Har Kuron
Har Kuron is a mist-cloaked frontier city of Morathi's burgeoning empire. It is found on the coast of the Searing Sea. Once it was known as the Free City of Anvilgard, but once Morathi ascended to godhood one of her first actions was to lay siege and conquer the city.[1a][2a]
History
Age of Sigmar
Morathi has long had eyes on the Free City of Anvilgard, having long laid the groundwork for her great betrayal and the conquest of the coastal city through her agents known as the Blackscale Coil. Few members of the Coil knew the true identity of the shadowy Visharhein, or Sovereoign, who led their organization, but nonetheless they played their part in weakening the city.[1a][2a]
After her ascension Morathi-Khaine conquered Anvilgard, renamed it Har Kuron, and made it a vassal state of her empire. The newly renamed city is still a bastion of illicit trade, where Scourge Privateers and knights of the Order Serpentis ply their wares. But it has grown ever more dangerous and deadly, any who speak against the new regime or Morathi-Khaine are swiftly dealt with by shadowy blades seemingly hidden in every corner of the city.[1a][2a]
After Keiser ven Brecht escaped from his captivity, he brought news of Morathis betrayal to Sigmar. He sent three Warrior Chambers of the Hammers of Sigmar to recapture the city who where able to drive the defenders back at first until the fog rose from the Searing Sea and allied Idoneth Deepkin as well as the Morathi-Khaine and her Vyperic Guard intervened in the battle. The appearance of the Celestant-Prime stopped the fighting and offered parley with Morathi, which took place in the Dauntless Hall. In the course of the parley, the Celestant-Prime ordered the withdrawl of the Hammers of Sigmar. However, it is not known what promise Morathi made in exchange [2a]
Most of the city’s infrastructure are in ruins lacking workers to rebuild and the heavy depopulation removing the demand for empty homes. Celebrations other than those in worship of Khaine are rare as most of the population that managed to survive homeless, unemployed, in hiding or grievously injured.[3a]
Meanwhile conflict rages in the shadows as the Anvilgard Loyalists initially consisting of Freeguilds of the former city had grown rapidly and now even include Black Ark Corsairs that smuggle people and goods in and out of the city, Khainites who view Morathi’s ascension and adopting of Khaine’s mantle as heretical and members of the Blackscale Coil horrified by the results of the annexation have turned their skills in espionage against their masters. Outside the city walls, within the foothills of the Charrwind Coast they have launched campaign of guerrilla warfare and even larger skirmishes against the forces of Har Kuron. Within the city they operate in small cells seeking to destabilise the city which depending on the skill of the cells range from graffiti to daring heists, rescue missions and assassinations. The fact that the Anvilgard Loyalists operate similar to the Blackscale Coil has led to conjecture of the existence a new Sovereign-like mastermind that leads the resistance from the shadows.[3a]
Politics
Within the new hierarchy of Har Kuron the Hag Priestesses hold dominance and under them is an ever-shifting hierarchy of usurpers and aspirants including the Blackscale Coil, Darkling Sorceresses, and in rare cases even Idoneth Deepkin all motivated purely by personal gain.[3a]
Religion
The once proud Sigmarite city has become a bastion of worship for Morathi-Khaine, the traitorous goddess of the Cult of Khaine.[1a]
Most of the non-Khainite religions were purged immediately after the annexation. The Chapel of the Sacred Flail was demolished and the High Temple of Sigmar was defaced, all statues of the God-King were replaced by statues of their new god. The Fyrepits were doused with a sorcerous river of blood - albeit after a conflict that raged for nine days and nights as the Fyreslayers defended it to the last. Open worship of any god other than Khaine remains a death sentence that could result in being sacrificed by witch aelves. [3a]
Inhabitants
The city's population is comprised largely of Aelves of many cultures, particularly the Daughters of Khaine, Order Serpentis, and Scourge Privateers.[1a] The population of the city has been reduced to a fraction of what it used to be as as many lives were lost to the coup, the Idoneth soul-tithe, and the ritual sacrifices in the name of Morathi-Khaine. Even fewer are the loyalist families who emerged unscathed at the end of the devastation. [3a]
Locations
Morathi's goal was to capture the city mostly intact, and with one major exception, she mostly succeeded. That exception is Firesnout's Folly, the path of destruction caused by the cogfort Old Firesnout as it attempted a desperate counterattack. The carcass of the cogfort is still visible at the outskirts of the First Circle.[3a]
Many of the mundane businesses of Anvilgard continue to function, though usually less prosperously than before. For example, the Crow's Nest Tavern still serves its clientele by the harbour - albeit with additional competition from former Blackscale Coil speakeasies now operating openly - and the Court of Knaves has adapted its playbill to the tastes its new audience.[3a][4a]
Aside from non-Khainite places of worship, the institutions of the city have mostly survived in one form or another. The Dauntless Hall retains much of its purpose, now serving as Morathi's court where representatives from the various power centres of Har Kuron manage the business of running the city from the seats that the Grand Conclave of Anvilgard once used, and the Black Nexus Stormkeep is now Morathi's fortress and throne room. More prosaically, the various defoliant production facilities still hold back the jungle.[4a]
Probably the only industry that has grown in the transition from Anvilgard to Har Kuron is that of gladiatorial games, with ritual combat arenas of every kind common throughout the city. The Hag's Sacrament remains the most prestigious arena in the city, but a number of new arenas have risen to challenge it, most notably the Arena of the Iron Reckoning.[3a][4b]
Sources
- 1: Soulbound Champions of Order
- 1a: Chapter Three: Archetypes
- 2: Battletome: Daughters of Khaine (2021)
- 2a: As the Blood Flows 16-17
- 3: Soulbound: Shadows in the Mist
- 3a: Fall of Anvilgard
- 4: Arena of Shades booklet
