Grusk

March 31, 2022

Grusk is an industrial port city.

Humans would be wise to avoid Grusk Factory, although they won't be able to avoid the smog it produces.

Sulfur pools can be found in the wilderness surrounding Grusk.

Grusk, an industrial port and the largest NPC city in Mistrendur (the continent at the heart of Shroud of the Avatar's Episode 2 content), is built and populated by kobolds, a civilized race of people with draconian features often seen as an enemy by the humans that dominate the world. This city includes all the common benefits of other cities, including merchants, trainers, crafting stations, conversations, quests, and even one or two Easter eggs.

Kobolds are the game's inventors and their city reflects this quality. They surround themselves with unusual clockwork devices of all kinds, including sentient humanoid automatons to help them in their daily routines. Throughout the city are powered streetlights that automatically turn on at sundown and off when the sun comes up. A robust trolley system has several circuits in the city, allowing travelers to hop on at one location and be carried to another section of the city.

Grusk's northwestern quarter is dominated by its factory system. The mostly-underground factory coughs copious amounts of soot-filled smoke out of massive chimneys into the air. This billowing smoke has caused a permanent smog to hang over the city, and those who pay attention can hear many of the kobold resident frequently coughing from constant exposure to the smog. It's unknown if the kobolds recognize the danger the continually put themselves in, but it's true that they remain fiercely protective of their factories and will attack any human outlander that tries to venture into their factory.

Humans that avoid the factory section are allowed to wander the city in peace, and can take advantage of its shopkeepers and utilities. Several quests can be picked up throughout the city, and their themes focus on the creative and egotistical nature of the kobolds. Finishing several of the quests unlocks daily versions of them. Not all quests are threatening, such as the daily stories of kobold history told by the lighthouse keeper, but some may send players outside of the city walls and into the dangerous nearby wilderness. The threats surrounding Grusk include predator beasts, water and sand elementals, and even a few super-heated sulfur pools.

Tags: Catnip Games, multiplayer, Portalarium, quest design, single-player, worldbuilding