Fumatroy is a walled port town on the northern shore of the mouth of the Long River. The city is home to 60,000 goblins and 7,000 hobgoblins. The town’s layout is dominated by two gigantic structures, the All-Temple devoted to the whole of the Goblin Animalistic Pantheon and Searise Castle on a bluff overlooking the ocean. The dictator of Fumatroy, Danik-Clanort, rules from his throne in Searise Castle. The castle overlooks the seaweed farms growing in the gradual decline offshore below the bluff.
The Goblins of Fumatroy grow seaweed as their main staple crop. When the goblins founded the city they discovered the salty soil around the river mouth was unsuitable for sustainable agriculture. Adapting to the environment the goblins began farming and breeding different varieties of sea plants. Now the seaweed farms feed thousands of goblins with a wide selection of flavors, textures, and nutritional value. The salty foods provide a unique diet for the citizens of Fumatroy with many special dishes cooked in the city and no where else.
Seaweed is one of the only valuable exports that Fumatroy has. Lacking the wealth to purchase the commodities they needed, the people of Fumatroy adopted a militant tradition. If they cannot buy what their city needs, they take it. Over the years Fumatroy has risen to prominence within the Hobgoblin Lands and is perhaps the strongest city-state at present. They have the best equipment, the best training, and stable supplies for any coming conflict. The other people of the Hobgoblin Lands have learned to run when the armies of Fumatroy come marching.
The emphasis on military extends into Fumatroy’s government. The city is led by the General of the armed forces. There is no official process for becoming General, the position falls to whomever can claim it. This nebulous exercise feeds a cycle of chaos for Fumatroy. Those who wish to be General will attempt to assassinate the current General. If there is no clear successor the city is consumed by civil war. This instability is the chief reason why Fumatroy has not conquered the other cities of the Hobgoblin Lands. They are too frequently divided by infighting to rule others.
The current General is Danik-Clanort, a barghest who has successfully disguised himself as a hobgoblin. He baths in a special oil that fools all but the strongest divinations into detecting him as a hobgoblin. This deception allows Danik-Clanort to interact with the people of Fumatroy without striking supernatural fear in their hearts, like a wolf among sheep. With cannibalism common among goblinoids, it is not shocking when he consumes his enemies’ bodies. Danik-Clanort’s subjects don’t recognize that he is also consuming souls. As the General, Danik-Clanort uses his position to eat dozens of criminals, war captives, and political foes. Over the two decades of his rule he has grown far stronger than any other barghest. With his formidable strength Danik-Clanort is now considering going out in the open. After all, who could stop him now if he wanted to eat the whole of Fumatroy?
The path to political power within Fumatroy is to climb the military hierarchy. The way to climb the military hierarchy is through success on the battlefield and dueling ability. Officers rise and fall based on duels. With political power tied to physical ability, many goblinoids in Fumatroy look for ways to improve their dueling talents. To accommodate this need, dozens of fighting academies are established in Fumatroy. Skills with polearms, two-handed swords, axes, longswords, rapiers, maces, flails, and all other weapons are taught at the academies of Fumatroy. Other schools incorporate subterfuge, bluffing, and assassination. Still others teach their students how to blend magic of all kinds with their martial abilities. Chances are if a visitor wishes to study a method of fighting, they will find an academy devoted to that method in Fumatroy.
At the heart of the city is the All-Temple. The All-Temple is a large cathedral with a twenty-five foot living statue at the center of the outer chamber. The statue shifts between the different animals of the Goblin Pantheon as it pleases. The living statue also requires nutrition. Offerings placed on the altar before it will be swiftly devoured without a trace by the stony statue. If no sacrifices are provided for a few days, the statue will snap up anyone who ventures too close to the altar. Most disturbing of all, the statue seems to prefer living humanoids. This desire adds to the motivation of Fumatroy to expand and conquer, if for no other reason than to feed the living god within their temple.
Unknown to the people of Fumatroy, the living statue is actually a giant mimic that has refused to produce offspring. Rather than split off baby mimics it has continued to grow in size over the centuries of its lifespan. The only one within the city who is aware of the mimics true nature is Danik-Clanort. What the General plans to do with this information is known only to him.
GoCorral 