Whitestone

Over two hundred years ago, the Blanc family helmed an expedition from Wildemount to the shores of Tal’Dorei. When their vessel wrecked upon the stones of the Shearing Channel, the Blancs and their remaining crew survived for weeks in the Alabaster Sierras, despite the tempestuous weather and slavering beasts. After a time, the survivors found a clearing containing a single tree that glowed with the radiance of the sun itself. They called it the Sun Tree—a literal blessing of The Dawnfather himself— and built their home around it.
Since then, the Blanc’s pioneering settlement has grown into a robust, if isolated, city. The sights of the city range from the gothic majesty of Castle Whitestone to the radiant glory of the Sun Tree, and from the quaint townhouses of the city center to the humble homesteads of its outlying townships. Because Whitestone is limited in fertile farmland, locally grown produce is scarce, leading to the necessity to develop a good trade relationship with the rural communities of the Turst Fields.
Though the region’s scarcity of vital resources made for a harrowing first few years, the Blanc family stumbled upon a miraculous mineral they called whitestone. This geological marvel both gave their city its name and quickly became its most important and most sought-after export. Before long, the Blanc’s sale of whitestone allowed them to quickly amass a significant fortune and construct a princely keep within their city.
The city is constantly improved (and unsettled) by the brilliant tinkering of Jamie Lemieux. He is credited with the invention of firearms, a design that the Chamber of Whitestone has tried very hard to keep within the city walls. Most prominent these days, however, is a rudimentary electric light grid. Using acid pits in the relatively unexplored caverns beneath the city as a sort of battery, six dozen electric lamps throughout the city are given just enough power to gently illuminate the streets, the watch posts on the castle, and the city walls with a soft, greenish glow all through the night.

An Enchanting Export

One of the climactic battles of the Calamity was a clash between the stalwart Dawnfather and the engine of callous destruction known as The Chained Oblivion. This battle came to a dramatic and explosive conclusion in the Alabaster Sierras. The unstable arcane forces unleashed in their battle created the valley that now houses the Parchwood, thrusting the surrounding mountains upward and infusing them with incredible amounts of Residuum— the physical residue of arcane energy.
The sheer amount of leftover arcane power within the whitestone of the mountains is incredibly receptive to enchantment. Magic items that incorporate at least an ounce of whitestone into their construction require only one-quarter the creation time of other magic items. Some alchemists in Whitestone have discovered that dissolving the mineral with specific acids can leave behind pure residuum, which can substitute for expensive spell components when such materials are not readily available.

Government

The Blanc family has ruled Whitestone since the city’s inception. While most of history remembers the Blancs as just and benevolent rulers, recent generations have seen the family turn more and more towards greed and hunger for power.
However, if there is one thing that the Blancs deserve credit for, it is that they truly know their people. Their acceleration of economic growth through residuum production, public support of the temples (especially the Heart of Whitestone), and technological advancements have made them extremely popular leaders. Sebastien Blanc, the current Guardian of Woven Stone, has brilliantly framed his political exploits as beneficial to all who remain loyal to The Chamber of Whitestone.
This council consists of members appointed by the Guardian of Woven Stone, who is to remain a member of the Blanc bloodline as long as it exists, or until the rest of the Chamber unanimously agrees there are no suitable Blancs to accept the position.

Defense

Whitestone’s first line of defense is made up of the obelisk wards. Hastily constructed during the time of the Elemental Scions to avoid detection by their roving armies, five whitestone obelisks mark the perimeter of the city and castle grounds. These obelisks form a dome of illusory magic when powered by an arcane spellcaster, hiding the city under the guise of continued, undeveloped Parchwood, and shielding everything within from arcane detection. The obelisks haven’t been used since the attack of the Scions and are beginning to be covered by graffiti and overgrowth. For each spell slot that is syphoned into an obelisk, two hours of illusion is powered per spell level sacrificed, and the cover of the illusion barrier is incomplete unless all five obelisks are powered simultaneously. This siphoning is a taxing experience, and for every 30 spell levels sacrificed within a 24-hour period, the caster gains 1 level of exhaustion. In addition to this rarely used magical ward, three groups of defensive personnel protect Whitestone from both within and without.
Pale Guard. The people of Whitestone rely upon the Pale Guard to resolve any crimes and disturbances of the peace. The Pale Guard are a force of sentinels who answer to the Pale Lord of Wardship. When not preoccupied with criminal activity, the Pale Guard are given other civic tasks to help Whitestone’s people. These tasks range from helping newcomers navigate the city streets to escorting visiting dignitaries to diplomatic functions.
Whitestone Rifle Corps. The defense of the city from outside invaders and threats from the darkened boughs of the Parchwood Timberlands is attended to by the Whitestone Rifle Corps, who are trained in the deadly long-range rifles created by Jamie Lemieux. They are only permitted to wield the weapons while patrolling the city walls or castle battlements— except in times of emergency, or when granted special permission by the Chamber of Whitestone. Only 30 rifles have been crafted for the Rifle Corps, each carefully maintained by their assigned rifleman. A new rifle is only created after a thorough inspection by Jamie Lemieux himself determines an existing rifle as damaged beyond repair, after which the remains are destroyed beyond recognition.
Grey Hunters. An elite force called the Grey Hunters makes up the most secret of Whitestone’s defenses. Trained in the arts of hand-to-hand combat, marksmanship, espionage, and etiquette, the Hunters have a reach that extends across all Tal’Dorei, but they exist only as a rumor in the eyes of the public—and they answer only to the Grand Mistress of the Grey Hunt.
The firearms wielded by members of the Grey Hunters are custom-made and named by their owner. Their rifles’ stocks are made of Parchwood inlaid with whitestone and enchanted against wear with residuum. The lock mechanism bears the Whitestone crest. Hunters are trained to meticulously care for their weapons, and many learn enough to make personal modifications. A Hunter must never lose their weapon. If they cannot prove it was destroyed, they aren’t permitted to return to Whitestone until it is recovered—although they may request help from other Hunters in retrieving it. If they ever come across a weapon of Whitestone in the wrong hands, they are honor-bound to return it to the city.
This covert organization is headquartered in the ruins of a failed city expansion deep beneath the eastern Parchwood. This base is used for training, for weapon storage, and as a repository for their mission logs, so that a complete record of every Hunter and their weapons can forever be kept. As with many of his inventions, Jamie Lemieux fears that the Hunters are a powerful—and even necessary—tool in the hands of the righteous, but a terrible weapon, should they be perverted to suit evil.

Geography

Whitestone was originally constructed around the newly discovered Sun Tree, and has slowly expanded outward ever since. Castle Whitestone was built atop a small hill overlooking the city to the north. Over the years, farmers and homesteaders have cleared more and more of the Parchwood to the south of the city. Even today, as Whitestone’s population has swelled, the Parchwood remains defiant, dark, and threatening. It is in little danger of being overrun by mortals, and its eerie creatures strike back whenever the people of Whitestone press against it too greedily. The Grey Hunt was formed to keep the deadly denizens of the woods at bay, though now their purview reaches farther than just the Parchwood.
Dawnfather Square is the central district of Whitestone. The square surrounds a small hill, and the golden glow of the revered Sun Tree that sits atop it can be seen throughout the city. Many of Whitestone’s original settlers already worshiped the Dawnfather, and the discovery of the Sun Tree was seen as a sign. Today, Dawnfather Square is filled with quaint, bustling shops and small townhomes.

Demographics

78% humans, 7% halflings, 6% dwarves, 4% tieflings, 5% other races

Population

17,710

Location under

Republic of Tal'Dorei

Owning Organization

The Chamber of Whitestone