Litran

Litran

(City)

CN

City

Nation

Galt

Level

12

Size

Large town

Population

4,990

Demographics

84% humans, 8% halflings, 3% gnomes, 3% elves, 2% other

Government

Civic administrators overseen by the Gray Gardeners

Alignment

Chaotic neutral

Source: The Inner Sea World Guide, pg(s). 72–73 (1E)
Night of the Gray Death, pg(s). 57 (2E)

Litran is a Galtan city best known for being the headquarters of the mysterious executioners known as the Gray Gardeners, and because of their intimidating presence, is one of the most stable cities in the nation.

Geography

Litran is situated in central Galt, on the west bank of the Stormflood River, on the southern edge of the fertile Horun Plain. Despite its name, the Stormflood River rarely floods Litran; the floodwaters usually flow to the marshes north of the town instead.

Within miles of Litran, almost all land is cultivated. Most is dedicated to raising grain; the rest consists of pastures, orchards and fields of flowers. Tall trees and dense hedges surround property lines and the roads that lead to the town.

As the crow flies, Litran is 60 miles from the capital of Isarn, or 100 miles upriver.

History

Litran was once a major center of trade in Galt, due to the fertile Horun Plain and navigable Stormflood River. Farmers brought their grain to the city's many mills, and from there the flour was shipped throughout the country. The Red Revolution began early in Litran, however, and many wealthy merchants and mill magnates were indiscriminately put to death, nearly causing the complete destruction of the town. This collapse was prevented by the arrival of the Gray Gardeners with their final blades, who put an end to the random violence, substituting it with their own, regulated brand of death.

Gray Gardeners

A Gray Gardener.

The headquarters of the Gray Gardeners is a an imposing monastery that sits just off the docks. Whether from respect or fear, the ever-hungry, often blood-thirsty mobs that rove across the rest of Galt avoid Litran entirely. This does not make Litran a safe place, however, as it is deeply unwelcoming to outsiders of any sort. Anyone could be under a Gray Gardener's mask, and the town is gripped in fear and suspicion.

People

Taldan humans make up the vast majority of Litran's population; the rest are elves, halflings and gnomes. Class is the main division: workers at the bottom; peasants, artisans and merchants slightly above them; professionals and rich businesspeople on top, with the most influential being aristocrats who managed to keep their holdings. The Gray Gardeners stand outside this distinction because everyone fears them.

The gulf between the upper and lower classes are wide. The Gray Gardeners learnt to divert attention from themselves by stoking the class struggle, whispering to the upper classes that the lower classes are going to steal their wealth and influence, and provoking the lower classes by asking why the rich are hoarding instead of sharing wealth. While the class struggle has succeeded many times elsewhere across Galt, it persists in Galt, since people are afraid of leading a revolution in the shadow of the Gray Gardeners' monastery, and the Gray Gardeners secretly fund the elite and look the other way when they assassinate radicals.

Litran's hinterland is home to twice as many people as the town itself, and these people are usually not considered equals of the town dwellers. Although this land is cultivated, it remains unsafe: bandit activity has been on the rise, there are rumours of shapeshifting man-eaters that pose as poor travellers, and the Stormflood River is home to fey who consider the river trade an intrusion.