… “Let me tell you what I dreamed,” He said, filling my cup once again. “I saw, in the midst of a grassy expanse, five slender pinnacles like the digits of a hand, rising up to such a height that the twin moons—like siblings, one chasing the other—could rest for a moment in their game.”
“That was no dream, but a vision,” Replied I. “It is said that the people of Stone Palm descended to our world from the twin moons, and the spires which cradle the city reach up to their ancestral home so that the moons will grant their favor to those who bathe in their light, and remember them fondly.” …
Land of far horizons, of wide sky, the pampas stretches onward. In summer the wind is as warm as the breath of an oven, and the seasonal fires pattern the sky in a checkerboard of smoke and open blue. For miles around the city the tall rows of grass are carefully kept; grovetenders cut strong lines in the field, sometimes walking, sometimes astride a Grasshawk—those huge, flightless birds, which like the pampas are harnessed but never tamed.
On the road to the city…
- Thea Pelegrin (1/1/2) — A tailor and clothing stylist. Could help dye or improve clothing, and might buy any cloth remnants the party has.
- Iruad the scholar (2/2/3) — A traveling teacher that goes from town to town selling books, offering classes to both children and adults. He knows much of languages and local tales.
- Remembrancer Hyewon (1/1/8) — Traveler and painter from the south, here seeking inspiration for a series of paintings for the *Library of Dusk.
Locales and Travel on the Pampas
- The Gardens of Memǒar (3 watches) — Few have been inside the glassy sphere that houses the gardens, save for its strange, masked attendants, but most know the story: that the garden is the creation of some long-ago being, and that within the sphere are rows upon rows of flowers containing the memories of every individual in the world.
- Twinmoon Chapel (1 watch) — On a high hill is a chapel dedicated to the twin moons, Uri and Baki, from which the gnolls hail. Manichean in nature, the temple is made of both dark and light stone, patterned in such a way that it creates a dazzling effect when seen from a distance.
- Northwest houses the great lake upon which The Flotilla resides. (6 watches)
- West, to the lava fields and Ashveldt. (8 watches)
- South, to the uplift and Terrassir (6 watches)
- Eastward floats Uisgetaigh, by the coast. (6 watches)
Flora and Fauna
- Maned Wolves — Crepescular and often-solitary creatures, the wolves are dispersed all across the grasslands. Occasionally they will compete with grasshawks for prey, but largely they avoid direct conflict whenever possible. On rare occasions they have been seen meeting in small packs and communicating with each other by a process of yaps and sneezes. Recently, more and more groups have been spotted throughout the grasslands, and they attack unprovoked. None can say what the cause of this is.
- Grasshawks — Large, flightless birds of the raptor family. Their coloration allows them to blend into the tall grass, where they hunt for rodents and carrion. They can be harnessed for travel, but none have been able to tame one permanently.
- Raposa — Small pseudo-foxes with large ears, their coats range from dark red to near-black. Sometimes taken as pets.
- Pampas Deer — The original grovetenders. From them the people learned how to predict the patterns of burn and growth. They travel in small herds, usually no more than 8 in all.
- The Pampas — A tall grass which flowers in bright, feathery plumes. At its peak it can grow to be 4 meters tall, but thankfully between the pampas deer and the grovetenders it is largely kept to a more manageable height of 1 meter. Because of the climate of the grasslands, the pampas often burns. These seasonal fires are part of a larger cycle of fire and rain which have kept the grasslands bright and verdant for long as memory and story can recall.
- Hunting Cat — A majestic and deadly animal. At their biggest, the hunting cat can reach a weight of 200 pounds, and they possess a bite that can pierce many types of armor. They travel alone, but can often be found along the riverway. If one is spotted it is best to not disturb them.
Places of Stone Palm
- The Verdant Spring — An oddity in this region, the upper level of the tearoom is constructed entirely of thick panels of green glass, a gift from the Anurans during the rebuilding efforts following the burning of Stone Palm. It now houses travelers and performers from the world over, who come to admire the constructions and partake of the local herbal teas.
- Lava Wells — Beneath the city are large hollow caverns, once channels for lava during a time of greater seismic activity. The lava is gone now, but the thermal vents deep below warm the subterranean pools of water to temperatures just shy of scalding. Said to promote healing and relaxation!
- Hall of the Bright Carvers — Most of the time the hall is quiet, save for the ever-present sound of chisel on stone. But once every year they hold a contest in the courtyard outside the Hall of Bright Carvers to discover the next that would join the esteemed council of stoneworkers. Hopefuls, both local and from afar, will set up in the courtyard weeks in advance to position their statues in the best possible spot and drape them in sheets to generate suspense.
- The Artificer’s Tower — A large, multi-purpose building that houses a variety of workshops, studios, ateliers, parlors, and galleries. Every floor is connected to a large spiral staircase that corkscrews through the entirety of the building’s height, so that its denizens have taken to affectionately calling it the whorl.
People
- Crow of Cabra (2/2/1) and Star (2/2/10🐎) — An outlander and wanderer from the 90 Isles, often found in the employ of a witch. He knows much of magic, but doesn’t consider himself an adept. He wields a sword well, but prefers never to draw it. He reads the cards, and the deck he uses appears to be personally drafted.
- Weaver Koh (1/3/3/) — The eldest. In her loom she weaves a complex and ever-changing pattern; some say it is a history, others a prophecy. Only the weaver knows for sure. They are also skilled with the patterning frame, and are always on the lookout for some new bead or stone to add to it, providing it fits the pattern.
- Grovetender Inok (2/3/3) — Wielding sickle and bow, he walks the grasslands and tends to the overgrowth. His path runs along the river, and so he sees many of those coming and going.
- Euodia Blackquill (1/1/8) — The family Blackquill have practiced the art of tattooing for generations, serving in the court of the Harp during the war against the Frost. It was said that they tattooed with arcane inks which imbued power to their bearers. Euodia makes no such claims of her own work, but she’s still one of the best in the region.
- Flamewarden Roqaya (1/1/3) — The grassland burns: this is a truth that must be accepted. But there are methods to the burning, and techniques that have been passed down over the generations to keep the city safe, and to maintain the cycles of fire and rain. For the better part of three decades she has done this work, and has trained many in its practice.
- Lucien, the stylist (2/3/3) — His salon is on the top floor of the whorl and looks out over the city. He does haircuts, shaves, coloring, coat blowouts, scale touch-ups, fang repair, and more.
- The Chatelain Hisvet and their retinue (1/3/8) — Part of the Anuran noble class; her role is that of envoy. Whether they are here on official business, or simply stopping on the way elsewhere, Hisvet remains representative, voice, and open hand of the ossified city to the people of Stone Palm.
- Kalista
- Donelek
- An unnamed Aurifex
- The Legation from the Benevolent Shroud
- ???
- Riona
- ???