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Tuirn
"City of Minotaur Mazes and Law"
Tuirn has almost no fortifications and it really doesn't need them. A single large building above ground serves as labyrinthic entrance to the city of minotaurs within. The building is relatively short, but broad. Once inside you really need to know where to go for the whole city is a maze. The outer entrance to the city has traps in the event intruders come looking for trouble. You could in theory get in through the roof where a number of holes open into courtyards, but those courtyards are deep within the maze and again you would need to know where you are going. The interior buildings themselves are usually quite large and spacious, crafted from stone and mortar. The sewer system in Tuirn is even more complex. Some of the courtyards are also covered with glass and bronze domes and operate like greenhouses. Navigating through Tuirn is best done with a guide because there are multiple levels, walkways, bridges, and there is no rhyme or reason to minotaur architecture. It is said that the minotaurs know where they are based on the smell. The pacifist minotaurs in Tuirn are good at crafting many things (not weapons of course). With their strength their abilities to build tools out of steel, wood and stone are quite useful in mass production. The minotaurs are not greedy however and there is a surplus of goods such as rope, wooden objects like tables, tools, etc. Minotaur merchants have a reputation of being very honest and selling their goods at a fair discount. Minotaur furniture is exceptionally sturdy and well-made. The mines west of Tuirn are operated by minotaurs and bring out large amounts of quality ore. Forestry is also a strong industry. Logging by minotaur workers and replanting by minotaur druids (rare, but becoming more common) has allowed Tuirn to create a renewable source of wealth. Tuirn supplies about half of the building lumber for all of Korovia. It is said Tuirn is the birthplace of agriculture. 14 years after the First Demon War the halfling tribes sent spies to learn the secret of agriculture and the minotaurs gladly gave it to them. Farms near Tuirn tend to grow larger vegetables for produce. Squash and pumpkins are very common products in the city's food markets. Nuts and walnuts are important commodities for protein. Milk is also important. Many minotaurs claim their strength (and height) is derived from a strong milk diet. Dairy farms exist near Tuirn. The cattle are buried when they die and are treated with relative respect. Local bylaws prohibit cattle from being killed for meat. Minotaur philosophers compare their affinity to cattle to be the same as humans with monkeys. Humans don't eat monkeys and when a monkey dies, they bury them. Minotaurs treat cattle in the same way. Minotaurs often argue that cattle are not stupid and are more intelligent than humans assume. Minotaur druids often have a bull as their animal friend and can confirm that cattle are intelligent, often shy/peaceful, but have tempers if they are threatened. Jokes about bestiality are shrewdly ignored by most minotaurs, but they will lash out if their tempers get the best of them. There are no pubs that serve alcohol in Tuirn. Such things are illegal according to local bylaws. Merchants caught with alcohol will be arrested and their alcohol will be quickly mixed with oil and used as fuel for torches. People can also be arrested with drunkenness and thrown in jail until the effects wear off. This law is considered effective within 2 miles of the city and there are several inns just outside the city reaches which sell liquor. Selling meat (or attempting to sell or buy meat) is also illegal in Tuirn. Punishment is a herbalist pill that causes nausea whenever they try to eat meat. The effects last for roughly a week. Any meat that is meant for such an illegal transaction within the city is burnt. Travelers and merchants who are carrying meat for sale/use in other cities are to report that they are carrying meat and will receive a tag that they must carry. A person who is caught with meat and does not have a tag may be fined and their meat burnt. This law is considered effective within 2 miles of the city. Tuirn has a black market for both meat and alcohol. The most popular place is a human-operated inn just 2 miles east of the city that serves both meat and alcohol. There is currently a push to extend the law to 3 miles, but the humans who manage the inn claim this is unfairly targeting their business. There are some conservative minotaurs who believe the humans are criminals and are helping the black market inside the city. The minotaurs take their laws very seriously and corruption amongst the enforcement (bribes) is non-existent.
Cities and Towns of Korovia
Roknar ~ Shorin ~ Silekva ~ Sturvek ~ Sylvania ~ Toravek ~ Trollhaven ~ Tuirn ~ Weyvin ~ Yeksereannia ~ Zerburg
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