With that, let’s get into the Natoce Ruins, found along the frozen southern pole, an entire world away from Tela’s stomping grounds!

Oh, if worldbuilding isn’t your thing, no problem! The next chapter of the current story drops this coming Friday!

Also, these worldbuilding pieces are likely to slow down for a while. Possibly, two to three months or so, because I’ve more stories coming that need my attention so I can drop the chapters out for you!

But, make no mistake, serial fiction chapters will keep dropping weekly!

Natoce Ruins

We really thought the bent and weathered metal poles were just what survived since the Great Collapse… I’m positive we were wrong.

They are a warning.

— Windtracer Muildir Dolthor

Where other ruins are steel skeletons that rise high above the ground, here it’s the opposite. Instead, the metal rises only a single story of a modest house. The metal is curved, arcing inward like ancient rib bones rising out of the snow.

The foundation outline suggests there were originally several buildings. Each one with multiple rooms intended to house dozens of individuals. Time, the elements, and other destructive forces have robbed the site of evidence to explain what those rooms were for.

However, the true marvel lies below ground.

A metal, possibly steel, vault door was discovered leading below the foundations. Carved in the stone above that door was the word, “Natoce”. Scholars argue over the meaning of the word, as it fits none of the few translations from the Ancient Order. They all agree, as do the Windtracers that explored the ruin… that is the name the Ancient Order used for the site.

Beyond the ice encrusted door, there is a network of chambers and tunnels that stretch deep beneath the surface. Ancient lanterns, by some miracle, still held some old magics to provide some light to see by. Windtracers took note that this suggested those without the darksight visited the location.

At first, these intricately carved tunnels were thought to be mines. It was easy to compare them to the ruins of Dehur Kol or other lesser abandoned Dwarven mines and fortresses. The craftwork on the stones that fit perfect without any use of mortar suggested just that. Yet, not all the tunnels were of the same design.

Some rough hewn tunnels close to the surface branched off into small, cave-like “longhouse” chambers. They are well constructed but not as old as the main tunnels. The only explanation Windtracer teams could provide is that those “longhouse” chambers are later additions. Perhaps even by the Qitanni, Hascona Cliff-dwellers.

The craftwork of the tunnels was magnificent. Dwarven masterwork at its finest. What we found next… that left me speechless.

— Windtracer Muildir Dolthor

Marvels of the Ancients

The main tunnels extended down a few hundred feet before they opened out into a massive underground ruin of the Ancient Order.

Hundreds of dark metal platforms are suspended by ropes from pulleys on the roof and walls. These platforms are not kept at the same level, some are higher, others lower. There are even some ropes that extend down into the depths to unseen platforms in the pitch darkness of the immense shaft.

Despite their age, the ropes are coated in some unusual substance, something of Ancient Order creation, that preserves the fibers. Windtracer arcanists confirm they used magic mixed in with the coating on the ropes. This coating is both weather and heat proof.

If we could decipher how the Ancient Order made that mixture… the use it could be put to makes my head spin.

— Windtracer Muildir Dolthor

These ropes are connected to gear boxes with a set of levers on stone platforms that lined the walls of the underground shaft. Steel and a mysterious glimmering black metal make up the pillar-like support beams for the entire complex. Those are thrust down through rock and stone, obviously supporting the entire weight of the ruin.

The best measurements by the Windtracer teams judge that the support beams may extend down to a level below the ocean's surface. This would mean the ruin extends for at least a mile to two miles underground.

After some experimentation, the Windtracer teams discovered the use of the gear and rope system. Through a careful application of levers, the suspended platforms could be raised, lowered, and even interconnected. Several days of study revealed that the platforms had specialized uses. Some held carts the Ancients used to transport materials. Other platforms held multistory buildings of metal and stone, all of dwarven craftswork.

The genius of the location and the system is that the gear and pulley arrangement, combined with platforms of differing sizes, shapes and uses, meant that the entire ruin could be “reshaped” without having to re-excavate the surrounding rock. Windtracers were able to catalog at least ten different configurations, from ‘mining’, ‘fortress’ to ‘construction’, and even what suggested ‘fishing’.

Diagrams and documents were recovered from rooms in the upper levels, hoping the Ancient Order notes provide better insight on what the mysterious purpose of the Natoce Ruins was for.

Isone joked that maybe the Ancient Order dug too far down? Maybe played out whatever they were mining? What little I’ve been able to translate of the Ancient Order books says something else.

I think something dug its way up toward the surface that the Ancients weren’t prepared for.

— Windtracer Muildir Dolthor

Dire Turn of Events

Windtracer expeditions delved several floors down into the complex. The architecture remained the same fine craftwork as above. However, there were signs that the Ancient Order may have uncovered something unpleasant.

At the deeper levels, not even halfway the length of the ruin, hastily erected barricades and other defenses were found. Those had been deformed and still resonated with lingering, powerful, elemental magics.

Windtracers recorded encountering misshapen, withered creatures that skittered over walls, ceiling and floor. Surviving teams penetrated at least two chambers at those levels before having to retreat from the ruin.

With them came books and manuals on magic and devices of Ancient Order design. However, the dialect has proved difficult to translate, leaving Windtracers only the drawn diagrams as a guide to the intent hidden behind the writings. Also, samples of the creatures that attacked them were recovered.

With withered bodies and enlarged eyes, they seemed equipped to walk on two legs but possess four arms. Their frame is an amazing blend of leathery hide and ice, as if they are a hybrid of ice golem and a withered ant-like insect.

More Windtracer groups are expected to drive deeper into the ruin once they have acquired better equipment.

I don’t know what those things were. But the closer we got to the middle levels, they swarmed us by the dozens. We lost Rindowl and Kieran on the initial rush before we got our feet under us.

Isone lost an arm. Only… it grew back by the next morning once we camped in the safer upper layers. It was like her 'new' arm was part her… and part ice golem…

Is this something left over from the Great Collapse? Or part of what caused it?

When I return with better equipment, I intended to learn more!

— Windtracer Muildir Dolthor

Lorekeeper Notes

I just can't believe what happened to Isone, did you see her arm? It's so cold that she freezes water by touching it! - Lorekeeper Gwelunis Istril

I did, it's ... amazing! - Lorekeeper Rudigar Brockhouse

That... all right, that's a word for it. - Lorekeeper Gwelunis

Oh, come on. She can make one mean ice sculpture with that arm now! She made a two headed swan the other day. A perfect likeness! - Lorekeeper Rudigar

A two-headed... there really is something wrong with you... - Lorekeeper Gwelunis

If you’re a paid subscriber. I don’t even come close to having he words for how grateful I am. Thank you. If you’re seeing this as a free subscriber and like what you see, I would appreciate your support. There are benefits, such as getting to Beta Read for me and more! If a paid subscription isn’t to your liking, you can always buy me a coffee!

Subscribe now

Buy Me a Coffee!

Last, it’s been said before but I want to say it again… sure, I write for me because I love the stories and settings, but I’m also writing for you. I appreciate each and every one of you.

Now, if you’re wanting a deeper look at Hoist the Colors, take the plunge here at the link: Hoist the Colors. For Windtracer, jump over here: Windtracer: Adventures in Awldor.

Until next time!

-Kummer Wolfe

So, as I promised, let’s get into Part 2 about the Obsidian Armory. For anyone who has read Dark Device of the Great Chasm in Windtracer Tales, some of this might seem a bit familiar.

Oh, if worldbuilding isn’t your thing, no problem! The next chapter of the current story drops this coming Friday!

Obsidian Armory, Part 2

Curious Content

At first glance, the library’s shelves appear to be arranged in a type of organized chaos. But nothing could be farther from the truth. Library custodians maintain a strict categorization method to keep track of items from innocent to lethal.

Books, items and more are sorted to the floor and what that level is build to withstand. Then, items are once more sorted by lethality from front to back of that floor. Here, starting with the basement and heading to the second floor, this is the broad categories for items in the Obsidian Armory.

Structure of the Library

The library is divided into three floors: Basement and Undercroft, the Ground Floor, and then the Second Floor which also contains the Observatory. Visitors to the library enter on the Ground Floor.

Basement and The Undercroft

I have always questioned the thought behind storing cursed or undead infested items near the emergency water supply and farmland. Unless you’re looking to grow undead broccoli to do your bidding, I suppose.

— Windtracer Kiyosi Valchar

Despite the underground lake and farmland, the Undercroft is where cursed, unstable, and necromantic items are kept. The infamous necromantic book, the Xinder Codex, is one of many found in this dark iron bound vault. The Talabreans keep the Undercroft under guard by members of the Slate Watch. A steel door, banded in runic carved iron and secured with an enchanted lock, keeps the room sealed off. Visitors are only allowed inside with an escort because of a mishap with an unescorted necromancer being possessed by the Xinder Codex a few years back.

Ground Floor

On the ground floor, curators and the Slate Watch make the most use of the limited space available. Journals on masonry, mechanics, cloudglider designs, and topics concerning healing and related magics are kept here. Likewise, the main alchemy laboratory, which is used for alchemy training, is on the far western side. Books on combat alchemy are near the laboratory. Preserved specimens of small animals no larger than geckos or fish that have been twisted by magic storms or Deepland energies are on display.

Off the back of the ground floor, is the main training fields for the Slate Watch. Here members train with various weapons, potions, and alchemy based items to use against Deepland threats. A barracks is attached to this training ground where a contingent of the Slate Watch house members assigned to the Armory.

At the eastern side of this floor is the hallway to the Hunter's Hall. This hallway is made of the same briskstone as the rest of the structure. Steel doors, bound with the same enchanted iron as used in the Undercroft, can be closed in an emergency on both ends of the hallway.

Second Floor and Observatory

The second floor contains more volatile information. This covers books and items on topics such as dealing with shadow demons, elemental swarms, and undead infestations are kept here. Here, the larger preserved specimens from recent assaults against Talabrae’s Deep are on display. Several heads of hydra-roosters are in jars at reading tables. Inert bone golems, shelves of various undead hands, and more provide decor at the end of each bookshelf. At the very back is the room where undead plants and aggressive fungus are studied.

As I hear it, they also have a domesticated mimic rolling around as a tea serving cart.

— Windtracer Kiyosi Valchar

Last, at the top of the Armory, is the Observatory. This serves a dual purpose of watchtower and astronomy study. The Slate Watch practice fast casting spells here to hone their ability to contain demons or other aberrations. Such training requires a wide space which the Observatory and roof have an excess of. Larger weapons used for defense of the library are maintained here, such as the dwarven ballista or elven dragon cannons.

What’s In A Name?

It’s not unusual for visitors to ask about the library’s name. The ‘Obsidian Armory’ is an unusual choice, but one that the Talabreans are comfortable with. This name dates back to before the even the original fortress that was the cornerstone of Talabrae’s Deep.

Most visitors believe the name is a reference to the ample volcanic rock found along the Great Chasm. But this isn’t the case. The name was a conscious choice by the two founders of Talabrae’s Deep. Clovia Deepmarrow, a dwarven silversmith and Innoc Talabrae, a dark elven swordmaster.

Surviving refugees from the shattered dark elven and dwarven great underground empires had reached the surface without hope. They were a rag-tag collection of people from across their respective cultures. Loss of their homes had broken them so that all they wanted was to survive until tomorrow.

Clovia, the leader of the dwarven refugees, and Innoc, leader of the dark elf survivors, took the first step. They set aside generations-old grudges to talk and realized the only way to survive was together.

The name was taken from an ancient fortress that sat on the boundary between their former Deepland empires; the Obsidian Rampart fortress. It had been long contested and changed hands more than once. But Clovia and Innoc recognized their people needed a symbol. A beacon to inspire them.

So the new fortress and home to those dark elven and dwarven refugees was named ‘Obsidian Armory’. The refugee leaders intended it to inspire hope, and it did.

Lorekeeper Notes

I've never been there myself but Tela's sketches and her accounts of the place make me want to visit it! - Lorekeeper Gwelnuis Istril

It's interesting to say the least. A long trip by windwagon, but worth going. Just make sure you pay attention to the seasons. - Lorekeeper Ihodis Jenro

Seasons? Why? The things from the Deeplands? - Lorekeeper Gwelnuis

The same. Those seasonal assaults from Deepland swarms, like corpse devils? It can make things fairly tense to visit, if not deadly. - Lorekeeper Ihodis

Swarms of corpse devils and other things out of the Deeplands? So that's what that was? - Lorekeeper Rudigar Brockhouse

Yes... why? What else did you think it was? - Lorekeeper Ihodis

Why, a contest of course! I netted one myself! - Lorekeeper Rudigar

Netted? You, kept one, didn't you? - Lorekeeper Gwelnuis

I... uhm... it was a little one, only the size of a wagon wheel! It seemed cruel to toss it into the wilderness. - Lorekeeper Rudigar

Rudigar... they're venemous aberrations with a paralytic venom that spit electrified acid. - Lorekeeper Ihodis

Her name is 'Fifi' and I'll thank you both to be polite. She's rather sensitive. - Lorekeeper Rudigar

If you’re a paid subscriber. I don’t even come close to having he words for how grateful I am. Thank you. If you’re seeing this as a free subscriber and like what you see, I would appreciate your support. There are benefits, such as getting to Beta Read for me and more! If a paid subscription isn’t to your liking, you can always buy me a coffee!

Subscribe now

Buy Me a Coffee!

Last, it’s been said before but I want to say it again… sure, I write for me because I love the stories and settings, but I’m also writing for you. I appreciate each and every one of you.

Now, if you’re wanting a deeper look at Hoist the Colors, take the plunge here at the link: Hoist the Colors. For Windtracer, jump over here: Windtracer: Adventures in Awldor.

Until next time!

-Kummer Wolfe

Obsidian Armory appeared late in the first story of Windtracer Tales, but the characters didn’t stay there for long. It was only long enough for them to put some pieces together about where they needed to go. But, there was so much more there. Sadly, a lot didn’t have a place in that story. Which means it’s ripe for another story later!

With that, let’s get into the Obsidian Armory!

This one is a big one, so we’ll tackle this in two parts!

Oh, if worldbuilding isn’t your thing, no problem! The next chapter of the current story drops this coming Friday!

Obsidian Armory, Part 1

...in this library, instead of being a collection of works on the Ancient Order, the Great Collapse, and so on, it’s focused on magic, creatures, and the Deepland itself...

— Windtracer Tela Kioni, the Automatic Crystal Expedition

The far Eastern edge of the Planus Continent is known for a chasm of thick monstrous creatures, and one of the most desolate landscapes on Awldor. It’s also the home of the greatest library about magic, mutated creatures, and the twisted, irradiated underground realm of the Deeplands. A library that almost no one has ever heard of.

It may also be the greatest hope for Awldor if the Great Collapse continues, or happens again.

That library is the Obsidian Armory. Part storehouse of knowledge, part training grounds, this library is in the isolated mining town of Talabrae’s Deep along the edge of the Great Chasm. It’s a centerpiece in Talabrae’s Deep, attached to the Hunter’s Hall which acts as the town hall for the settlement.

A Deadly Purpose

A library called an ‘armory’? Well, as the saying goes, knowledge is a double-edged sword...

— Windtracer Kiyosi Valchar

The Obsidian Armory didn’t start at a library, but they also used its first incarnation as a place to preserve learning. In generations past, this building was not a library, but a fortress. The knowledge it preserved was scholars and teachers. They were refugees from dark elven and dwarven empires in the Deepland caverns that fell during the Great Collapse.

In those early days of Talabrae’s Deep, those refugees needed a safe place. A refuge to protect themselves and their people against a swarm of ravenous, twisted creatures hunting them. Some of those people refugees with them scrolls, books, and other materials. Most did not. Instead, they carried magical, martial, and other lore in their minds. Memorized and learned as part of their professions. They were the last living repository of ancient dark elven or dwarven knowledge.

The refugees, sheltered in that simple fortress, survived those Nightmare Years. With the gibbering monstrosities pushed back into the Deepland caverns, those refugees expanded the Obsidian Armory. What was once a fortress became a stout library. A cathedral to learning and study of the dark forces from the Deeplands and their murderous ways. It’s here that the Slate Watch Order performs their training and study to keep the Deepland nightmares at bay.

But it’s so much more than a library with preserved, creepy undead things!

— Mikasi Zenia, halfling inventor from Banye

This library has grown well beyond that original purpose. Local inhabitants of Talabrae’s Deep regularly visit the Obsidian Armory for study on farming, masonry, mechanical inventions, and more. Alchemists from the few scattered settlements along the Great Chasm, and even Windtracers from distant Ishnanor, have visited the Obsidian Armory. All to study and glean insight from the ancient dark elven and dwarven texts. Most leave copies of their own accounts or learning, which has helped the Armory grow.

Alterations

The alchemy lab is on the first floor. If you see a greenish-gray fog trailing out the open door... best to find somewhere else to be.

— Windtracer Tela Kioni

The Obsidian Armory has experienced several changes over the generations. Once the attacks stopped, and the refugees looked ahead toward a potential future, they realized what the Armory could become. In particular, it was the vision of the dark elven scholar Gedros Kebih, and the dwarven stonemason, Dobek Emberald, that drove the alterations to the original fortress.

They designed initial the alterations with strength and defense in mind. But they also kept in mind of it becoming a place of learning. Rooms on the first floor were expanded to develop an alchemist’s lab for study. Next, the Talabreans later converted a portion of the basement to a vault, dubbed the ‘Undercroft’. There, books or cursed items impervious to destruction were stored for study until a way could be found to render them harmless.

Later alterations would still maintain the need for defense. But these would allow additional rooms on the second story to house volumes of books, specimens, and more. After the Slate Watch Order was founded, a walled training ground was added behind the library for martial exercise and practice.

The most recent addition in the past century was a wood and briskstone hall that connects the Obsidian Armory to the Hunter’s Hall of Talabrae’s Deep. They did this to allow the Council of Twelve, the governing body of Talabrae’s Deep access to the library for meetings, and safety if necessary.

Architecture

The original architecture was a traditional dwarven stronghold. A long rectangle, it had a domed tower on each corner for visibility and support of the main walls. Two interior walls were built to provide layers of safety if the first wall was ever breached.

As the refugee camp and fortress grew into a mining settlement, future architecture leaned on both dwarven and dark elven architecture styles. There stout dwarven columns and foundations rise to meld with dark elven flying buttresses and cathedral-like ceilings.

Despite the look, the Talabreans implemented the design to support strong briskstone walls to deflect physical or magical attacks, while allowing a wide field of vision. This strength became essential as library study rooms, with additional weight in books and other materials, needed to be supported.

These architectural elements are still maintained and used. An assault from the Deepland caverns has yet to penetrate to the heart of Talabrae’s Deep. But the locals are not willing to take a chance, and see the Obsidian Armory as their ‘safe haven’ if all else falls.

Defenses

The Armory has traditional, and non-traditional, method of defense. Stained glass windows are tall and slightly thin, with arrow slits sitting on either side. These tall windows were designed for a spellcaster in mind who would need a wider field of view than an archer.

Likewise, even the stained glass is part of the defense. The Talabreans magically attuned each pane of stained glass to a primal element that is reflected in the color. When combined in the stained glass portrait, the collection of attuned glass panes acts as a mystical shield. This isn’t impervious to all magic, but just resistant and gives a spellcaster a temporary shield as defense.

All the towers are domed. This idea was based on generations of experience from building in the Deepland caverns where attacks could come from across the ground, below it, or from above. The domes are coated in a metal sheeting which can repel most average physical attacks. They simply bounce off. Just below the edge of the domes, wide doors and arrow slits allow use of dwarven ballista, dark elven dragon cannons, and archer regiments.

The Armory’s defenses also included an underground set of living quarters, complete with underground farming and water. Dark elves and dwarves didn’t stray too far from their ancestors form of agriculture. Almost half of the agriculture of Talabrae’s Deep requires a cave or cavern with an underground water source. The Obsidian Library rests atop an underground lake with ample farmland.

Talabreans keep this land tilled and periodically refreshed with fertilizer in case of emergencies. It also doubles as a place locals can study or try new agricultural techniques.

That would be Part 1 of Obsidian Armory! In Part 2, which will be in a week, we’ll dive a bit deeper and have some commentary from the Windtracer Lorekeepers on the matter!

If you’re a paid subscriber. I don’t even come close to having he words for how grateful I am. Thank you. If you’re seeing this as a free subscriber and like what you see, I would appreciate your support. There are benefits, such as getting to Beta Read for me and more! If a paid subscription isn’t to your liking, you can always buy me a coffee!

Subscribe now

Buy Me a Coffee!

Last, it’s been said before but I want to say it again… sure, I write for me because I love the stories and settings, but I’m also writing for you. I appreciate each and every one of you.

Now, if you’re wanting a deeper look at Hoist the Colors, take the plunge here at the link: Hoist the Colors. For Windtracer, jump over here: Windtracer: Adventures in Awldor.

Until next time!

-Kummer Wolfe

So, this time I’m sharing a piece that didn’t make the cut. This is one of those bits of lore that I wanted to use, but had to cut away to draw out the story. This doesn’t mean I won’t use it later, but for now, it’s a piece yet to be used.

With that, let’s get into a bit of Lost Lore! The Temple of Draoses!

Oh, if worldbuilding isn’t your thing, no problem! The next chapter of the current story drops this coming Friday!

Temple of Draoses

It's not happy to see visitors…

— Windtracer Tela Kioni

The ruins of the Temple of Draoses lie in the northern section of the Chivit continent. Like any part of Chivit, the area is thick with a vibrant, if not aggressively growing, rain forest. Only the most sturdy of structures withstand the ravages of time, weather, and the environment. This temple is one of those.

Deceptively Simple In Design

It is a squat, three story structure braced on either side by rain forest and covered in monkey brush vines. The bulk of it is above ground with one level below. Walls are made from the native rock found on Chivit with the blocks fitting with mathematical perfection using a tube-stud arrangement on either side of each brick. These tubes along the bottom and raised studs at the top allow the bricks to fit with no need for mortar or other sealer to fill imperfections.

But, despite not needing it, there is a thin mortar between the stones. This mortar isn't the typical slaked lime and sand. Instead, this has the feel of rubber, yet seems to resist the damp environment of the Chivit rainforests with ease.

Narrow, vaulted windows are spaced evenly along the walls on both above ground floors and a wide, double door sits on the eastern side. Interestingly, all the windows have been bricked closed. Only the chambered recess of the window frame remains. The doors are not blocked but were barricaded.

Some would say that's a warning. I just call it a challenge... all right, and a warning.

— Windtracer Tela Kioni

Part Of a Greater Whole

There are hints that the vine-covered structure may have once been part of something larger. A thin walkway of stone leads away from the front of the main doors, vanishing beneath the soil and grass of Chivit. At the top of the temple, strange stubs of rock protrude a hand's width out from the building. These could be support struts for archways that have long since fallen away.

Such minor details are where the term 'temple' comes from along with a mysterious image of a snarling sun over the doorway. The prevailing theory is that the building is all that remains of a greater temple, perhaps even settlement, that Chivit has long since reclaimed since the Great Collapse.

I mean a snarling sun doesn’t exactly mean ‘welcome’, no matter who you are…

— Windtracer Tela Kioni

Mages have studied the samples brought back and estimate the structure may date from just after the Great Collapse. If so, this would make a surprising revelation and suggest that there might have been an attempt to rebuild after or during the cause of the Great Collapse. But this attempt was unsuccessful.

Even more perplexing is who created the structure. There are samples of language, which all appear to be a dialect of the language used by the Ancient Order. So far it's resisted translation and so it cannot be determined if this is a new dialect or more of an existing one already discovered.

Let's not forget that the place is trapped from front to back to try to kill anything that comes by. Someone just did not want anyone wandering in there without permission.

What's in a Name?

The name 'Draoses' is taken from a word scrawled in the stones around the door just inside the structure. Carved repeatedly by several people or just one whose mental faculties were deteriorating over time, it provides an unnerving greeting.

So far, there has been no successful translation of the word. There two current theories. One is that the 'Draoses' may have been a local culture in the region during the time of the Ancient Order but were wiped out during the Great Collapse. A second is that this 'Draoses' may have been a faith that has been long forgotten and that the vault may what remains of a temple.

Whatever it was, it turned into a tomb. Not that I'm complaining.

— Windtracer Tela Kioni

Lorekeeper Notes

From what Tela said, she couldn't get very far inside. If it wasn't bricked shut, it was littered with traps. - Lorekeeper Gwelunis Istril

There were skeletons, too. She said it was like they had been sealed inside while alive? - Lorekeeper Ihodis Jenro

I've read about that. Maybe to protect whatever is deeper inside through the afterlife? Protecting from the Great Collapse?- Lorekeeper Gwelunis

They really should have cleaned up a bit more since they had the time. - Lorekeeper Rudigar Brockhouse

Don't, Gwel, you know you shouldn't ask... - Lorekeeper Ihodis

I... I have to. Rudigar? What? - Lorekeeper Gwelunis

Leaving your spike snares and dart traps just laying around like that in just whatever room... it's untidy! Didn't they know those are for the entranceway only? - Lorekeeper Rudigar

Rudigar, I didn't know you studied traps and fortifications? - Lorekeeper Gwelunis

Well, it only makes sense. It's where I place my spike snares and dart traps at home. Anything else would just mean you're a terrible host! - Lorekeeper Rudigar

Subscribe now

If you’re a paid subscriber. I don’t even come close to having he words for how grateful I am. Thank you. If you’re seeing this as a free subscriber and like what you see, I would appreciate your support. There are benefits, such as getting to Beta Read for me and more! If a paid subscription isn’t to your liking, you can always buy me a coffee!

Buy Me a Coffee!

Last, it’s been said before but I want to say it again… sure, I write for me because I love the stories and settings, but I’m also writing for you. I appreciate each and every one of you.

Now, if you’re wanting a deeper look at Hoist the Colors, take the plunge here at the link: Hoist the Colors. For Windtracer, jump over here: Windtracer: Adventures in Awldor.

Until next time!

-Kummer Wolfe

But I’ll get into more about this structure here soon enough in an upcoming Wolfe Tracks!

If worldbuilding isn’t your thing, hey, no worries! The next chapter of the current story drops this Friday, Feb 28th!

With that, let’s get into the nitty gritty about the Briza-taeda plant!

Briza-taeda

.The flowers are vibrant, the leaves large, and the fruit… well… I’d rather eat shoe leather. But dry the bloom silk and you’ve a medicine that no surgeon would do without.

— Windtracer Kiyosi Valchar

The Briza-taeda is one of several species of ferns common to the dense Anestri’for jungle on the Chivit Continent . In particular, its wide, fan-shaped leaves, brilliant red flowers, and its purple banana-shaped fruit make this fern stand out. Briza-taeda is most often encountered in the northern sections of the Anestri’for in the Chivit Continent.

Discovery by Happenstance

I wouldn’t call it a ‘discovery’. From the way I heard the story, it was a timely intervention…

— Windtracer Kiyosi Valchar

The earliest records of the Briza-taeda fern come from Ishananor’s Eastledge Merchant Company in 1252 AGC, in the captain’s logs of the merchant ship, White Crest. It was toward the end of coldwane, or spring of that year, when the White Crest dropped anchor just off Kanathi Bay.

Per Captain Nikolio Tabbal's log, they were running low on supplies and so put crew ashore to scavenge for fresh fruit and other supplies. But they discovered just how unforgiving the jungle can be to visitors.

EMC White Crest Captain's Log

Coldwane season , Hyraea , 1252 AGC, Captain Nikolio Tabbal commanding

---

The illness swept through the crew in a matter of hours once the landing party returned. Doctor Thyneris traced the cause to an insect bite, some form of a flying insect with golden green wings.

No matter the source, the effect was devastating. With over three quarters of the crew ill, I had no choice but to raise the flag, marking us a plague ship. The flag wasn’t much of a warning, nor was there anyone to warn.

We had anchored in an out of the way bay off Chivit. Kanathi Bay. It was nothing more than a name on a chart to most ships. I chose it on the off chance that there would be fresh fruit or meat to bolster our supplies.

I had showed signs of the ailment the next morning after the landing party returned. Patches of my skin had cracked and turned a slate gray stone color. I had already begun to look like a patchwork clay golem not quite sown together right.

We would have never left that tropical hell had Doctor Thyneris not hit upon a novel, and frankly obvious idea. The landing party had met some of the local natives. Just a small group, no more than a hunting party. But the meeting was amicable, and the trade with them for dried meat and fresh produce was priceless.

The doctor reasoned that the natives living here in this green jungle nightmare would know about this problem. This… Slate Skin Plague… that seemed bent on killing us. It even seemed resistant to magical healing. If the local natives knew of this plague, they might have a means to combat it.

I was willing to send another landing party with those few of my crew that seemed immune to the plague. Fortunately, Thyneris was one of those.

They returned hours later with what I can only describe as a miracle. Hair-like strands from a plant that could be brewed into a spicy, almost peppery tea. This tea was the cure. I lost some of my crew, a handful who were part of the original landing party. I’ll mourn them for a fortnight and a day out of respect, as is the tradition. But thanks to the natives, and a broad-leaf fern, most of us are able to return home.

Windtracer expeditions have returned to Chivit in recent years with the Eastledge Merchant Company's support to retrace Captain Tabbal’s steps. The Briza-taeda fern was easy enough to find, but the local natives were much more difficult to track down.

Hints of settlements, or what was assumed to be hunting camps, were found East of the Kanthi Bay area. It was during the 1276 Windtracer expedition to the Temple of Draoses that Windtracer Kiyosi Valchar could finally meet the natives in the area. After days of conversation with the local healer, Windtracer Kiyosi could confirm stories of the fern’s abilities as described by Captain Tabbal.

It wouldn’t have been so unnerving except that their local herbalist, an elder, took one look at me and said ‘Hm, expected you are’. That really put the conversation off on an odd start…

— Windtracer Kiyosi Valchar

Anatomy

Briza-taeda stand out from other ferns and plants in the Anestri’for in part because of their appearance but also their structure. While they are a fern, Windtracer herbalists who study the plant feel this fern is one of only five known plants from the Chivit jungles that develop in this manner.

The Briza-taeda is a renewing plant. What some herbalists call a ‘perennial’ to use the Ancient Order term. It grows large through coldwane to amberrule, or spring to fall. Then, in the colder months, it goes dormant.

Roots

Briza-taeda has a rare ‘dual root’ system. One part is a traditional root system. The plant sends out these roots in a wide area. These don’t burrow very deep, but only a short distance under the soil.

Most herbalists believe this it to allow the plant the best chance of collecting water and nutrients from the damp jungle soil. But, with the root net so spread out, it helps stave off accidental root rot during the rainy seasons in Chivit.

The second root is what herbalists call an ‘anchor root’. This resembles a tube or bulb with a paper-like outer surface. While it resembles a root bulb, herbalists have found it isn’t anything of the kind. This second root allows the plant to store water and nutrients against hot spells that might dry up any available water.

Locals explained how this second root can be harvested and used as a source of water. It won’t hurt the plant, it’ll grow a new one. But make sure you boil that water before you drink it, otherwise, you’ll have some very unusual dreams…

— Windtracer Kiyosi Valchar

Stem and Leaves

The most noticeable, and impressive, part of the Briza-taeda is thought to be its shiny leaves. Shaped like a broad fan, or wide ‘ear’, they measure at 2 nindan, or .6 meters, across at the widest point. They come in a variety of colors, from a deep olive to a blue-black. Herbalists believe the color has to do with the growing region and amount, or lack of sunlight.

Full-grown leaves have a shiny appearance on top with a waxy feel. This waxy surface protects the plant, acting as a defense against excessive water. Herbalists have wondered if it also helps the plant collect sunlight.

The underside lacks this waxy feel. Instead, this is more the typical woody plant-texture. It’s the same texture found with the deep emerald colored stem. This tougher texture provides additional support for the reedy stem and where it connects to the leaf itself.

Flowers and Fruit

Last of all are the flowers and fruit. A Briza-taeda reproduces using long seed pods that grow out of an individual flower. A given seed pod can contain up to 15 oval seeds at time.

The flowers themselves are a trumpet shaped flower that is yellow or white with a blood red center. This red center is the part of the plant that will develop into the long seed pods.

As the seed pod, or fruit, grows, it develops into a long purple gourd. While the gourd develops, the flower itself separates into long, soft fibers, called the ‘silk’. The gourd itself can be eaten, but the flavor is extremely bitter and the texture chewy. Only the most hungry of person would dare eat this bulbous fruit.

But the silk is more valuable. Once gently harvested from around the seed pod, this Briza-taeda silk can be used as an ingredient for healing purposes. When boiled to a paste and applied to a burn, the wound heals five times faster. When brewed as a tea, it is an effective curative potion for those that suffer from Slate Skin Plague, an ailment brought on by Chivit insect bites.

Ecology and Habitats

The Briza-taeda grows best in a hot, humid climate with moist soil. A peat-like consistency is preferred to the usual tilled soil common in farms, such as the Ishnanor floating farms. In fact, in such peat or soft soil environments, the presence of the wide root net of the Briza-taeda helps provide stability to the surrounding soil.

Pests and Ailments

The tough waxy leaved and bitter fruit are a deterrent to most pests. But the Briza-taeda still suffers from two primary threats. The first is damage from alcorn spider bites and the second would be Necrotic Leaf Blight.

Alcorn spiders are a common sight with Briza-taeda ferns in the Chivit regions. The small, finger-sized spiders will slowly shred the leaves and use the fibers to build nests or traps to catch their own meals.

Necrotic Leaf Blight is another matter. This is considered a potentially magical based disease that affects certain plants; the Briza-taeda being one of those. This appears as dark blotches on the underside of the leaf. Slowly, over time, this can eat through the leave to the waxy side.

If a plant isn’t treated using a ruberi mineral sap, the blight will infect the entire plant. The result is that the Briza-taeda will become carnivorous, using a necrotic sap to tranquilize, then devour its victims.

Lorekeeper Notes

I still can't believe you both found the natives and got them to talk to you. - Lorekeeper Gwelunis Istril

It wasn't easy. But they eventually came around. Good thing, too. Slate Skin Plague is a horrible way to go.- Windtracer Kiyosi Valchar

This information is just amazing. Have we have sent this to the Archivists? They should know about this. - Lorekeeper Ihodis Jenro

Oh, yes. I included a copy of the information along with the recipe in the latest cookie-gram shipment. - Lorekeeper Rudigar Brockhouse

Cookie… what? - Lorekeeper Gwelunis

Cookie-gram. Archivist Bob and I are in the cookie-gram of the season club. - Lorekeeper Rudigar Brockhouse

I… I can’t even… - Lorekeeper Gwelunis

… ‘of the season’… how does that even work? The Archivists are across the sea. Won’t the seasons be different there? - Windtracer Kiyosi

The baker here keeps a very detailed schedule. They say so in their motto! ‘Piper-Ridge Farms remembers’! - Lorekeeper Rudigar

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If you’re a paid subscriber. I don’t even come close to having he words for how grateful I am. Thank you. If you’re seeing this as a free subscriber and like what you see, I would appreciate your support. There are benefits, such as getting to Beta Read for me and more! If a paid subscription isn’t to your liking, you can always buy me a coffee!

Buy Me a Coffee!

Last, it’s been said before but I want to say it again… sure, I write for me because I love the stories and settings, but I’m also writing for you. I appreciate each and every one of you.

Now, if you’re wanting a deeper look at Hoist the Colors, take the plunge here at the link: Hoist the Colors. For Windtracer, jump over here: Windtracer: Adventures in Awldor.

Until next time!

-Kummer Wolfe

This little item appears in the Dark Device of the Great Chasm. Anyone familiar with role playing games might catch the reference here as well!

With that, let’s get into the nitty gritty about a Sun Orb!

Sun Orb

... Fist-sized orbs hung in each corner of the room. They hummed while giving off a dim light, no brighter than a fading sunset. For a room ten or fifteen paces wide, it was enough...

— From the field journal of Windtracer Tela Kioni, Automatic Crystal Expedition

A Sun Orb is a type of lantern that was used during the height and waning years of the Ancient Order. It was a basic light source used in most Ancient Order buildings and homes by -200 AGC (After the Great Collapse) if not before.

Enduring Mystery In A Bright Package

Ancient Order Sun Orbs varied in size but were all the same ‘orb’ shape. The average Sun Orb is four Ishnanori sizu in diameter and weighs about 1.5 tubik. In Ancient Order measurements, that is approximately 10.2 cm and 0.45 kg. The ‘orb’ itself was a smooth, milk or white-butter tinted glass, often with four metal loops evenly spaced around the equator of the ball. They used those loops as a means of how to attach a Sun Orb to a belt or a wall hook in a room.

The glass used by the Ancient Order was not typical, and not like any made by the glass blowers in Ishnanor, Jata, Centrum, or elsewhere. This glass is much stronger and thicker, able to withstand a fall to a stone floor or a hit from a hammer.

It also hits like a hammer if you throw one just right!

— Windtracer Tela Kioni

Glassblowing masters don’t rule out enchantment, but believe the Ancient Order made Sun Orb glass using the ‘Heavens Tear’ technique. In this method, the glassmaker shapes the molten glass before its rapidly cooled in water. Glassmakers believe the four metal loops are where a crafter would hold and shape the glass for blowing and cooling.

Finding one Sun Orb, much less four, that still worked? That was rare...

— From the field journal of Windtracer Tela Kioni, Automatic Crystal Expedition

Despite the strength of the glass, most Sun Orbs that find their way out of Ancient Order ruins are cracked and broken. Only a few have ever been found intact. Of those, a few still mysteriously work.

Riddle of the Rings

The rings fixed around the outside of an orb are another marvel of Ancient Order craftmanship. A dull blue-gray color, the metal rings with their distinct ‘water wave’ pattern are often mistaken for Ishnanori steel or Traveling Star Steel. But neither is true.

This metal is a type of steel created by the Ancient Order imbued with a type of magic to resist rust and corrosion. A few records recovered from the ruins of the Obvion Complex and the mines of Dehur Kjol mention a part of the process. If that information is true, the magic isn’t just cast on the metal. The magic is cast onto the molten metal during the forging process. If the enchantment is applied too soon or late, the ‘rustless’ process will fail. This causes the metal to corrode quickly.

No craft hall has reproduced what magic was used or how it was applied. But this is a hot topic for debate among blacksmiths. So far, only the Kingdom of Helia has had any type of success. But that has only resulted in proofing spoons or possibly even small knives against rust and the elements.

Mechanics & Inner Workings

What a Sun Orb does has been long understood; it generates light. But the ‘how’ is what has eluded scholars, mages, and craft halls for generations. There are dozens of ideas, none have proven correct.

Surviving records found in the remote corners of Awldor mention a type of ‘Sun Stone’. Ancient Order alchemists made this enchanted stone to fuel the Sun Orbs and other items. These stones contained alchemical magic to absorb and hold sunlight or lightning for extreme amounts of time. Records show Ancient Order mages casting lightning spells to charge these stones before they were used.

But the Sun Stones are not the only inner workings of a Sun Orb. Shattered Sun Orbs contain strange metal threads, like fibers from a loom. Once charged, or in contact with elemental fire or lightning spells, those fibers would glow. But the glow wasn’t enough to equal the amount of light a Sun Orb could produce.

One clue to the strange metal fibers is that they attract fire and lightning elementals. It’s thought that the Ancients summoned such elementals, then would leash them inside a Sun Orb.

So far, no one has reproduced the Sun Stones or the ‘elemental leashes’. This includes the Helians, whose alchemists are known for re-purposing Ancient Orde relics and designs.

Raw materials & Components

The materials used by the Ancient Order did vary based on location. But the following has been found recorded in records in numerous ruins.

• Beech wood ash

• A fine grained sand, such as from the Khuurai Desert or the Great Chasm

Tooling and Process

The exact tools and methods used by the Ancient Order have been lost to time. Master crafters agree that a Lavastone furnace, elemental fire magic, or the Ancient Order equivalent would be needed to heat the ingredients properly. This would be when a mage would need to cast the appropriate spells to shape the melting glass as needed.

Other than the furnace, iron blowpipes attached to bellows or used by a Blower. This would be how to create the ‘bubble’ or orb shape. Steel tongs are essential for moving any of the hot metal or glass from furnace to cold water trough.

But these masters caution that the tooling and process here is based on their own studies of historical records. They are not the actual methods.

Lorekeeper Notes

The more I study the Ancient Order, the more I’m amazed at even the little things they created and took for granted. - Lorekeeper Ihodis Jenro

I know! Even something as simple as a lantern is amazing! If only we could find a way to create those Sun Stones. - Lorekeeper Gwelunis Istril

True. But that leaves the mystery of the metal fabric. - Lorekeeper Ihodis

Those threads? - Lorekeeper Gwelunis

The same. But, I’ve no doubt that one of the guilds in Helios will shed some light on it eventually, and we’ll know how they work. - Lorekeeper Ihodis

Shed some… Ihodis! - Lorekeeper Gwelunis

What? Cut an old centaur some slack. I can’t let Rudigar have all the fun! - Lorekeeper Ihodis

Subscribe now

If you’re a paid subscriber. I don’t even come close to having he words for how grateful I am. Thank you. If you’re seeing this as a free subscriber and like what you see, I would appreciate your support. If a paid subscription isn’t to your liking, you can always buy me a coffee!

Buy Me a Coffee!

Last, it’s been said before but I want to say it again… sure, I write for me because I love the stories and settings, but I’m also writing for you. I appreciate each and every one of you.

Now, if you’re wanting a deeper look at Hoist the Colors, take the plunge here at the link: Hoist the Colors. For Windtracer, jump over here: Windtracer: Adventures in Awldor.

Until next time!

-Kummer Wolfe

With that, let’s get into the nitty gritty about Tieflings!

Tiefling

Everyone notices the horns first, maybe their tails. But it’s that fire in their eyes, like a hint of a magic storm in their blood, that makes you really see them.

— Windtracer Elbrin Keth

Tieflings hold a special place on Awldor, and in its history. Often referred to as ‘magic born’ or ‘low magic born’ in some places, they’re a unique species with a possible tie to the Great Collapse itself. An existence that walks the line between nature and the unpredictable power of wild magic.

But, these beings suffer the weight of controversy and rumor. In many regions, such as Jata and other far-flung kingdoms, tieflings and their origins are misunderstood. At best, it leaves them under an air of constant suspicion, as if they were cursed. But in the worst, these false rumors of infernal pacts and more, make them a scapegoat. People used as pawns in larger, more underhanded dealings in those societies.

Despite the storm of controversy that can surround them, tieflings represent something more. Living evidence of how magic storms can reshape life itself.

Unique Origins of a Unique People

Tieflings were born under unique, and dramatic, circumstances. In the decades and century following the Great Collapse, the few surviving records detail the first appearance of what’s now called a ‘magic storm’. Furious, brief storms where the boundary of reality, magic, and wild magic break down. The result is often chaos and devastation, but in the case of tieflings, it’s creation.

When those magic storms boil and tear at the air, they saturate the region below them with volatile magical energy. Unstable wild magic falls in the hot rain and burning lightning on anything below the storm. Settlements use glowing Schutz Fields, powered by Schutz crystals, to protect themselves from the devastation a magic storm can cause.

This stops the worst, but not all, of the effects that magic storms and Wild Magic Fragments bring to the unwary.

Residual wild magic has uncontrollable transformation abilities, altering newborns into tieflings. This can happen to a child born to parents of any bloodline, such as human, elf, dwarf or otherwise. When it does, the tiefling child always has specific and distinct physical features that set them apart.

In the last 300 years, tieflings have developed into their own unique species. Most today are born to tiefling parents, or even when just one parent is a tiefling. Only a few now are ‘storm-touched’ as was common after the Great Collapse. It’s thought that the lower number of ‘storm-touched’ tieflings born today result from improved spell weaving techniques regarding Schutz Field and magic shield innovations.

But the stories and legends around the ‘magic born’ or ‘storm-touched’ tieflings remain a core part of their collective history in Awldor.

A Distinct Sort of Appearance

All tieflings share a collection of easily recognizable trails that set them apart. Regardless of their parentage, most tieflings have a lean build. Their height ranges between 5 nindel 6 sizu to 6 nindel 1 sizu, or 1.65 m to 1.85 m by Ancient Order measurement. Average tiefling weight can span from 160 to 200 tubik, or 72.57 to 90.72 kg by Ancient Order standards, which includes their tail.

Beyond their natural build, the most recognizable features to mark a tiefling are their horns and tail. Tiefling horns are always a variation of proportionately sized ram-like horns, and perhaps their most striking feature. These horns vary in shape, size, and thickness but are all tough and durable. Many tieflings will polish them or stain them with tattoo-like designs as a mark of pride.

The next most striking feature is their tails. Tieflings have a long, reptilian tail that extends from their lower back. These tails are not simply for looks or even balance. A tiefling’s tail is both strong and prehensile, able to swat away pests, bruise an attacker’s arm, or grab small objects. But prehensile doesn’t mean dexterous. While they can grab small objects like a mug, tieflings cannot use their tails to pick locks, pockets or perform similar activities.

Other than tail and horns, tieflings have vivid, often unnatural skin and eye colors. Their skin tone is various shades of blue, pink, green, or gray. A tiefling’s eyes are also equally striking, with mundane hues found among other species but always mixed with a light green, gold or red. This eye color is more than just heritage from wild magic, but has a practical effect as well. That vivid coloration comes from a second inner eyelid that both protects their eyes from dust when needed and allows clear vision in twilight.

Last of their physical features would be hair. Tieflings have hair like many other species, but the coloration mirrors the same diversity as humans, elves, or others. It has the same texture, and even grays while they age. Tieflings can grow beards, but it’s never more than a thin amount of facial hair. Most tieflings that don’t shave it off, instead trim their facial hair back to a small mustache.

One trait, while not visible, is perhaps the most potent for tieflings. As a strange ‘inheritance’ from their magic storm origins, no matter how long ago in their bloodline, tieflings possess a mild magic resistance. This isn’t armor, but closer to a natural durability, where a tiefling can shrug off some magical effects with ease, such as sleep, trance, or similar enchantments.

A Certain Sensitive Side

That mild magic durability is only part of that enchanted inheritance from magic storms. Tieflings are also more attuned to magic, able to feel the natural ebb and flow of the power through the world. It’s a sensitivity that manifests itself as a natural talent for weaving spells in spellcasting. Many tieflings have used that talent to become skilled magical healers, alchemists, or wizards.

But not all tieflings follow that path. Some view the natural talent as a burden, choosing to follow other paths instead, such as mercenaries, scholars, or artisans.

Cultural Adaptation

There are a few tiefling communities across Awldor, but tieflings aren’t bound to a single culture. The Ancient Order had unified thousands of cultures and peoples across the world. So, after its fall, the societies that rose from the ashes were all cultural melting pots of what came before.

But even with this cultural flexibility, tieflings often still face prejudice and suspicion. Mistrust based on lurid tall tales that have no bearing on reality.

Not So Picky Eaters

Tieflings are omnivorous, and their diet is as varied as their upbringing. They are well suited to adapt to any culinary tradition, from rich roast meats to fresh vegetables and fruits. One small note here is that their magical heritage causes them to need either more food, or more nutritious food. This is doubly true for tieflings during adolescence when their horns and tails grow rapidly.

The Centaur Anomaly

Throughout history and across continents, tieflings have been born to nearly every sapient species on Awldor. All except one. Centaurs. For reasons no one can explain, centaurs seem immune to the transformation effects of magic storms. No matter how large, or destructive, the magic storm has been, there are no records of a centaur having any tiefling offspring.

This mystery has baffled scholars and mages for generations. But also it’s the centaur cultures that hold to the highest amount of stigma and myth about tieflings. A problem that has slowly eased off with recent generations.

No matter what’s said about tieflings, they’re survivors. Born of storms, raised by cultural fire, they hold the line against the scorn of the world. Make no mistake, they’re a noble, admirable people, and deserve respect.

— Myra Barbane, tradeswoman of the Green Ember Merchant Herd

Lorekeeper Notes

I didn’t know that about tieflings and magic storms. Kiyosi never mentioned it. - Lorekeeper Gwelunis Istril

Why would he? It’s a sensitive topic. - Lorekeeper Ihodis Jenro

That makes sense. I’ve never heard of tieflings being treated like monsters in Ishnanor, but still… - Lorekeeper Gwelunis

Oh, never in Ishnanor. Ah, but in Jata… - Lorekeeper Ihodis

Yes. Ki best be careful there. - Lorekeeper Gwelunis

Oh, I was thinking the kingdom of Jata best be careful. After all, where young Ki goes, Tela Kioni won’t be far behind! As we all know, she’ll have words for anyone who mistreats Ki in any way. - Lorekeeper Ihodis

Subscribe now

If you’re a paid subscriber. I don’t even come close to having he words for how grateful I am. Thank you. If you’re seeing this as a free subscriber and like what you see, I would appreciate your support. If a paid subscription isn’t to your liking, you can always buy me a coffee!

Buy Me a Coffee!

Last, it’s been said before but I want to say it again… sure, I write for me because I love the stories and settings, but I’m also writing for you. I appreciate each and every one of you.

Now, if you’re wanting a deeper look at Hoist the Colors, take the plunge here at the link: Hoist the Colors. For Windtracer, jump over here: Windtracer: Adventures in Awldor.

Until next time!

-Kummer Wolfe

So here, we get into this nasty little thing. If you’ve read Dark Device of the Great Chasm, you know just which character I’m talking about! With that, lets get into the Futhewia Curse!

Futhewia Curse

It’s one of the Dark Curses. It lets a victim stay forever young, at a price. Their spirit, ‘heart’, or ‘true self’ is extracted and placed into something else. It suffers wounds, even death, while the victim only goes slowly mad.

— Sentinel Ruathan Bravalo of the Slate Watch Order

Curses. They come in many forms, fashions, and types. They are nasty bits of magic that are sometimes fatal, and always born out of anger, wrath, greed, or desperation. The Futhewia Curse is perhaps the oldest of them all.

This is one of the Dark Curses. A necromantic spell and product of the Dire Arts . As such, it’s also one of the few that are outlawed across most of Awldor. Not because of how the spell affects the victim, but the trail of death, murder, and destruction the victim leaves behind them to feed the magic of the curse. In some ways, over time, the victim becomes as monstrous as the curse itself.

Effect

For anyone that dares use the Futhewia Curse, the reason is personal. A desperate desire to extend their lives to preserve their voice to sing, continue their magical research, perhaps even to preserve a kingdom they rule. That is what the dire magic of the curse is looking for: desperation.

The effects of the curse give them just what they want. An eternal life, protected from the ravages of time and death, leaving them free to pursue their passion. To cause this, the dire magic of the curse splits the person in two. One part exists in the physical realm, in perfect health. Another part is the victim’s spirit or true self. The undead magics keep it preserved like a bug in amber, often in a pocket-sized gemstone or a painting in a small locket.

From that moment on, they are considered a ‘lich’. Any wounds or harm to the victim of the curse are magically transferred to their trapped self in the gem or painting. Both experience the pain, but only the victim’s trapped self suffers the harm. Neither die, but the victim’s ‘second self’? Suffers an eternity of torment that the victim hears in their dreams, or nightmares.

A Price To Pay

It’s a seductive lure. Eternal life with a few nightmares from time to time. But really, that’s just the bait. The curse is tied to the realm of the undead, and anything from the Demiplane of Death always comes with a price.

— Sentinel Ruathan Bravalo of the Slate Watch Order

At first, the cost is subtle. A nightmare or a recurring ache might plague the victim. Recasting the curse, or chasing the ache away with a rich meal, will seem to work. But this is only the beginning.

Over time, the curse whispers in the back of the victim’s mind, suggesting ways to feed it. Fuel it. A victim’s darker emotions fuel the spell leading from enjoying an extravagant meal to bouts of cruelty, even murder. The victim’s anger, fear, and a need to control life around them takes over. Meanwhile, each prick of pain or near death, along with the screams of their ‘second self’ in their nightmares of the years or centuries, brings madness.

The victim can choose to ignore the curse and not pay the price. They do so at their own risk. The Demiplane of Death is unforgiving. If a person tries to avoid paying this ‘blood price’, the magic of the curse causes both halves of the person to feel all the pain and suffering they have caused. But they will never die, just feel the searing agony until they pay the magic’s price.

A Way Out

Someone caught in the jaws of the Futhewia Curse isn’t lost forever. There are ways to escape. The simplest, and most direct, is to destroy the object that contains the person’s ‘second self’. That isn’t a simple task, as the curse drives the person to protect their ‘second self’ at all costs.

But with enough willpower, or help, the vessel can be destroyed with the use of magic spells, or weapons forged with obsidian and steel hardened in the lava from a volcano. At the moment the vessel is cracked, the magic is shattered, and the person experiences every wound they have suffered or caused in life all at once. More often than not, the person dies.

There are always alternatives...

— Sentinel Ruathan Bravalo of the Slate Watch Order

Partial records that date from before the Great Collapse suggest there is another way. It’s less direct and puts the victim in direct conflict with the Demiplane of Death and its magical demands. According to scholars from the Ancient Order , the curse can be undone through a combination of methods.

First, the victim must refuse to feed the spell. The magic of the curse needs to be ‘starved’, which weakens it. After that, each week, the victim must relive the nightmares they have caused, real or imaginary. Every attempt will transfer a wound from the victim’s ‘second self’ back to their actual person. Often a healer must be nearby to keep the victim alive while they go through this. Once the person relives and survives the last nightmare, the curse is broken.

But, the person isn’t ever entirely free. Once the shackles of the curse have been removed, the person will have a faint craving for death magic that will haunt them for the rest of their natural life.

Lorekeeper Notes

This is... horrible. So, Tela and Kiyosi encountered someone under this curse? - Lorekeeper Gwelunis

Yes. Tela told me about it at length. The curse really does leave destruction in its wake. It'll be a long time before she can put that behind her. - Lorekeeper Ihodis Jenro

Why would anyone use this curse? Especially on themselves? - Lorekeeper Gwelunis

Baked goods. - Lorekeeper Rudigar Brockhouse

What? - Lorekeeper Gwelunis

Gwel... are you sure you want to know? - Lorekeeper Ihodis

I... I can't help it. - Lorekeeper Gwelunis

The answer is simple. It's baked goods. I know if I miss out on a fresh baked muffin with that kiss of icing... I'm a perfect monster. I'd be downright desperate. - Lorekeeper Rudigar

Or jelly filled pastries? - Lorekeeper Ihodis

Especially jelly filled pastries! - Lorekeeper Rudigar

Subscribe now

If you’re a paid subscriber. I don’t even come close to having he words for how grateful I am. Thank you. If you’re seeing this as a free subscriber and like what you see, I would appreciate your support. If a paid subscription isn’t to your liking, you can always buy me a coffee!

Buy Me a Coffee!

Last, it’s been said before but I want to say it again… sure, I write for me because I love the stories and settings, but I’m also writing for you. I appreciate each and every one of you.

Now, if you’re wanting a deeper look at Hoist the Colors, take the plunge here at the link: Hoist the Colors. For Windtracer, jump over here: Windtracer: Adventures in Awldor.

Until next time!

-Kummer Wolfe

Windtracer Company

Preserve History To Secure The Future

It belongs in a museum!

— …practically the mantra of every Windtracer

The year was 1268 AGC, when August Raven Earnhold, leader of the Windtracer Company mercenaries, came into the possession of a thin, worn journal. It was a handful of pages thick, leather cover spattered with abuse. The small book changed history.

It was one of the journals of Captain Amaya Pneuma. One that no one knew she wrote.

This journal may have been a copy or one that the famed captain started and misplaced. No one knows. To August it was a priceless treasure. He read the contents. Memorized them. They were details of some of her travels. At the end of the journal, Captain Pneuma wrote a single passage that the mercenary leader felt was asked directly to him.

The Great Collapse swept away everything the Ancient Order made. After a thousand years, we still don’t know why.

Why?

— Captain Amaya Pneuma

August, a student of history and archeology himself, felt the Captain had asked him to find out.

Taking up whip, sword, and his own journals, he decided to give the good Captain’s question an answer.

A New Direction

From there, August set the Company on a new path. Seek out the lost artifacts and knowledge of the Ancients. From there, piece together what was the Great Collapse and what caused it.

Some members were interested, some were not. The first few months saw a shift of membership. However, many veterans of hard fought military campaigns stayed with August. They taught and trained the newcomers what they could. The first few expeditions were fruitful, yet deadly. Ruin delving is not for the faint-hearted. The Ancient Order left behind tantalizing items and deadly consequences. This is before considering more modern threats, such as fellow Ruin Poachers and also local governments.

The obstacles proved to be both a challenge and somewhat lucrative. Their growing reputation as ruin poachers attracted patrons, often nobility looking for their next showpiece. The Windtracers do, occasionally, work with select patrons provided the Company is allowed to study the relic or item of antiquity before handing it over.

Most patrons agree to the stipulation. Those that haven’t, or have tried to cheat the Windtracer Company, find their personal collection suddenly and mysteriously lacking a few artifacts. Items which suddenly are showcased either in a rival country’s museum or in the Wintracer Company’s museum and library in Ishnanor.

Ruin Poaching, The Law, and Those For and Against the Company

If ’poaching’ the ruins of our ancestors is a fool’s endeavor... well, then I am that fool!

— Lorekeeper Rudigar Brockhouse

Governmental laws concerning delving and poaching in ancient ruins are well known. Punishments depend on the location. They can be as little as a severe fine. In other places, prison or death.

This has not deterred the Windtracer Company. Their origin as a deadly and effective mercenary company serves them well. Trained Windtracers are difficult to catch and even harder to keep locked away. Throwing a Windtracer into prison only focuses the Company’s attention. After all, to a company of experienced mercenaries, freeing a fellow Windtracer from prison is not that different from braving the dangers of a lethal Ancient Order ruin.

In some lands, having a captured Windtracer is an opportunity. In return for that member, the noble offers to become a patron - in secret - of the Company.

Only August Earnhold and his trusted inner circle know the exact count of how many Barons, Duchesses, thief guilds and more are “on the list”. A list that is kept as great a secret as perhaps the cause of the Great Collapse.

However, all of this has given the Company a negative, if not slightly swashbuckling, reputation. Some governments consider the Company a ‘necessary evil’, working with them to identify or explore a dangerous ruin. Others actively dislike the Company, calling them ‘dirty mercenaries’ and will attempt to arrest members on the slightest infraction.

Still, the Company persists in its goal. Because the Captain’s Question has not been answered. Not yet.

Structure and Organization

The Company is organized into Lances, with each Lance having a particular region or fields of study they specialize in. They set up what they call a ‘commissary’ in certain cities. In areas more accommodating to the Windtracers, the commissary isn’t hard to find. Other areas, a commissary may be nearly impossible to find if the seeker doesn’t know where to look.

Commissaries started as a ‘general store’ for Windtracers to resupply. This quickly grew into small, if not proper, guild halls. In areas that take offense to the Windtracers, any discovered commissaries are quickly raided. The public reason is to ‘quell thieves’, yet the whispered reason is that the government is most likely looking to poach any relics the Windtracers may have on site.

Lances are managed by Lorekeepers. Within each Lance there is often at least two Lorekeepers, the reason stated is so they can each be a check and balance on each other.

Above the Lorekeepers is the Venture-Scribe or leader of the Windtracer Company. That would be one August Raven Earnhold, or the “Iron Raven”.

Recruitment and Joining the Company

Anyone can sign up to join the Windtracer Company, provided they will fight for the Company and its ideals of uncovering history’s secrets to share with the world.

New recruits are put through a series of physical and mental training over months. Not all handle the rigors of recruitment and choose to leave. If they do, there’s no ill will. Joining or leaving is a free choice.

Those that remain are apprenticed to a Windtracer heading into the field. Recruits are expected to survive, return, prepare and present their findings, or dissertation study. These are reviewed by their Windtracer trainer, then by other Windtracers of that same specialty. If that dissertation is accepted, the recruit graduates to a full Windtracer.

Ranks in the Windtracers

The Windtracer Company has three ranks: Windtracers, Lorekeepers, and the Venture-Scribe.

Windtracers

They make up the bulk of the Company. Once a recruit is accepted, then trained in a specialty of their choosing, they join a Lance where they’ll take up expeditions to recover relics or lost knowledge. They do more than delve through ruins, a Windtracer is also expected to document their findings, research the relic or knowledge, then present it for review. The result is distributed to local archives and always housed in the Windtracer Registry in the sunken city of Ishnanor on the Planus Continent.

Lorekeepers

A position based on ruin delving and archaeological experience, particularly in their historical area of interest, the Lorekeepers manage the daunting task of organizing and setting the Company’s diverse expeditions into Ancient ruins… or rescuing Windtracer members that have been arrested for relic recovery.

This position is an elected one. Lorekeepers are voted on by their peers. They hold this job for a term no longer than two years and are expected to select their own staff from among the Windtracers. Once a person has held this position, they aren’t allowed to hold this job again for five years.

Lorekeepers report directly to the Venture-Scribe. While they aren’t expected to lead expeditions, it isn’t unheard of in cases of unusual discoveries, or if they're feeling the need to 'get into the field'.

Venture-Scribe

The highest position and leader of the Windtracer Company. It isn’t elected, though rumor has it that in case something dire happens to the Venture-Scribe, a council of Lorekeepers gathers to select the next Venture-Scribe from among the most experienced Windtracers.

To date, that rumor has never needed to be proven. August has showed repeatedly, against many arrest or assassination attempts from various nobles or governments, there is a reason they nicknamed him the “Iron Raven”.

Lorekeeper Notes

Wait. Rudigar said ... really? Did Rudigar say that? - Lorekeeper Gwelunis

Rudigar really said that. He thought it put some extra 'swash' in the 'buckle' - Lorekeeper Ihodis

You have to be kidding... - Lorekeeper Gwelunis

Not at all. He was also getting arrested at the time for ruin poaching. Recruitment shot up that month, too! - Lorekeeper Ihodis

Subscribe now

If you’re a paid subscriber. I don’t even come close to having he words for how grateful I am. Thank you. If you’re seeing this as a free subscriber and like what you see, I would appreciate your support. If a paid subscription isn’t to your liking, you can always buy me a coffee!

Buy Me a Coffee!

Last, it’s been said before but I want to say it again… sure, I write for me because I love the stories and settings, but I’m also writing for you. I appreciate each and every one of you.

Now, if you’re wanting a deeper look at Hoist the Colors, take the plunge here at the link: Hoist the Colors. For Windtracer, jump over here: Windtracer: Adventures in Awldor.

Until next time!

-Kummer Wolfe

This one is about the Dripfang Prowler!

Dripfang prowler

I blame an Ancient Order mage on a drunken bender for creating something like this

— Tela Kioni, Windtracer

Exploring a ruin isn’t without risk. Ancient buildings, worn down by time, could collapse. They all too often have their own environment, a bizarre menagerie of creatures that call those ruins home. The dripfang prowler is one of those creatures.

A dripfang prowler is a large, and elusive creature that thrives in ancient mines, ruins, and other underground locations near water. This predator, well adapted to its dark and complex habitat, is a lethal subject of interest to mages, scholars, and Windtracers alike.

Anatomy

The last thing I expected was to find one on the ceiling…

— Emon Dorolis, Sol Cartographer

The dripfang prowler is a formidable beast, with an average length of 8 to 15 nindel, a shoulder height of 3 to 5 nindel, and a weight between 200 to 600 tubiks. By Ancient Order measurements, they are 2.4 to 4.6 meters long, 0.9 to 1.5 meters tall at the shoulder, and 90 to 272 kilograms in weight. It has a muscular, lean reptilian frame, similar in shape to a crocodile.

Unlike a crocodile, a dripfang has climbing adaptations of claws and barbed suckers on its feet. This lets the animal navigate the damp walls and floors of its underground world with ease. It has a snout similar to a crocodile but with an additional feature. Along the sides and top of a dripfang’s snout are dozens, if not hundreds, of tiny whisker-like structures called vibrissae. These whiskers act as an enhanced sense of touch and hearing to let the animal study its surroundings.

Prowlers also have a flexible, prehensile tail that acts as a fifth limb. This tail serves as a versatile tool for both capturing prey and maintaining balance while climbing. If used for capturing prey, they ‘cast’ it at victims similar to someone using a fishing rod. Any prey caught is quickly squeezed to choke them unconscious before eating.

The most striking feature of a dripfang is its bioluminescent chitinous plates. These tough, bone-like plates cover its body in long rows and act as a natural camouflage. It allows the creature to blend in seamlessly with its surroundings. A coating of symbiotic slime algae fuels the bioluminescence along the creature’s hide. It allows the dripfang to mimic any ambient light and shadows in a cavern, making the beast nearly invisible to any prey or potential threats.

In exchange for the bioluminescence, the slime algae relies on the dripfang for food. The slime cleans the animal’s scales of fungus and debris that build up from a life in underground caverns. It also keeps the animal’s plates oiled and resilient against cuts or sharp items. This slime is the source of the creature’s name, ‘dripfang’.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

A dripfang is an ambush predator, so it relies on specialized senses to hunt and understand the world around it. The two primary senses of the usual five are its specialized night vision and its vibrissae, or whiskers, along its snout.

The creature’s night vision is tied to a second inner eyelid that acts as a filter, allowing the creature to see heat patterns and shapes in total darkness. What it may not see with its inner eyelid, a dripfang might identify with its whiskers.

Dripfang whiskers are short, stubby hairs that run along either side of its snout and along its crocodile-like jaw. Those hairs allow the beast to detect changes in temperature and even subtle vibrations in its environment. A dripfang’s whiskers are flexible and can be pulled back against the animal’s snout. In particular, the latter happens when the beast attacks its prey or is swimming.

Behaviour

Much like a crocodile, the dripfang is an egg-laying reptile. They are extremely territorial, defending both a hunting grounds and a separate nesting territory from anything they view as a rival. Dripfangs are only solitary when hunting.

Normally they form mating pairs for a single season where both members of the pair care for the hatchlings. Once the hatchling reaches two years, it will become increasingly independent before leaving to carve out its own territory.

Dripfangs are not typically social creatures. They don’t form close knit packs or similar social structures. But they do form loose social groups for mutual protection or cooperative hunting. It’s from these expanded social groups males will compete for dominance and dripfangs will engage in mating dances to attract potential mates.

Dietary Habits and Hunting

I heard something skittering across the cavern floor and I just knew we were being hunted by dripfang.

— Nas Joll, ruin poacher

The diet of a dripfang prowler consists mostly of what other animals it can find in its underground habitat. This ranges from small to medium-sized mammals, other reptiles, amphibians, fish, and large insects. A dripfang prowler is the top predator of its habitat, and so isn’t naturally hunted by any other underground animal.

While hunting, dripfangs wait patiently, hidden in the shadows of a wall or suspended from a stalactite. Once prey walks within striking distance, the animal lashes out with its tail like a whip, ensnaring the target. A victim is immediately squeezed in a vice-like grip. The dripfang will continue to squeeze until their victim falls unconscious. At which point, the animal will leap down to finish their victim off.

Lorekeeper Notes

... on the ceiling? It scales walls and hangs from the ceiling? - Lorekeeper Gwelunis Istril

Yes. That's what Tela and Kiyosi reported. Ceiling. - Lorekeeper Ihodis Jenro

But... the size of the thing... - Lorekeeper Vinlan Emberhill

Really, I can't believe you two are surprised at this. There are a lot of strange things that ambush from the ceiling. - Lorekeeper Ihodis

I'm sorry, but no. This can't be that common. Name one other thing that isn't a snake or a spider that ambushes like this. - Lorekeeper Gwelunis

Rudigar. In the kitchen. After the donut delivery. - Lorekeeper Ihodis

All right, that's a fair point. He does scale the wall and hang from the ceiling. - Lorekeeper Vinlan

Subscribe now

If you’re a paid subscriber. I don’t even come close to having he words for how grateful I am. Thank you. If you’re seeing this as a free subscriber and like what you see, I would appreciate your support. If a paid subscription isn’t to your liking, you can always buy me a coffee!

Buy Me a Coffee!

Last, it’s been said before but I want to say it again… sure, I write for me because I love the stories and settings, but I’m also writing for you. I appreciate each and every one of you.

Now, if you’re wanting a deeper look at Hoist the Colors, take the plunge here at the link: Hoist the Colors. For Windtracer, jump over here: Windtracer: Adventures in Awldor.

Until next time!

-Kummer Wolfe

This one is about the geography of the region where some of the story takes place. In this case, the Great Chasm!

Great Chasm

The Great Chasm? It’s as much a monster as the creatures that live in its depths.

— Sentinel Ruathan Bravalo of the Slate Watch Order

The Great Chasm. A canyon of majestic mystery that runs from north to south across the Planus Continent . Filled with howling winds and constant mists, this location is home to ancient history, creatures, and an unforgiving hellscape. This yawning maw, a scar on the world, has swallowed more than one explorer since its destructive birth.

A Local Legend

Even though it’s one of Awldor’s greatest natural wonders, it wasn’t until the voyages of Captain Amaya Pneuma that the world learned of the canyon. In her journals, she recounts conversations with local guides during her visit to the Planus Continent. A kobold scout, only referred to as ‘Liu’, explained about the Great Chasm, its rumored origin, and the unique monstrosities that call the place home.

It is like one great scar that runs from the north down to the south as far as the eye can see. A wound in the world that will never heal.

— Liu, kobold scout from the Belari river region

Captain Pneuma wasn’t able to spare the time or resources to travel that far inland on the Planus Continent to view the canyon. It was her journals and notes that inspired others from the Archivists Guild to the Windtracer Company and several independent explorers to seek the chasm. But locals, such as the settlers from the Belari river region and especially settlements such as Talabrae’s Deep , the Great Chasm and the mystery of its origin has been a fixture in their lives for generations.

Born in Mystery and Fire

No one knows how the Great Chasm came about. A few records which date back to the time of the Ancient Order reference a canyon in the same region. But to the Ancient Order, this was only a small canyon worn down by natural erosion from the rainy seasons and the Planus constant winds.

The most detailed account of the canyon’s possible origin exists with the Slate Watch Order in the Obsidian Armory Library at Talabrae’s Deep. These records are documents from the lost dwarven and dark elven empires of the Deeplands in the years following the Great Collapse. They’re what little the refugees could bring with them when the wild magic horrors of the Deeplands overwhelmed those kingdoms.

According to those accounts, wild magic storms of the Great Collapse had laid waste to the Ancient Order and the surface of Awldor. Those storms, along with the unknown source of the Ancient Crater to the northeast of the Great Chasm, fueled a destructive force that tried to rip the Planus Continent apart.

The attempt failed for reasons the refugees never discovered, but in their mind, the Great Chasm is the wound left behind from the attempt. A tangible reminder of the danger wild magic, or uncontrolled magic, presents. To Talabreans, the force that created the Great Chasm is what unleashed magically mutated horrors on their ancestors, and still threatens them today.

Most of that? It’s just a legend. But there is some shred of truth...

— Sentinel Ruathan Bravalo of the Slate Watch Order

Geography

Much of this canyon has yet to be explored and measured. What has been measured, such as near settlements like Talabrae’s Deep , shows that parts of the canyon are as deep as the tallest mountain ranges on Awldor.

Despite weather and age, the canyon’s edge remains sharp and rocky, as if something had recently ripped apart the ground. Natural tunnels, remains of ancient lava flows that possibly ran through the canyon at its birth, dot the region. These contain rich mineral veins exposed on the surface. Today, miners use those tunnels as ready-made mine shaft entrances to reach those mineral deposits.

Mountains frame the canyon at the far north end. To the south? Grasslands, a few marshes, and the Morinnear Sea on the eastern side. In the broad, middle region, rolling hills spread out on either side of the canyon to the rest of Planus . They eventually blend in with the impossibly flat and wide prairie that is the main landscape of the continent. Unlike the desolate terrain of the canyon, the surrounding hills are the opposite. They are a rolling carpet of lush grassland and rich soil.

Evidence the legends from Talabrae’s Deep might be true, lie here in the exposed rock. Rock layers from across the centuries line the broken stone canyon walls. Wind, rain, and one of the few waterfalls along the canyon have worn down the surface. But at the lower depths, a residue of wild magic plays along exposed rock, like the afterglow from a forgotten spell.

Ecosystem

The effect of that wild magic residue displays itself through the desolate, unquiet terrain in the canyon’s depths. This is one of the most unforgiving and dangerous environments on Awldor. Those that have survived the canyon describe an otherworldly, even hellish, environment.

Constant, howling winds move through the canyon day and night, with night being when they’re strongest. Mist fills the depths of the region, like a thick cloud bank. Clammy and cold, it moves with the wind and will cut visibility to only a few paces without warning. Windtracer expeditions that have survived the canyon describe the mist as if it haunts the canyon. They’ve recorded where parts of the mist would form knots and follow a person, sometimes for days. When that happens, the howling winds grow a few degrees colder.

But the mist seems to play a key role in the environment. It maintains the temperature at the lower depths, providing a regular climate for what few living creatures call the location home.

Fauna & Flora

The Great Chasm isn’t known for an abundance of life. Most reports describe possible hauntings by the canyon’s mists, or unexpected attacks by undead that roam the Ancient Order ruins at the bottom. But, despite the hellscape of the canyon’s depths, there are a few slight pockets of life. It simply isn’t life as anyone might recognize it, nor is it friendly.

The most recognizable creatures are the displacer bats , crows , stone Rattlesnakes , sand feather vultures . At higher elevations, an occasional bobcat, sand jackal or rock rabbit are found. But the more deadly threats? They lie only along the bottom.

At the floor of the Great Chasm, roam abominations, and shambling undead. Many abominations are animals long twisted from wild magic storms that scour the region. Others are nightmares that have crawled up from the underground Deeplands realm, the most typical would be the deadly mimic tree.

The undead take many forms. Mold skeletons, bone crabs, are the most common. But there are stories of even worse creatures, angry trapped souls of the Collapse, looking for release from this realm.

Natural Resources

Captain Pneuma’s journals didn’t describe any mining, but the local guides did hint at precious metals. But this wasn’t something her expedition could confirm.

It wasn’t until Windtracer Company explorers reached the area and its lone settlements that the rumor was confirmed. At places like Talabrae’s Deep and others copper, silver, iron, and the ever present briskstone are mined.

Along the canyon’s upper edge, the rich rolling hills provide a good foundation for trees and crops. In caves, the giant Bitter Fog Dire-Tubaria mushrooms thrive in the wild magic tainted soil, providing wood for those few settlements there.

Lorekeeper Notes

The more I hear about this place, the more I'm both fascinated and horrified. - Lorekeeper Gwelunis Istril

Indeed. But what Windtracers like Tela have found there? It's worth the risk. I still believe some of the greatest secrets of the Ancient Order lie waiting down there to be found. - Lorekeeper Ihodis Jenro

I found lots of rocks. Oh, and that adorable mimic tree! - Lorekeeper Rudigar Brockhouse

Adorable? It tried to kill you! - Lorekeeper Gwelunis

I believe it's still trying ever since you brought it back here to Ishnanor. - Lorekeeper Ihodis

What Fred? Yes! He's just so friendly! - Lorekeeper Rudigar

Subscribe now

If you’re a paid subscriber. I don’t even come close to having he words for how grateful I am. Thank you. If you’re seeing this as a free subscriber and like what you see, I would appreciate your support. If a paid subscription isn’t to your liking, you can always buy me a coffee!

Buy Me a Coffee!

Last, it’s been said before but I want to say it again… sure, I write for me because I love the stories and settings, but I’m also writing for you. I appreciate each and every one of you.

Now, if you’re wanting a deeper look at Hoist the Colors, take the plunge here at the link: Hoist the Colors. For Windtracer, jump over here: Windtracer: Adventures in Awldor.

Until next time!

-Kummer Wolfe

Obvion Complex (Ob-vee-on Com-plex)

Many ruins don't like visitors. Traps, undead, and more.
Then there are those ruins that would like you to stay... whether you like it or not…

— Windtracer Tela Kioni

West of the Temple of Draoses lies the remains of a settlement called the Obvion Complex. This structure is older than the Draoses temple by at least five decades, perhaps more. An Ancient Order structure, it has withstood the test of time and the elements.

Today, the massive complex is only partially accessible because of the Anestri’for jungle’s persistent growth over the region. This has left the Obvion Complex a shadow of its former self. The same can be said for its mysterious and deadly inhabitants.

A Cathedral in Reverse

The building, or complex, is set among a series of hills that overlook Kanathi Bay in northern Chivit. This region is a small section of where the Chivit continent meets the southwestern point of the Great Chasm.

If you’re not looking carefully, it just looks like part of a crater. Then, you start to notice the doors…

— Windtracer Tela Kioni

This building, based on what has both survived and explored, is all that remains of a much grander design. The stone supports for metal rib beams still remain firmly anchored in place around the crater today. Measurement of stones show the Obvion Complex itself once towered many stories over the landscape. The current estimates suggest Obvion was at least ten or more stories tall and possibly shaped like a dome.

Today, all above ground structures have long since been removed by the Great Collapse and time. Now, all that remains are tiered levels that descend the crater in concentric rings. The pattern is identical to terraced farming, or an elongarted inverted ziggurat. This architecture bears resemblance to the vaulted cathedral designs in other parts of Awldor, only the vault is built into the ground, instead of as a ceiling overhead.

Doors dot the crater walls between the monkey vines and briza-taeda ferns that grow aggressively over the ruin. Ruberi rubber trees grow thick along the top edge, their roots trailing down, sealing off most entrances. Because of the encroaching Anestri’for foliage, much of the Obvion is inaccessible. In fact, only a third of the complex can be seen or even reached.

An initial study of the location suggests that the terraced ‘crater’ design had two purposes. Entrance to underground living, and in fact the majority of the settlement, and to allow for local terraced community farms. Each plot of farmland was evenly interspersed between double door entrances into the underground portion of Obvion.

he farms aren’t there now, but the descendants of those plants are. Binerri fruit, lemon trees, and Red Cacao pods grow were growing in specific areas between closed doors.

— Windtracer Tela Kioni

An aqueduct from a source to the north of the complex supplied water. Only one aqueduct was found, but there was indication of several more, radiating out from Obvion like spokes of a wheel. Tracking down more about these aqueducts is considered a primary goal for future expeditions.

A Link in the Chain

Translations from the Chasm Papers suggest this was a large settlement that housed hundreds of thousands of people. A medium to large city for the Ancient Order, it was a major trade center for this part of the Kanathi Bay region on Chivit.

The Chasm Papers list that fruit, spices, rubber from Ruberi rubber trees, and specifically a material called ‘flexis caemen’ were shipped from Obvion and considered quite valuable. There is a lot of speculation around flexis caemen.

Currently, there are two schools of thought on the material. Given the number of food and product trade goods shipped by the Ancients from Obvion, some believe that flexis caemen is a type of plant. Inquiries have been made to the Mabara Guid, the Union of Cardinal Directions, and those studying the seeds found at the Tilava Vault about a 'flexis caemen’ plant.

The second idea, which may have more evidence to support it, is that flexis caemen is not a plant at all, but a crafted material. One proposed suggestion is that the mysterious mortar used in building the Temple of Draoses is this ‘flexis caemen’. Destruction of the Obvion Complex was only a few short years before Draoses was built, so it is possible Draoses was built using techniques from Obvion.

If flexis caemen is the rubbery mortar, such a waterproof type of material would be highly valuable. It could have been a basis of the Obvion Complex’s economy with the rest of the Ancient Order.

My own thought on this is that it could be that mortar used at Draoses. But. After what I saw in the part of the Obvion I could penetrate? I suspect liquid magic. Alchemy. Which means 'flexis caemen' would be a magical formula. That may be part of what brought down the Obvion Complex, too.

Another expedition to Obvion would be the only way to find out.

— Windtracer Tela Kioni

A Warm Unwelcome

It was all fun and archeology until you stepped inside…

— Windtracer Tela Kioni

All Ancient Order ruins come with their own surprises. Some can be informative, such as the seeds of the Tilava Vault or the Chasm Papers. Others can be lethal.

To date, there has only been one Windtracer expedition to the Obvion Complex, so information is sparse. The expedition was led by Windtracer Tela Kioni in the Rimewake, or summer, of 1277. By her own account, they reached the complex on Amates 12, 1277.

Beyond the trees were stone doors. Any undamaged doors were so perfectly formed and fit, they created a tight seal against the frame, blocking airflow. This suggested that any items inside would be well preserved. The expedition forced one door open to venture inside.

They found that the ruin’s interior design, while not as elaborate as the Natoce Ruins, suggested that Obvion once rivaled Natoce in complexity. Where Natoce used the concept of ‘movable platforms’ to fashion customizable floors, Obvion used a concept of movable walls.

Because of time and possibly even direct contact with the cause of the Great Collapse, the Obvion walls no longer can move. But the mechanisms that once allowed them to move were obvious at first sight. The expedition found that most, but not all, walls could be moved in any given building. Certain walls were fixed. These fixed walls look to act as primary support structures for these sections of the complex. Those fixed walls formed a ‘shell’ for an individual building.

Inside this ‘shell’, the interior walls could be slid and even potentially folded to move them into a new arrangement. This could have allowed Ancient Order families to adjust their living space to suit their needs, as a family would grow or change over time.

But movable walls were not the only thing the expedition uncovered. Numerous rooms were found in Obvion that contained countless shelves of containers. Tables with unusual glass, metal, and marble tools on them. Many of these still maintained a faint aura of enchantment, but nothing strong enough for the team to identify. It’s difficult to deny the implication that Obvion contains hundreds of rooms dedicated to the practice of alchemy.

The expedition recovered many items, from marble tools, possible alchemy notes, drawings of the movable wall mechanisms, and a compass-like magic detector. The latter being one of the more remarkable finds.

You have to be ready for the unexpected on a Windtracer expedition. And what we found in the deeper parts of Obvion? That was very unexpected. And a lot of it, too…

— Windtracer Tela Kioni

This delving and study attracted the notice of what can only be described as the ‘inhabitants’ of the ruin. On the afternoon of the third day, giggling figures with ghastly pale skin rushed out of the darkness. The account is inaccurate, with some figures described as having four arms. Others had only had two but could climb walls with long, dark claws. An accurate total count was impossible. The expedition described it only as a ‘wave of giggling figures’.

A common trait was that the creatures always emerged from the deepest shadows of the ruin. As the misshapen creatures appeared from all sides, the expedition retreated to the surface after losing members. Two more attempts to enter the ruin later resulted in more conflict with what has been dubbed the ‘shadow folk’.

An interesting observation was made about the nightmarish creatures by the expedition team during their retreat. The creatures are nimble, and quite fast, but highly averse to sunlight. They seem to require the shadows and darkness, possibly just for transport. This could be that they developed to best live in a dark, subterranean location. But it may also be for more dire, magical reasons.

Through everything, I keep wondering just what alchemy was being practiced there? It could be a clue about those murderous giggling things in the ruin. For all we know, it may be a piece of the puzzle about the Great Collapse itself…

— Windtracer Tela Kioni

Lorekeeper Notes

 Quite clever of you to deduce those were nautical coordinates, Rudigar - Lorekeeper Ihodis Jenro 

Why, thank you, Ihodis! I was quite motivated. - Lorekeeper Rudigar Brockhouse 

Oh? How so? - Lorekeeper Ihodis 

When I realized that the trade good for the entry that caught my attention said ‘jelly filled pastries’, I suspected it was where those pastries were coming from. - Lorekeeper Rudigar 

Wait… how did you know that translation read ‘Jelly Filled Pastries’? No one else has translated that line yet! - Lorekeeper Ihodis 

Oh, Ihodis, my good man. Some concepts are practically perfect across time. It called to me! - Lorekeeper Rudigar 

Jelly Filled Pastries? - Lorekeeper Ihodis 

Jelly Filled Pastries. - Lorekeeper Rudigar

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If you’re a paid subscriber. I don’t even come close to having he words for how grateful I am. Thank you. If you’re seeing this as a free subscriber and like what you see, I would appreciate your support. If a paid subscription isn’t to your liking, you can always buy me a coffee!

Buy Me a Coffee!

Last, it’s been said before but I want to say it again… sure, I write for me because I love the stories and settings, but I’m also writing for you. I appreciate each and every one of you.

Now, if you’re wanting a deeper look at Hoist the Colors, take the plunge here at the link: Hoist the Colors. For Windtracer, jump over here: Windtracer: Adventures in Awldor.

Until next time!

-Kummer Wolfe

Ishnanori (Ish-nah-nor-ee)

Colorful. Boisterous. The Ishnanori are as surprising as the city state they call home.

— Idemon Narsallis, Traveler

They come from many places, many walks of life from Centrum, to the Radiant City of Sol, or even from the centaur kingdom of Jata in the deep plains of the Planus Continent . However, they share a common bond.

They were all refugees looking for a home. These are the people that became the colorful and passionate Ishnanori.

A Cultural Quilt

The Ishnanori, or the people of Ishnanor , are a mixture of seafaring traditions from distant cities and the various plains tribal cultures of the centaurs. Predominantly the Jatari of the kingdom of Jata.

This has resulted in what appears to visitors as a disorganized, loud, and colorful culture. However, the Ishnanori merely value individual expression and an equal voice among their peers. This is a holdover from their collective roots of privateering and centaur tribal ways.

They have a diversity all their own and a uniqueness. However, they did grow out of refugees banding together to make a trading post survive. So really, it isn't that much of a surprise they are the way they are.

— Idemon Narsallis, Traveler

Ishnanori and The Great Collapse

Living among the ruins of an Ancient settlement has given the Ishnanori a unique perspective on the Ancients. This has shaped their opinions on Ancient ruins and the Great Collapse itself.

Ancient Order ruins are dangerous places. All Ishnanori agree on that. Where they disagree is how the ruins are handled. Ishnanori do love a good debate, especially a historical one, and so this topic and the Great Collapse is a favorite subject.

Most agree that the Ancient Order ruins should be explored. Reasons differ. Some see profit while others, such as the Windtracer Company , see a valuable chance to learn from the past so people will not repeat the mistakes of the future. Then there those that are afraid of how dangerous the ruins are. Stories from the plains describe all manner of dangers from roaming packs of enchanted undead to broken devices that seem to summon magic storms or worse. This last is why Ishnanori do agree the exploration should be done by those trained to have some ability to handle such dangers.

This inevitably leads to a conversation about the Great Collapse. All Ishnanori have a theory. The ruins that Ishnanor is built on top of have given no end of tantalizing hints that lead to no firm conclusions. However, the Ishnanori do love a good tale, so the most common theory is that the Ancient Order brought on the Great Collapse simply through not being careful. Specifically with magic.

Ishnanori generally agree the ruins they live in and on were some means for the Ancients to study the stars. They believe that the Ancients delved among the stars too far and found something they were not prepared to handle.

The way I've heard it told, the Ancient Order opened one mystic portal too far and found another land. Another place. But there were things there that didn't appreciate being found and turned the Ancient's own magic against them! Crushed it all from the sky. At least, that's what my Gempa told me growing up...

— Gemma Strongcrest, merhorse rancher

Concerning Magic

Magic is a complicated topic for the Ishnanori. On one hand, spellcasting is a skill and a difficult one at that. It requires in-depth study and concentration. The results can be miraculous and deadly. Yet, their beliefs around that the Ancient Order and being not quite as careful as they should with magic, color their view on magic use.

The Ishnanori have no qualms about the use of magic. In fact, several do practice magic but exercise extreme care about its application. An Ishnanori mage will not cast a spell for any just situation. To the them, magic is a tool that only a certain few have the skill or aptitude to wield and should use it only when necessary. This is perhaps one of the few times that their natural passions are tempered by strong caution.

To them, the concept of a person being just a wizard is unusual. Because of this, Ishnanori mages often have a second profession. Many, if not all, are blacksmiths, herbalists, bakers, alchemists and more. They blend their spellcrafting with that profession in unique and different ways. Yet, make no mistake, those few Ishnanori spellcaster are quite capable of casting a lightning bolt if the dire need arose.

Meddle in the affairs of wizards? Bah! Don't mind if I do. Now, if you really want to put your life at risk, meddle in the affairs of an alchemist! Now there's going the right way for a bad end!

— Lorekeeper Rudigar Brockhouse

Customs of the Ishnanori

Names and Naming

Ishnanori names span their wide cultural roots so they don't have names that stand out as 'masculine' or 'feminine'. But it's their practice of a 'public' and a 'private' name that stands out.

A public name is the name a person uses when out among people that are not family or blood relatives. This is the name they will use when making a mark on an Article of Bargain or other official document. This name is sometimes selected by a person's parents but it's just as common for a person to select their own public name.

A private name is the Ishnanori's actual name given to them at birth by their parents. This is only used around relatives and family members. In some cases close, lifelong friends may use it as well. Knowing and Ishnanori's private name is sensitive business. Using it in public is a terrible insult and has caused more than one duel.

The only other time an Ishnanori will share their private name is when they marry. As part of the ceremony, which does take days, the betrothed retreat to a secluded location to exchange their private names. This exchange of names is considered to seal the bond.

Common Family Names

Armsong, Faramane, Ivemon, Zniber, Al-Mohktar, Yasin, Longbrand, Whitspine, Rumbleaxe

Common Names

Lassria, Jamal, Teleas, Thomocles, Archadir, Idlien

Greetings

Ishnanori greetings are unusual, yet as colorful as the rest of their culture. The Ishnanori do understand and respect clasping forearms or shaking hands. However, to the Ishnanori, a proper "hello" is more involved.

To greet one another, the first person claps their hands once. Then the person being greeted claps their hands twice. After that, each places their dominant hand over their heart. The meaning behind it is to symbolize greeting the other person with "open hands and open heart".

This same motion is repeated in other situations as well. Most often when concluding a trade, bargain, or purchase. The result only adds to the loud, boistrous nature of an Ishnanori marketplace or tavern.

When introducing one person to another, the person doing the introduction places their hand over their heart, then gestures to the person being introduced.

In all those situations, an Ishnanori will conclude the greeting by saying "Yoi T'kalo", a phrase meaning "Good Trade" that is rumored to be a phrase adopted from the Ancients.

Gambling

The Ishnanori love a good game or contest. One of the best examples of this is the Springtime merhorse races around the lake that are the height of the Springtide Festival.

However, visitors soon learn that there are subtle nuances to Ishnanori and these contests.

Their love of a good game or contests is a love of the challenge. A fascination with strategy. To the Ishnanori, games are not about the 'take' or the 'winnings' but more about the experience of the challenge. A chance to test a person's skill or mettle.

So it's forbidden for any of the Ishannori to gamble at any contest, especially cards or dice, for money. In fact, using real money is an insult to the Ishnanori, who would view that as an attempt to "purchase victory" instead of earn it.

Those that break this law are shunned for a time prescribed by the local elders. Usually, they are exiled to the plains side of the Tugard Marshlands for a short time as punishment with only a blanket and one weapon of their choice.

In games, such as with dice or cards, instead of money the Ishnanori trade in crafts.

These crafts must be items made by the people in the contest. The most common items used are polished wooden animal totems, or wooden rings, scrimshaw on devilfish beaks, or candles made from Tugart Marshland bees.

Weapons

To the Ishnanori, a weapon is like an arm, leg or tail. It's a part of them.

In other lands they will, with much reluctance, surrender weapons if they have to enter a city or establishment that forbids them. However, they are quick to recover their weapons when they leave.

Among the Ishnanori, there are strict rules governing weapons. All Ishnanori are taught the measure and method of the short sword, bow, staff and knife at an early age. They are expected to always keep their weapons clean and fit for use. This comes from both the seafaring traditions and centaur tribal traditions of being ready to stand in defense at a moment's notice.

All Ishnanori always have at least one weapon of choice on them in their daily lives. This is most often a dagger, long knife, or both. They add other weapons such as the bow, staff, or other armaments for defense when they travel.

On Fighting vs Dueling

To an Ishnanori, there is a large difference between 'fighting' and 'dueling'.

Fighting encompasses most any sort of conflict from open warfare on land or sea to the average tavern brawl. These are a no holds barred affair for the Ishnanori with their fiery passions. Dueling is a different matter. To an Ishnanori,a duel is a matter of honor. These are always settled one on one and never inside the borders of a town or settlement. They feel its an insult to the settlement to duel in one.

Duels are conducted until first blood is drawn. In some instances, the duel can be to the death, but that is only for revenge for murder or other serious offenses. Duels to the death are rare.

Lorekeeper Notes

I've wondered about the newcomers that trickle in from Jata. - Lorekeeper Ihodis Jenro 

Why they look so haggard? Or what drove them here? - Lorekeeper Gwelunis Istril 

Not me. I'm not surprised a bit. - Lorekeeper Rudigar Brockhouse 

Oh, I'm going to regret this... why? - Lorekeeper Ihodis 

Because we Ishnanori throw the best Spring festivals! - Lorekeeper Brockhouse 

All right, you have me there. - Lorekeeper Ihodis

Subscribe now

If you’re a paid subscriber. I don’t even come close to having he words for how grateful I am. Thank you. If you’re seeing this as a free subscriber and like what you see, I would appreciate your support. If a paid subscription isn’t to your liking, you can always buy me a coffee!

Buy Me a Coffee!

Last, it’s been said before but I want to say it again… sure, I write for me because I love the stories and settings, but I’m also writing for you. I appreciate each and every one of you.

Now, if you’re wanting a deeper look at Hoist the Colors, take the plunge here at the link: Hoist the Colors. For Windtracer, jump over here: Windtracer: Adventures in Awldor.

Until next time!

-Kummer Wolfe

Ishnanor

Planus has to be the flattest place on all of Awldor. But there are hidden gems across the continent, if you know where to look

— Imhorn Bihn, captain of the merchant ship, Foxglove

City of the Underforest. Gem of Embercrest. These are but two of the nicknames for trade city of Ishnanor.

This city, set in the partial-subterranean Velzue cavern delta in the back of Embercrest Bay, is located on the southern side of the Planus Continent . Ishnanor is unique in many aspects, one of which is its architecture and design.

Ishananor is built atop the ruins of an Ancient’s Temple and astrological observation center that sank, along with the surrounding rain forest, into a miles long cavern system of lava tubes after an earthquake. No records survive that indicate if the earthquake was a part of the Great Collapse, a side effect of it, or simply an unfortunate event for the temple and surrounding complex.

To this day the majority of the ruins remain underwater beneath the massive lake that formed as a result of the collapsed landscape, Elisan lake. This is also the lake that surrounds the above ground district of Ishnanor and the remaining structures of the ruins.

The rain forest, despite such a disaster, found a way to survive. Today it thrives in the underground lava tunnels of Velzur cavern that connect the underground areas of central lake to the northeastern shore of Elisan lake.

Humble Beginnings

Ishnanor began as a set of trading outposts set on the shores of the ruin encrusted island in Elisan lake. As the lake is partially shielded by naturally curved cliffs on the side that faces Embercrest Bay and the Spiria Gulf, it provided a safe harbor for ships traveling along the coast or seeking a location to take shelter from storms or seasonal migrations of giant devilfish.

The first ships that set anchor there soon discovered, to their surprise, a set of centaur tribes that live in the Tugart Marshlands on the northeastern side of Elisan lake. Negotiations were tense but before long a budding trade system had taken root.

In the century since the first settlers set up an outpost, Ishnanor grew quickly. It expanded into the ruins, exploring and re-purposing them for the city’s needs. What could not be refurbished, was taken down and rebuilt. This has resulted in a mix of both modern and ancient architectural styles.

Even today, statues from the Ancients remain. However, these are said to have originally been the peak of tall towers of the long submerged temple below the water.

Rise of a Trade City

Ishnanor expanded as it became home to various merchant guilds and mercenary companies looking for a politically neutral location to call home. This influence the governing of the city itself, contributing to its strong neutral political stance when it comes to the region of the delta in that section of Planus.

Exploration of the Ancient temple has always been a ‘city project’. However, ‘ruin poaching’ laws were never implemented as the local merchant guild recognized that exploring the ruin, and refurbishing it, provided a steady supply of antiquities for trade and allowed Ishnanor to expand.

This took a leap ahead with the discovery of the lava tubes of the Velzur caverns and the Underforest beneath the city. These lava tubes, and the unique ecology of the Underforest proved easier to develop than refurbish the deeper levels of the ruin, especially those deeper below the waterline.

Rumors of something having taken up residence in the deep bowels of the sunken temple provided the last push for the Ishnanor Council to seal off the ruins for development. At which point, it was only natural to expand the city into the lava tubes of the Velzur caverns.

This continued until the stone masons discovered tunnels connecting back to the surface. Specifically, caves near the shoreline in the Tugart Marshlands.

Trade goods flow from one side of Ishnanor to the other from trade ship to caravan on the Tugard Marshlands. If there was any doubt what the lifeblood of Ishnanor is, that should dispel it.

— Conall MacÀidh of the Eastledge Merchant Company

Outside Ishnanor

The oldest part of the city, its first district, is surrounded by the massive Elisan lake. Formed and fed by the waters of Embercrest Bay and the rivers of the Tugart Marshlands, the lake is unusually clear in many seasons. In early spring, during the devilfish migrations across the bay, the waters of the lake turn clear enough that some of the submerged upper towers of the Ancient’s temple may be seen below the water.

While it can be seen, the depth of the lake is so great, no current means exists to reach those buildings and galleries. Also, some report seeing unusual motion in the depths below. As if something, or someone, may have taken residence below and may not want visitors. Yet, no one has confirmed any of those rumors to date.

Toward the shoreline, particularly the northeastern shore, a line of jagged tears and rocky vents break the surface of the water. These wide gaps allow sunlight and weather to stream into the Velzur caverns and its Underforest.

The vents are ancient potions of an extinct volcano where the cooling lava formed natural curved rock as a natural barrier to flooding from the lake. This has been further expanded and reinforced over the years by Ishnanor stone masons.

Elisan Lake also is one of the major assets of Ishnanor from water to fishing to being the home of merhorse ranches and the floating bog island citrus farms.

City Districts

Ishnanor is divided into three major districts, each forming over time as the city expanded to what it is today. Even though there is the usual sense of class and status associated with a particular district, each district of the city plays an important role in the city itself.

The city begins at Port Side, the upper level of the city in the middle of Elisan lake. Next would be the Underside, where the city expanded down into a network of ancient, extinct lava tubes that lay beneath Elisan lake itself. Last would be Marshside, the marsh and swamp on the northeast shore of Elisan lake, where the ancient lava tubes touched the surface.

As Ishnanor sits in and under a massive lake, flooding is always a concern. Ishnanor stone masons specialize in architecture and construction techniques for methods to control and mange flooding. Also, multiple series of defensive walls form dividers between the districts.

These walls could be used for defense in case of invasion of the city. However, their main purpose is to contain parts of the massive underground aqueduct that manage the flow of fresh water and runoff to prevent flooding in the city districts.

Assets

Windtracer Company

The infamous Windtracers maintain their headquarters here as well as their Museum of Ancient History. Their headquarters is in a refurbished tower complex where Port Side district connects to Underside district. The museum is in the Port Side district.

Windtracer training takes place in all districts at well-known locations across the city. This provides access to different environments for training of new Windtracer Company recruits.

Tagrica Silk Square

This is the central marketplace, and what some would say is the soul of the city. Originally in Port Side district, they moved it down to Underside district once Marshside was opened to access from overland caravans and centaur tribes.

This is the city’s main location for trade goods and commerce. Here goods from across the coast cities and the scattered inland cities of the Planus continent can be found. Grassland silks, jewelry, food, potions and more can be found for sale or barter here.

As with any bustling marketplace, another great trade is also practiced: thievery. Organized thievery is forever a concern of for the Ishnanor City Council. The city watch keeps a firm eye on the activity in Underside district more than any other. Naturally, this has produced a mixed reaction from merchants. Some welcome the additional security, others chafe at its presence, claiming it scares away customers.

However, the city watch maintains its vigilance. They aren’t able to stamp out the thieves' guilds, but they can keep them enough under control that the district is still considered safe for visitors.

Merhorse ranching

A unique form of ranching, it was an outgrowth of Ishnanori locals needing a faster means to travel the lake than by boat for emergencies or to patrol the waters. Smaller boats are efficient but are vulnerable during devilfish migrations.

The enormous devilfish, with their naturally irate temperament, mistake the motion of the smaller boats for prey. This has led to many longboats or smaller fishing craft being grabbed by a devilfish’s barbed tentacles and yanked underwater.

However, for reasons still not fully understood, devilfish have a natural aversion to the merhorse. The dire-sized giant seahorses have no reservation in swarming an invading devilfish in large numbers. A herd of merhorses can drive off, or subdue, a devilfish in seconds to a minute.

Standing On History

Ishnanor's foundation is an Ancient's temple. Based on what has been recovered and studied, the temple was possibly a temple to the sun or a place where the Ancient Order studied the seasonal movement of the stars due to the number of star charts that have been recovered.

One unusual mystery is that the slightly warmer than normal temperature of Elisan Lake itself seems to originate from the ruins at the bottom of the lake. Theories range from a pocket of elementals to a device of the Ancient Order that could generate heat or energy.

As that level of the ruins is beyond reach for now, it still remains an unsolved mystery.

Community and Demographics

Ishnanor has a moderate amount of people calling it home. A good portion of the population is temporary as they either stay for a short time before leaving with either the merchant ships that travel the coast, or the Underforest caravans that wind their way to the centaur tribes.

The city’s community is a multi-ethnic melting pot, with smaller communities of cultures scattered across the city’s population.

However, these cultures are all considered part of the tapestry of the city’s unique culture. So it’s more common to refer to someone from here as ‘Ishnanori’.

Demographics

• Humans (40%)

• Centaur (30%)

• Dwarves (10%)

• Elves (8%)

• Tieflings (8%)

• Other (4%)

One note is the tiefling population. They have a higher presence here that other locations. Reasons behind this vary with group or individual.

However, an underlying theme is that Ishnanor’s relatively neutral political stance that stems from its ‘safe harbor’ roots is attractive for many tieflings looking for a fresh start.

Industry, Trade, & Guilds

• Windtracer Company

• Museum of Ancient History

• Eastledge Merchant Company

• Ishnanor Stonemason Society

• Zarthus Shipping Guild

• Waterborn Ranchers Guild

• Ishnanor Shipwright Guild

• Alchemist and Arcane Society

• Fishery Guild

• Ironsmiths Guild

• Soiltender Guild

Lorekeeper Notes

I think the recent expansions are coming along rather well. But the new recruits seem ... hesitant? - Lorekeeper Ihodis Jenro 

I blame Rudigar - Lorekeeper Gwelunis Istril 

Yep. Wait... That's me. Why me? - Lorekeeper Rudigar Brockhouse 

Yes, why Rudigar? - Lorekeeper Ihodis 

He keeps telling 'The Story' as encouragement... - Lorekeeper Gwelunis 

The 'story'? What story? I'm missing something here... - Lorekeeper Ihodis 

The Tenebris Caves expedition or as he puts it ... 'How I recovered the Ancient Boom Stick from the Undead Swarm' - Lorekeeper Gwelunis 

It's a great story! I felt motivated after telling it... - Lorekeeper Rudigar

Subscribe now

If you’re a paid subscriber. I don’t even come close to having he words for how grateful I am. Thank you. If you’re seeing this as a free subscriber and like what you see, I would appreciate your support. If a paid subscription isn’t to your liking, you can always buy me a coffee!

Buy Me a Coffee!

Last, it’s been said before but I want to say it again… sure, I write for me because I love the stories and settings, but I’m also writing for you. I appreciate each and every one of you.

Now, if you’re wanting a deeper look at Hoist the Colors, take the plunge here at the link: Hoist the Colors. For Windtracer, jump over here: Windtracer: Adventures in Awldor.

Until next time!

-Kummer Wolfe