Settlements and Sites of the Four City-States #313

Settlements and Sites of the Four City-States #313 

November 10th, 2023 

• Number: 313 

• Name: Deep Dive on an Area of Interest:  The Journey to Rest – Part 5 

• Location: Along the Segnem River between the Ulu Maug and the Danthas River in the Wastelands 

• Population (approx.): 73 (Caer Macadam on Midnight Waters) 

• Brief: With a fond farewell and best wishes all around, Garret and his companions left Luro at the Memorial and continued south. As they left the Enshrouding Mist, Garret noted a trail leaving the river and heading overland southwest toward a distant lake, Midnight Waters, and Caer Macadam, his family’s ancestral home. The dead most certainly would take a direct route for they could not anticipate and would not care about delays due to terrain, but the trio took the quicker path along the Segnem River. Two long days later, Garret spotted the sparkle as the setting sun reflected across the dark surface of Midnight Waters. A dark shape marked Caer Macadam at the south edge of the lake. A lone figure stood on the shore, apparently sensing or anticipating their arrival, Garret’s sister, Leslie. 

• Leslie (Macadam) Nidum, 40, female Human, is a Druid of this area surrounding Segnem River. She is tall and has a slight beanpole body. Her wondrous golden blond hair cascades down her back in waves. Leslie has cornflower blue eyes and a vivacious smile. She is the middle child of this generation of Macadams. Leslie wears long skirts and tops made of floral prints. Her favorite piece of jewelry is a silver brooch in the shape of a bear she wears daily. It is a piece of Macadams's history handed down to the eldest females on their eighteenth birthday. 

• Leslie grew up in the Macadams's castle, which Midnight Waters surrounds. In a ceremonial gesture, Leslie's mother, Marisol, placed Leslie's tiny hand in the water when she was three. The lake responded, and a little tattoo of a drop of water appeared on her small hand. The bond has only strengthened throughout the years. Marisol and now Leslie can commune with the plants and animals of Midnight Waters.  

• Leslie is married to Irwin Nidum, 42, Human, who is a tailor. They have one child, Ann, who is 15. Leslie tried to bond Ann to the Waters, but they rejected her. The Waters explained that the Nidum blood mixed with an element from the Macadams' blood could lead to a person of great evil. Leslie has tried desperately to locate a spell that would cleanse Ann's blood. So far, nothing has worked. 

• Leslie, seeing the trio’s arrival, smiled and rushed to hug her brother. Garret asks, “Is everyone alright? What happened?” She takes a breath and replies, “It was terrible. The lake awoke me, carrying the cries of the flora befouled by their touch. He led them, but he was and wasn’t Terrell anymore. He commanded his minions to take the keep, but the Waters fought them, delaying their crossing until we could slay them with fire and light. Not-Terrell howled in frustration and ran off, to the west we think. Corbett, as you might expect, stalked after them. Try downriver, perhaps at Piety Tower?” 

• Geography: Caer Macadam (location 4 see below) was built centuries ago on an outcropping of dense stone rising from the surface along the south side of the Midnight Waters. The castle’s central keep is four stories tall with round towers at each corner and a fifth central spire on the east wall, the main gate piercing this tower at the ground level. Battlements top the towers and walkways with crenelations run between the pairs of towers on the south and north walls of the keep. The lake is fed by the Segnem River descending from the hills to the west and in turn feeds the Segnem’s continued eastward course. It was named after the deep deep blue color of the waters, likely due to stone under the surface having the same dark gray color as the outcrop supporting Caer Macadem. After 17 miles the river turns northward and after another 15 miles enters the Enshrouding Mist (#32).