I advise those who disavow fighting and abhor bloodshed to give Run'Thar a wide berth, for it is violence and blood the warriors of Run'That hold most dear. They are practically a currency within its walls. Indeed I believe I once saw a woman pay for a meal with a vial of blood. Or perhaps the blood was the meal. I couldn't be sure. If you are, in fact, a fan of blood sport and a follower of the latest in weapon technologies, I encourage you to visit Run'Thar. You will not leave empty handed. Then again, you may not leave with any hands at all. -- from the memoirs of Lewin Von Treet, Vault: the Land of Stuff and Things
Population: ~2,600
Founded: 2280 (110 years ago)
When the great tidal wave destroyed much of Trine in 2278, many former citizens were displaced. As Trine rebuilt into what some would call a more civilized society, that displacement meant more than just homelessness for some. There were certain types of people no longer welcome in Trine, and those people ended up wandering Core Vandal and countries beyond. Some found homes in other cities easily enough, but some realized an opportunity when they saw it. If they were to be considered undesirables in polite society, then perhaps it was time to make a society a little less polite.
Run'Thar, as it exists today, it somewhere between an academy, a garrison, and a city. When it was built up by refugees from Trine, it was a camp. The dream was a community in a prime location atop the Ascendancy Peak in western Core Vandal, a few days ride from their former home, where they could be free to live outside the law. As lawless communities often do, Run'Thar ended up developing its own laws in time. However, the laws were slow in coming, and the community survived under the banner of "the strong thrive and the weak serve." Such a mentality drew many powerful people from across Vault who wanted a place in a country without a primary government where they could use their strength to bully their way to the top. And that is how Run'Thar became a destination locale for the strongest warriors in the world.
The idea of turning the community into a school didn't start until Zeb the Punch started teaching his Shatter Knuckle Swing to newcomers in 2280. Up to that point, Run'Thar was a settlement that existed primarily on waylaying caravans and raiding other towns. The strong recognized the strong, and a sort of family had begun developing among the people of Run'Thar. With Zeb the Punch's instruction, the family began to embrace the idea of bettering each other.
Eight years later, Run'Thar was a destination not just for the strong but those who wished to become strong. The powerful and the powerless lived together with the shared understanding that "the strong thrive and the weak serve," but now there was an expectation that the weak would eventually become the strong.
The Cheap Shot came in 2340, when a cabal of mages attacked Run'Thar in an effort to retrieve one of their own who was hiding in the city. But by that time, the rules were clear. The weak were under the protection of the strong. And the strong of Run'Thar were about as strong as it got. The cabal was not just turned away but utterly destroyed, their member killed with reckless abandon. But the damage to the city was done. A dozen mages had cost hundreds of lives. Run'Thar had to change to make sure nothing like that happened again.
The city became a fortress in a matter of years. Ramparts were constructed atop the mountain that could decimate an army from a mile out. Run'Thar was now an academy to teach the weak, a proving ground for the strong, and a city where people could live out their lives. And those who rely solely on magic without it augmenting their physical prowess are seen as cheap tricksters.
Ascendancy Peak - the mountain upon which Run'Thar sits, the people of Run'Thar have had creatures of legend brought in from around Vault and beyond to ensure anyone climbing the mountain has a test to pass of legendary proportions.
The Crater - the largest feature in all of Run'Thar, this sand and stone fighting arena is surrounded on all sides by observation decks and rows of seats. Unlike other gladiatorial grounds, there are no features to keep combatants in. People enter because they want to be there. Everything from disputes over relationships to tests of mastery are performed in the Crater. The people of Run'Thar consider it a sacred place, and it can also be found as a place of worship. The results of the Crater are as close to truth as these people get.
The Old Tents - near the center of Run'Thar is a place preserved from when the city was first established atop Ascendancy Peak. While the original encampment of the first settlers displaced from Trine is gone, this area is kept clear of the more modern setting around the fortress, and those who arrive at Run'Thar to train must first live in the Old Tents district for a month with nothing to their names but their fists and their desperation for food.
The Battlements - to defend Run'Thar is a right reserved for those who have proven their honor in the Crater. It isn't enough to show strength, the people who watch out for the safety of Run'Thar must also show a true love of the city and its people. Only then are they allowed to give their lives for it. The Battlements are armed with more than ballistae and catapults. Feats of engineering from the minds of Ology grace the towers of Run'Thar, with enough obsidian on hand to cancel out the most powerful spell.
The Armory - the crown jewel of Run'Thar, the weapons the city has amassed over the decades is unlike any other in Vault. Each new arrival surrenders their arms to the city to be added to the Armory, and the most excellent works of craftsmanship are proudly displayed, and used, for and by all. Earning a weapon in Run'Thar is a religious experience. Some of the best weaponsmiths reside in Run'Thar, and it is considered an honor to have your work placed in the hands of a Run'Thar master.
The Immortal Names - those who die in pursuit of perfection are honored in Run'Thar by having their bodies interred within its halls. Towering crypts with thousands of names inscribed on body drawers lines this vast chamber, and students and masters alike are assigned to learn a handful of names every year and how they died. No one is ever forgotten.
The Fields of Force - there are no classrooms in Run'Thar, only the training grounds called the Fields of Force. Each one open air, the fields are like discs jutting from the fortress on all sides, each one owned by a master until that master is defeated in the Crater by a trainee; at which point the learner becomes the master and takes up the training of others. There are not classes, there is no schedule, there is no curriculum. Those who would train are not students and they don't have books. One merely needs to walk onto the field, begin training, and the master will teach. The masters reside on their fields in lavish homes with every need taken care of.
Zhatoyalyin, Master of Blades: Male Elf, quiet, efficient, disciplined, very hard on his students
Thyung, Master of Hammers: Female Half-Orc, arrogant but good natured
Quinn Phrase, Master of Hands and Feet: Female Halfling, playful and fond of pranks
Darnold Tasker, Master of Rope: Male Half-Elf, lazy and difficult to get along with
Elivius, Master of Poles: Female Aasimar, straightforward, adores teaching
The Cleaver, Master of Axes: Male Orc, wild, mentally unstable, leads by example
Xero, Master of Shields: Warforged, emotionless, effective, and unbeatable
Pharisi von Bualtir, Master of Fang and Tooth: Female Dhampir, loves mystique and subversion
Faoruun, Master of Bows: Female Centaur, proud of creating great students
Porkchop, Master of Traps: Male Firbolg, gentle, caring, but unfailingly viscous
Kwen Shawt, Master of Air: Male Aarakocran, not invested in teaching but difficult to unseat
Ender Phrase, Master of Names: Male Human, keeper of the Immortal Names
Zeb the Punch the Third: Male Half-Orc, grandson of the original teacher at Run'Thar, Master of Run'Thar
Platebringer, Bringer of Plate: Non-Binary Orc, head chef of Run'Thar
Iralia Evergrace: Female Human, head healer of Run'Thar
Locked in Midnight: Male Tabaxi, head of the Armory
Lamp: Female Half-Orc, Gatekeeper and guide through Ascendency Peak
Draven: Male Half-Orc, leader of the Old Tents and guide to preparing people to become disciples of Run'Thar
The Kobold: Female Kobold, shows people around Run'Thar when they're lost