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Geography of Blueglass Springs

Blueglass Springs serves as the ward next to the much more militaristic Watchrock Point Ward, and acts as the administrative centre for the eastern wards of the Ninth District of the Shihoki territory. As such, it has a slightly larger population than is standard, with just over one hundred and twenty thousand locals; at the same time, the high concentration of Dragon-Blooded in Watchrock Point means that Blueglass Springs has a standard division of Dragon-Blooded. The Springs hold a reserve troop of the Lions of Hesiesh and the Hawks of Mela, ready to march either east or south as needed by the various border-forts, alongside a local congregation of Ministries, including a branch each of the Scholars of Mela and the Craftsmen of Pasiap.

About half the population lives on the mountain itself, which is also where all three Ministry offices are located, with the other half spread out across the savannah below. The mayor's office is located just short of the peak, while the Lions maintain their base at the eastern foot of the mountain. Because of its nature, Blueglass has several layers of walls, enabling a spirited defense in the case of a siege.

Areas of the Ward

The ward is roughly divided into thirteen areas; some consider this to be an ill omen, while others simply consider it to be a fact. Each area is divided by old stone walls, segmenting the city so that a breach in one area will not carry over into others. The walls cut off or cover the flowing blue glass that sits alongside the streets, giving the impression of water pooling under stone. There are three walls - the Outer Wall, at the edge of the district, the Lower Wall, at the base of the mountain, and the Upper Wall, halfway up the slope. There are then smaller walls dividing the north, south, east, and west facings of the lower mountain and the plains at its base; no such walls exist higher up. In general, about twenty-five thousand people live on the upper slopes, with forty thousand on the lower slopes and over fifty thousand on the plains below.

The Crystal Lake

At the very top of Blueglass Springs lies the Crystal Lake, a rippled expanse of melted and rehardened crystal that is all that remains of the once-mighty Solar castle. The lake is a popular attraction, and the richest few thousand people in the city make their homes here. Also here is the centre of the Ministry of Enlightenment of the Scholars of Mela, who claimed the location over two hundred years ago and have managed to thus far resist attempts by others to claim the land.

The Morning Market

Nestled on the upper eastern side of the Springs, the Morning Market holds few houses; this is the face of the mountain down which the bulk of the blue glass for which the mountain is named flowed. Instead, it is an open area covering roughly the top half of the mountain's face, and serves as the primary market district for the town. It also contains a number of inns and areas where caravans can stop, after threading their way up the Southern Approach. Many of the market's merchants make their homes here, but few others do.

Sundown

Directly below the Morning Market, Sundown is named for the speed with which darkness falls over the lower half of the mountain's face. Although it still sees the sun in the morning, night falls quickly here, and a gradual migration of the rich to higher up the mountain has transformed it into the city's slum region. With over ten thousand inhabitants, Sundown layers between the Lower and Upper Walls, and the guardforce tends to avoid it at night. From time to time, a zealous Arbiter has attempted to impose order, but the fact remains that while Sundown is safe in the day, it is dangerous by night, and its inhabitants roam the streets only if they seek danger - or seek to cause it.

The Range

East of Sundown, the Range stretches across the plains.