Spiral

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Regions of Spiral

Overview

The Urizen lived in Spiral long before there was an Empire, but even then it was isolated. The main thrust of pre-Imperial Urizen settlement was in Morrow to the north, and the two territories were connected by a tenuous "bridge" of spires stretching across Zenith. Even then, the place had a haunted reputation. At some point in the distant past, powerful magic was worked here and the echoes of that magic occasionally caused trouble for the Urizen in their mountain fastnesses.

At the heart of the territory is the Black Plateau, great plateau of volcanic glass with a dire reputation. Artefacts from the Black Plateau are often considered haunted or touched by malign evil, and are generally destroyed when they are encountered.

Recent History

Spiral was lost to the Empire forty years ago. In 331 YE. Barbarians from the Broken Coast came up through Apulus along the coast, and with weapons fashioned from the glass taken from the Black Plateau overran the defenders of Spiral, resisting all efforts to throw them back. Refugees streamed into Morrow and Zenith, and many of them - and their descendants - live there to this day. Some, such as the inhabitants of the Endsmeet in Morrow, still consider themselves to be living in exile and consider the liberation of Spiral a pressing concern.

Major Features

The Black Plateau

A great plateau of volcanic glass with a dire reputation. Artefacts from the Black Plateau are often considered haunted or touched by malign evil, and are generally destroyed when they are encountered. Scholars have established that while many of the artefacts recovered from the Black Plateau date back to the days of distant Terunael, and to pre-Urizen Spiral, there are occasional artefacts that reach back even further - they cannot agree on the exact age of the plateau but the volcanic glass may date back to a period before human history.

Barbarians armed with weapons fashioned from the glass taken from the Black Plateau overran the defenders of Spiral, resisting all efforts to throw them back. There are no permanent settlements or spires in the around the Black Plateau - attempts to establish them ended in tragedy without exception. Even the barbarians are not stupid enough to spend more time than they need to near the Black Plateau.

Stories have begun to filter in of insane, bestial humans - presumably the children and grandchildren of Urizen left behind when Spiral fell to the barbarians - who live on and around the plateau. Their motivations, if they exist, are unknown. Some of them at least seem to have the Imperials at least as much as they hate the barbarians.

Fort Mezudan, “The Fist”

This fortress was under construction at the time the barbarians attack, but workers and guards refused the order to destroy the walls. When the original defences against the barbarians fell, the workers armed themselves and held the semi-completed fortress for two weeks until Imperial reinforcements arrived. For that reason the stone-crafters guild have always had nominal control of this fortress, and no decade has gone by without some major renovation or improvement being undertaken.

During Winter 377YE, a concerted effort by the Senators and people of Urizen, in conjunction with the Imperial Master of Works, allowed emergency supplies and many wains of white granite to reach the stone-crafters guild of Ateri. While Imperial forces occupied the invading orc armies, the final months of work were completed at a feverish rate that burnt out almost the entire ushabti work force. By the middle of Spring 378YE, the Fist was complete, ready to serve its intended purpose as a bastion for Imperial forces against the invaders of Spiral. (OOC Note: The Fist is a level one fortification).

Ankarien

On the slopes of Ankra stood the Spire of Aknrarien. One of the oldest and most prestigious of the Urizen spires, it was home to perhaps the finest library in the Empire. The infamous Emperor Nicovar was born here, and lived much of his early life at Ankarien; this did not spare the library from his destructive wrath as he descended into madness. What Nicovar did not quite achieve, the barbarians almost managed. As they drew near the librarians carried much of the contents to Endsmeet. The Spire itself now lies in ruins, and the remainder of its books and scrolls are presumed destroyed by the savage orcs.

The Legacy

This vast mine complex is one of the few places in Spiral that remain under Imperial control. It is mostly played out today, but still manages to produces significant quantities of mithril for whoever controls it. According to legend the site was part of a great gift to the Urizen people but who gave it to them, and why, are deatils lost to time.

The Legacy is a national Bourse position which produces mithril. Control of the Legacy is assigned to whichever Urizen candidate receives the most support from Urizen owners of mana sites. This Bourse position produces 22 Imperial wains of mithril every season.

Regions

Ankra

The mountains of Ankra are the site of some of the oldest spires in Urizen, including one of the most prestigious - the library of Ankarien.
Keywords: Hilly.

Apstrus

The lower slopes of the Apstrus peaks are covered in rolling woodland, carefully cultivated by ushabti and at one time produced a great bounty of forest materials, especially Iridescent Gloaming. The dreaming spires of Apsterus (as they were often known) were dedicated to philosophical thought, their forest-bounty providing the inhabitants with lives of comfort despite their location on the very eastern edge of the Empire. One of the most prestigious was Solen's Doubt. Dedicated to experimental philosophy, it was a place for solitary study and thought. Unsurprisingly, it was overrun during the barbarian march to the Black Plateau.

Of special interest to the Urizen, the central Heliopticon tower for Spiral stood on the northern slopes of Apstrus, the heart of the communication network. The defenders held the tower for several months against the barbarians, allowing the rest of Spiral additional warning of army movements, and relaying desperate messages for aid to Morrow and Redoubt. When the tower finally fell, it is assumed the barbarians either destroyed the specially calibrated mirror and the light-source (a glowing stone infused with the magic of the Realm of Day), or stole them away. Some recent rumours suggest these two components might have been hidden by the defenders, and only uncovered recently, but the facts are unclear - and idle speculation has no place in the study of history.

Apulus

Before it was taken by the barbarians, Apulus was the gateway to adventure for the people of Urizen and, to a degree, the Empire. Expeditions into the wilds outside the borders would rest here before undertaking their quests into the unknown wilderness. Ships from across the Bay of Catazar docked at the coastal spires here, with League and Freeborn adventurers in particular being regular visitors. The docks and quays here are ruined now - as each spire fell to the orcs they destroyed their own quays to prevent the Grendel gaining access to them.

The worst casualty of the barbarian invasion was the Lighthouse at Apulian, a Great Work that served as both a spire dedicated to foreign trade and a beacon for all the Urizen fleets based in Spiral. The last Keeper of the Lighthouse, Hadrian of Apulian, burst the entire structure apart once it became clear it would fall to the orcs, shattering the magical stone (a gift from the Eternal Kimus) that served as the light. The white granite tower exploded in a thunderous detonation, the echoes of which were reportedly heard as far away as Sarvos and the island of the Lyceum. The release of magical power incinerated several hundred orcs, along with all the defenders of Apulian. Some refugees from Spiral attempted to have Hadrian declared an Exemplar of Loyalty, but received little support from the Imperial Synod. Most of the survivors are dead now, of course.
Keywords: Coastal

Ateri

Fort Mezudan stands on the slopes of the mountains here. It is protected by an extended cabal of stone-masons.
Keywords: Hilly

Cinon

The wide valleys of Cinon are littered with ruined spires, long since looted by the barbarians. Most of these spires stood over plentiful mines and there were many rich veins of tempest jade and weltsilver. The most famous of the lost spires was proabably Damakan’s Forge Damakan was renowned as the greatest Urizen swordsmith of antiquity, and even today her blades change hands for small fortunes. Although many of her secrets went with her to her grave, a small lodge of smiths have maintained her forge and traditions in its original site in the Spiral. Crafters who were allowed to work with this lodge are rare indeed, but those few who did were able to create swords of surpassing excellence. The spire fell to the barbarians forty years ago - it is unclear how many of the secrets of the weaponsmiths fell into their hands at this time. The smaller settlement of Ossen's Spire served as a gateway to Damakan’s Forge, where those who wished to serve there came here first, and those who wished a sword from there lived at Ossen's Spire to prove their worth before being granted the honour.

Ossurary

Ossuary takes its name from the large number of giant bones regularly unearthed in the mines here. Scholars are at a loss to explain them - some claim they may be the bones of great drakes or perhaps even dragons. Many of these bones have been exported to other parts of the Empire where they are studied or presented as curiosities.

The Legacy is in Ossuary; a vital resource that provides mithril to the people of Urizen, which is primarily used to enhance mana sites. If it were lost, the Urizen would suffer a major blow to their prosperity and potential ability to work magic.

Screed

The Black Plateau occupies most of Screed. Even when the territory was in Imperial hands, Screed was largely deserted apart from temporary camps of scholars studying the plateau and it's artefacts. Today, the barbarians are said to be employing scavenging teams - some supplemented with human slaves - here, but likewise have avoided creating any permanent settlements.

OOC Notes

• The Urizen (and thus the Empire) control Ateri, Ossuary, The barbarian orcs control Ankra, Apstrus,
• Fort Mezudan is a level one Fortification.