Dice Darkening Skies Lore

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Lore entries will go here as players request them. Starting with...

The Curselands

South of Shaydensea, east of the Stormcircle, are The Curselands. They would be idyllic moorland, with stunning natural beauty, rolling fields, verdant woods, picturesque hills... were it not for the ghouls.
Long ago the land was afflicted by a mysterious curse, which turns mortals into ravening semi-undead ghouls; mindless man-eating horrors that roam the landscape and spread their curse with a bite.
It is believed that staying in the Curselands without protection will inevitably lead to transformation, but some argue that this part of the curse has passed - now only being bitten will do it.

Only three settlements remain in these lands.
Grudgeonghast, the seat of House Olimak.
Throne, the seat of Djuke Imperus.
Seatown, a port floating just off the coast which used to send supplies upriver to Throne before skyships were common.

At the western edge of the Curselands is a great wall known as The Bulwark, into which three cities are built to guard the gates and the two towers in the north & south, which together maintain the blessing which keeps the curse out. Birthplace of modern revolving firearms, the Bulwark is notable for a strong influence by Houses Olimak and Lezek, being the main access to the Imperial Highway to Throne, and hosting the Dead Regiments.

When the ghouls must be kept back, the Regiments man the walls and sally forth to drive them back - convicts, deathseekers, exiles, and other undesirables.

 

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Kontina

Deep in the Shaydensea, the rocky orb of Kontina traces a corkscrew orbit around something unseen in the bloody murk.

The surface is dotted with holes, some large and some small. Some are wholly natural, some are purposefully shaped, and many are blocked up. The surface is much more carefully scattered with weapon platforms, bunkers, hideaways, and one very small farm.

Inside, the city is a confusing riot streets and high-rises. Like much of the ‘sea, space and gravity are deformed in Kontina. You might be able to look up and see the heads of people walking along a parallel street. Densely packed with buildings, it’s only possible to see from one end to the other from specific and improbable angles, which makes certain areas into mazes, guarded by their residents. In the centre of the city you can find some carefully sculpted and enchanted glass spires that bend the distorted space into something more orderly.

Read More: Kontina, The Pirate Stronghold

 

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Moonbend

An island shaped like a crescent moon, this rock revolves around an invisible point in the fog - top end first, clockwise, like it's circling the edge of something.
Moonbend is on the Free Cities of Shaydensea, and generally considered the most pleasant. The inner surface is the most populated part, protected from collision by some confluence of the 'Sea's strange forces.

The nominal ruler of Moonbend is known as The Quiet Man. On the rare occasion anyone sees him, he's dressed in fine clothes with a silk veil, and speaks in a whisper his underlings repeat for listeners. His power is maintained by his secret police and the value of his service - Moonbend is neutral ground. The Quiet Man won't tolerate trouble in his city, and so it's a safe haven for pirates, spies, refugees, dissidents and fugitives. Lifelong enemies come to Moonbend to negotiate under a flag of truce and the watchful eye of The Quiet Man.
As long as you don't assault, murder, or steal where it'll cause a fuss, you can bring your business here.

While a city of intrigue and backroom politicking, Moonbend is also the only centre of learning in the 'Sea and home to rich literary and artistic culture, a great place to buy dubious goods in relative safety.
The oldest structure on the island is The Archive, built long before humans or Scions or anyone else came to the 'Sea. A vast library, considered by some a temple to the very concept of learning, a shrine to history itself. This is the domain of The Archivist and their brood; a Vampire of incredible age, no longer recognisable as once-human to those who even see them. They say the Archivist and Quiet Man have a treaty to keep the peace in the city, and that's why troublemakers seem to just... disappear.

And so scholars flock to Moonbend from around the world for a chance to visit the Archive. The Vampires admit anyone willing to pay a very small blood price.

Most people balk at the security apparatus of the city, but native Moonbendish are fiercly proud of their little beacon of civilisation out here in Shaydensea.

As one might imagine, House Hulbrad maintain a small embassy here in the form of a crumbling mansion apparently teleported directly from somewhere in the Stormcirlce, now hovering a few feet off the island and chained to the rock to keep it from drifting away. Other Houses make use of this embassy when they have business in town, except the Lybarim - another of Lybar Artyom's renowned teahouses recently opened in Moonbend. Not an official diplomatic mission, naturally, given Artyom hasn't been officially welcome at home for most of a century.

There are some rumours that The Quiet Man is actually a high-ranking agent in the Eye of Imperus, Throne's legendary intelligence division, but imperus has explicitly refuted this claim on numerous occasions.

 

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The Black Rose

A beautiful, impossible construct where House Hulbrad have made their home since the destruction of their mansion at the end of the War centuries ago.
Huge, onyx-black, carved by expert hands to resemble a rosebud in the act of unfolding, the Rose moves around the Shaydensea by unclear means and seems to simply appear where the Hulbrad want it to be. Inside it's said to be a luxurious collection of apartments and studies, with a huge library and secure alchemical laboratories.
It's generally agreed that you don't find the Rose - it finds you.