Bringing Greyhawk to Life: Lorveth “The Broker” Thrask and the Dark Arteries of Nulb

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by 3orcs – Dungeon Master, Mapmaker, Worldbuilder The World of Greyhawk has always been more than just maps and modules—it’s about depth, choices, and characters that bleed with ambition, fear, and hunger. As a Dungeon Master running the legendary Temple of Elemental Evil , I’ve come to believe that it's the little places—the taverns, the brothels, the alley deals—that give the big story its soul. That’s why I’m excited to introduce one of the darkest veins of Nulb’s underworld: Lorveth “The Broker” Thrask , the cold-blooded slaver and intelligence fixer who pulls strings in the shadows of the Boatman’s Tavern. This character and the logistics around him were born out of my personal work on the Verbobonc Campaign Guide 576 CY , and I hope it inspires you as it has me. The Merchant of Misery: Who Is Lorveth Thrask? Lorveth is no spell-hurling boss fight. He’s worse. He’s a whisperer. A buyer of bodies. A half-orc who wraps cruelty in charisma and runs a growing empire from the...
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Doomwatch Keep Construction Timeline and Action Plan — The Rise of Hommlet’s New Bastion Greyhawk DND campaign

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The Shield to the East: Doomwatch Keep Begins to Rise

In the small, unsuspecting village of Hommlet, a quiet storm brews beneath the soil — a renewed threat from the Temple of Elemental Evil. In response, the Viscounty of Verbobonc has funded a military fortification that will serve as the region’s first major bulwark against this rising darkness: Doomwatch Keep.

Nestled at the eastern edge of Hommlet, this multi-phase construction is not just a military initiative. It’s a story centerpiece, an evolving hub of NPCs, intrigue, and questlines, and one of the most exciting narrative springboards for any DM running the Greyhawk Campaign in 576 CY.

Let’s dig in.

Origins of the Keep — A Strategic Vision

Doomwatch Keep is spearheaded by Hommlet’s famed defenders:

  • Lord Burne, tactical mage and architect of magical efficiency

  • Lord Rufus, decorated warrior and field commander

  • Canon Terjon, divine advisor from the Church of St. Cuthbert

  • Laree the Mason, brilliant engineer and local master builder

  • Viscount Wilfrick Revepaix, political patron funding the project

These NPCs are your quest anchors. From political tension to engineering puzzles, they can offer work, side quests, espionage hooks, and magical problems to solve.

The Construction Phases — An Epic Timeline for Any Campaign

📜 Phase 1: The Tower is Raised

  • Completed five months before 576 CY.

  • Burne’s Tower becomes operational for defense and surveillance.

  • Introduce Burne’s Badgers as elite NPC allies.

⚒️ Phase 2: Foundations and Gatehouse Begin

  • Trenches dug; outer defenses started.

  • Bandit raids delay supplies — your party could escort caravans or investigate “lost” ones.

  • Plot Hook: Joseph Millar, a secret Earth Cult spy, infiltrates the workforce. Can the players expose him?

🧱 Phase 3: Walls and Bailey

  • The great walls and bastions begin to form.

  • Magical glyphs and divine blessings embedded into stonework.

  • Perfect for "under construction" missions: goblin sabotage, stolen plans, or cursed stones.

🏰 Phase 4: Final Touches

  • Council chambers, barracks, cisterns, and Burne’s arcane observatory.

  • Local labor from Tent Town brings flavor and side quest potential.

  • Hommlet becomes the "mini capital" of the Gnarley frontier.

 

3orcs' Take: Why This Location Matters

As a Dungeon Master, I love giving structure to chaos. Doomwatch Keep allows for that. It’s a living construction site, with setbacks, ambitions, and progress you can roleplay.

This document is also a worldbuilding goldmine: politics, magic, resource scarcity, architecture — it's all here. If you’re playing T1–4 or any campaign that touches Hommlet, use this Keep as your base of operations or your next mission site. For my players, this became their staging ground for everything from raids on Nulb to spying on merchant caravans to arguing in the Keep's mess hall.

Quest Ideas Spawned by Doomwatch Keep

  • Saboteur in the Ranks: Discover and expose Joseph Millar’s sabotage before he can smuggle information to the Earth Cult.

  • Trouble with the Gnomes: The Free Assembly of the Kron Hills is furious over timber contracts being reallocated. Diplomacy or fireballs?

  • Banditry on the Rise: Escort caravans from Verbobonc City with critical supplies — or track down those who never made it.

  • Wall of Stone Gone Wrong: Magical construction has consequences — perhaps a trapped demon or ancient spirit awakens inside the stonework.

Tools for Dungeon Masters

✔️ Construction Progression: Track the phases across real-world time, adjusting based on your campaign’s pacing.

✔️ Factions Involved:

  • Church of St. Cuthbert (Canon Terjon)

  • Village elders like Elder Kenter

  • Merchants from Dyvers, Nulb, Twilight Falls

✔️ Magical Engineering Support:

  • Burne’s Unseen Servants, Wall of Stone, Fabricate — opportunities for players to assist or accidentally unleash arcane chaos.

✔️ Political Web:

  • Viscount Wilfrick’s support comes with strings attached — perhaps missions to the Kron Hills, diplomatic audiences, or enforcing his laws.

Connect It to the Temple of Elemental Evil

The Keep is a literal and narrative shield against the rising threat of the Temple. Its very existence is a symbol of Hommlet's defiance — and a glowing target for cult retaliation. Perhaps the Temple sends assassins. Or launches raids. Or maybe the final battle is at the Keep’s walls.

This Keep gives you a home base, a quest log, and a story anchor that enriches the world and makes the rise of the Temple even more personal for your players.

 

Final Thoughts from 3orcs

When I wrote this article, I was inspired by village-building survival games like Bellwright and the realism of logistics, construction, and frontier life. It brings Hommlet to life — the laborers, the cooks, the mason’s apprentices. It feels alive.

📍 You can read the full document on the Verbobonc Campaign Guide 576 CY

📺 And if you want video deep dives, check out our 3orcs YouTube channel. We discuss this and other locations in detail for DMs looking to enrich their Greyhawk world.

🎨 Want gorgeous original artwork, VTT maps, and printables? Join us on the 3orcs Patreon for exclusive content.

Let’s Build Something Together.

From Hommlet to Doomwatch — brick by brick, quest by quest, the Temple of Elemental Evil rises… and so too must its defenders.

🛡️ – 3orcs

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