Keepers: U3-N.R, N-D311, Ratha, Rrhavvy, Bella
Objectives: Follow clues to the Mournlands to locate and take out Dylan.
Outcome: We followed clues to Gorgonhorn, a decrepit border town of thieves, and then followed the road to Whitehearth. En route, we passed through Olkhaan, where we found a city full of warforged/human hybrids living under the influence of Mistral. We managed to pass peacefully until we got to the edge of the Mournlands, where we came upon a large complex bathed in green glowing light…

Only the bravest of travellers would dare into the northeast reaches of Darguun, where the Valley of Death lays in the shadow of the Mournland. Still, the intrepid and discerning tourist may find some opportunity here. This week on Regions Unknown, we visited two close but drastically different towns of Gorgonhorn and Olkhaan. I’m your host, Tony Boardgame, and I managed to tag along with small military detachment to explore these strange, isolated towns that have almost no contact with the rest of Khorvaire.

Gorgonhorn is a small hobgoblin settlement at the edge of the valley. The blight from the Mournland has spread to this region, creating a dead and infertile landscape. Despite this, a small and starving populace defiantly clings to survival here. Yes, the locals can be aggressive and hostile to outsiders, but if you bring them some food, some drink and some gold, you can find at least tepid companionship here. 

The food scene is one of struggling survival rather than cultural expression, with moldy bread and wormy apples making up much of their fare. They scavenge what they can from neighboring regions. While their populace is starving, if you come in peacefully to the lone combination tavern and general store, they will still serve you, if reluctantly so.

These hobgoblins cling to this land so desperately because both during and after the war, the political sphere was hostile toward them. They stubbornly cling to dead lands out of a deep sense of both pride in themselves and distrust toward the rest of the world. They feel as if they have nowhere else to belong, so they make a life out of nothing. These people are a truly resourceful and tenacious bunch.

Still, I wanted to know more. I wanted to see where this vital food supply chain led. My inquiries led me to a fellow named Tavish who regularly brings in supplies. After rendezvousing with him, he seemed anxious, but admitted many of Gorgonhorn’s supplies come from nearby Olkhaan. He warned us to avoid the area, but I simply had to learn more about this other mysterious town. 

Olkhaan couldn’t be more opposite than Gorgonhorn. For starters, it’s green. Somehow, by some means, in a desolate blighted region, crops not only survive but appear to be thriving here. Buildings are new, streets are clean, and the people are, well, unique but friendly.

Here in Olkhaan, there seems to be a civic revival going on as a population of human-warforged hybrids has rebuilt much of the infrastructure here. We were granted a tour of the town by their leader, Mistral, who kindly showed us all the farms, shops, theatres, and other sites. We didn’t spend long, so I wasn’t able to interact with the citizens as much as I would have liked. I got the sense that our host and our military escort had some tension between them. The tour also had the feel of a thin veneer, as if one could peel it away to reveal a less than rosy sublayer. 

Still, the town seems to be growing and thriving, and Mistral expressed plans to expand. Perhaps someday there will be a lightning rail line where folks can come enjoy unique culinary experiences from all over Khorvaire, as long as they can accept these human-warforged hybrids.

For now, the northeast of Darguun remains what it’s always been: a place of hard edges, harder people, and the stubborn will to keep going when every sensible instinct tells you to turn back. Some travelers seek comfort, others chase novelty. Here, you find neither. But if you’re willing to risk the long roads, the strange company, and the quiet questions no one seems eager to answer, you just might discover that the most remote corners of the map aren’t empty at all.