The Lands of Warlderia

Orc City of Tulka

Tulka

On the Eastern coast stands the ramshackle city of Tulka, a sprawling maze of timber buildings, stilted walkways, tunnels and canals that serves as the principal harbour of the Orc tribes. Its great lagoon is sheltered from the fury of the open sea by jagged reefs and ancient rock formations, creating one of the safest anchorages along the coast. From this natural harbour, broad canals radiate through the city like the spokes of a wheel, dividing districts into a bewildering labyrinth where bridges, wharves and crowded markets replace conventional streets. Tulka has no king, governor or recognised ruler. No single tribe has ever been powerful enough to dominate the others, and so the city exists in an uneasy balance. The strongest tribes maintain heavily fortified compounds overlooking the lagoon, each controlling its own docks, warehouses and fleets while constantly watching the ambitions of its rivals. Between these tribal strongholds lies the only truly common ground, the crowded heart of the city, where the permanent population lives, trades and struggles to survive beneath the shadow of competing warlords.

Recently this fragile balance has begun to unravel. A ruthless Half-Orc known as Herzag Bloodyhammer has used a combination of intimidation, assassination and lavish bribes to force many of the tribal leaders into recognising him as Chief Captain of Tulka. While some have accepted his authority out of fear, others quietly prepare for the conflict they believe is inevitable. Herzag's ambitions extend beyond the city itself; many believe he intends to sever Tulka from the influence of the other Orc cities and forge an independent maritime power under his sole command.

Although Orc warriors dominate the fleets, much of Tulka's industry is sustained by Half-Orcs and the city's permanent inhabitants. Shipwrights, rope-makers, sail-weavers, merchants, labourers and craftsmen maintain the docks, construct the vessels and manage the bustling trade that enriches the harbour. This settled population consists largely of Humans and folk of mixed heritage—Half-Orcs, Half-Elves, Half-Dwarves and countless other bloodlines—along with exiles, fugitives, adventurers and those who have found themselves unwelcome in more civilised lands. Few arrived by choice, but many remain because Tulka offers opportunities unavailable elsewhere, provided one can survive its dangerous streets.

For generations Tulka has been the principal base from which Orc longships, galleys and broad-beamed cogs have launched raids against the surrounding coasts and along the Orc Shore. Merchant vessels from distant lands also brave the harbour, drawn by the profits to be made in timber, iron, slaves, salt fish and plunder. Wealth flows endlessly through the city, enriching pirates, merchants and tribal chiefs alike, yet fortunes are won and lost overnight. Murder, betrayal and blood-feuds are accepted hazards of daily life, and few outsiders willingly linger within its walls longer than business demands. To its inhabitants, Tulka is not merely a pirate haven but a city of opportunity, where strength, cunning and fortune are valued above birth or honour. To the rest of the world, however, it remains one of the most dangerous ports upon the western sea.

Shattered Orc Kingdom of Gar'anash (Orcs of the North East)