PORT OF KÁLDÔR 1

ost wise and an expedition to the Shómos River in my previous

missive on this subject. Financed in part by one
excellent lords Querénè Valáin of Tashál, with Koróbin Nàlása acting
Herewith be it known. as an agent, this expedition left Kóbing under the
Now that the Succession to the command of one Hûrin Tháragôr, a Thârdic merce-
Throne of Káldôr has been decided, the lords and high nary of some repute. Word has reached me of the fate
nobles once again concern themselves with the issue of this expedition; it appears the majority of its mem-
of a Kàldôric port with access to the sea. Several ex- bers were slaughtered by the Pagáèlin before ever
peditions, furnished with orders to go forth to exam- they reached their goal. Only two men returned to
ine various parts of the island. have been financed di- Óselbridge, where one died of his wounds almost
rectly from the kingdom's much-depleted coffers, and immediately. The other recovered sufficiently to re-
some even of the wealth of others within this realm. count the bravery of Tháragôr before he too suc-
The various expeditions contain members of the cumbed to his injuries.
most volatile factions of the recent disturbance, and
since much of the land through which these expedi- END OF REPORT.
tions must journey is dangerous in the extreme, it Respectfully submitted,
might well be that many members, might—sadly—
never return. Even the failure to return of an entire ex-
pedition would reveal valuable information to the
Káldôrans.
Should these young hotheads by some perchance
survive and return unto Tashál, the Privy Council will
be in a position to examine all alternatives dispas-
sionately.
In anticipation of such devices, those of my agents
who survived the investiture of Tashál by rebel
Kàldôric forces during the Succession Crisis have
compiled a report for your consideration. This docu-
ment, which contains several diagrams, is attached
to this present missive.
It is not unlikely that the Privy Council will reach
the same conclusions: that the most viable alterna-
tives are to obtain Bûrzýn as a ready-made port that
can harbour ocean-going vessels, or that a new port
be established on the southern tip of Tulémè Island,
with a tálbar port established on the northern tip of
that island.
You may remember my previous communication
on this subject noted that a diplomatic effort to secure
Bûrzýn might be expected; and indeed there is al-
ready speculation that an embassy to HM Chunél be
undertaken by delegates of his Kàldôric Majesty
If I may be so bold, I suggest that such an em-
bassy be received with great honour, and that consid-
eration be given to ceding all rights Mèlderýn may
have to Chybísa, and withdrawing all support from
King Vêrlid. In return, Mèlderýn may expect to extract
concessions on the need for ships bound for a
Kàldôric port to first call at Chérafîr, as is now the
case with Tháy. There may also be scope to link the
ruling clan of Káldôr with that of Mèlderýn by mar-
riage.
Finally my lords, you may remember I mentioned

Port of Káldôr, Version 1.0, February 2002 © 2002 N. Robin Crossby and Columbia Games Inc. All rights reserved.
 PORT OF KÁLDÔR 2
HUMBLY BEG LEAVE TO REPORT ast Coast
GOOD MISTRESS, in accordance with thy
There are dozens of good natural har-
wishes, I have examined the various op-
bours on Hârn’s eastern coastline, from
tions available to the Crown of Káldôr
Ánoth Bay in the north to Cape Rénda in
regarding the establishment of a port
the south. Unfortunately, the Sôrkin
capable of receiving ocean-going ships. I undertook to
Mountains lie betwixt. Cutting a canal to connect the
minimise the cost of this inquest, knowing as I do the
Kald River system would be virtually impossible. Also,
constraints under which thou must labour. Still, such
the mountains are inhabited by the Khúzdul, whom
work is not bought cheaply; I am confident we will
Káldôr would not wish to disturb, and by numerous
reach an equitable agreement about the reimburse-
gârgún rabbles, who would undoubtedly view mer-
ment of my expenses at a later date.
chants and their beasts as potential meals.
I chose to finance only two expeditions to examine
at first hand the likeliest locations for a port. The other While an overland route is not impossible, it would
options I examined by consulting maps drafted by the require that the Kingdom come to some sort of
finest lexigraphers of the realm, and by seeking out and arrangement with the Khúzdul, which is possible, and
questioning trappers, miners and timbercrafters con- with the gârgún, which seems most unlikely. Even with
cerning other possible locations. In earnest of your such an agreement, it would be essential to secure the
good faith, I humbly submit for your examination a re- route militarily against gârgún treachery. It would be far
port collated from the accounts of those questioned, safer to rid the mountains of the foul creatures alto-
and of the expeditions that have so recently returned to gether. Destroying the gârgún would undoubtedly be
Tashál. welcomed by the Khúzdul as a worthwhile endeavour in
its own right, but it would be a time-consuming and
Hârn may be an island but the problem in finding a
unthinkably expensive proposition; the cost in life, limb
suitable location for a port can be ascribed to the fact
and treasure is simply too high. Thus, an east coast
that Káldôr lies a substantial distance inland from any
port is unattractive.
coast, and that the lands between Káldôr and the sea,
while they may be claimed by Káldôr, are in fact con-
trolled by other sovereign nations, barbarian tribes, or noth River and
gârgún colonies. Points North
Any site must provide a favourable answer to the As you are no doubt aware, as well as
following questions; how easily can Káldôr gain—and the four great caravan routes out of
preserve—control of the site, and of the land between Káldôr, there is also Nôron’s Way. Running north as
the site and the kingdom; how expensive will the site be does the Fur Road, it presently reaches the Ánoth River
to establish and keep in good condition; and finally, and connects by ferry to the Òrbaalése settlement of
does the site provide an economic advantage to mer- Lôrkin. The Òrbaalése have no major fortifications on
cantylers. the south bank of the Ánoth, so it may be possible for
Káldôr to build one, provided it was done quickly.
Alternately, it might be possible to seize one or
more of the Òrbaalése strongholds along the Ánoth.
This would involve war with Orbáal, and the Ánoth is
closer to Orbáal than it is to Káldôr. The Òrbaalése
have the advantage of being able to move troops and
resources by sea and by river. Their excellent mobility
by water would give them a decided advantage.
One interesting aspect of such a conflict is that it
might incite the oppressed Járin of Orbáal to revolt.
This would oblige the Òrbaalése to fight the Járin and
the Kàldôric forces at the same time. Even so, the Òr-
baalése, by all accounts, are such fine seamen that
their mobility over water would probably be enough of
an advantage for them to win, unless Káldôr were to
commit a very large military force to the battle. Given
the population of the kingdom, and the fact that a mi-
nor civil war (the Succession Crisis) has just been
fought, Káldôr may not have sufficient resources for
such a struggle.
Port of Káldôr, Version 1.0, February 2002 © 2002 N. Robin Crossby and Columbia Games Inc. All rights reserved.
 PORT OF KÁLDÔR 3
Even if Káldôr were to secure, by construction or sea along the Thârd River is controlled by the Thârdic
conquest, a stronghold on the Ánoth, it would be un- Republic and the Kingdom of Réthem. It is doubtful
able to function against a Òrbaalése blockade. It would either of these sovereign nations would allow traffic to
require many years to build enough ships to engage pass unhindered along the Thârd. At the very least,
the Òrbaalése in open battle at sea, if indeed it were they might impose prohibitive tariffs, making the port
possible at all. It would also take a lot of money, and uneconomic. Continued trade would also be at the
the new port would be bankrupt before it could launch mercy of either realm; to be blocked whenever it was
such a fleet. felt advantageous to do so.
All things considered, establishing a port in the Needless to say, these points mean a port on Lake
Ánoth River would probably require Òrbaalése consent, Benáth is out of the question.
and that would be hard to obtain since the Òrbaalése
are suspicious of anything that might incite the Járin. ontúry Lake
As for other considerations, the Taélda, a tribal na- and the Ósel
tion of Nuthéla, may or may not be an additional prob- There are some Kàldôric logging
lem, but Nôron’s Way already runs through the eastern operations along the Ósel River system.
part of their range. To the Taélda, this option would There may be good reasons for building one or more
merely bring about an increase in traffic, which they ports along the Ósel, but the system is already con-
might not even notice. nected to the Kald, and it would do nothing to give
I hesitate to include the final point, since the tale Káldôr access to the sea. Further consideration is thus
seems so fantastic. But if this report is to be complete, pointless.
it must be told. There are repeated stories of caravans
being waylaid at the ford of the Kald near the small The information on which the following options are
hamlet of Nôron. I have heard merchants I based was gathered by the two
consider reliable tell of giants who expeditions I financed. Since the east,
stride out of the forest demanding north and west have been ruled
tribute. The stories also tell of out, I chose to send both
weapons bouncing from the expeditions to the south of the
thick hide armour worn by Kingdom. Each expedition was
these giants, and of four men- sent to a different area. The
at-arms being felled at one majority of the territory lies under
blow from a giant’s club. The de- the nominal control of Pagáèlin
mands are outrageous, and may tribes. Thus, both expeditions
consist of the better part of the were extremely dangerous, given
caravan, including wagons and the nature of these barbarians.
pack animals. I do not claim However, due to the
these stories are accurate, or resourcefulness of the expedition
even true, but many merchants leaders, they returned with an
will not travel Nôron’s Way, superstitious even in account of their explorations. The first
the enlightened age in which we live. expedition explored the Ósel, Shómos and Ulmêrien
All these points mitigate against the establishment Rivers and surrounding lands, while the second ex-
of a port on the Ánoth River. plored the lower Kald and Tulémè Falls areas.

ake Benáth
A port on the east coast of Lake
Benáth has the same problems as does
the establishment one on the east coast.
The Félsha Mountains are every bit as for-
bidding as the Sôrkins, and there are just as many gâr-
gún. While there are no Khúzan settlements, Aráka
Kalái and the district of Misýn present a rather signifi-
cant obstacle. Add to these the fact that any overland
route would almost certainly cross the range of the
Kath, and the location is even less promising.
If these reasons were insufficient to prevent the
establishment of a port on Lake Benáth, access to the
Port of Káldôr, Version 1.0, February 2002 © 2002 N. Robin Crossby and Columbia Games Inc. All rights reserved.
 PORT OF KÁLDÔR 4

hómos River This doesn’t solve the problem of the Pagáèlin.

There is still a large overland component to the route,
Navigable for about half its length, the
and they would have to be neutralised somehow.
Shómos River would provide an ideal
Again, a line of forts could conceivably be constructed
anchorage. However, it would still lie
along the Génin Trail south of Óselbridge, but this
some distance from Kàldôric territory.
would be exceedingly expensive to accomplish and
There are two possible alternatives; a guarded overland
maintain. The financial and military outlay such a plan
trail to Óselbridge, or the construction of a canal to the
would require are beyond Káldôr’s means at this time.
Ósel River.
Finally, as in the previous option, Bûrzýn and Chy-
The overland route would require construction of a
bísa are not part of the Kingdom of Káldôr, and for
line of forts. A “spur” off the Génin Trail could reach
Káldôr to annex Chybísa, the consent, tacit or other-
the Shómos, but the trail is already unsafe, passing as
wise, of the Mèlderýni crown would be necessary.
it does through the range of the Pagáèlin. Building a
new trade route which is just as dangerous as the exist- Once again, this option does not appear to be real-
ing one is a dubious proposition. istic. The problem of the Pagáèlin, and the fact that the
port would either be in foreign hands, or would require
The expedition examined a possible route for a ca-
a war to obtain control of the port, effectively rule out
nal, but were preoccupied with being in the middle of
the possibility of using the Ulmêrien River.
Pagáèlin territory, and may have neglected the careful
procedures required for an accurate survey. However, ulémè
the lay of the land is well enough known that I was able
The only reason that Kàldôric ships
to enquire of two masters from each of the Miners’ and
cannot reach the sea from the Kald River
Masons’ Guilds. The consensus was that such a canal
is the cataracts at Tulémè, which are over
would be impossible, although one suggested that it
a hundred feet high.
might be possible given six or seven decades and the
entire revenue of the kingdom.

n Ósel Canal
The idea of building a canal to connect
the Ósel River to the Ulmêrien River near
Bûrzýn has two drawbacks. Firstly, the
route is fifteen leagues over some fairly
rough hills. Like the plan for the Shómos River, I have
had competent Masters of the Miners’ and Masons’
guilds consider preliminary plans of such a scheme,
and like the Shómos River, all say that it is impossible
to accomplish. Secondly, notwithstanding a historical
claim, Bûrzýn is not part of Káldôr and the project
would either require a war of conquest against, argua-
bly, the strongest fortress on Hârn, or would leave con-
trol of Kàldôric trade in the hands of Chybísa. However,
there is scope here for negotiation with the Kingdom of
A canal would have to start much further down the
Mèlderýn, who also has a historical claim on Chybísa.
Kald estuary and deviate far to the east of the falls and
surrounding marsh. The cost of construction, and the
lmêrien River subsequent cost of maintenance, would be prohibitive.
The Ulmêrien River option is the only The only other way to bypass a waterfall is a port-
one that has been seriously tried in the age. Ocean-going vessels — with the exception of
past. The concept is simple. Build (or some of the smaller Ivínian ships — cannot be carried
otherwise obtain) a port on or near where this kind of distance, nor would it be practicable to
Génin Trail crosses the Ulmêrien. Of course, that is the move large vessels on huge wheeled cradles.
location of Bûrzýn, the strongest fortification on Hârn, Káldôr’s river fleet, such as it is, would not last in
and it is doubtful the Chybísans would be willing to ac- the Gulf of Edérwyn, which is prone to violent storms.
quiesce to such a proposal. I have it on good authority
The solution, then, is to transfer cargo between
that this possibility has worried King Vêrlid of Chybísa vessels. Obviously, this could already be done, and
ever since Káldôr actually took the tiny kingdom in bat- probably is done occasionally by smugglers, but it
tle some thirty-seven years ago. must be a difficult task involving a great deal of plan-
Port of Káldôr, Version 1.0, February 2002 © 2002 N. Robin Crossby and Columbia Games Inc. All rights reserved.
 PORT OF KÁLDÔR 5
ning and coordination. Hardly something that could be Conclusion
accomplished on a regular basis.
As far as I can determine, the Tulémè Falls option is
The only reasonable solution I can foresee would be the only viable one that Káldôr has for a port with ac-
to build one dock above the falls, and another dock be- cess to the ocean. It lies within the Kingdom’s borders,
low the falls, and connect the two with a good road. does not present any insurmountable construction
The Isle of Tulémè itself offers the best available site. challenges, would cost less than any other option, and
There is a break in the cliffs which makes the construc- does not cross hostile territory.
tion of a short road possible. There is enough flat
ground behind the cliffs to construct warehouses, The one possible drawback of this plan is that the
dwellings, and beast fields. There is also a suitable lo- Sindârin of Évaèl might not care for the idea of in-
cation on the cliffs for a fortification to protect the lower creased human traffic up and down their east coast.
port. It would also provide an excellent point for a bea- They might even consider the Isle of Tulémè to be part
con fire, to guide ships into port. As I see it, the facili- of their territory.
ties would consist of three components. I suggest that, if this option is to be given serious
The Upstream Dock could be fairly simple: a few consideration, the Kingdom should undertake a diplo-
piers/anchorages to handle the river traffic, along with matic journey to Èlshavél to speak with King Áranath.
some warehouses and one or more efficient teamster All things considered, though, friction with the elves
operations. could probably be avoided as long as no mannish folk
tried landing in Évaèl.
A Road running
through the gap in the Mistress, I pray this report meets your needs. I have
cliffs connecting the two tried to make it as complete and conclusive as I am
ports. According to my able. Undoubtedly, there are factors that have been
caravan master, the main overlooked or missed, however I believe the majority of
thing would be to avoid the salient points have been covered. I will submit my
steep grades and this account of expenses through the usual channels.
might require some
switch-backs. If this can
be achieved, he tells me
that a wagon could easily
make the round trip from one end to the other in a day,
including the time required to load cargo at one end
and offload it at the other.
The Port would be at or near the southern tip of the
island. It could begin with as a modest fort, a few jet-
ties, some warehouses and teamsters, a shipwright,
and a rough harbour wall. The wall would not have to
be particularly impressive since the locale is well-inland
and quite nicely sheltered.

Port of Káldôr, Version 1.0, February 2002 © 2002 N. Robin Crossby and Columbia Games Inc. All rights reserved.
 PORT OF KÁLDÔR 6

GameMaster’s Notes sponsor a Kàldôric port, and who would be opposed to

such a project.
Káldôr is landlocked, and this fact bothers a lot of
people. First, it bothers a lot of player-characters, who The main beneficiaries would, of course, be the
see the establishment of a Kàldôric port in the same mercantylers, who could trade at the port and earn real
way that Peter the Great felt St. Petersburg. Within the money. The government would tax the trade, but, even
Hârnic milieu, it bothers some Kàldôric nobles and it so, there would be plenty of profit. The advantage for
especially bothers a large number of mercantylers. traders is the ability to avoid overland routes, which are
These people think that, if Káldôr were to establish a regularly subject to extortion, or worse, by human and
port with access to the sea, then trade could be in- gârgún tribes. Even though the Gulf of Edérwyn is sub-
creased and everyone (or at least they) would get ject to stormy weather and considered “dangerous” wa-
wealthier. This is perceived as a very good thing. ters, it is probably still safer than the overland routes. It
is also, generally, cheaper and faster to move large car-
Building a port can be an expensive proposition at gos by water than by land.
the best of times and, because Káldôr has no coast, it
would first be necessary to secure one; this adds to the The Kingdom of Káldôr would want an outlet to the
expense. There are several steps involved: sea, as a matter of pride, prestige and power. Such a
project would not be without risks and drawbacks. The
• survey one or more candidate sites; initial, monetary cost of government participation, while
• choose the best one; it might be recovered in time, would probably be rather
• secure the site; large. The benefits would be taxation revenues, and the
ability to build a fleet. A fleet would, of course, also cost
• establish access;
money, possibly even more than could be raised from
• secure the funds and other resources necessary port revenues. Nevertheless, when it comes to matters
to build the port; of “national prestige”, financial considerations may take
• build the port; second place.
• sit back and watch the money roll in. Teamsters, caravan masters, and mercenaries
Obviously, this is a very glib way of putting it, each would lose business if there were a serious decline in
of these steps is fraught with pitfalls, but it is, neverthe- overland caravan traffic. They do not, however, have
less, a reasonable outline. guilds to represent them, and some at least would try
to redefine their operations to take advantage of the
The Kald and its tributaries are nice big rivers and new situation. Consequently, any opposition from these
quite navigable. There is quite a lot of river traffic within quarters would probably be sporadic and poorly organ-
Káldôr. Despite the fact that watercraft built for use on ised.
rivers are different from craft built for the open sea,
connecting the Kald to the sea would be the ideal solu- Surrounding kingdoms might or might not take an
tion to the problem. The problem is, of course, Tulémè interest in the project. Évaèl might object to increased
Falls, an insurmountable obstacle to any kind of water- human maritime traffic, but it might not care. The
borne traffic. It’s a waterfall… traffic can easily go western kingdoms, which already trade with Káldôr,
down, but not back up. probably would not care much whether the traffic was
by land or by sea. Kándian traders might welcome a
Depending on the amount of traffic that passed route that did not pass through the Thârdic Republic or
through, the port at Tulémè Falls might quickly grow the range of the Túlwyn. The Republic itself would
into a major operation and could soon supersede the probably be paralysed by conflicts in the senate; this is
overland trade routes. With proper support the port not the kind of issue that unites them one way or the
would flourish. It would immediately become the other. Mèlderýn might not care either, unless ships
cheapest and safest way to move goods from Káldôr to were used to bypass Chérafîr, which might cause the
Chybísa (supplanting Génin Way), and from Káldôr to Mèlderýni to take action.
Western Hârn (supplanting the Salt Route).
Most Lýthian states, (Orbáal, Ivínia, Chélemby,
Because it is so far inland, the provision of adequate Shôrkýnè, Hârbáal, etc.) might welcome the opportu-
fortifications, both at the site and downstream near the nity to trade directly with Káldôr, but they probably
mouth of the Shómos, would render it largely immune would not care very much one way or the other.
to Viking attack. In any case, Vikings seem reluctant to Emélrenè would probably have the same policy as
come too close to Úlfshafen. The Òrbaalése, Mèlderýn (whatever that turned out to be).
Chelémbians, and others might begin trading with
Tulémè, and this could soon make it the busiest port in Of the states/political entities that might be affected,
southern Hârn. only Chybísa and Tróbridge would be clear losers, and
neither has sufficient power or influence to affect mat-
The remaining questions are that of who would ters very much one way or the other.
Port of Káldôr, Version 1.0, February 2002 © 2002 N. Robin Crossby and Columbia Games Inc. All rights reserved.
 PORT OF KÁLDÔR 7

Player Character Involvement Appendix

If this seems like a good scenario, and you want to An Earlier Report to Council1
involve one or more player-characters, you have a vari- Mèlderýn’s Council of Eleven, through its many
ety of “lead-in” options, some of which have already agents, guides the general flow of Hârnic political
been discussed. The three most likely (believable) lead- events, although most of those so guided are gener-
ins are probably: ally unaware of this subtle and generally benign in-
fluence. Mèlderýni agents operate in all parts of Hârn,
Mercantyler Cartel in Ivínia, and in certain parts of nearby mainland
The PCs might form, join or be hired by a group of Lýthia. This service exchanges information with
traders who wish to build the port for profit. This might Emélrenè’s organisation which is similar. In most re-
or might not involve the government of Káldôr. gions, there is a chief agent responsible for the compi-
Obviously some mercantylers would hope to profit lation of data from lesser agents. The following is an
from a new port while others, those who feel they are extract from the TR719 report on Káldôr made by
doing very well without a port, might oppose any such Eríla Káphin, Lord Privy Seal of Káldôr, lover of King
project. Míginath, and an advisory member of the Council of
Eleven.
Observation MOST WISE AND EXCELLENT LORDS, Herewith
Be It Known:
The PCs might be hired to observe (or even sabo-
tage) the operation for one of the interested parties. Certain of the lords likely to pretend to the throne
on the death of my lord Míginath address themselves to
Negotiation the issue of a Kàldôric port with access to the sea. A
conversation was overheard between the lord Máldan
The PCs might be employed as negotiators (or ne- Hârabor, Sheriff of Meselýne and bastard son of HM,
gotiator’s guards) to promote or prevent the opera- and Tróda Dariúnè, Exchequer Royal and Earl of
tion… working behind the scenes in a full blown in- Bâlim; the latter gentleman is clearly concerned about
trigue can be fun. the issue. This episode is reported because your agents
generally agree that the Earl of Bâlim will select the
Conclusion next king. This conversation demonstrates that, even if,
Is this a likely scenario? Someone will almost cer- as many of us suspect, the Earl plans to select himself,
tainly try it sooner or later, and the consequences he maintains at least the illusion that his influence may
should, at least, be interesting. put one of the other heirs on the throne. He maintains
the hopes of the other heirs, and makes as few ene-
mies as possible.
The dialogue recorded was preceded by the normal
conventions. It occurred during the sheriff’s most re-
cent visit to Tashál. My own comments are indicated
thusly: [].
Hârabor: I hear talk of paving the road to Kibân [The
Guild of Mercantylers is considering this project].
Important Note:
Dariúnè: If this were to occur, caravans would have to
Timing compete with river traffic. I think that no one would
While all material published in the Hârn product line unload barges for such a short land journey.
is set in TR720, this report is written at an unspecified Hârabor: ah… it is a pity that the Tulémè Falls block
future time after the death of Míginath, a presumed the [Kald] River mouth.
succession crisis, and some kind of civil war. Intention- Dariúnè: True. Considerable wealth might accrue if
ally, very few details are given concerning these major there were good access to the sea, but I wonder if,
events, which will undoubtedly unfold differently in even were it possible, that would be the best route
each Hârn-campaign. This means that a GM who to the sea..
wishes to use this Port of Káldôr material may wish to
first deal with the Kàldôric succession. Of course, with Hârabor: You are right of course. The Sindârin king
only minor adjustment, the material can be used at any
time.
1 This Report was featured in Reports to Council, which first ap-
peared in HârnLore 2, published in 1987. Only extracts are
presented here.
Port of Káldôr, Version 1.0, February 2002 © 2002 N. Robin Crossby and Columbia Games Inc. All rights reserved.
 PORT OF KÁLDÔR 8
might object to increased traffic in the estuary. Per- Having sounded each other out on the issue of a
haps a development of our holdings on the Fárin Kàldôric port, Hârabor and Dariúnè spoke of nothing
[Tróbridge Inn] might be more advisable. else of significance. It seems clear, however, that Dari-
Dariúnè: Daélda might also object to river traffic along únè managed to convince the Sheriff that conquest of
his western border. Besides the salt route would re- Chybísa would be the simplest way for Káldôr to obtain
quire paving. The Kath and Chélni might also have access to the sea; there remains, however, caution with
something to say, and they speak most vociferously regard to repercussions in Mèlderýn. Whether or not
when they speak at all. Dariúnè is serious about such a project, only he knows;
nevertheless, a diplomatic effort might be expected to
Hârabor: Nevertheless, I have heard talk that certain
secure HM Chunél’s acquiescence upon the death of
mercantylers are proposing to build a major depot
Míginath. Regardless of whether you, my lords, believe
at Tróbridge.
Kàldôric dominance of the Ulmêrien basin to be in the
Dariúnè: Or one at the mouth of the Shómos, or at best interests of Mèlderýn, such a diplomatic effort has
Tulémè Falls. Talk is free; they would need royal as- one potential benefit. It will at least keep Kàldôric at-
sent… [what he means by royal assent here is far tention away from potential maritime outlets over which
from clear to myself.] Mèlderýn could exercise a lesser degree of control.
Hârabor: My lord would agree that the northern routes
to the Nuthéla coast are too long? ON THE SAME SUBJECT my lords, your agents
Dariúnè: They probably are. Over seventy leagues of have recently intercepted a letter from Koróbin Nàlása,
new road, a new bridge, a line of forts… and this to an itinerant mercantyler, and addressed to Querénè
reach a strip of marshy coast that would have to be Valáin, a wealthy merchant financier in Tashál: the
drained at immense cost. On top of all this, such a communication was sent on after examination. An ex-
port would be hard to keep open in the face of Òr- tract follows:
baalése piracy… Lôrkin and Arónè would only be a My Dear Querénè,
few hours away in a good wind. Besides, who would
Further to our conversation last month, I now be-
our mercantylers trade with in that direction?
lieve that the expedition to survey for a depot and port
Hârabor: What of Bûrzýn? His majesty [Míginath] has a site on the Shómos River is certainly worthwhile. I
legitimate claim to the throne of Chybísa. will, therefore, collect your share of the monies re-
Dariúnè: The primary danger there, of course, is alien- quired in the near future, and will have one Hûrin
ation of Chunél. That is a step that should be care- Tháragôr (a Thârdic mercenary I have retained) re-
fully contemplated, but might be achieved through cruit the necessary personnel. The expedition will be
wise diplomacy rather than force of arms. leaving as soon as feasible from either Tashál, Kóbing
Hârabor: I can see how it might be possible. or Bûrzýn. This will depend on Tháragôr’s success.
He may or may not be accompanying the group.
Yours sincerely,
Koróbin
Since the establishment of a depot or port on the
Shómos is clearly an immediate and tangible possibil-
ity, with the mid to long term potential of developing
into a maritime outlet not controlled by Mèlderýn, I will
be attempting to plant an informer with the expedition.
End of report
Respectfully submitted,

Port of Káldôr, Version 1.0, February 2002 © 2002 N. Robin Crossby and Columbia Games Inc. All rights reserved.