Highguard territories

The territories of Highguard run along the length of the river Couros; from the Necropolis at the river’s mouth, past the rich and fertile fields and plains to holy Bastion, through the Great Forest and up into the mountains of Cuna where the river has its source.

Bastion

The sacred city of Bastion, the White City, is a marvel of marble and mosaic. Even her enemies cannot deny her magnificence – the white marble domes and towers raised up to the demonstrate the glory of a virtuous life, the roads trodden smooth by the footsteps of countless philosophers, warriors and pilgrims. More garden than city, the skyline is dominated by the tall spires and elegant architecture of the huge chapterhouses. The entire city has been expressly designed as a monument to the devotion of the Highborn. When the Imperial Synod recognizes a paragon or exemplar, then a new basilica is constructed here to celebrate their life and deeds.

Few Highborn dwell here permanently but most important folk make a pilgrimage once every year. Every chapter maintains a hostel in the great city, to serve as a dwelling for members who visit. The wealthiest and most powerful Highborn often possess their own residence here.

The Necropolis

At the mouth of the river Couros lies Bastion’s shadowed twin, a mausoleum in black marble. Built in the ruins of Pharos - the first Highborn settlement was destroyed in the Patrician war – the tombs have spread to encompass almost all the old ruins. Scattered throughout the ruins are mausoleums built to house the Highborn dead. To many Highborn it is as if the city itself has been entombed, its memory preserved in the house of the dead.

The Necropolis holds the bodies of the Empire’s heroes, along with the Imperial Histories, guarded eternally by the Stewards of the Dead. The legendary mausoleum has become the final resting place of almost every Emperor and Empress. In death, all Highborn desire to be lain to rest here, amongst the heroes of the past, where the Stewards of the Dead watch eternally over their silent graves. It is a tremendous honour for heroes of other Imperial Nations to be offered a final resting place alongside them. Those who would be heroes know that granite – and the words placed upon it – will endure long after their flesh has faded.

Casinea

Further upriver is Casinea where marble and granite are quarried and gold, silver and gemstones are mined. Several wealthy chapters protect the quarries and mines to ensure the protection of the vital assets against barbarians.

Reikos (lost)

Reikos borders the Great Forest of Peytaht. At its edges, the Great Forest was an abundant source of lumber, but its heart is wild, untamed and notoriously hard to defend. This peaceful stretch of the Couros river was also home to pleasure gardens, parks and country estates. Reikos is also the location of the Gardens of Chalcis, said to contain every kind of flower, fruit and herb in the known world and a haven of tranquility and the study of the healing arts.

In 367 YE Reikos fell to barbarians who took advantage of the cover of the Great Forest to launch numerous assaults against the fertile territory. The territory was lost along with half the wealth of Highguard. Many Benefactors were ruined in the attack, and those many more are still struggling to restore their fortunes.