Settlements and Sites of the Four City-States - Week 12
Compiling week 12 of the project, comprised of an additional 7 magically oriented sites of the City-State of Ceannar as shown below.
Settlements and Sites of the Four City-States #78
Mar 19th, 2023
Number: 78
Name: Skyward Platform
Location: On the ocean off the north coast of Ceannar
Population (approx.): 120
Brief: The City-State of Ceannar is crossed by a Ley Line known locally as Gata Tele (“Great Snake”) for it curves up and down, exiting water or earth, arcing through the sky, and miles later entering earth or water. Centuries ago, Magicians of the Arcane Guild discovered that Gata Tele emerged from the ocean floor off the north coast of Ceannar. Alchemists and Elemental Engineers raised a great stone and metal platform from the ocean floor above the surface. On top they constructed a great circular hall about the Gata Tele with numerous laboratories and chambers facing inward to examine and manipulate the essence. The site is constantly guarded and well-warded for it has been the target of attack by foes including rival magicians, pirate fleets, rogue church elements and numerous monstrous aberrations attracted to the ley line.
Geography: Skyward Platform is comprised of four wide and thick towers rising from the seabed 300 feet (100 m) below the surface. The platform is another 100 feet (30m) above the average sea level. The materials used are designed to withstand storms and impacts from vessels and creatures. The platform is donut shaped, surrounding the ley line, supporting the Great Ring Hall about Gata Tele. Vessels can moor at any of the towers and Skyships can dock at one of 3 spires rising from the Ring Hall. (The structure is similar to the Arcane construction along the Carasta Cascade to the west.)
Settlements and Sites of the Four City-States #79
Mar 20th, 2023
Number: 79
Name: Everblossom Fields
Location: Northern hills of Ceannar where the Gata Tele Ley Line enters the earth
Population (approx.): 2,700 (surrounding settlements/churches)
Brief: The Gata Tele Ley Line rises from the ocean at Skyward Platform (#78), arches over the coast and makes landfall in the center of an expanse of rolling meadows known as the Everblossom Fields. The Fields, formed by magic of the Ley Line infusing the ground, are an area of about 20 to 25 square miles that is filled with flowers of many varieties, growing ever denser toward the center, that bloom throughout the year. Four of the six Churches have built chapels about the center of the Fields to celebrate the Gods bringing magic to the land (The Gods of Fire and Night are not present). A loose circle of thorps and villages connects the Churches and surrounds the area. Local gardeners, trained by Guilds or the Gods, tend to the site and carefully search for unique plants with magical properties such as healing, growth, preservation or rejuvenation. Paladins and squires keep watch over the hills to prevent theft and overcutting by unscrupulous persons or damage from creatures or ill-mannered entities bothered by the beauty and bounty.
Geography: The Everblossum Fields grows about 30 miles southeast of the north coast of Ceannar along the path of the Gata Tele Ley Line. A main road runs southeast about 15 miles to connect the Fields to the main highway of Ceannar (which runs west-east from Overlook (#8) to the border with Noldrune), the intersection featuring a major market selling flowers and other flora of the Fields. A large garrison of Ceannar Cavalry is present to support the Knights of the Churches at the Fields.
Settlements and Sites of the Four City-States #80
Mar 21st, 2023
Number: 80
Name: The Bubbling Flats
Location: About 40 miles southeast of Everblossom Fields (#79) along the Gata Tele Ley Line
Population (approx.): 1,100 (surrounding settlements)
Brief: After diving below the surface at Everblossom Fields, to the northwest, the Gata Tele reemerges from the earth in the center of what is locally known as the Bubbling Flats. The Flats are about 30 square miles of bare earth dotted with hundreds of pools of mud. Those pools, especially near the center of the Flat, bubble and pop constantly and rarely fountain geysers of liquid earth into the skies. Craftsmen (mainly potters) and Spellusers (mainly alchemists) have collected, studied and tried to craft the mud for years with wildly varying results. Some of the finest local ceramics, rivalling the product of Clearview Glassworks (#39), have been produced in kins surrounding the Flats but never repeatably or in large quantities. The local alchemists believe it is simply the nature of the interaction between earth and the Ley Line.
Geography: The Bubbling Flats can be found on the northeastern prairies of Ceannar a half days travel south from the main highway to Overlook, the capital (#8). Two settlements can be found on either side of the Flats; Kilnship, favored by local potters, and Brownstone, favored by local alchemists. Other than the professional population, the villages are very similar. Both host chapels to the Earth God, Pala. The potters also follow the Fire God, Afi’s mask of crafting and kilns.
Settlements and Sites of the Four City-States #81
Mar 22nd, 2023
Number: 81
Name: The Gnarlwylde
Location: About 40 miles southeast of the Bubbling Flats (#80) along the Gata Tele Ley Line
Population (approx.): Possibly 100-300 of various Kin scattered about
Brief: Having emerged from the Bubbling Flats to the northwest, the Gata Tele descends to Aenwyld once again. The exact point is hard to determine as it is lost within an ancient tangle climax forest known as the Gnarlwylde. The Gnarlwylde is an irregular area of 50 square miles surrounded by twice that of more mundane woods. Centuries old, it is a dense unmappable tangle of trees and flora, not specifically good or evil, but decidedly wild and chaotic. Locals have constantly feared the Gnarlwylde is or has been touched by Corruption but neither priest nor magician can sense any within its borders.
Geography: The Gnarlwylde can be found in central Ceannar where the prairies end and the Flattop Hills begin. It is about 2 days travel directly west of the capital, Overlook (#8), but all highways skirt the strange woods to both north and south. The nearest settlements are to the north along the main east-west road through the heart of the City-State, but several of the churches (those with Druidic orders) and the Guild of Magicians (summoners and manipulators of flora and fauna) maintain small outposts in the mundane woods close to the borders of the Gnarlwylde.
Settlements and Sites of the Four City-States #82
Mar 23rd, 2023
Number: 82
Name: The Slagfields
Location: About 40 miles southeast of the Gnarlwylde (#81) along the Gata Tele Ley Line
Population (approx.): 150 (Dwarves) and perhaps 100 others
Brief: The Gata Tele Ley Line, under the surface since the Gnarlwylde, reemerges in the southwestern spur of the Flattop Hills. Centuries ago, the exit point, through the body of a mesa, was occupied by a splinter faction of Six Gods, worshipping a Mask (whose name is lost to time but a symbol of a firey stone fist remains) with aspects of Earth and Fire. They carved, built and summoned a fortified cathedral on the hilltop, surrounded by towers and walls. At some point later, during the Empire’s turbulent history, other factions of the Six gathered a small army and laid siege to the mesa. A magical conflagration ensued, no doubt fed by Gata Tele, leveling most of the cathedral and marking the mesa with smoking craters and cracks opening to the depths. The site was abandoned until about 80 years ago a small number of Dwarves arrived, occupied a partially collapsed tower and began mining the mesa. SInce then, other prospectors and explorers have come and gone.
Geography: The Slagfields can be found in south Ceannar, in the southwest spur of the Flattop Hills, several days hard travel through the rough terrain from Overlook (#8). The mesa covers several square miles, the entire top is an irregular surface of broken and cracked rock, blackened and ash covered. The Dwarf-occupied tower sits on the western edge. Ruins line the outer perimeter. Faint orange and red lights can be seen in the deeper crevices and ravines. A haze of smoke covers the area sometimes making finding the mesa difficult. The Slagfields rumble and quiver with minor earthquakes perhaps due to currents of Gata Tele interacting with the rocks underneath.
Settlements and Sites of the Four City-States #83
Mar 24th, 2023
Number: 83
Name: Growth
Location: About 40 miles southeast of the Slagfields (#82) along the Gata Tele Ley Line, 25 miles north of the coast.
Population (approx.): Unknown
Brief: The final landing spot of Gata Tele on Ceannar is in a narrow uninhabited valley of the Flattop Hills almost directly south of Overlook (#8). Centuries ago, rainfall collected in valley, then was bathed in the Ley Line, producing water of unusual clarity and properties. During the fall of Ta’arnan, a death-aspected druid, specializing in poisonous growths, fled a battle to the north, wandering into the hills. Near-death and delirious, they found the pool and, in their haste, to exploit it, somehow introduced just a touch of Corruption to the small lake. The water remains clear to this day but the entire bed of the lake and surrouding terrain is covered in a strange thick tangled unrecognizable growth. What it is, does or, if possible, wants, is unknown.
Geography: Growth can be found in the triangular-shaped wilderness region bordered by the Flattop Hils and the ocean (the end points marked by The Haunted Spires (#11) to the east and the County of Airontir Taun (#49) to the west). The lake sits in a narrow valley on the western slopes of the eastern spur of the hills, about 25 miles north of the coast. Growth hugs the valley walls about the lakeshore but does not crest any of the surrounding ridges hence can only been seen from directly above. The Gata Tele continues underground, re-emerging in the ocean about 5-10 miles offshore of the Spires.
Settlements and Sites of the Four City-States #84
Mar 25th, 2023
Number: 84
Name: The Wyrdwood Torus aka the Vanishing Ring
Location: The highest point of one of the Gata Tele Ley Line arches.
Population (approx.): 2
Brief: Creations of the highest order, Wyrdwood ships sail the Ley Lines of Aenwyld. The geography of the Gata Tele, with half of its length, the grand arches, above ground and half underground, is such that it cannot be traversed. But there is rumor and story that some sort of structure, a great brown and green ring, circles the highest point of Gata Tele’s great arcs. The observers and storytellers saw an ancient construction whose original name, the Wyrdwood Torus is lost to time, and is now simply labelled the Vanishing Ring. The Torus, under the apparent control of its sole occupant, the Old Man, can move from arch to arch, but usually hangs between the Bubbling Flats (#80) and the Gnarlwylde (#81). Local adventurers and some members of the Arcane Guilds have pondered trying to ascend to the Torus but fear the reception that awaits.
Geography: The Wyrdwood Torus is a living ring of flora, 300 feet (100 m) across centered around the Ley Line. The Torus is about 15-20 feet thick (5-7 m) growing about an ancient air wyrm resting or imprisoned in a loop, its tail binding its mouth. The Old Man of legend walks unceasingly in one direction, the Torus rotating underneath his feet so that he is always above the Gata Tele, briefly stopping to tend to the plants and a small number of resident insects and birds.
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