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Overview:
Situated on the western bank of the Fluvitae River, directly opposite Eastwatch, Westrun serves as a vital artery in the east-west trade corridor. More industrial than civic, the city operates as a logistical powerhouse — managing river traffic, shipbuilding, and the distribution of goods flowing through Pilliga toward Agroma. With its shipyards buzzing day and night and caravans arriving at all hours, Westrun doesn’t sleep — it labours.
Description:
Westrun is a city of sawdust, steam, and sharp angles — a striking contrast to its stone-faced counterpart across the river. Where Eastwatch stands as a bastion of order and administration, Westrun is a monument to craftsmanship and motion. Built almost entirely from the rare hardwoods of the Pilliga interior, the city showcases the engineering potential of timber — with broad-raftered halls, towering cranes, elevated walkways, and layered warehouses constructed with a level of precision that verges on artistry.
The riverfront is dominated by sprawling shipyards and repair docks, their gantries and scaffolding forming a skeletal skyline. Further inland, wide boulevards are flanked by lumber mills, storage depots, and merchant halls, all bustling with the constant rhythm of goods arriving and departing. Though workers live throughout the city, residential areas are sparse and often temporary, with many labourers rotating in from nearby villages or river towns. In Westrun, space is measured in cargo capacity, not comfort.
History:
Westrun’s origins are modest — once a small timber town nestled along the Fluvitae River, known primarily for harvesting and exporting the region’s prized hardwoods. In earlier days, its lumber was carried upriver to Fort Logos or shipped all the way to Vitaurum, its reputation built not on size, but on quality.
That changed with the expansion of the Pilliga trade corridor. Westrun found itself in a position of unexpected advantage: abundant hardwood, existing infrastructure, and a reputation for craftsmanship. With the financial backing of House Farmus of Agroma, the settlement transformed almost overnight. Docks were expanded, shipyards rose, and trade houses relocated to the western bank.
Today, Westrun balances its traditional pride in woodworking with aggressive economic growth, having positioned itself as both the central shipbuilder and logistical powerhouse of the Fluvitae. What began as a timber outpost has grown into one of the most vital industrial settlements in Pilliga — quietly monopolising river trade while Eastwatch watches from across the water.
Significance:
Westrun’s value lies not in its culture or its politics, but in its function. It is the industrial heart of Pilliga’s river trade — a cornerstone of the region’s economic lifeblood. Every barge that travels the Fluvitae, every shipment that crosses from East to West, passes through the city’s docks or ledgers. Its shipwrights are considered some of the best in eastern Siar’Morrin, and its warehouses supply settlements as far afield as Agroma’s borderlands. Though it lacks the civil prestige of Eastwatch, Westrun holds no illusions — it doesn’t need praise. It builds the boats that carry it.
Notable Features:
- The Grand Shipyards: Dominating the riverfront, Westrun’s Grand Shipyards are the largest of their kind along the Fluvitae. Dozens of drydocks, scaffolds, and cranes fill the waterfront, constantly occupied by barges under construction or repair. Revered for their craftsmanship, Westrun’s shipwrights are particularly skilled with hardwood hulls — their vessels valued across Siar’Morrin for durability and speed.
- The Logwall: Acting as both barrier and symbol, the Logwall is a towering palisade constructed entirely from stacked hardwood logs — a remnant of the city’s early days, now repurposed to mark the boundary between Westrun’s bustling industrial centre and its quieter western edges. Embedded with watch posts and access ramps, it also serves as a defensive fallback in times of crisis.
- The River Exchange: Located near the central wharves, this sprawling administrative complex is where shipping manifests are filed, taxes paid, and trade negotiations handled. It is constantly abuzz with scribes, merchants, and officials, and operates under the watchful oversight of Agroman inspectors and local trade guilds.
- Farmus Envoy Station: Though Lord Farmus rarely visits in person, his presence is felt in the imposing stone-and-wood envoy station that sits on Westrun’s highest overlook. From here, his appointed representatives manage investment portfolios, oversee labour contracts, and subtly shape the city’s long-term growth.
Local Legends or Stories:
Though Westrun is a relatively new city by regional standards, one tale persists among its older lumber families — passed down with reverence more than belief. It is said that the earliest settlers struck an accord with the dryads of the Pilligan hardwood groves. Rather than taking the trees by force, they harvested with permission — felling only what was offered, and planting new saplings in return. In doing so, the spirits of the dryads bound themselves willingly to the timber, remaining within the wood even after it was shaped into beam or hull. According to the tale, this is why Westrun’s ships glide more smoothly, why its buildings never creak in the wind, and why no fire has ever truly gutted the heart of the city. The spirits, it is said, still watch — slumbering in the grain, protecting what they became part of.
Current Status:
Westrun today stands as a roaring engine of trade and industry — the logistical heart of the Fluvitae River corridor. Goods from across Pilliga and beyond pass through its harbours, and the ships built here sail as far as Collis Brigantium, though most stop pass no further than Fort Drestan. The city is growing fast, with new yards, mills, and warehouses rising each season. Tensions occasionally simmer between trade guilds and Agroman overseers, especially as labour demands rise and land near the waterfront becomes increasingly scarce. Still, Westrun remains focused — driven by production, sharpened by purpose. It is a city with little interest in ceremony, but every interest in results.