Charybdis | Darmah | Fer | Scylla | Sintai’s Rest | Temple of Asgar | Temple of Dellimentai | Temple of the Dark God | Temple of the Unknown God | Tilish | Weeping Eye CHARYBDIS Charybdis is built into a tall stone outcropping that protrudes from the northern edge of Silarin, great sweeping corridors opening out onto broad squares filled with merchants’ stalls and entertainment. A large theatre dominates the south-eastern facing, one side open to the elements to give a greater sense of grandeur to the proceedings. All in all, Charybdis is a magnificent city, but still a dangerous one. Casual visitors often go missing, their deaths officially attributed to accidents, though it is more likely they entered the wrong house whilst following an apparently innocent, yet eager Siren. [ Back to top ] Deep under the crater is the personal realm of the Shadow itself. Though very few have been in its presence and lived, its home is surprisingly sparse. Whatever the Shadow is, it holds no interest in beds, tables, fireplaces or any of the other usual accoutrements of humanoid life. Indeed it seems to only possess such a large living area, roughly the size of the average Jump Gate community, purely because it can. Darmah is a den of death, filth, slavery and horror, hundreds of lives lost every day to the pointless whims of the Shadow. Armies ready in the depths and battle-plans are drawn up, all to take more slaves to live pointless lives in the dark. Children are regularly brought in from the Venris tribes living across Midian to be raised as NightEaters. Something the Shadow does to these younglings changes them forever, bleaching their hair and eyes white whilst simultaneously staining their skin ebony. They are stronger, tougher, quicker and more ruthless than the other Venris, though they lack free thought and innovation. Indeed they are the perfect soldiers for the Shadows armies. [ Back to top ] The tents are made into alleyways and streets, with some places of the city safer than others. Though it has no official quarters, sections of the city do boast a substantial non-Nemar population, especially of Conflaris, Ancient DragonLords and several dozen Morain. The new race especially enjoys a particular place of honour as new allies of the Nemar people. Street-walkers of all the Southern races, including Venris and the effortlessly seductive Sirens, compete with merchants hawking wares and entertainers begging for copper pieces, all coming together to give the city a fierce sense of life. [ Back to top ] Underwater farming of seaweed for feeding domestic animals takes place on the outskirts of Scylla, tended by young or low-ranking Sirens who have not yet made a humanoid kill. Numerous shrines to Dellimentai dot the city as well, though this is nothing unusual as most Siren homes also have a shrine to the Goddess of Seduction. The homes themselves tend towards the opulent, silks waving in the currents underwater, beds of stone and delicately woven seagrasses, combined with coral furniture makes for extremely comfortable living, even for the lowliest Siren. [ Back to top ] Built atop one of the hills is the magnificent palace of Sintai himself. Crafted entirely of dark green marble, the city took years and much effort to build, the FirstBorn Green DragonLord labouring alongside his brethren to erect the monument to defiance of the DragonKing. Within sits Sintai’s throne, where he hears petitioners and passes judgement. Most things relating to crime and law are dealt with by magistrates within the city, but any Ancient DragonLord, accused or accuser, has the right to be heard and judged by Sintai himself, should they so wish. The rest of the city is a carefully laid out, clean, warm and industrious place, formed of limestone or granite. Built with the intention of lasting forever and with the boisterous natures of its inhabitants in mind, the city is an impressively tough place, with buildings being very difficult to knock down. There are few luxuries in the city, though most Ancient DragonLords don’t care. Luxuries could be acquired, but the Scions of Sintai are far more interested in good food, living well and marching to war against the occasional Venris incursion. [ Back to top ] It is this Conflaris who hears the pleas of petitioners and whilst piercing the trials of a temple grants the pilgrim a boon, often this comes in the form of a blessing as opposed to more tangible benefits. Sometimes however the God sees fit to intervene in mortal matters that amuse or entertain him. If Asgar does choose to speak then the colossal basalt statue of him built into the wall of the apse comes to life, speaking with a booming voice, eyes aglow with inner fire. [ Back to top ] The form the trials take a personal to the pilgrim, though obviously they revolve around the carnal arts, be it in resisting or performing with great skill. Once within the pilgrim has earned the opportunity to speak with the Siren High Priestess of the Goddess. Indeed some petitioners please the Goddess so greatly that She actually appears in person for a more intimate meeting. Should the pilgrim continue to impress the Goddess, an incredibly feat requiring phenomenal skill and fortitude, then She is most likely to great substantial boons. [ Back to top ] The Shadow, ruler of the island of Midian, is a jealous creature however. Though it lacks the power to destroy the temple and indeed the Venris the Shadow sets to the guard the place often turn up with their souls drained by a Mist Devils touch, the creature does set its troops to ambush and kill any pilgrims they can find. Some Venris make a dangerous but lucrative living smuggling petitioners close to the temple, where the Shadow’s roving forces don’t normally dare to go for fear of the Mist Devils that lurk in the depths of the temple. [ Back to top ] [ Back to top ] The city also overlooks the lethal set of shoals and reefs called the Narrows that separates Restaril from Med. One the far side of the Narrows is the freshly built temple to Shaltar that Sintai has built. Indeed most of the priesthood live within Tilish, taking it in turns to spend several weeks within the temple itself, attempting to bring down the attention of the AllFather. So far however Shaltar has refused to show an interest in the new temple, something that Sintai is taking as a sign that the he needs to strive harder to impress the Dragon God. [ Back to top ] Weeping Eye itself is very similar to Drazzahezz, except where that ancient city is built from a mountain; the Southern city is instead carved from the depths of Tal’Vorn’s largest volcano. It was here that Asgar took the HeartFire that heats the LifeBlood of every Conflaris and then took it north to combine it with the rugged stones of the True Home Peaks to create His children. [ Back to top ] |
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© Joshua Binks (Paladin), Christopher Riley (Carnage) and Vanessa Vaughan (Andanin) 2002 - |