Territory of Padwell & High Heart
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This page provides information on the geography and locations of Padwell. Keep reading to learn about the different towns and cities found throughout the marsh.
Padwell is primarily tropical in climate, though with cooler regions in its far north and eastern mountain areas. The country is best known for its impenetrable marshes, covering most of their territory and providing forbidding natural defences. |
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Shadowshore
Dark marshland cloaked by impenetrable forest. Shadowshore is cooler than much of Padwell, and may get snowfall during winter. Floods often. The foothills of the Sunflecked Reaches extend into the eastern regions of the province, providing areas of year-round dry land for farming.
Background from Unsplash.
Riverwatch
City name: Riverwatch
Ruler: Kreivi Patli Cipactli and her family
Founded: 88 A.E.D. (After Elder Drakes)
Region: Shadowshore
A hidden fortress that guards against attack by Xocrium. Riverwatch’s watchtowers, disguised as trees, rise above the surrounding forest, providing an excellent vantage point for the city’s sentries.
During the rebellion against Xocrium, Riverwatch was a vital location for alerting Padwell of impending attack. In the years since the end of the war, the Redwings have gone to great effort to expand and maintain the fortress, ensuring that it will be ready for any future conflict. Riverwatch has thrived under the management of the Redwings and the Cipactli family, and is one of the most populous cities in Padwell.
Blacklake City
City name: Blacklake City
Ruler: Greve Zolin Mustajärvi and their family
Founded: ??? B.A. (Before Adeodatus)
Region: Shadowshore
A thriving port city on the coast of Lake Four-Shore. Named for the original, much disused, Padwellan name for the lake. Blacklake City is a major trading hub, connecting Padwell with merchants from as far away as Meros and Dutoria - though vessels from the Land of Rivers and Tyr Kingdom are more common visitors.
Though the war with Xocrium is officially over, there are deep resentments on both sides. Padwellan ships travelling Lake Four-Shore need to keep their wits about them, especially in western waters...
Lackluck
Town name: Lackluck
Ruler: Kreivi Xiuhtonal Tellervo and her family
Founded: 154 A.E.D.
Region: Shadowshore
A small village deep within the marshes of Shadowshore. Local legend says that the town was founded by the Tellervo brothers, who fled Blacklake City in disgrace after a string of terrible luck. The people of Lackluck are known for two things; being very sure-footed, and their macabre sense of humour.
Maddox
City name: Maddox, formerly the King’s Roost
Ruler: Queen Tuonetar Padwell and her family
Founded: ??? B.A.
Region: Deepmarsh
The capital city of Padwell and the home of Queen Tuonetar and her family. It is an immense, thriving cultural center supported by the Queen, with a number of public services available to all citizens, ranging from schools to fresh water and food. In the water, below the various walkways and docks of Maddox, brilliantly glowing star lilies are grown to provide natural light.
Farming takes place directly in the city on man-made islands in the surrounding marshes, connected to the main sections of Maddox by large wooden walkways hanging over the water. They grow various types of trees and plants for nuts, a wide variety of fruits and berries, maize, beans, squash, herbs, peppers, tomatoes, cocoa, tea, coffee, and sugar cane. Farms for fish and small livestock - like pigs, goats, and chickens - are also present in the city.
Before the rebellion against Xocrium, the city was known as ‘the King’s Roost’, as it was the traditional home of Padwell’s leaders. It was renamed in honour of King Maddox after his death in 460 A.E.D.
Heronhall
City name: Heronhall, the Heart of the Marshes
Ruler: The Head of the Haikaroita
Founded: ??? B.A.
Region: Deepmarsh
The hidden home of the priesthood of the Marsh King, located in the heart of the marsh and impossible to find without a guide. Within is an old, old wooden building with intricate woodwork and trees growing out of the roof, connecting it to the rest of the swamp. Inside there are pools of water with all sorts of weird fish and star lilies, a large central room for the leader of the priesthood. There is a smaller workshop in the back where the priests carve the masks for the dead, a hall for the masks of the forgotten dead, and outside a small island-farm for the priests to feed themselves using. It smells very strongly of the marsh.
The bodies of the dead are brought here by the priests of the Marsh King and then carried from there into the heart of the swamp; the location of this final resting place is unknown to anyone outside the priesthood and impossible to find.
Legend has it that a necromancer once sought out this sacred place of the dead, hoping to raise an army from the bodies interred there. They followed the canoe of two priests, but after days and days of tracking them, the canoe vanished into the fog. The necromancer tried to follow, but when they passed through the dense clouds, found themselves at exactly the place they had started.
Falsestep
Town name: Falsestep
Ruler: Kreivi Cualli Louhi and her family
Founded: 288 A.E.D.
Region: Deepmarsh
An isolated village located in one of the most dangerous parts of the marsh. Falsestep earned its name from the choking mud and deadly, sudden drop offs found around its edges: even those experienced in navigating the marsh can lose their footing here.
Despite its natural defenses, Falsestep was ravaged by the war with Xocrium. Few buildings are any older than the 460s, as much of the town was destroyed in a fire deliberately started by agents of the Division.
Redwing Waterways
Landmark name: Redwing Waterways
Ruler: Korjata Essi Seppä
Created: 480s A.E.D.
Region: Deepmarsh
Padwell’s marshes are too shallow for most vessels larger than a canoe to safely navigate, and while this is a powerful natural defense, it makes trade difficult. The “Redwing Waterways” were constructed in the 480s to connect Padwell’s major cities and make trade a little easier; workers deepened sections of the march, making invisible canals to allow boats with a deeper draft to sail through the marshes.
Traffic is closely monitored by the Redwings, and ships are often boarded and inspected to make sure that no Xocrian army is snuck into the nation. Foreign vessels are only allowed to sail so far into the waterways before they must either turn back, or hire a local sailor to take them further into the country.
As an emergency measure, there are “dams” of mud in places that can be broken to fill the waterways in once more. The locations of these are known only to local soldiers and agents of the Redwings, and are to be utilized only during times of war.
Redwing City
City name: Redwing City
Ruler: Kreivi Necalli Tlilpotonqui, Veera Nieminen (as head of the Redwings)
Founded: 465 A.E.D.
Region: The Mire
Originally founded as the headquarters of the fledgling Redwings, a faction that serves as spies and protectors for Padwell, Redwing City is painted by its history as a military base. It’s camouflaged from outside eyes and impossible to find without a guide, and made up almost entirely of Redwings (active and retired) and their family. Together with the fortress cities of Riverwatch and Daggerpoint, Redwing City forms a protective barrier along the shared border with Xocrium.
Residents of the city tend to use a lot of slang, and most have lost at least a handful of family members to Xocrian raids during the war, or skirmishes at the border against intruding knights in the following years… and even to this day, fighting still occurs in this region. Even children and non-combatants in Redwing City will receive basic training in how to use weapons and poisons just in case they come under attack. They’ll often wear military styles of clothing with short hair and partial bits of armour included in daily dress. Red, black and yellow - the colours of the Redwings - are popular.
Redwing City is the youngest city in Padwell, founded a mere thirty-eight years ago, and was created first as a military base for warriors and the quickly expanding ranks of the Redwings during the rebellion after the death of Ohtli Padwell. Toivo Aalto returned to command in the Redwings in 464, and set out to establish a proper system of leadership so it could grow beyond what he could personally manage.
It was decided that a central base of operations would be needed, and Redwing City - then a nameless military base - was selected as a decent spot. There were existing, if rough, barracks, and its location, close to the border but in the middle of the country, made it an ideal communications hub.
Over the following years, Redwings-in-training and the family of more senior members of the organization began to move into the nameless town, and it grew from a sparsely populated centre of command into a small city in time. After the population reached a certain point, the name of ‘Redwing City’ was easily decided upon, and then came the matter of selecting a representative of the place to the Aateli. Many wanted Toivo Aalto to take up the position himself, as who else would be more suitable, but the man declined the role. As head of the Redwings, he’d help govern the town, but someone else needed to take up its seat in the Aateli.
This was begrudgingly accepted and the town went with their second pick instead, still an almost unanimous choice, Necalli Tlilpotonqui - another involved in the Redwings from the start. She serves the city’s representative to this day.
Redwing City is divided into several districts, each with a water tower. These districts are as follows:
The oldest part of the city is known as Aalto’s Bastion - or just the Bastion - and is all that remains of the original fort that the city was constructed around. It’s an imposing, fortified area in the middle of Redwing City where the head of the Redwings - currently Veera Nieminen - commands from. There are also emergency food and water stores, an armoury, residences for high-ranking members of the Redwings to use while visiting the city, and space for the city’s citizens to shelter in case of emergencies. Members of the border patrol will usually pass through the Bastion at the start and end of their three-month work periods.
- The Training Yard - the Bastion’s training yard rarely sees use, as there are larger ones in other parts of the city, but sometimes high-ranking Redwings may take a break from their duties to practice in relative peace and quiet here.
- The Old Armoury - similar to the Bastion’s training yard, the Old Armoury has become redundant, as there are larger and better-stocked armouries in other parts of Redwing City. It’s largely empty now, just used by the high-ranked Redwings who visit the Bastion to speak with the head of their organization to store personal arms.
- Kingsgrove - at the heart of the Bastion is a marshy grove of coatl trees and star lilies that serves as a shrine of sorts to the Marsh King. It’s a peaceful place to sit down and enjoy some quiet, as well as to recognize the Marsh King.
- The Redwing Hall - a long chamber in the Bastion that holds the death masks of Redwings who died without family, entire families that died in service, or any deceased Redwings and city residents who wished for their death masks to be placed here for safekeeping. The place is lit with candlestone and heavily guarded, and no one is allowed in with anything that could be used to make fire, or if they’re not there to leave an offering to a dead friend or relative.
- Bastion Record Hall - the public record hall of Redwing City. Can be accessed upon request by non-junior members of the Redwings.
One of the busiest areas in Redwing City is the Juniors’ City, a self-contained area with libraries, mess halls, barracks, armouries, and training areas all for Junior Redwings. It’s customary for them to spend at least six months of their training as Redwings here before they’re promoted to a full member of the organization. It is located on the northern side of the Bastion.
- Redwing City Hunters of Padwell - the headquarters of the branch of the Hunters of Padwell that operates out of Redwing City.
- Junior Redwing Barracks - a large, comfortable building where Junior Redwings in the city are housed. They’re housed in a shared room with their practice Yhtye, with their official Johtaja checking in on them each morning to ensure that they’re up and to make sure that nothing happened in the night.
- Junior Training Yard - a large open space with smaller areas roped off for Junior Redwings to practice their combat skills.
The main military area is located on the west side of the Bastion, known as the Redwing’s Nest, or just the Nest, the closest part of the city to the border with Xocrium. It’s well-camouflaged and rather quiet; senior Redwings who want to party visit other parts of the city to do so to avoid potentially drawing attention from the other side of the border.
- Redwing barracks - there’s a series of housing for Redwings scattered throughout the Nest. Usually, Yhtyes will live near each other, but unlike the Junior Redwings, they usually get private rooms from each other - or live with their families, if they have a home in the city.
- Nest Training Yard - the main training yard for Redwings in the city. Its size is impressive and is located right next to a far better-stocked armoury than the one in the Bastion - although potentially explosive or highly toxic/flammable materials are kept in the old fortress instead for security purposes.
- Redwing City Alchemy Hall - a small alchemy hall run by a handful of Redwings who learned the craft from Toivo Aalto. They teach lessons and provide potions to the Border Patrol and Redwings in need.
- The Nest Hospital - a military hospital that focuses on providing services for Redwings dealing with both physical and psychological trauma. It is entirely funded by the Tlilpotonqui family, the Padwell family, and the leadership of the Redwings. General services for the city’s public are conducted in a different area of Redwing City.
Most of the civilians in Redwing City reside in a district known as Blackbird Hollow, located on the eastern side of the bastion, as far as possible from the border with Xocrium. The vast majority of its residents are the family of Redwings or were born there when they had family in the Redwings.
- Redwing City Public School - a large school for the children of Redwing city.
- Blackbird Hollow Hospital - the main hospital for Redwing City, focused on providing services to non-combatants in the city (although healers from this hospital may be called to help in the Nest if absolutely needed) and dealing with both physical and psychological care.
- Academy of Military Arts - a small university in Redwing City run by retired warriors that focuses on teaching strategy and weapons use to citizens of Padwell. The entry fee isn’t very high, and the people in charge care far more about the skill (or potential skill) of their applicants than the size of their purse.
Drake’s End
Landmark name: Drake’s End
Ruler: N/A
Discovered: ??? B.A.
Region: The Mire
Artwork by MetaphysicalMonsters.
The ancient bones of an Elder Drake rise out of the swamp, the ivory curves of its ribcage so tall they break through the forest canopy.
Legend has it that these are the remains of an Elder Drake king who once tried to take over Padwell. He tried to burn a path through the swamp, but was stopped and killed by the Marsh King itself. The exact telling varies; some say that tangled vines grabbed the Drake and drowned him, while others claim the Marsh King took the form of a giant white heron to fight him.
High Heart
The territory of the Hill Tribes, High Heart is an expanse of mountains and rainforest covering the easternmost region of Padwell. Though in practice independant, they and Padwell are closely allied and have shared cultural roots. The Hill Tribes are famously skilled griffon-tamers.
Background from Unsplash.
Falcon’s Landing
City name: Falcon’s Landing
Ruler: Empress Usva Kesatuuli of Ilma, cross-Perhe council
Founded: ??? B.A
Region: High Heart
Falcon’s Landing is the capital of High Heart and the seat of the Empress of the Hill Tribes. It is not, however, a typical city; instead of buildings and cleared forests, there are instead tree-houses and bridges linking the forest and mountaintops. Wildlife roams freely on the forest floor below, while tamed griffons roost on rookeries hanging off of trees.
Rumour has it that the Empress’ new project - constructing a peculiar wooden structure, similar to docks on a nearby mountain peak - has something to do with her recent talks with the Queen of Padwell. She won’t say, though, and even the people working on it are tight-lipped.
The city is famous for the Vuorikuningatar Nousu sculpture. It is a large carving of a griffon taking flight, made by craftsmen from all seven Perhe, located at the heart of the city. It is extremely old and carefully tended to; it's plumage is carved with small clouds, thunderstorms, birds, and all the other associated symbols of each Perhe. It is meant to represent the Mountain Queen herself, as well as the unity of High Heart people under her, the Empress, and their Perhe councils when they come together to vote on major decisions.
The Greenway Towers
City name: The Greenway Towers
Ruler: Rohkeutta Perhe council
Founded: ??? B.A
Region: High Heart
The Greenway Towers are immense mountaintop fortresses carved out of spires of rock. Manned by elite griffon-mounted soldiers, there is no way to reach them by foot, and any human army would have to contend with hundreds of airborne soldiers dropping enormous rocks onto their heads. To get deeper into High Heart and reach Falcon’s Landing, you must pass the Towers.
No one in living memory has ever tried to take the Towers. Perhaps it is just luck, or perhaps any would-be invaders decided that it wouldn’t be worth the effort. It would be a very difficult assault; an army coming from the west would first have to march through the heart of Padwell’s swamps, then climb the foothills of the Sunflecked Reaches, all the while being picked off by griffon-riders and Redwings. And from the east, the entire Tyr Kingdom is in the way.
Sähkötuuli
City name: Sähkötuuli, the City of Storms
Ruler: Ukkonen Perhe council
Founded: ??? B.A.
Region: High Heart
The home of the Ukkonen Perhe, Sähkötuuli is a city built for those who call the skies a friend and is entirely inaccessible from the ground. Parts of the city is chiseled into the mountainside, while other sections are built in treetops, all connected by walkways and illuminated with candlestone (a glowing rock) mined from the mountain during construction. It is incredibly unnerving for those unused to being so high, and the air is always sharp and cold.
Sähkötuuli has the largest public aviary in High Heart, with room enough for any members of the Perhe that do not have space for their griffons in their own homes, as well as extra for any guests to the city. There are a variety of large, open spaces dispersed throughout to practice flying, as well as obstacle courses and training yards for griffon-riders to hone their skills.
It is not uncommon for other Perhe to send their youngsters here for a few years to practice with Ukkonen’s riders.
Tuulahdus
City name: Tuulahdus
Ruler: Ilma Perhe Council
Founded: 45 B.A.
Region: High Heart
The heart of the Ilma Perhe, a frigid mountaintop city carved into stone and the nearby glaciers. It is difficult to live in, especially for those born outside of High Heart, and cold year-round. Even most members of the Perhe avoid living here all-year, visiting for important council meetings and living in the warmer towns downhill.
Tuulahdus is famous for two things, other than how inhospitable it is; warm blankets/clothing and ice carvings. Members of other Perhe are often willing to brave the cold here just to buy winter gear, as well as to admire the beautiful sculptures that line the streets.
Vuorenydin
City name: Vuorenydin
Ruler: Korkeus Perhe Council
Founded: ??? B.A.
Region: High Heart
Home of the Korkeus Perhe, Vuorenydin is nestled on the side of a mountain near its roots, where hills and steep slopes coincide to protect the city from the outside. Most every piece of architecture is very traditional in style, and even the more recent pieces of construction – of which there are few – evokes the architectural heritage of Korkeus. The town is filled with other symbols and pieces of High Heart’s history as well, and — were it not for the fact that outsiders are all but forbidden from entering — one could almost be led to believe that Vuorenydin was a city of artists rather than a living relic, self-perpetuating and continuously binding and reaffirming the history of High Heart.
Queen’s Roost — the oldest griffon aviary in all of High Heart, built high on the slope of Vuorenydin’s mountain. It is said that the legendary first vauhdikas griffon was hatched here, and the family that maintains the aviary continues to rear a line of vaudikhas griffons. In times of intense conflict, the structure’s tower-like shape has also lent it to use as a watchtower.
The Wall of Our Past — a tall cliff face in the “town hall,” covered in paintings that depict the history of High Heart and of Korkeus Perhe. The paintings begin at the bottom of the cliff, with the oldest histories, and have climbed over the centuries to truly dizzying heights. The meaning of some of the lowest paintings has been forgotten or lost, to the great dismay of Korkeus Perhe’s leaders… or perhaps their meanings were intentionally obfuscated?
The Shrine of the Mountain Queen — a large shrine carved of stone. It is custom for members of Korkeus Perhe to tie a colourful ribbon enscrawled with a prayer to the shrine before undertaking some danger, in order to beseech the Mountain Queen’s favor and protection. As a result, the monument is now covered in a veritable cloak of ribbons, some fresh and new, and others bleached from years of exposure to the sun and snow.
Ajatusten
City name: Ajatusten
Ruler: Tähdet Perhe council
Founded: ??? B.A
Region: High Heart
Ajatusten is the capital of the Tähdet Perhe and the home of its council, one of the younger locations in High Heart, and built around a rocky hill. It has a constantly cycling population, as its griffon riders often leave to visit other Perhes and nations to collect knowledge and stories. These are then taken to the city archives or one of its many libraries to add to the vast public collection of information the Tähdet Perhe has been collecting for hundreds of years.
Thanks to its southern, lower-altitude location and friendly attitude towards foreigners, Ajatusten is the most popular place for outsiders to visit in High Heart - and all of Padwell, excluding the larger cities in Windridge. There are a number of hotels, spas, and resorts that cater to them, although they’re carefully regulated by the Perhe Council to ensure it doesn’t do damage to the surrounding countryside.
The highest area of the city is known as the Old Hill, a large rocky outcrop in the foothills of the Sunflecked Reaches that the oldest areas of Ajatusten were constructed upon. Although historically it was the main home of most of the city’s population, it has a far different use today. Old Hill is located higher up, with raised platforms that are easier for griffons to land on. Major locations in the area are:
- Tähdet Perhe Council hall - a large central building at the highest point of the city where the elders of Tähdet Perhe meet to discuss and vote upon various issues.
- Tähdet Perhe Rookery - a rookery for Tähdet Perhe members to house their griffons, if they’re visiting from another village or if they don’t have a private rookery in their own home. It costs nothing for Perhe members to use, but they do need to feed and care for their own griffon.
- Ajatusten Public Rookery - a secondary rookery for guests from outside of the Perhe, with accomodations not only for griffons, but hippogriffs, pegasi, ferran falcons, manticore, and other winged creatures.
- Griffon Rider’s Range - an open public space and obstacle course for griffon riders to use to hone their skills. It costs nothing provided you don’t break anything.
The main Residential District of Ajatusten is located north of the Old Hill on a gentler slope. Most permanent residents of the city make their home here. It includes a large natural spring for water, as well as the homes of the city’s inhabitants. These buildings and houses are made large to accommodate their griffon companions.
Ajatusten is, of course, most famous for its Library District. There are dozens of them, all devoted to different subjects, and constantly being added to as new tomes and information is gathered by griffon riders and contributed by foreign visitors. Some locations of note here are:
- Ajatusten City Archives - a place where written records for Tähdet Perhe are stored, such as birth records, Perhe members old enough to have a seat on the council, name changes, new Perhe members, those who leave the Perhe for another, where each item in the libraries is from, and records of trips griffon riders took in the past.
- Central Ajatusten Library - the largest library in Ajatusten, with sections for varying subjects, containing copies of books from the other libraries. It’s the best place to go if one’s new to the city, as the people in charge here can direct you to a more specialized library that caters to the specific thing you’re interested in learning more about. Researchers in the city will post requests for certain books or types of information that griffon riders planning to travel can make note of before they set out.
- Central Ajatusten Café - a small café located within the Central Ajatusten Library that serves coffee, tea, and baked goods.
- Ajatusten Library of Magical Arts - a library that contains books and notes on subjects related to magic, such as runes, alchemy, Familiars, and Harvest Magic. There are some records related to Necromancy, but aside from the very vague ones, books with more detailed information on it are made available only with approval from the Tähdet Perhe council to avoid it being abused. Many books here are considered too valuable to be allowed to be taken out of the library, so one should come with papers and pencils in order to take notes.
- Ajatusten Library of the Realm - a library that specifically collects books and maps related to countries outside of High Heart and Padwell’s borders. It’s a typical place for griffon riders to visit before planning a trip to another nation.
- Ajatusten Library of Math and Science - a library that collects scientific and mathematics-related literature. It’s generally not the most popular of Ajatusten’s libraries, but the people in charge are very passionate.
- High Heart Library - a library that contains only books on High Heart or written by people from High Heart. There are contributions from each Perhe on its shelves.
- Padwell Library - a library that contains only books on Padwell or written by people from Padwell.
- Ajatusten Library of History - a library that contains books about the Realm’s history. Organized into sections based on nation and time period.
- Ajatusten Fiction Library - a favourite of city residents, this library contains books with fictional subjects gathered from across the Realm.
- Ajatusten Wings Academy - the Ajatusten branch of the Wings of High Heart, and the place where most youngsters in the city will go to get their basic schooling.
The location where ambassadors and foreign visitors to Tähdet typically stay is the Resort District. As the name would suggest, there are a number of resorts, spas, restaurants, and a public hot spring for the Perhe’s guests.
- Various spas, hotels, and resorts.
- Restaurants
- A large public hot springs
- Embassy to Padwell - an embassy with marshland Padwell, where representatives of Queen Tuonetar meet with representatives of the Perhe Councils.
- Embassy to Meros - an embassy to the city-states of Meros, and a place for them to negotiate trade deals with the Perhes of High Heart.
- Embassy to the Tyr Kingdom - an embassy to the sundrakes.
Lastly, there’s the Farming District, a broad area of valley and hillside surrounding the rest of the city. They farm potatoes, maize, beans, squash, algae, tomatoes, lots of citrus fruits, wild berries, spices, tea, and coffee, as well as raise turkeys, ducks, goats and a few other types of livestock for food. Fish can be found from the local lakes and rivers, but isn’t as common as other types of meat.
Kotikädet
City name: Kotikädet
Ruler: Höyhen Perhe council
Founded: ??? B.A
Region: High Heart
Kotikädet, home of theHöyhen Perhe, is one of the largest cities in the entirety of High Heart, and it bustles with life enough for one twice its size. The roads leading in and out of the city have ruts worn into them from the wagons of merchants and craftsmen, and there are plenty of perches and elevated platforms scattered around the city for dragons and griffons from other Perhes to use as landing sites, too. Each landing site and governmental building in the town is marked with a carving of a pair of cupped hands, in the center of which is a small house.
Unlike the other seats of the Perhes, Kotikädet has visibly expanded outward from its original construction, leading to a subtle but definitely visible sectioning of the city. The old town, nicknamed Kaupunki by locals, is in the northern region of the city, and several of the oldest and most-established families of Höyhen Perhe have a residence here. South of Kaupunki is mostly populated by the workshops of craftsfolk and various marketplaces. Surrounding all this, including some mines into the mountain and a few pastures where the slopes grow shallower to the east, are the lands that have traditionally been used by Höyhen Perhe to raise and gather the materials for their works.
Kingfisher Creek
Town name: Kingfisher Creek
Ruler: Höyhen Perhe council
Founded: 129 A.E.D.
Region: High Heart
A small village located in the foothills of the Sunflecked Reaches and surrounded by jungle and rivers. During the spring months the creek floods, turning the low valleys in the area into a swampy mire more reminiscent of the rest of Padwell. Due to its surrounding environment, the village can be difficult to access without the use of griffons, especially during the spring.
The people of Kingfisher Creek are famed for their skill at carpentry; the elites of many other nations have pieces crafted by them. However, much of the younger population finds the expectations of taking up their forefathers’ craft stifling, and have recently been striking out on their own to seek new fortunes. This has led to tensions within the community as some, especially the old guard of carpenters, fear the loss of their tradition and unique artistic heritage as the young population willing to learn and carry on Kingfisher Creek’s heritage grows smaller and smaller still.
Laulaalunta
Landmark name: Laulaalunta, the Singing Glacier
Ruler: N/A
Discovered: ??? B.A.
Region: High Heart
The largest glacier in all of High Heart. A dangerous and sacred place located between the cities of Falcon's Landing and Vuorenydin. It was named for the strange, singing sounds of the ice that forms it. Outside of the Vouri Lahja, an ancient trial held in High Heart, entering one of the many moulin and exploring its depths is both frowned upon and always fatal.
The Plunge
Landmark name: The Plunge
Ruler: N/A
Discovered: ??? B.A.
Region: High Heart
A sacred waterfall between two high peaks, falling into a dark cavern below. Hill Tribe youths prove their mettle as griffon-tamers by flying straight down on their beasts, following the shimmering trail of water, then over the black abyss of the cavern to reach the watching crowds.
The overwhelming height and empty blackness waiting below breaks the nerve of many, and not all of the Hill Tribe members complete this dangerous trial. Those who do are considered blessed and held in high regard by their people; they are tattooed with griffon wings on their shoulders by the Empress of High Heart herself.
The area is off-limits outside of this ceremony, and anyone who is found out to have trespassed is shunned by the community and considered cursed.Gull Keep
City name: Gull Keep, the “White City”
Ruler: Greve Itotia Ruoho and his family
Founded: 63 A.E.D.
Region: Windridge
The largest city in Windridge, Gull Keep was built at the edge of immense limestone cliffs. Second only to Blacklake as a trading hub, Gull Keep is more popular with foreign visitors, as it is on solid ground and outside of the dangerous swampland that cloaks most of the kingdom.
Gull Keep is known as the “White City” and as one of Padwell’s most beautiful cities; the high cliffs offer a clear view of the ocean, and the vast majority of Gull Keep’s buildings are crafted out of white limestone. The city’s Aateli representatives take great pride in this, and go out of their way to offer free assitance when it comes to the construction and maintenance of buildings.
Daggerpoint
City name: Daggerpoint
Ruler: Greve Niklas Laht and his family
Founded: 280 A.E.D.
Region: Windridge
A major military fortress that guards Padwell’s southern coast. Alongside Riverwatch and Redwing city, Daggerpoint is part of a series of fortified cities that protect Padwell’s eastern borders.
The people of Daggerpoint are tough, learning from a young age to fight in order to help guard their homes.
Daggerpoint is represented in the Aateli by the Laht family. Though they have more than a little Xocrian heritage, the Lahts are fiercely loyal to Padwell and its people, and many of their number have given their lives to protect the city.
Osprey Point
City name: Osprey Point
Ruler: Greve Aino Moyolehuani and his family
Founded: 101 A.E.D.
Region: Windridge
Osprey Point is the southernmost settlement in Padwell, located along the shore of the Heaving Expanse, the Realm’s eastern ocean. Most of the villagers here are newcomers to Padwell, or travelers from High Heart who wanted to settle down near the ocean.
They see occasional raids by Shipwreckers who slip past Ohtli’s Tower, but are perfectly capable of repelling these attacks.
Ohtli’s Tower
Landmark name: Ohtli’s Tower
Ruler: TBD
Created: 500 A.E.D.
Region: Windridge
A small lighthouse-fort built after the end of Padwell’s rebellion. It serves a dual-purpose of guiding incoming ships and defending against attacks by Shipwreckers and Xocrians. It was named for the tragic hero, prince Ohtli Padwell, who died during the rebellion.