Shallowverge

Duskentown: City of the Shallowverge

Tykis moved across the cobbles in the smooth glide practiced by all Dusken shades. It was almost as if she was floating just above the street’s surface, never quite touching the ground. Of course, this was caused by the effect of her long, draping cloak that covered her feet and her own Axilian control over shadowstuff. Like any shade living in Dusken, Tykis had no interest in how her movement might be perceived, it was for her, simply a practiced ploy, one that meant she fit in and could go about the city without alerting other inhabitants as to her actual nature. She had to disguise her true nature from the rest of the citizens of Duskentown if she were to continue to trade in their wares without paying the firmtithe. The Dusken shades would dearly love to know that one of 'their' number was not as she seemed and profited by it. Tykis was no shade. . . She was Human.

She leaned against her construct-tent's canopy pole before going in. She hadn't realised how tired she had become. Her travels throughout the city this day had been more taxing than she had expected. Cailin shadowstuff, the hardest of 'stuff to make one's way through, had been plentiful and had not only slowed her but had caused her some difficulty breathing. Wisps of it still clung about her. Dark webs of 'stuff. As Tykis casually brushed at it, it seemed to cling harder. What's this she thought. Cailin 'stuff didn't do this normally. Now she looked closer, she could see a thin -- thin as a thread -- tendril floating in the air attached to her at this end and rising high and curving away in the breeze, until she could not make it out as it floated past some nearby buildings' roofs.
I've been followed! she thought. If whoever was behind her -- behind this -- knew her secret . . .
She had to tell the others. Something would have to be done to prevent their existence from being learned about by the rest of Shallowverge.

Geography

Shallowverge is at once air, land and sea. Not in a real sense. This is merely to try and draw an image in your mind's eye as to the nature of the shadowstuff that comprises Shallowverge. Shadowstuff is the base building block of the greater world of Axildusk that Shallowverge is a part of. Duskentown is the main point of people’s collecting together within Shallowverge. Those who reside here, learn to be able to note the subtle distinctions between a portion of shadowstuff that is: lighter and therefore more transportable and easiest to use, those portions that are somewhat more distinct and allow the lighter type to rest upon it and form homes,constructs and all manner of other things and those portions that are densest, which form the ores that can be used for even more important fashionings via casting agency.
The region is difficult to draw a diagram of, or create a chart for. Due to the ephemeral nature of shadow, some things just aren’t feasible. Navigation about Shallowverge is instead managed by the inhabitants through the use of a ‘third eye’. This organ allows the Dusken shades to find their way, using it to distinguish not only the various shades of shadowstuff but also to see tendrils -- 'tangleforms' and 'dark siphons'.
While the place is constantly shifting form, as is the way of shadow, it would be wrong to assume there’s is no permanence here. Certain key features remain while other parts shift around them. Notable locations of these permanent areas are the: Vushang Cataract, Floes of Andibuleer, Maw of Voidstars and Duskentown.
The last of these locales is the most populated. Duskentown is filled with shades who have found that conviviality with their own kind and some rare travelers can be worthwhile. Among themselves, there are entreaties to be heard, cloudgatherings to ‘stratify’ and commerce besides. In the ‘Solid Quarter’, visitors to Shallowverge can stay and meet with the shades. One thing shadowstuff can only manage briefly is substantiality. For this reason, the shades are only too happy to treat with those from the more ‘firm’ portions of Axildusk and beyond.
Shallowverge should not be thought of as a plain, that’s flat and devoid of terrain. As might be guessed with a place name like the Vushang Cataract, there is a variety of elevations present. Banks of shadowstuff, can lay on top of one another for long enough to become affixed. Over time these layers make a plateau. Tendrils of ‘seeking shadow’, which spring from ‘axilwells’, flow across these features, sometimes without impact and at others carving deeply into the layers. There are also instances where a tendril might simply descend straight down creating a ‘nightshaft’. Shadowstuff is transformative so the variety that these ‘landforms’ can take is large and new types are continually being discovered.
Where the layers are revealed by the seeking shadow tendrils, Shallowverge’s riches are located. Harvesters are set to collect the shadowstuff that has become ‘ore’.

Fauna & Flora

Across Shallowverge and particular in proximity to the plateau banks, a wide range of ‘growths’ emerge. These would be the region’s equivalent to plant and animal life. It is not always easy to determine whether a growth is one or the other. Many share aspects of both animal and plant.
The plateaus are thought to be the main sites for these natural forms of shadow, due to the plateau banks having rich shadow ore deposits. These growths need to sustain themselves and the ores provide energy, shelter and whatever else a particular growth might need. From these high concentrations of ore, the growths have spread outward, each in their own fashion, to inhabit other parts of Shallowverge. As they have the same changeable nature as the world they inhabit, the growths have taken on forms and abilities suitable to their locarion. The city of Duskentown for example, contains many forms of growths: poolings, afterthemes, reminimums, shadapores, ventures, oozes and the many shade moles are resident on its streets and buildings. The scaffolds of the city are kept in constant action to prevent some of the more noxious types from taking over!

Natural Resources

Ores form the largest part of the resource base of the region. These are harvested by the residents as best they are able.
Shadowstuff, once it has become an ore, is now in a state that allows it to be shifted into useable and useful constructs. This is not a huge challenge for any born to Shallowverge but there are those who excel at it. This is considered a proof that these superior ‘shifters’ are more closely linked to the verge than others.
The ores take several broadly defined types. It would be an error to think that these ores are ‘set in stone’! Shadowstuff must never be thought of as material planar ore. It is quite other in the usual regard.

Alternative Name(s)

Duskentown

Location under

Shallowverge

Included Locations

• Shallowverge