The Republic of the Spire
Stormherald territory is known as the Republic of the Spire and is divided up into four large “Districts” of roughly equal size. Most of their land is desert, with the Thundercrack Cascades mountains running through the western border of the nation, and savanna and grassland along the southern edge.
During the spring rainy season, the dry sand dunes turn into a paradise of greenery and marshes for a few months. When the summer heat arrives the region quickly returns to its previous desert state, although many oases form from remaining pools of water, small places of refuge amid the dry heat. |
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Sanguine District
The northernmost area of the Republic of the Spire, the Sanguine District shares a border with Ironbrook and sees a lot of trade coming in and out of its borders. Its residents suffer hot, dry summers and dustings of snow in the winter.
Background from Unsplash.
Ibex
City name: Ibex
Major NPCs: TBA
Founded: 441 A.E.D.
Region: Sanguine District
Constructed only a few decades ago, the city of Ibex is a mountaintop marvel, designed to show off all the greatest inventions of the stormheralds. The skyline is dotted with towers and elevated docks for skyships to land, and each Society maintains an ‘embassy’ meant to display their current cutting-edge achievements and ongoing projects. Everything about Ibex is highly polished and fine-tuned, meant to display the very best that the Republic of the Spire can offer.
Surrounding these ‘embassies’ are a series of hotels, restaurants, and public parks, all meticulously well-kept, but a notable absence of more than a handful of homes for permanent residents of Ibex to dwell. This is deliberate rather than an oversight, for Ibex was not built to house the Republic’s citizens year-round, but rather sees an influx of tourists throughout the year as each Society throws events to show off new inventions and developments.
The only permanent citizens are a number of caretakers and workers, as well as members of the Republic’s law enforcement agency, the Strikes, to ensure that no enterprising thieves get any bright ideas while Ibex lays silent.
Lazuli
City name: Lazuli
Major NPCs: TBA
Founded: 429 A.E.D.
Region: Sanguine District
Named for the deep deposits of lapis lazuli found near the village, Lazuli is world-famous for the intense blue pigment and dyes its craftsmen and artists produce.
The town is slow-paced with a strong art industry, specializing in selling hand-made paints and pigments, as well as occasionally hosting guided walk-throughs of various workshops in the village for curious tourists. Lazuli has a relaxed, easygoing atmosphere, and most of its residents like to take life at their own pace.
Since its foundation, the city has become a popular place for retired members of the Society of Art & Design.
Gleam
Town name: Gleam
Major NPCs: TBA
Founded: 282 A.E.D.
Region: Sanguine District
An old mining town, Gleam’s residents have chased a rich opal vein deep into the depths of the Thundercrack Cascades. The town’s citizens have repurposed old mine shafts into comfortable homes protected from the harsh desert sun, and the reinforced sandstone walls and hallways of the subterranean city shimmer with minute remnants of precious stones.
The village of Gleam is unique in the Republic in that it is almost entirely underground. Its shopping centres, schools, and even the houses of its residents are all part of a large, interconnected system of tunnels. Several deep caverns have been discovered by Gleam’s miners over the years, some containing large pools of fresh water from the mountains above, and others leading into dark, narrow passages.
Halt
Town name: Halt
Major NPCs: TBA
Founded: 466 A.E.D.
Region: Sanguine District
A small town of railway workers and middle-class stormheralds, Halt was first established in 466 to house those helping construct the Republic-wide train system that Lord Cataclysm of the Spire had envisioned.
Today, Halt serves as a massive train yard and a final stop for cargo trains before crossing the northern border and passing into Ironbrook. It is a highly industrialized town, with most of its residents working as repairmen and engineers, keeping trains from across the Republic running as efficiently as possible. A large portion of the town is devoted to warehouses stockpiling both imported Brookian goods and Republic exports before they are shipped north.
Though the distance is no different, most travellers trying to reach (or coming from) Ironbrook prefer to take the line passing through Ibex and Lazuli rather than Halt. As a result, the town has no tourism industry and few places for visitors to find accommodation, save for student residences for the college run by the Society of Engineers.
Halt School of Engineering (HSE) - A college run by the Society of Engineers specifically focusing on careers relevant to the maintenance and improvement of the Republic’s railway system. Though the College of the Spire boasts more prestigious grounds and professors, the HSE’s ability to offer hands-on learning in its field is unmatched. It’s not uncommon for members of the Society of Engineers who wish to find work in this industry to spend some time at the college.
Veiled Falls
Landmark name: Veiled Falls
Major NPCs: N/A
Discovered: ??? B.A.
Region: Sanguine District
The Veiled Falls is a near-mythical region of the Thundercrack Cascades, accessible only through a maze of caves and narrow slot canyons, but worth the long trek.
Hidden away in a valley is a network of freshwater lakes and waterfalls and dense, tropical plants, home to several species of flora and fauna found nowhere else in the Realm. The Veiled Falls form a haven of biodiversity within the harshness of Cyr’s deserts and are a lush paradise for any lucky enough to find it.
One of the most famous animals alleged to nest within the Veiled Falls is the Sweet-Mimic Roc, a large bird whose brilliant green-and-pink plumage allows it to blend in perfectly with the local plant life.
Stormfront District
The Stormfront District, located in the middle of the nation, is widely considered the “brains” of the Republic of the Spire. The nation’s most influential scholars and scientists, as well as its capital, can all be found in this district.
Background from Unsplash.
The Spire
City name: The Spire
Major NPCs: Liege Hiraaetus of the Spire, Fever
Founded: 297 A.E.D. (construction began 274 A.E.D.), existed prior as a small village
Region: Stormfront District
The capital and namesake of the Republic, the Spire was once no more than a small village at the edge of a massive crag of sandstone. That changed in 274 A.E.D. when Mayhem, the first Lady of the Spire, began to turn it into the centre of government and learning that it is now. In the modern day, the Spire is the heart of the stormherald’s scientific studies and pursuits, and the place to be for those seeking influence in the Republic.
The core of the city is the Spire itself, one of the tallest buildings in the Realm, constructed out of red sandstone, glass, and steel. The upper floors house the Lady of the Spire and her council, major government buildings and a massive rooftop garden. The middle level is the world-famous College of the Spire with all its residences, classrooms and faculties. The lowest floors are divided between embassies for the countries the stormheralds have diplomatic relations with, as well as luxury resorts, restaurants, and other areas for tourists to visit.
The capital of the Republic is more than just one massive building, however, and the Spire is surrounded by thousands of smaller buildings that make up the rest of the city. Most of the city’s population and their workplaces are outside of the Spire itself.
The College of the Spire - One of the most famed educational institutions in the Realm, the College of the Spire is well-known both for the quality of its teaching and its exacting standards for students.
Lady Mayhem International Skyship Port - The busiest skyship port in all of the Republic of the Spire, and perhaps even all of Cyr. Referred to as ‘the Mayhem’ by locals due to its perpetual state of mild chaos as skyships arrive from and depart to Ironbrook, Hovell, and Meros.
Sapphire
City name: Sapphire
Major NPCs: TBA
Founded: 456 A.E.D.
Region: Stormfront District
Sapphire is an oceanside city founded by a wealthy but eccentric member of the Society of Architecture nearly fifty years ago. The city is a strange and wonderful sight, with all the buildings and streets in various shades of blue or white, with hundreds of matching flowers in beautiful public gardens.
The city’s unique and striking appearance makes it a popular destination for tourists, both from within the Republic of the Spire’s borders and curious humans and dragons from abroad who heard about the stormherald’s “blue city” and wanted to see it for themselves. As a result, Sapphire’s downtown and harbourfront streets are lined with dozens of restaurants, specialty stores, and hotels, all keeping strongly to the city’s theme. During holidays, it’s not uncommon for small booths to be set up selling blue-and-white facepaint and matching seashell, coral, or stone jewelry. It’s common for wealthy stormheralds to buy oceanfront property here to build vacation homes.
Most of Sapphire’s permanent residents are extremely wealthy, often retired, stormheralds. The city requires that property owners keep their houses in top-notch condition and matching with the theme of the rest of Sapphire; anything visible from the sky or street should be primarily blue-and-white, though there is more freedom to decorate the interior of homes however the owner prefers.
Statue of Mayhem - A massive statue of the first Lady of the Spire, Mayhem. Carved white marble and painted with blue along the edges of her scales and wings, it sits in the centre of a large garden outside Sapphire’s city hall.
Seacrest Meadows - A massive botanical garden located in the southern half of the city. Through careful tending and the use of alchemical regents to mutate plants, the entire park is strikingly white and blue.
Sapphire College of Architecture (SCoA) - A school run by the Society of Architecture located in the downtown region of Sapphire. Although not as old or well-established as the College of the Spire, SCoA is still considered a perfectly respectable place to receive an education. The college also offers less formalized courses on interior decorating and landscaping for city residents looking to do improvements to their homes.
Sapphire Train Station - A grand train station at the heart of the city, carefully maneuvered so the decidedly not blue-and-white train cars passing in and out of the city are as unnoticeable as possible. There are train lines connecting Sapphire with The Spire, Halt, and Wildport.
The Blue Pillar - Sapphire’s main skyship port, known as the “Blue Pillar” for the way it rises high above the city on metal struts painted a deep shade of midnight blue. Small red-orange lights steadily flicker at the edges of protruding supports to ensure that even after dark and in low visibility, skyships can navigate around the port safely. Sapphire’s mayor has paid a ridiculously high fee to ensure that all skyships travelling to and departing from the city have blue-and-white sails.
Sandstone Outcrop
Town name: Sandstone Outcrop
Major NPCs: TBA
Founded: 22 A.E.D.
Region: Stormfront District
A small mountain village in the Thundercrack Cascades, built with red stone and mud over top the ruins of an Adeodatus’ empire-era fortress. Although the houses are in an old architectural style mostly left behind by modern stormheralds, there is a great art to them and the inhabitants of the Outcrop take pride in their craftsmanship. The houses here are often painted with intricate patterns in pastel hues, both for decoration and to help manage heat during the day.
Inhabited mostly by lower-class stormheralds seeking a quiet life, living far from urban centres to avoid the factories and various criminal factions in the Republic. The Outcrop has a peaceful, tight-knit community that looks out for each other. Those who come looking for trouble will quickly find themselves run out of town should they step on too many toes, for the inhabitants of this village will never turn a blind eye to a neighbour in trouble.
Outcrop Train Station - A train station in the Sandstone Outcrop, little more than a platform and a small booth for passengers to buy tickets. Most trains don’t stop in the Outcrop, passing through to more major destinations. The trip between the Sandstone Outcrop and the Spire lasts about five hours.
The Golden Rail
Landmark name: The Golden Rail
Major NPCs: N/A
Constructed: completed 472 A.E.D.
Region: Stormfront District
The longest bridge in the Realm, the Golden Rail is a feat of engineering only constructed during the rule of Lord Cataclysm of the Spire, connecting the Republic of the Spire and Hovell by rail. The Golden Rail leads westward over the immense Thundering Channel, depositing travellers in the city of Goldgarde. During the War of Seasons, the Warlord of Darkhaven made use of this rail to supply their armies.
Though the bridge is meant for travel by train, there is a long walking path between high guard rails where one can make their way between Hovell and the Republic by foot - though once they reach the other side, they’ll need to check in with officials before entering the other country.
Visible from the windows of passing trains, each side of the rail has been decorated and painted; when entering into the Republic it displays scenes from the stormheralds’ history and their major landmarks, and when entering into Hovell it shows off the history of their Warlords and their most well-known regions. The Hovellian side is guarded by two bronze manticore statues, while the Republic’s side has a pair of leaping zapalopes.
Thundering Canyon
Landmark name: Thundering Canyon
Major NPCs: N/A
Discovered: ??? B.A.
Region: Stormfront District
A long, deep canyon that cuts through the southeastern half of the Stormfront District, channeling water from the mountains to the west into the ocean. The Thundering Canyon constantly echoes with the thunder of rushing white water, interspersed with calmer sections where it might be safe to swim or drink.
During spring in the Republic, the Thundering Canyon’s water levels rise to dangerous levels, and flash floods become extremely common in the area. It’s advised to avoid the area after heavy rains.
Factory District
If the Stormfront District is the Republic of the Spire’s brain, then the Factory District is its blazing heart. The heat of the sun glares down upon vast stretches of open desert and savannah, as well as most of the power plants that provide the electricity needed to keep the rest of the Republic running. Due to the combination of pollution, the dry heat, and the dangers of the Shimmering Wastes, few want to make their homes in this district, aside from in idyllic mountain villages.
Background from Unsplash.
Stormcell
City name: Stormcell
Major NPCs: Ratatat
Founded: 418 A.E.D.
Region: Factory District
It is said that you can hear the city of Stormcell long before it ever looms into sight, the crackling of lightning and the distant thrumming of industry audible for miles across the surrounding desert.
Stormcell is the ‘power plant’ of the Republic of the Spire and the source of most of its electrical power, its skies shimmering with bright lightning between thick clouds of black smoke. It is a miserable place, packed with factories where poor dragons work long hours producing the electricity to power the rest of the nation, their own homes crammed between at the barest possible expense.
Few stormheralds live here of their own volition, either stuck in the city since hatching or condemned to work there as penance for violating the law. Its residents often simply refer to it as “The Cell”, for once you enter it is very hard to leave. Guards hired by the Society of Power will only allow those who can prove they have a better job waiting outside the city to go, something practically impossible for a poor factory worker to obtain.
Stormcell was not initially meant to be a prison for the destitute, however. During the reign of the Fifteenth Lord of the Spire, Hurricane, the city was founded to provide a source of power to only recently-introduced electrical technology. The city initially provided hard, but fair, work for stormheralds down on their luck, with the only requirement for pay being the ability to generate electricity. It wasn’t the best job to have, but workers weren’t trapped in it.
As time passed and the demand for power grew, it was Keeper of the Spire Affliction - who currently serves as the city’s overseer on behalf of the Society of Power - that turned Stormcell into ‘The Cell’ that it is today, putting into place harsher restrictions on workers and beginning the common practice of sending criminals to the city to work.
Inner Stormcell - A small area at the heart of Stormcell where the skies are kept clear of smog through runic filters. It is here that the city’s overseer and security forces are housed, and the main train and skyship ports leading in and out of the city are located. Few of the city’s working class are allowed into Inner Stormcell aside from those employed as staff by the small limited number of wealthy dragons who call the city home.
Middle Stormcell - Where most of Stormcell’s workforce is housed, along with a scattered collection of entertainment areas for them to occupy their brief idle time between shifts. There are several smaller ‘worker’s towns’ that make up Middle Stormcell, including an old nomadic ruin and a run-down school tended to by volunteers from the Societies.
Outer Stormcell - The stale outer crust of the city of Stormcell. A series of massive walled city districts where major factories and industrial plants are located. The sky is a constant shade of grey and the air stings the lungs to breathe. The Strikes and the Eyes of the Storm—private investigators and the Society of Power’s personal lackeys—keep watch over Outer Stormcell, ensuring no one leaves the city without the proper documentation and permissions.
???
Location name: Unknown
Major NPCs: Unknown
Region: Factory District
A mountain peak, veiled by an eternal storm…
A high summit cloaked by an endless storm. The air twists and swirls here, like a living thing, and dark shapes are sometimes seen moving in deep blue clouds. Rough winds and harsh rains drive back even the most intrepid explorers.
Immense crystal spires jut out of the ground around this place, a bright shimmery blue, and spark with electricity on occasion.
The Shimmering Wastes
Landmark name: The Shimmering Wastes
Major NPCs: Aine
Discovered: ??? B.A.
Region: Factory District
An ancient magical anomaly that has scarred the far eastern regions of the Factory District since long before the Republic of the Spire was born. Already strange and treacherous, the stormheralds have used this region as a dumping ground and to test weapons and magic, and it has taken its toll on the land. The sand cannot be trusted, it moves and shifts and gleams unnaturally, and those who venture too deep are never heard from again.
Wanderers tell of odd weather patterns and peculiar beasts lurking within, where the sand can simply open up and swallow you, or the air turn burning hot or freezing cold without warning.
It is an incredibly dangerous place full of wild and uncontrolled magic. Those who travel through it are often... changed and mutated by its intensity. The effects range from minor to potentially deadly, and mutations gained from the Wastes are extremely sensitive to the influence of other magics.
The Institute for the Study of the Shimmering Wastes (ISSW) - A research station located a safe distance from the Shimmering Wastes. Since its foundation a century ago it has had to be moved several times as calculations regarding the Wastes’ growth proved wrong and the building was no longer safe to enter. The ISSW is a cross-Society initiative to study and understand the Shimmering Wastes; it has collected plenty of data over the years about the region, but it still finds ways to surprise the researchers.
??? - Those lucky enough to survive venturing deep into the Wastes speak of a shimmering mirage on the horizon, of old stone towers witnessed just beyond the sky’s edge…
Scald
Landmark name: Scald
Major NPCs: N/A
Discovered: December 504 A.E.D
Region: Factory District
Created by: Thatsoullessguy for the 2022 Spooky Challenges
Once was a larger town by a different name but has been withered away by time, sand, and the searing heat bearing down on the place.
It was named ‘Scald’ by a traveling mapmaker living in Wildport who discovered the dilapidated ruins of a town in December of 504 after hearing from it by a cowboy that stumbled out sometime in late February of that year. The cowboy talked about a scorching town in the Shimmering Wastes that all the sun touched would burn in the morning, then glowed faintly at night.
Sea’s Grave
Landmark name: The Sea’s Grave, The Greygraves, Silver Fingers/Silver Tongues
Major NPCs: TBA
Region: Factory District
The Sea’s Grave is a peculiar set of standing stones along the coast of the Wild Ocean, described variably by those who see them as resembling a set of fingers reaching out of the sand, a set of five tongues, or, by moonviper conquerors during the time of Adeodatus, solemn graves facing the Realm’s eastern ocean. What their origin and purpose were is a mystery lost to time, and although they are ancient enough to be referenced in the ancient oral traditions of the nomadic stormheralds going back hundreds of years, no one can be sure who made them.
Under most circumstances, they resemble nothing more than spires of slightly-shimmery silver stone, perfectly carved into geometric shapes. On clear nights with at least one full moon, a peculiar property is revealed: strange symbols etched onto the stone glowing the colour of starlight. Theories about their purpose range between the writings of a long-forgotten civilization, or runic magic whose use has been lost to time.
While they have withstood the ravages of the Wild Ocean for untold centuries without weathering, recent years have not been kind to the Sea’s Grave. Since Lord of the Spire Cataclysm connected the Republic of the Spire by rail during his reign, the increased traffic passing through the area means that some of the stones have been vandalized and graffitied. After an incident involving the theft of the “pinky” stone, which was only recovered several years later in the city of Sapphire, the Society of History has paid for a permanent guard to be put up around the stones to protect the landmark from further harm.
Rain District
The southernmost region of the Republic of the Spire, the Rain District is a transitional area between the desert and the rainforest homeland of the springsingers. The foothills of the Thundercrack Cascades fade into a broad area of dry savannah, and then more humid grassland and rainforest regions, and small patches of marshland along the southern shores of the Wild Lake.
Background from Unsplash.
Wildport
City name: Wildport
Major NPCs: Petrichor
Founded: 20 A.E.D.
Region: Rain District
Safe harbour within the choppy waters of the Wild Ocean, Wildport is a cosmopolitan city that sees traders arriving from across the Realm to buy and sell goods. With the Overgrown Mountains, Thundercrack Cascades, and Skyswept Peaks blocking off other waterways, Wildport is one of the busiest port cities in all of Cyr, with a bizarre and eclectic culture all its own developed over centuries of exposure to other lands and peoples. Fish or mermaid-themed decor is extremely popular with its citizens, and houses are often painted with scale patterns in glaringly bright colours.
Though generally considered a respectable city, Wildport is infamous for its nightlife, especially by the waterfront. There are all sorts of hotels, casinos, and other establishments catering to the needs of sailors and tourists. For the more discreet visitor to the city, there are rumoured to be underground marketplaces where one can fence stolen goods, or acquire items normally banned from sale in the Republic.
The port city was first founded by Adeodatus’ son, Prince Inlustris, during the time of the moonviper empire’s brief rule over what would eventually become the Republic of the Spire. While they were eventually driven off with the aid of an alliance with Ironbrook, many stormheralds decided to continue to use the city for their own gain, and in the centuries since it has grown rapidly, and only the oldest parts of Wildport actually date back to the time of moonviper conquest.
The Wild Bazaar - A busy open-air market located in a courtyard in Wildport’s harbour. The Wild Bazaar is an eclectic mix of goods from across the Realm as well as strange and unusual artifacts recovered from the Shimmering Wastes with all sorts of odd properties.
The Lady of the Lake - A massive bronze statue that acts as a lighthouse for ships approaching Wildport’s harbour, with glowing runestones for eyes. Its appearance is a point of pride for the citizens of Wildport and an embarrassment for most others, resembling a “mer-dragon” - a stormherald with a fishy tail instead of the lower half of their body.
Wildport Radio Tower - A large radio tower where the Wildport Radio broadcasts from. Broadcasts a mix of news, weather forecasts, and songs that are a mix of rock, jazz, and sea shanties. The radio personality is a former nomadic stormherald who constantly spouts poems about the sea and desert.
Greenboughs
Town name: Greenboughs
Major NPCs: TBA
Founded: 370 A.E.D.
Region: Rain District
A pastoral community along the border of the Republic of the Spire and the territory of the springsingers. Although Greenboughs was only founded relatively recently by the standards of dragons, the peaceful village of farmers and their crops sprung up around the ancient ruins of a once-proud Elder Drake fortress. Though the ancient tyrant’s remains have long since been divided up and carted off to be used by runesmiths and alchemists as materials for their magic, the remains of their unfortunate victims are still uncovered periodically when farmers till their fields and adventurous youngsters go exploring in old ruins.
The town’s population is highly musical and has close relations with the springsingers of Xivipa, often celebrating a few of their holidays in addition to the common ones in the Republic. During the harvest season, it’s not uncommon for dragons from springsinger territory and the rest of the Republic to travel to the town to buy fresh produce from their markets.
Although Greenboughs’ populace is generally peaceful, wanting nothing more than to cultivate the land without being troubled by violence, this was heavily challenged during the reign of Lord Cataclysm of the Spire. The Lord of the Spire’s attempts to connect the Republic by rail were considered noble by most, and the village of Greenboughs was no exception. They collaborated with members of the Society of Engineers readily, eager for the chance to gain access to a larger market for their crops and greater prosperity for the village.
When nomadic stormheralds took offence to Cataclysm attempting to flatten the land where the Vanishing Lake formed and did everything in their power to block him from building the last section of the rail line that would connect Greenboughs with the rest of the republic, many of the town’s normally relaxed citizens took it personally, and there were several tense standoffs between the nomads and angry farmers. Although eventually a compromise was reached with the nomads, to this day relations between local clans and the village are tense.
Greenboughs Farmers’ Market - A large marketplace that opens up throughout the long growing season in the southern Republic. Farmers from the village sell produce and hand-crafted trinkets made from sandstone and wood here.
Reliquary Agricultural College (RAC) - A college run by the Society of Agriculture. Located in the ruins of what was believed to have been a storage centre of some kind during the time when the Elder Drakes still lived. There are all sorts of theories about what it might have once held - magical relics, famous weapons lost to time - but what currently seems most likely is that it was simply where they stored food for long periods. Old, weather-worn runes that once helped regulate the climate can be found all over the RAC’s campus. Most are no longer functional, but some still exude a pleasant coolness on hot days.
The Vanishing Lake
Landmark name: The Vanishing Lake
Major NPCs: Brennan
Region: Rain District
A massive freshwater lake that covers the middle of the Rain District during the rainy season then disappears under the heat of the summer sun. It serves as a gathering place for nomadic stormheralds during the months-long festivities of Baran’s Blessing and is highly sacred in their culture.
While the peaceful blue water and the surrounding explosion of greenery look serene enough in spring, the Vanishing Lake was a point of tension in recent years between the nomads and the Republic’s government. When past Lord of the Spire Cataclysm attempted to drain the lake to put a rail line connecting Stormcell and Greenboughs in, the nomads reacted badly, and a standoff lasting multiple years followed. Although a compromise was eventually struck, citizens of the Republic at the time feared that violence might break out.