Gates of Holmauer Park
Overview
Holmauer Great Park, wrecked in Summer 383 through curses by agents of the Hag Queen, has experienced a renaissance in more recent times. Rather than seek to cleanse the park of the effects, its new darker, grim nature has been embraced by the citizens of Holberg - after all, no other city of the League boasts a genuine cursed park.
As a result, the Park has numerous new or transformed attractions including the Pavilion on Looking Glass Lake, the Blood Orchard, Holberg’s Melodious Cascade, as well as the Marcher Memorial Orchard and the Imperial Menagerie.
To provide security to the Park's visitors, the eight entrance gates have been strengthened through the use of mithril, with the necessary work being commissioned in Autumn 385YE. The small payment required to enter supports a dedicated garrison supplemented with local magicians and priests. Additionally, thanks to the steady influx of visitors to the many attractions within the park, every business in the territory benefits - providing 36 rings to those businesses each season.
The Gates
Originally paid for and named by the legendary League patron, Lorenzo “La Volpe” Macelliao von Temeschwar of the Bloody Butchers, each of the eight gates has been newly augmented with finely-wrought mithril bars and inlays, worked into designs and emblems representative of their new patrons.
Kleist’s Gate
This gate leads directly from Carta Notturno Way through to Kleist’s Winter Gardens. Wrought in mithril and black enamel is the Kleist family emblem of two bears with mining hammers with one bear on each gate, protecting each other back-to-back.
Apulian Accession Gate
This gate leads from the north-east into the Sculpture Garden. The gate has twisting wave-like mithril bars emanating out from the five interlinked rings at the apex of the gate. Lettering circling the rings reads “From far-flung shores across stormy seas you have come home”.
Summer Crow Gate
This gate leads from the east through to a path overlooking the Imperial Menagerie. The new gate’s emblem - a crow backed with a blazing sun - commemorates the substantial efforts of Caerwyn Summer Crow, the former Senator for Holberg, towards the original work of designing and building Holmauer Park.
Lorenzo’s Gate of Pride
This gate leads from the south-east into the Marcher Apple Grove. Mithril reinforcement has been added to this gate, preserving its original design by the Bloody Butcher; the added metal frieze depicts the event of Lorenzo’s death as a dramaturgically tragic event on the Night of the Reaper.
Beatrix Amalia Gate
This gate leads into the Park from Compagnia di Rossi Avenue. Especially beautiful in the evening sun, the delicate design belies the strength of the wrought mithril. With Rhyv at the centre, the skilled artist has somehow crafted bandages of filigree, ornamented with the occasional scalpel and other surgical instruments, and drawn together into a single elegant whole.
Adelaars Gate
This gate leads into the Park from the south towards the Blood Orchard. The Adelaarsgilde eagle flanked by flames of Ambition is wrought into the mithril bars. Set into the surrounding stones is the epigraph: “Witless virtue leads astray. Virtuous wit reaps Night and Day!” The exclamation mark takes the form of a peacock feather, representing the pride of the Adelaarsgilde children.
Crimson Retapers’ Gate
This gate leads into the Park from the outermost western edge of the Park, leading to the Blood Orchard. The trademark skull and roses motif of the Crimson Reapers amidst the gate’s bars has been carved seemingly out of a single block of mithril, sealing the gate shut; but when opened an ingenious ‘crack’ appears in the skull, as if it has been cleaved in twain.
Reckoners’ Gate
This gate leads to the wintery Melodious Cascade, across the River of Blood. The eerie eye of The Withering Gaze glares in garnet from this gate's crest, commemorating the cartel of Reckoners who collected contrition and compensation from those who were responsible for the harrowing of Holmauer Park and Sarvos.