Kulmara

**Kulmara**

Lawful Good Large Town (Central)

Corruption 0; Crime +2; Economy +1; Law -1; Lore -4; Society +5

Qualities Magically Attuned, Strategic Location, Timid Citizens

Danger 5

Government Council

Population 3,600 (2,400 Kitsune, 1300 human, 100 other)

Notable NPCs

**Deisha Sannal** TN Kitsune Rogue 1 / Fey Sorcerer 4 / Arcane Trickster 10

**Malyena Tiris** LG Female Kitsune Paladin 12

**Glenda Eredev** LG Female Human Wizard 11

**Urorich Blinn** CG Male Kitsune Oracle 12

**Elaglee Tiris** CG Female Kitsune Summoner 10

**Tohum Broadbend** NG Male Human Bard 7

Marketplace

Base Value 2600 gp; Purchase Limit 12000 gp; Spellcasting 7th

Minor Items 3d4; Medium Items 2d4; Major Items 1d4

Local legend has it that Kulmara simply appeared out of nowhere. One
day there was an empty meadow, the next there was a bustling town home
to hundreds of people. The locals are quick to dismiss this a
nonsensical fairy tale. The town has been there as long as anyone can
remember, and the story is simply a product of rampant imagination and
the fact that some local mapmaker decades ago omitted the town.

Of course, the town really did magically appear one day and the
locals mostly know this. However, it's not quite a lie that this is a
"fairy tale", as the kitsune who founded Kulmara were thrust into these
unknown and strange lands by capricious fey. The deal their ancestors
brokered was both salvation and a curse. They escaped violence and war,
but will never again return to their former homelands. From the new
beginnings stemming from Kulmara, they aspired to keep a more cautious
existence.

Over the generations, the kitsune have carefully concealed their
presence here in these lands, and the fact that Kulmara is something of a
 refuge for their kin. Those few humans who happen into this knowledge
are carefully convinced to keep this knowledge secret. The majority of
the kitsune population in the region does not actually live in Kulmara,
but know they can always return here if they need to "start again".

The kitsune with their magic have in turn made the surrounding towns
more prosperous, and a vibrant trade in magical items has emerged in the
 region over the last century. Kulmara is now a common stopover for
merchant caravans interested in this kind of fare, which has been both a
 blessing to the town's economy and a major hassle for the kitsune who
desperately want to keep their presence a secret. The kitsune here are
especially cautious and tight-lipped, even as they try to be friendly.

One of the tools that the town employs is the annual festival of
flowers. This week-long party draws people from the surrounding
countryside to enjoy the revelry and the unusual culture of Kulmara.
When the festival ends the town uses it as an excuse to convince
"vagrants" that it's time for them to go home. This has kept the human
population of Kulmara in check, as in the weeks after the festival
anyone without family connections in Kulmara will be heavily encouraged
to leave.

The town is governed by a council of five members. Each year, one of
the seats on the council faces election, giving each council member a
five year term. These elections are themselves fairly closed and private
 affairs, with each of the nineteen prominent local families getting one
 vote each. Due to the way the town charter is written and the town's
rather strange origin, most of these families are kitsune. Humans have
come and settled in Kulmara over the years, and four families have even
been granted "official" status giving them a vote in these elections,
but the way the system is set up the kitsune houses effectively decide
these elections among themselves. Humans only serve on the council when
the kitsune houses allow it... which is surprisingly often, although
there is seldom more than one human at a time. The current council is
comprised of four kitsune and one human. The human is Tohum Broadbend, a
 popular and charismatic young man whose commitment to the community is
beyond reproach, which has earned him the respect of the kitsune houses
and allowed him to successfully take a seat on the council. Although he
suspects there is some strange connection between many of the local
families, and is aware that some kitsune live in the town in the guise
of humans, he is as yet unaware of the town's true nature. The council
meets once per month to discuss local issues, and is also act as judges
for any crimes committed.

The true power-brokers in town have little interest in the council.
While they respect its ruling authority, they consider the day-to-day
governance of a small town to be beneath their interests. Deisha Sannal is a kitsune with an unusually long lifespan, and is the only one who
still remembers their ancestral homeland. She is jaded and dedicated to
maintaining the secret enclave for as long as her unnaturally-extended
lifespan holds out for... and given the nature of fey magic, that could
happen at any moment without warning. The Tiris family is the most
powerul for the kitsune houses, as is particularly notable for producing
 adventurers who have traveled the lands. Glenda Eredev is one of the
few humans aware of the truth of the town. She is too powerful a wizard
to intimidate or control, but has fortunately proved to be a valuable
ally to the kitsune houses.