St. Maria

Warning: The sidebar includes mentions of torture and murder.

The town of St. Maria is located in the western half of the Wilds. It is linked closely to the mysterious Cult of Secrets, an extremist group that targets Non-Gifteds. Despite the rather unsavory connections, St. Maria has many positives including delicious local recipes, breathtaking scenery, and inhabitants from around the world.

Government

St. Maria is certainly one of the most organized towns in the Wilds, with an elected mayor and several town officials. The settlement also has a police force and fire division. Unlike many towns nearby, St. Maria has a school system and an agreement with Crystland that allows individuals to attend colleges in that country.

History

The town was built by refugees from Rifthaven from 1840 to 1844, which is when it was completed and named. The founders numbered in the hundreds but were joined over the years by more Rifthaven refugees and ambitious colonists from Crystland and Tierhal. St. Maria began to grow in size as more people arrived until it covered several miles and had a population of over 3,000. That number grew as well and there are currently about 4,000 or more inhabitants.
Other towns were built nearby, but one was abandoned in 1938 and the other burned down only five years after its founding in 1888. During the 1900s, the infamous Cult of Secrets began infiltrating the government of the town and established an important base close by. Law enforcement was unable to remove them, and the cult became a part of normal life in St. Maria, which unfortunately resulted in tourism dropping (not that there was much anyway in the Wilds).
In 2006, a school project lasting three years brought the town a large amount of attention from other towns and the countries of Rifthaven and Crystland. Nine ambitious teenagers got fed up with the Cult of Secrets terrorizing the people and decided to try investigating it. Their attempt was more successful than they had expected, resulting in several deaths and the exposure of nearly a hundred cult members. Although traumatized for life, the four remaining teens brought their town lasting fame and, more importantly, struck a great blow to a despicable hate group.

Points of interest

For those visiting St. Maria on leisure or business trips, there are various places that are a must-see for any foreigner. One is Donovan's Landing, a dock half a mile outside the town where locals go fishing. The pier is named for Donovan Frieder, one of the town's founders. Nightfall Square is also a place to visit, a market square with various shops and stalls selling all kinds of goods.
Last but not least is the Liberator Fountain, which is probably the most popular attraction for non-

residents. Designed by Warna Strom and Micheal Thorne, Liberator Fountain is a memorial to the nine teenagers who attempted to destroy the Cult of Secrets. The fountain depicts the eight heroes standing in a line facing Louis Marstal, their former friend who betrayed them. The four who were tragically killed are shown with their arms crossed.

To the heroes who continue trying, even when their failure is imminent.

— The engraving on the base of Liberator Fountain, written by Warna Strom and Micheal Thorne

Tourism

Because St. Maria is located in the Wilds, it does not generally get a lot of visitors. However, some people from other areas of the Wilds will travel to trade there. Others come for the scenery of the nearby Nightfall Lake. After 2009, tourism rose significantly due to the recent events. Now, most visitors come for either business, scenery, or history.

Founding Date

1844 AEA

Type

Town

Population

About 4,000

Location under

The Wilds

The Worst Murders

Thanks to the nearby base of the Cult of Secrets, the Non-Gifted residents of St. Maria lived in constant fear of being attacked. The cult did indeed attack many of them on multiple occasions, even killing several of them. A short list of the most famous and disturbing murders is below, with some information.
Anna Peregrin: This thirty-four-year-old was found in her garden at six in the morning. Her throat was slit from ear to ear and she had been dead for several hours. None of her neighbors heard a thing.
The Balancer Boys: Twelve and ten years old, Patrick and Luke Balancer were walking home from school on June 6th at four in the afternoon when they were abducted off the street, tortured, and then thrown into Nightfall Lake. Their father reported them missing that night and they were found the next morning by an elderly fisherman. Several people living on the street they disappeared from reported that they heard yelling and a boy crying, but saw no one when they looked outside.
Martha Jones: Known for the 2006-2009 investigation of the Cult of Secrets, Martha Jones was one of three teenagers who attempted to infiltrate the cult and was killed for her efforts. Betrayed by her best friend Louis Marstal, Martha was the first of the teenagers to die. While the others were killed in more discreet ways, Martha was tortured by the cult and then had her body displayed frighteningly on the main street of St. Maria. Witnesses to the scene claimed that Kanya Leimensteir, the organizer of the project, collapsed in shock when she saw her friend's body.