Toran

This article is about the city of Toran. For the confederation that it lies within, see Confederation of Toran.

Toran, also known as the City of Toran, is the capital city of the Baronial Confederation of Toran in Sommerlund. It is located on the banks of the River Tor, which opens into the Toran Sound, a bay leading to the Kaltersee. It is home to the Brotherhood of the Crystal Star.

Toponymy

In Old Sommlending, "toran" means "fortress".

History

When the Sommlending first arrived on Sommerlund from the Northern Void in MS 3434, they drove the Darklords back through the Durncrag Mountains, and settled on the land. King Braern I, successor of King Kian who led the expedition, ordered the creation of four great settlements: Holmgard, Tyso, Anskaven and Toran, a northern city port. Nobles who had served Sommerlund in the war were given the title of Baron and autonomy, and those that settled around Toran helped it flourish into a powerful, wealthy city. Its foundations were laid in MS 3448 and completed in MS 3455.

In the War of the Black Muster, Toran was besieged for four years (between MS 3787 and MS 3791) by the forces of Darklord Vashna. Magicians from Toran strengthened its walls with magic to resist enemy assaults. The sieges ended with Vashna's death in MS 3799.

In MS 5070, during the events of The Masters of Darkness, Lone Wolf became the first known person to return from the Daziarn, having travelled through the Shadow Gate of Haagadar to the Externment Chamber in Toran. He was greeted by Lord Rimoah and Guildmaster Banedon, the former of which had forseen his arrival. This was during dark times within the Freelands, with the Darklords having isolated the Freelands from each other, and with the Tanoz-tukor, were leading their armies personally, meaning defeat was only a matter of time. With no time to rest, Lone Wolf set out from Toran to Aarnak, in order to infiltrate Helgedad, slay Darklord Gnaag and destroy the Transfusor, which powered the Tanoz-tukor.

Administration

Toran is ruled by a Baron, who is supported by Guildsmen, who hold high-ranking government positions within Toran. The Guildmaster of the Brotherhood of the Crystal Star is one of the most influential of these Guildsmen. The ruling Baron owns a citadel, known as the Baron's Citadel, located in the heart of the city.

Toran has been given a large degree of autonomy in terms of law and order. Traitors and multiple-murderers were sentenced to the ultimate punishment — banishment through the Shadow Gate of Toran to the Daziarn — seen as a death sentence as no person had ever returned from (in MS 5070, Lone Wolf became the first known person to return from the Daziarn).

Wards

Toran is divided into seven wards:

• North Ward: Home to mid- and upper-mid class citizens of Toran, such as artisians, master Guildsmen and skilled workers
• Docks Ward: The primary port zone of Toran
• West Ward: Also known as "Old Town", it was the first ward to be built, and is populated by the middle class of Toran. It is a densely-populated ward, with dizzying narrow streets and alleyways. It is policed by the City Watch, and those who specifically police the West Ward are known as the "Western Watchmen".
• The Slums: By far the poorest ward of the city and home to its poorest citizens. It is overcrowded and dangerous, with a high mortality rate, despite attempts to clean it up. Crime is high, also supplanted with a black market.
• Middle Ward: A wealthy zone and home of the Baron of Toran, who lives in the Baron's Citadel. The barracks of the Army of the North are here, as well as Toran Cathedral and many foreign embassies.
• City Residential: This is where some of the most affluent and influential citizens live, many of which descended from nobility. It is a rich ward, and seen by some as an ultimate status symbol of success. Some buildings have secret tunnels to the Middle and Dock Wards. It is also where the Guildhall of the Brotherhood of the Crystal Star is.
• East Ward: This is another middle-class ward, mostly populated by the artisan class.

Toran also has a famous sewer, noted for its good design and high level of sanitation. Toran's life expectancy is 20% longer than the rest of Sommerlund, largely due to it. It is flushed by rainwater, once every other day in the autumn, but less frequently in the summer due to a lack of rain — this leads to a stink (nicknamed "The Perfume") that can rise, particularly in the poorest places of the city. The sewers egress to a giant cesspool at the city's rubbish tip, a mile west of the city wall.

Known rulers of Toran

• Baron Karlo Vinas (MS 5000)

Geography

Toran is located on the northern coast of Sommerlund, on the east side of the Toran Sound, where it meets the River Tor.

Demography

As of MS 5000, Toran had a population of nearly 80,000, and was the second-most populated city in Sommerlund after Holmgard. Most citizens are native to Toran, although there is a significant minority of Durenese descent, and a transient population of sailors and merchants, as would be expected of a port city. Toranese people are seen as studious and hardworking, especially after the four year siege of the Darklords.

Notable people

• Guildmaster Banedon of the Brotherhood of the Crystal Star
• Melchar, journeyman to the Silversmiths' Guild

In the gamebooks

Lone Wolf's friend and ally, Guildmaster Banedon, lives in Toran, and regularly makes cameo appearances in the series. However, the player rarely visits Toran within the gamebooks.

In The Masters of Darkness, Lone Wolf arrives in Toran after travelling from the Shadow Gate in Haagadar in the Daziarn to the Shadow Gate of Toran. However, this visit is brief, with Lone Wolf immediately heading out to destroy Archlord Gnaag and the Transfusor, with the Freelands on the brink of defeat from the Darklords.

External links

In English

• Signs & Portents 71

Sources

• Dever, Joe (2017): The Realm of Sommerlund, Cubicle 7