Morrigu/Eastfall
Back to:
Contents
Eastfall
Situated near the source of the Meander river, wedged between the forks in the river is area known collectively as Eastfall. Seperated into several different smaller communities known as shires the region has had a tumultuous and sometimes violent past.
History
Eastfall was originally stablished by a small group of wealthy scavenger lords long ago as a trading point between the Guild and the Raksha. This went well for a few hundred years until the progeny of the scavenger lords grew more corrupt and greedy. Some speculate this was the effect of subtle glamours crafted by passing fair folk. Either way, the populace of the community soon faced being "rented" to raksha for small snackfests. This continued for a while until the populace rose up against their lords.
Bemused by the events the fair folk simply sat and watch the uprising play out, ending in the death of the current lords. Of course, the Guild was not amused at all. An armed convoy was sent, including three outcaste dragonblooded to stem the region's uprisings. They did, and the Guild took control of the region for a while. Unfortunately the Guild wasn't above harvesting the local populace if they had shortage of stock to sell the Raksha.
After the dissapearance of the Empress the Fair Folk started getting restless once more. A group of young noble raksha decided to take the region of Eastfall for their own. Having discovered an uncapped demesne hidden within the region they started to craft their Freehold. Using this hidden fortress from the center of Eastfall they built their strikeforce. Once the wyld forces starting pouring out into the heart of the region resistance was futile. The Guild's control of the city slipped within a day, and the young nobles took control of the region, feeding wantonly on all the most delicious people.
Recently Lilith dealt with the trio of young nobles. Employing part of an ancient and lost oath as a heart shaping weapon she went against the three and the might of their freehold, and somehow prevailed. (if one would ask the trio of noble raksha, she cheated) She didn't kill her opponents, but warned her to never come back again, even though she knew they'd retaliate one day.
She made the freehold her own and declared herself Guardian of Eastfall, and was instantly glorified as the de facto leader of the region. Though most of the shires have their own politics and control, Lilith is seen as the final arbiter.
The Shires
There are many shires in Eastfall. Below the most noteable ones.
- Guildshire
The most central shire of Eastfall, and closest to Lilith's freehold. This shire holds the seat of bureaucracy for the region and is also the most well kept part of Eastfall.
Partially due to the constant influx of large amounts of gossamer over the years and partially due to the malleability of being situated so close to the Sanctuary of Unfettered Souls it is truly a beautiful sight to be hold. The mansions are grand and statuesque - but not imposing. The alabaster streets are dotted with vibrant green plants and trees along them. The small gardens in front of houses, mansions, inns and taverns always seem immaculately well kept and tended to, and the flowers are the most vibrant hues of blues, greens, yellows, reds and purples. The sun seems brighter, warmer and more comforting, and the weather seems almost always pleasant.
At night the lanterns spaced closely throughout the shire's roads are lit, and the structures and trees seem to almost curl towards the streets, sheltering and inviting, cozy even at night.
All in all, it is a little piece of paradise in Creation.
In Guildshire are the finest wares, the best inns, the greatest taverns and the grandest mansions. Citizens from all over Eastfall come here for the big central market which is always bustling with activity.
- Gateshire
While Guildshire is the center of commerce and bureaucracy Gateshire has always been the first bastion against invaders coming into or out of Eastfall. Nestled snuggly between two rivers it is safe from most invaders. All coming in must cross wide rivers, or go through Gateshire, also known as the Great Gate by locals. It is the only way, without crossing the river yourself which can be rather perilous, to get into Eastfall. A keep of stone and steel, complete with drawbridge and portculli stands as the central point of entry.
A smaller community has sprung up around Gateshire providing it with the most needed essentials. Those living here are particularly blacksmiths specialized in the arts of war-forging, more rowdy inns and taverns for the guards to spend their free time in and vent the daily stresses, and the families of the soldiers stationed at the keep. Some traders live here also, hoping to snag visitors right at the gate to peddle their wares, before they see the superior kind at Guildshire.
The keep always has 100 soldiers in it at any time. Another 200 travel the riverside to look for covert intrusions. The total amount of guards and soldiers living habitually in Gateshire is close to a thousand men.
Furthermore Gateshire has the finest trainers in Eastfall, and provides most of the guardsman for the other shires.
- Moonshire
Though the name might be deceptively pleasant sounding, Moonshire tends to be anything but. The shire is up night and day mining the precious metals found in that specific area. Most found are simple ores, but the area is unnaturally rich in both silver and caches of actual moonsilver, to which the shire owes it's name.
While it is a relatively dirty, noisy shire the inhabitants don't complain much. Part of this is that many of its inhabitants live and work there in shifts. Some are guards who aren't needed and on temporary leave, smiths from Gateshire or Guildshire, or other smaller shires working the forges, and some are able bodied men and women who tend to the farms but work in the mines when the season for crops is past.
There are full time miners and smiths in Moonshire too, obviously, and those who tend to local facilities such as temples (which often have miners come in to sacrifice to Luna, hoping to gain her favor and find a lot of moonsilver), but these mostly don't mind the grime, restlessness and noise of the shire.
The Sanctuary of Unfettered Souls
Situated close to Guildshire, this is the freehold that is the heart of the region. Here reside those of Eastfall with the greatest potential, and of course Lilith herself.
To gain entry to the Sanctuary one most follow a winding path that seems to circle up and around a great mountainous peak. The journey is not particularly perilous in and of itself; but the path definately guards well against any would be invaders, as fighting on it may very well result in a long fall.
Once at the top, which could take about an hour, the visitor to the Sanctuary finds themselves in the same kind of hilly flatlands as at the base of the peak, as if they had never ascended to begin with.
Structures
- The Stronghold: Keep of Hundred Heroes
The only way in or out of the Sanctuary. This is the might of the freehold, it's sword and shield. Lead by Garrison Commander McReedy (a tall brawny, angular sculpted man with a great red mane of hair and a matching beard), the most elite of all of Eastfall reside here most of their time. The garrisson is only about a 100 men strong, but possess the might of at least five time their number (or so the story goes). Garrisson gear is impeccably crafted by Lilith herself. Each soldier has a suit of plate, styled for both use and elegance, a large shield which can take a direct blow of a spear, and a wicked curved longsword.
While the equipment cannot be matched by mortal forges, the drawback is that the soldiers can only use this suit of equipment inside the freehold. They need to rely on the best that mortals have to offer should they leave the Sanctuary. (Essence-Forging Art crafted equipment)
The Keep itself is decorated with wall mounted shields, each one depicting the personal story of one of the hundred soldiers that dwell within. Build with dark stone, almost obsidian, the rest of the decorations are as spartan as one might imagine. Dotted torches, some candelabras, occasionally a more comfortable room with bloodred carpets, patterns speaking of the might and courage of the keep. It is muchly a slightly otherworldly version of a great human keep.
- The Throneroom: Hall of the Five Cardinals
Situated behind the Keep of Hundred Heroes is the Hall of Five Cardinals. A grand hall, used not only for audiences with Lilith herself, but also feasts, weddings, celebrations and other things. It is of a build somehow crossing an immaculate temple and a great hall of the northerners.
The hall can be sectioned off with temporary paper wallings, lavishly decorated, telling tales of all that transpired within the great hall. One of these can supply a seemingly endless supply of extra sections. Despite being seemingly of paper, they're as hard as rock and no sound seems to pass them.
The eastern section holds a throne crafted of dreams itself which seems to reflect the nature of those who approach it. On the wall is one part of the five-fold oath that this throneroom holds, woven in dreams and shape to bind all those within the freehold.
The other three walls, as well as the grand ceiling in the center of the hall read similar commandments. The gist of the oath contained within this hall reads, if one can discerne the essence pattern "Within the Sanctuary do not harm man or raksha unless they are of ill will, or invite the curse of the wyld, and the kiss of the mantaray."
- The Freehold: Spire of Ebony and Silver
The most alien structure in the relatively mundane freehold, this is a sharp, dark tree made out of obsidian and basalt. Its countours are like a tree, but it reaches like a needle to the sky, few branches ending on small towers. In all the walkways are roses of deep purple glass, their stems as a vine all through the freehold, apparently just one plant that stretches throughout all the freehold.
All of the windows are purple as well, shaped like roses, each petal showing the scene of a glorious battle. Black and purple, the colors of blood, of conflict, and of passion and conviction. The rope bridges between the branches of the Spire seem to always gently sway, however if one steps onto them they still instantly, allowing the safe traversal, pausing the aesthetic nature momentarily for convenience.
At the highest top of the Spire is where Lilith keeps her personal chamber. It is a maddening mix of abstracts made real through the stuff of dreams and the utterly mundane. Walls that seem solid can suddenly shift and become translucent, giving people a clear view of the clouds below. Furnature seems to shift itself to instantly accomodate those within the chamber with permission, and work against those that did not get permission.
This also holds the gate to the observatory. Once one steps through one finds themselves in a semi-translucent globe of Gossamer beyond the reach of clouds, overlooking the freehold, Eastfall, and even much more. The stars seem close enough to reach out and touch, although the circular walkway does not allow anyone to get that close without flight, and even then the bubble enclosure keeps them from going any further.
In the center of the observatory is the bonefire, holding Lilith's heart. The pillar stretches infinately upwards and downwards, into the darkness of an impossibly high peak of the Spire.
Waypoints
Most waypoints in the freehold seem to be hilly flatland with grass and purple and crimson and blue flowers, the most radiant one might ever seen. Some seem to lead to caves within the surrounding mountains, full of crystals and other reflective metals, which seem to provide light where there should be none, making one feel as if in a dream. A few noteable waypoints:
- The Dream Caverns
Crystals that defy imagination, diamonds of the brightest shine and other brilliant things litter these dark caverns. It is said that one who goes into them is inevitably faced with their greatest desire, restructured by the stuff of dreams and the wyld. Sometimes this can be dangerous and it is not an oft visited fixture in the Sanctuary. Still, there is some merit to going there if one truly needs some divine insight as to where to go next.
- Grove of the Ancients
Grove may be an understatement. While seemingly small from the outside, once one enters this small woodland one finds themselves within a marvelous grove of trees of alabaster and leaves remiscent of rubies, opals, topaz or other precious gems, though definately still leaves and as flexible as their counterparts in Creation. These filter the incoming light in the most magnificent ways, making the entire grove seem as if one stepped into a stained glass painting. At the center are statues of ancient heroes and villains, celebrating their stories, their victories and defeats, on small specks of land dotting a much bigger brilliant azure lake.
The Grove is possibly the most beautiful place in the entire Sanctuary
