Settlements and Sites of the Four City-States #240

Settlements and Sites of the Four City-States #240 

August 29th, 2023 

• Number: 240 

• Name:  Deep Dive on a Site of Interest: The Borderlands – Part 2 

• Location: South border of Zetroscha. 

• Population (approx.): 4
  

• Brief: The inexorable passage of time has caused the wastes to swallow the fallen Ta’arnan Empire. The Ta’arnans, at their peak, wielded high sorceries and manufactured terrible machines, some fell to disease, some to war and others to disaster. 

• In this region they powered part of their economy by tapping into the ley lines that ran below the great central prairies (as they were known at the time). Buildings dotted the landscape, attached to great pipes driven into the lines like wells tapping an aquifer. The magic was pulled to the surface and passed into sapphire tubes that crisscrossed their territory. Magic was plentiful and consumed by all. 

• As all these stories ended, one day the wells ran dry. Perhaps the ley lines ran out of magic or perhaps the Aenwyld felt the drain, like a deep wound on its surface, and redirected the ley lines elsewhere. Ta’arna soon fell and was consumed by the wastes, leaving behind these empty wells, perched on dark crevasses, connected to broken tubes. 

• Genjon Silvershard, 143, male Elf, is an Illusionist whose goal is to create the complete illusion of sight and smell. He is of average height and slender frame. His silver hair is long and straight. Genjon's eyes are lavender and have flecks of silver in them. He wears comfortable pants and a tunic unless he is dealing with other people. He uses a birch wood staff with a polished piece of amber on top. 

• Genjon is a researcher who stumbled upon this area and built himself a facility that helps him improve his work. He likes the area's peace and has two apprentices who support him. Genjon would enjoy illusions that people could feel and touch, so most of his research is based on that. He has tapped into the Ley Lines that are here. Unfortunately, the Ley lines are no longer at peak strength.  

• Genjon is married to one of his apprentices, Holadi, 130, male Elf. They have adopted child, Bryanni, 7, an Elven girl. The other apprentice is Xanton, 25, a Human male. Genjon is well-known and supports his research by taking odd jobs from the nearest settlements of Zetroscha. While he is out on the job, he picks up supplies and anything needed for his experiments. 

• Geography: In the borderlands south of Zetroscha (#169), Genjon discovered one of the few remaining Ley Line essence pumping stations. It is about 3 days travel a bit south of east from Natroscha (#134) and 2 days directly south from South Plains Tar (#68). A gem-shaped structure about 25 feetlong by 15 feet wide and 40 feet high, covered in panels of glass in geometric shapes, sits on a stone platform on the edge of a seemingly bottomless crevasse. Glass-like semi-translucent pipes extend from the building, mostly broken, except for the larger channel descending into the depths. Genjon and his companions have made their home within the pumping station where he can draw a trickle of essence from the depths of Aenwyld. They rarely linger outside, except when Genjon travels, as the area is subject to sudden skin-flaying sandstorms apparently, Genjon believes, summoned by the magical forces in the darkness below.