Bjornfall
Terribly corrupt and downtrodden, Bjornfall is the most dangerous city in Myrthul. Many attribute its current state to the mysterious White Hand, who are rumored to work from the shadows bribing or blackmailing victims and making them puppets.
"I'm tellin' you, we ne'er should of come here. We aren't like these people, Zay. We aren't thugs, we aren't criminals. We need to leave before we get hurt!" "Hey, you two, stop..." "Told you so." -exchange between Goluk and Zayrun Stonebeard
Demographics
Bjornfall is moderately diverse, although there is a sense of superiority among humans, especially in the upper class. Amongst criminals, however, no such complex exists; one is worth only what he brings to the table.
"Only in Bjornfall would one see a gnome carried on the shoulder of a half-orc with a drow walking at his side, and not a soul say anything. As a side note, I'll have to see about designing a shoulder plate that functions as a chair; shoulders are quite uncomfortable." -from the journal of Finkle Fizzlesprocket
Defences
Despite the lack of apparent security, Bjornfall is well equipped to handle outsider threat. The underground organizations the hide in the walls of the city less-than-secretly provide weapons and training to its members, resulting in perhaps the largest militia in the world.
Infrastructure
Because of the large presence of criminal organizations throughout the city's history, much of its infrastructure has evolved into an elaborate labyrinth, the most impressive being the city's sewer network; numerous tunnels layden with secret tunnels and deadly traps.
History
The child of King Henry's plan to give all his soldiers land following the Abyss War, Bjornfall started as a web of farms miles north of the capitol. The settlers were reliant on their own crops for sustenance, but harsh winters made living difficult. Eventually, wealthier families were able to purchase lots either not being used or from families not able to survive the cold months, and the land became consolidated. With the land under a few number of hands' control, the nobles were able to hire lots of farmers and increase efficiency. As the number of farmers grew, so did the need for stores to buy wares, and inns for the richer folk who refused to sleep on hay in a barn.
The network of farms quickly grew to a town in need of policing, but with the capitol and the guards so far away, Bjornfall quickly became a haven for criminals. As the town grew to city, the criminals coordinated into gangs and began vying for control. Eventually, King Hal was convinced by his advisers to send a detachment to Bjornfall and put an end to the organized crime, leading to the Bjornfall Curfew, which prohibited all travel outdoors after dark. As times got tough for the gangs due to the newfound law enforcement present, a small gang was still continuing to grow. The White Hand had extorted a number of guard, using them to fake reports, learn guard patrol schedules, and to arrest rival gang members. As the White Hand expanded, so did their control over the guard, letting them walk freely, even during curfew. Soon after the White Hand had established their dominance over Bjornfall's other gangs, the Curfew was ended and the majority of the guard returned to Halholm.
"Did you hear? The curfew is bein' lifted. Shhh!... It doesn't matter where I heard it, but the word is, that White Hand managed to get a meetin' with King Hal himself."
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