mina Hurin
• Calpernia - hobgiblin, the current Primarch (see "Government" section below)
• Krog - hobgoblin, Calpernia's opponent in the recent election (see "Government" section)
• Sheve the Shiiver - goblin, celebrity hero of the Colosseum games. He currently lives in the inner city and is known for being a bit of a dick.
• Legata Stucksle - hobgoblin, owner of Gat (our goblin buddy's) son and wife, as well as many other goblin slaves. His broker can regularly be found at the Bloody Fist Bar (hobgoblin bar) if we want to make any deals with him.
• Faami - halfling, illusionist. She was being sold as a slave after being caught doing magic in public. We purchased her and freed her, and she decided to return to her life in the city. She works in the inner city at a pleasure house (that's not just about sex), but regularly visits the gardens just outside the inner city (if we ever want to contact her again).

POSSIBLE FUTURE EXCURSIONS:

RING RETRIEVAL IN THE RUINS - COMPLETED The cartographer in Mina Hurin is willing to sell us an up-to-date map (a copy of the one he made for the primarch) for either 200gp OR in exchange for us bringing back his brother's magic ring from the ruins beneath Mina Hurin.


UNDERCITY EXPLORATION Mina Hurin was built on top of the ancient city of Vaknika, and the ruins of Vaknika can be accessed via a grate on one of Mina Hurin's streets (the cartographer showed us the way). The ruins below are considered to be very dangerous and there are a number of rumors about what horrors they may contain, including ghosts, disgruntled hobgoblins (including Krog, who recently lost the election for Primarch), mimics, vampires, and even humans. There are also rumors that the ruins contain lots of ancient tech and magical knowledge.
Update 2/26/22, from Torva: We've successfully done an initial exploration of the undercity. We encountered a large skeletal snake (now deceased) and a small contingent of Krog's soldiers (now deceased). The soldiers' camp contained notes that 1) confirm Krog has a stronghold in the undercity, and 2) his men are actively searching for "old-magic" items and artifacts for their use. We also found a jade statue of a dwarf with a yellow crystal gemstone in its eye (we took the crystal but left the statue for the time being).
Further explorations are recommended, both to locate "old-magic" items and perhaps to take care of Krog.


GOBLIN FREEDOM FIGHT We've managed to rescue Gat's son Gank, but his wife (Fig) is still enslaved. Torva has promised Gat that she'd do her best to free his wife (either by purchasing her or helping her escape), and many members of our group have expressed interest in breaking ALL of the goblin slaves free.
The goblin slaves live in "villages" outside the main city, but they are heavily guarded.
Estimated difficulty level: It depends. Purchasing Fig might be easy but expensive (goblin slaves go for anything from 50-200gp). A full goblin rebellion would probably be much more difficult, and would likely require at least one more investigative mission first (to get closer to the goblin "villages" and learn more about how well-guarded they are, etc.)
Possible ally: Sheve the Shiiver, goblin celebrity of the Colosseum.

INNER CITY INVESTIGATION It might be worth trying to get into the inner city and explore.
Estimated difficulty level: unknown.

Demographics

Primarily hobgoblins, but also smaller amounts of dwarves, halflings, and bearfolk. A very small amount of elves. There are also a number of goblin "indentured servants."

Government

Ruled by the central authority of the Hobgoblin Legion. The elected leader is given the title of Primarch. The current Primarch is Calpernia.
Calpernia is the daughter of a great hobgoblin warlord. She was the sitting primarch, but a new election was called after the mists recently disappeared. Calpernia's opponent was Krog, a hobgoblin with very strong anti-outsider views. The election was very close and very contentious, and up until the end it looked like Krog was going to win. But Calpernia turned it around in the final hour, probably because she promised the Legion a "Great Drive" - a.k.a., a big military strike. It's unclear where she intends to direct this strike, but it will probably happen in the near future.

Defences

Guards and watchmen roam the streets and are always nearby. Hobgoblin soldiers are numerous and are frequently seen training in the city center, in the public gymnasiums, or outside the city walls.
There are two "villages" for the goblin slaves outside the city walls, and these are heavily guarded as well.

Industry & Trade

There is bustling trade in the city. In addition to the marketplace there are also a number of old, permanent shops, including a blacksmith, butcher, cartographer, and others.

Infrastructure

The city is well-maintained with wide stone roads and public fountains at frequent intervals. Citizens have access to public baths and gymnasia, as well as soup kitchens where food is made readily available.

Assets

• The Great Colosseum.
• The Marketplace
• Public Gardens
• Cartographer
• Gymnasium
• Battle school (Ol' Hank's Fistin' Hole)
• Assorted Trespassers (bar for non-Hobgoblins located near docks)
• Bloody Fist Bar (bar for Hobgoblins)

History

The construction of the city does not seem to be Hobgoblin in nature, but they are doing a decent job of keeping up many of the services and buildings in the city. The city is about 500-600 years old.
It was built on top of the ruins of another, older city (Vaknika) which can be accessed from within Mina Hurin. The ruins beneath Mina Hurin are considered to be very dangerous and there are a number of rumors about what horrors they may contain, including ghosts, disgruntled hobgoblins (including Krog, who recently lost the election for Primarch), mimics, vampires, and even humans. There are also rumors that the ruins contain lots of ancient tech and magical knowledge.
The hobgoblins took over Mina Hurin about 80 years ago.

Alternative Name(s)

Freeport, Vaknika

Type

Large city

Population

10,000+

Owning Organization

Hobgoblin Legion

Related Reports (Primary)

• 5/29/2021 - Et tu, hobgoblin youths?