Zebra Fort is Argrath’s main stronghold in the Big Rubble. It’s only about 2 kilometers away from the People’s Gate, and you can probably run there in about 15 minutes or so. The fortress has dwarf-built stone walls, about 60 meters on a side and about 7 meters high. The walls are thick and solid, and have battlements. Peculiarly, these walls alternate in bands of dark and light color from block to block, like stripes.
Along the inside wall are tall stone buildings, two stories tall, that open into the central courtyard. Beneath are cellars, storage areas, barracks, and most impressively, an underground vaulted stables for the zebras. The Fort has about 300 inhabitants. Almost half are mercenaries, mostly Zebra Riders, who serve Argrath. The rest are servants, workers, traders, crafters, etc.
Zebra Fort is thought to be built atop the remains of Joraz Kyrem’s private palace and the place is always associated in stories with the Arrowsmith Dynasty. It is of great significance to the Zebra Riders known as the Pavis Survivors or the Pavis Royal Guard. During the Lunar Occupation, the fort was given to the Zebra bandit Hargran the Dirty. After the Liberation of New Pavis, Argrath awarded the fort to one of his favorite Storm Bull comrades, Beranox, who stormed the fort and captured Hargran the Dirty (Beranox later had Hargran hung from the yarm tree outside the fortress).
Under Beranox’s protection, Zebra Fort has become something of a caravanserai for the Big Rubble. Vendors have established a flourishing market in the fortress’ shadow, converting vaulted chambers into trade stalls. The traders cater to adventurers and mercenaries, selling hot food, dry rations, ale, wine, weapons, and armor. Medics trained in Argrath’s army sell healing services, calling out their latest offers alongside oracles, sages-for-hire, and power crystal sellers.
Around Zebra Fort is a built up area is covering 15 hectares or so. Within this area is the Yelorna Temple. The ruins range from Type B to D. Another 50 people live in these ruins.
So I imagine that it is pretty safe between Zebra Fort and New Pavis, with mercenaries patrolling the area. And the Zebra Ruins are also patrolled. But go 300 meters away, and there are bandits and more unsavoury things.
Zebra Fort protects access to the North Quarry, which is only about 300 meters away.
This is an open-pit quarry which, since ancient times, has been filled with water. It was filled to facilitate the movement of the great arm and body stones to the river, which were then floated up or downstream where needed. The long-filled remains of an ancient ditch show the canal route.
The ruins which lay all around the North Quarry are Type D. They actually are quarried stone which was never moved from the site, rather than broken buildings.
The ground is generally rough and precipitous, with irregularly-shaped outcrops of rock strewn about. The Flintnail residents, whose temple nestles among the wild stone, claim that the rock here is still growing, and that there is more stone now than there ever has been before. Such growth process, if it actually occurs, is so slow as to be indiscernible, despite the credulous reports of a half-dozen silly Lhankor Mhy priests.
The terrain makes the area perfect for bandits and goatherds, who hide in caves every night. There are also many scattered piles of foundation rock made by families over the ages, abandoned by everyone except miserable trollkin. Generally speaking, the residents here know no authority but the ancient spirit of Pavis and, sometimes, Flintnail. There are gangs and families, but no chieftains or leaders.
One notable landmark through these rocky areas are the signs painted onto rocks which direct people to the Flintnail Temple. They mark a clear and simple path through, among, and over the stones. Many eyes watch this trail, and not all of them are from the temple. Everyone has heard stories of the bushwhackers who frequent this route.
How did Hargran get along with the Yelorna Temple? And how does the new owner for that matter?
Hargran disliked the Yelorna Temple. But Sor-eel tried to keep them happy, considering them a potential supplement for a loyal native military force. Then again, Sor-eel had a very low opinion of Hargran and his “Pavis Royal Guard”.
Other Lunars distrusted and disliked the Yelora temple and wanted it destroyed. However, those unicorn riders are tough, and Hargran always hoped someone else would do it (and perhaps more important he feared that if they were removed, the Lunars would have less use of him). So Hargran more or less ignored them, although no doubt he had plenty of bad things to say about them.
Beranox is a Storm Bull cultist. He’s neutral towards Yelorna, but his boss dislikes them but has bigger fish to fry right now. So once again, it is probably tolerate them when you can’t ignore them.