Domain of Eleusynia

Once dominated by an ancient theocratic monarch long ago, Eleusynia has fragmented into anarchic and competing "city-states" centered on old and new ports alike. Eleusynia is a twilight realm, unlike the brightly lit Ascalon and bioluminescent-lit Solomon's Reach. Eleusynia does still have star light covering it, but such pinpricks of light are often drowned out by the thick, shadow-making mists that choke the Domain. Even in the clearer regions, the oppressive darkness of Eleusynia necessitates engine-made light to even begin to start navigating its twisting pathways. Add to that the particularly dangerous breeds of sky-beasts that haunt the dim, mist-laden paths and rocks of Eleusynia, and one can understand the strongly negative reputation that the territory has gained in the eyes of Imperial engine captains & crews. That said, the Relay path between Solomon's Reach and Eleusynia is regarded as "relatively safe". Since there is still plenty of money to be made in trade and services between the Empire & independent Eleusynia, there are people more than willing to brave the dangers of shadowy Eleusynia to make it rich. Eleusynia was ruled long ago by what is called the Old Kingdom, a theocratic monarchy in which the King was also the high priest of the Old Gods. This was the way of life for many generations before a terrible cataclysm wracked Eleusynia. The Old King (the only one known) died or disappeared and many of the settlements of the Old Kingdom fell into ruin, abandoned. Lunaris was one of the few larger settlements to avoid complete destruction, though even it is built atop Old Kingdom ruins. Eleusynia saw the arrival of the Astrakines long before the opening of the Transit Relay. The Astrakines arrived in Eleusynia around the same time as the Ascalonians (roughly five centuries ago by Imperial reckoning) but unlike the Empire those survivors were concentrated in the Field of Glass around what would become Astrakane. It took many generations for Astrakane to establish itself and unlike Ascalon, locomotive were not prevalent or particularly advanced (mostly due to the locomotive being a very recent development for the pre-Collapse Astrakine populations and few people then understood the machine). With the lack of robust locomotives, the Astrakines were much like the other people of Eleusynia, reliant on taming sky beasts or the rare balloon airship for transport. It wasn't until the Transit Relay was opened in the late Fourth Century Imperial that locomotives were reintroduced and from there expanded to allow for regular, consistent and cheap travel across Eleusynia. While Eleusynia is still as fragmented as ever, the locomotive has brought the possibility of unification back to the fore front when it was believed impossible to replicate (even more so with the Empire showcasing both a successful unified Domain and one that has lasted generations). The main trade route between Eleusynia and the Empire follows a path starting in New Draycott and then heading towards Devlan's Folly. Unlike the Transit Relay between Ascalon and Solomon's Reach, the Relay to Eleusynia lies quite some distance from any port. The closest is Faerseton, though few who travel to Eleusynia head to Faerseton before leaving Solomon's Reach. Much more frequently, locomotives stock up on extra supplies in Calehester (so long as it remains in closer proximity to the main trade route) before leaving the Empire behind. Once in Eleusynia, the majority of captains have their engines make full steam for Lunaris before determining if they will head to one of the other ports. For those on the main trade route, they will then make way to Astrakane, where the Transit Relay will take them back to Solomon's Reach. The original Relay stop in Eleusynia (located out in an open area on the border of the Rosemire and Craster's Nebula) has, either through neglect or sabotage, been rendered inoperable. While locomotives can still freely travel into Eleusynia through this path, they must leave the Domain through the Transit Relay in Astrakane. One cannot enter Eleusynia through the Astrakane Relay as it was established after the entry path from Solomon's Reach was already established (a Relay can only have one connection outward but can have receive multiple other connections). When returning to Solomon's Reach, one must then simply retrace their steps back to New Draycott to complete their trade run.
Eleusynia's "capital" is the central port of Lunaris. Its position as capital is mostly due to its central position, current size and historical importance as the seat of the ancient monarchy rather than as the official capital. It is well known that various groups and power shakers from the major and minor ports of Eleusynia have a presence in Lunaris, trying to sway things in their masters' favor. Lunaris is Eleusynia's capital in name only, it has no real authority beyond economic prominence over the other ports of the Domain. Physically, Lunaris is much akin to New Draycott in Solomon's Reach, a spread of settlements stretching across the central archipelago of the Domain. At Lunaris' heart is the House of Thorns, the remnant of either an Old Kingdom cathedral or a piece of the Old King's Palace (no one is quite sure which is correct or really cares to know). The House is the place where the various tribes, clans, faction and power-brokers of Lunaris meet when some issue needs to be settled or one faction calls a general meeting to try and make a play of some form. The House of Thorns is watched over by the "elected" Moon's Judge who acts as the neutral arbiter regarding disputes. The Judge is technically elected to the post by the people of Lunaris but in practice is an appointed neutral party to ensure fairness between the factions (even though many would like the Judge to be more biased, they still concede the need to impartiality for all). As such, the Moon's Judge is regarded as the unofficial mayor of Lunaris, though hold little power outside of his judicial work between the factions. Many Imperial captains do meet with the Judge for guidance on where to go for various services, since the House of Thorns is the effective municipal hall of Lunaris. Some of the more prominent factions of Lunaris are: the Sullen Legion, Arken's Party, the Novembrists, the Thorn Gardeners, the Swan's Men and the Oskil Banner. Less powerful factions (mostly economic in focus) are: the Handsome Men, the Midnight Forge, Craster House and the Ambrose Company Lunaris Office (recent Imperial company arrival). A few lesser factions trying to grow their presence are: the Night Hounds, Argyll's Party and the Home Guard.
Unlike Ascalon or Solomon's Reach, Eleusynia's main settlements are not arrayed from the center outwards in two rings. Rather, Eleusynia's ports are arrayed as a ring/disk around Lunaris (the major ports) and a number of minor ports above and below the main disk. The main disk covers the following ports: Thettos, Lannercast, Craster's Manor, Astrakane, Ozryn and Veles. The minor ports of Violl's Garden, Soime and Thorpeness lie above the main disk while the ports of Laelfall, Hankala and Azmar lie below the disk. Each port, both minor and major, are part of a distinctive environment or biome (in contrast to the Imperial Domains where multiple port exist in a smaller number of biomes/environs).
The two most powerful and influential ports of Eleusynia outside of Lunaris are Astrakane and Veles. The two ports are roughly opposite of each other in position (that is, Astrakane is "north" of Lunaris whilst Veles is "south" of Lunaris). Both settlements have successfully developed their own engine yards and a handful of engine designs that allow them to dominate their immediate surroundings, though neither ports' designs are truly able to match modern Imperial Navy engines yet. Astrakane and Veles's leaderships are constantly warring between each other for the favor of the Imperial factions and captains that have regular contact with Eleusynia. Though both are wary about letting the Empire have too much influence and neither fully trusts Ascalon. The current Scarlet War is something both the Swan Khan (Lürin Kona in their native Süyli) of Astrakane and the Lioness of Veles are keen to keep going to keep the Empire distracted away from Eleusynia.
Astrakane lies within the Field of Glass, the only truly brightly lit region of Eleusynia. The main source of light in the region is the Great Pyre, a vast bonfire forever kept burning. The light of the Pyre is reflected around the region by the vast amount of glass and scattered around. Every effort is made to keep the Pyre well lit and burning, with the Khan having the Order of the Chandlers dedicated to the Pyre (said order is ritually led by the eldest daughter of the reigning Khan or his sister if not daughters have been born). Astrakane is one of the stronger trade powers of Eleusynia due to it possessing a Transit Relay provided to them by the Empire in recognition for their combined efforts in escaping the Old World. As such, Astrakane keeps apace to the best they can with technological development with the Empire. While they currently use some forms of steam engines, they have begun looking into electricity (derived from said engines) as a new way to support the Pyre and counter their dependency on Imperial imports. The main engine yard of the port, the Swan's Emporium, provides a selection of engines for Imperial crews interested in the differing design philosophies of Astrakane as well as Eleusynian captains looking to gain some freedom from the Empire. Currently, the Empire maintains a semi-neutral, semi-cordial relationship with Astrakane as the Transit Relay link to Solomon's Reach is a valuable trade route for both parties.
The people of Astrakane (known to themselves as Kïnju-vïrk) are also from the same world as the Ascalonians are. It was a multinational effort to evacuate the dying world, though currently only the Ascalonians and Astrakines are known to have successfully fled the Old World. The name is a heavily altered from Hashuchkona, from Haji Rüchkona (Haji, a proper name followed by "great ruler"). To the people of Astrakane, the city is known as Daplar Yöshk (lit. Mirror City).
Veles is the most prominent Eleusynian port outside of Lunaris actually settled by natives of the Domain. The port is nestled in a clearing within the Gilded Weald, the largest wooded region of Eleusynia. The region got its name due to the color of the trees' sap being golden. Veles itself is roughly the size of Port Alnor and is a frequent stop for engine crews looking for a safe harbor in the hazardous darkness of Eleusynia. Most buildings of Veles combine carved stone with wood to form a settlement partially embedded in the Weald itself. There are sources of metal in the surrounding region, though, which allow Veles' Amberyard to source materials to build their own engines. In contrast to most Astrakine designs, which tend to keep the internals of Imperial designs intact and simply layer on Astrakine work atop them, Velesian designs only keep the bare minimum needed from Imperial locomotives and build entirely new engines around them. For example: the Astrakine Farstrider-class engine is essentially internal chassis, parts and general layout of an Imperial Pembroke-class engine with considerable modifications made on top of said chassis. The Velesian Mistwalker-class in contrast takes only the most critical components of the Pembroke and where they need to go in the engine with the rest of the locomotive being designed and built entirely independently of the Pembroke. As such, Veles' engine makers pride themselves on being very independent of the Empire and are now able to provide engines to Eleusynian crews that can rightfully be called Eleusynian in origin. The Amberyard competes fiercely with the Emporium (and to a lesser degree the Midnight Forge of Lunaris) over engine production and influence as Imperial crews tend to favor the Emporium (mostly due to its proximity to the outward Transit Relay) and so Veles tries to win over Eleusynian factions with their engines. Furthermore, Veles competes with Astrakane over influence in the other major & minor ports in their quest to dominate Eleusynia.
Veles is a monarchic city-state (like Astrakane) with the ruling clan being the Pahavin family and the current ruler is Eotoka, the Lioness.
Thettos lies in the Rosemire, a dense thicket of roses lying just west (clockwise) of Veles. The Rosemire is a treacherous place, often likened to the Kingswood in Solomon's Reach in its dangers. The Rosemire is made of many different kinds of strange roses native to Eleusynia. The most common one seen in the markets is the Midnight Rose, which is used in a variety of medicinal remedies. Another is the Red Eye Rose whose extract can be used as a sleeping aid or as a poison if the concentration is too high. Thettos itself is regarded as a useful trading post but a dangerous one. The Rosemire keeps many travelers away and so the denizens of Thettos are quite self-sufficient. Thettos is predominantly run by the Crimson Orchard, a former food selling conglomerate that has expanded to controlling the sale of the many types of roses taken from the Mire. The Orchard has no real influence beyond its immediate surrounds.
Craster Manor is the only beacon of true Imperial culture and society in Eleusynia. The port was first established by Henderson Craster, a wealthy Imperial Baron who sought a home away from the Empire, but still maintaining many of the comforts of Ascalon within it. During his life, Craster Manor became one of the more frequent haunts for Imperial crews seeking a flicker of familiar Ascalon in the strange and hostile wilds of Eleusynia. After his passing, Henderson's three sons (Alexander, Orwin and Nathaniel) chose to manage the Manor as a company open for various business ventures. This company would be known as Craster House. Nathaniel choose to build and expand a branch back in Imperial territory (mostly in Ascalon but a small office would be based in New Draycott, Solomon's Reach), Orwin would head to the newly opened Scaled Kingdom while Alexander would focus on Craster House's presence in Eleusynia. The Manor would retain its popularity with Imperial crews, though its continuing existence in Eleusynia would change the Manor somewaht over time. While still familiar (being essentially the only place beside Violl's Garden where one can purchase tea and assorted Imperial crockery), the Manor has begun selling local delicacies and products to elicit more interest from Eleusynian crews. The Manor also advertises itself as a place of luxury and respite from the hardships of life in Eleusynia (think a very expensive and lavish inn plus a restaurant and various "amusements" all wrapped in one). The Manor is roughly in the middle of Craster's Nebule (known to most Eleusynians as the Labyrinthine Nebula), a twisting place oft likened to a great maze. While not easy to navigate, the Manor is regarded as well worth the effort to find it. Craster House also possesses a small office and party on Lunaris, which seeks to expand their influence and reach (clients) in the hub. Otherwise, the Manor is regarded as mostly isolationist, uninterested in the dealings of the Empire, Veles and Astrakane. The Manor is clockwise from Thettos and counter-clockwise from Astrakane (opposite Ozryn) .
Lannercast lies clockwise from Astrakane, opposite from Thettos. Lannercast is a strange port, even by Eleusynia's wide measures. The port is a series of large buildings, halls and the like carved directly in the massive asteroid pillars that dominate its region, the Great Henge. The pillars of the Henge are home to a wide variety of flying beasts and vine-trees (a sort of blended mix of a tall wooded tree, like an oak, with massive vines acting as both roots and branch extensions). Stone pillars aren't the only asteroid formations though. Crystalline asteroids are common, along with the rarer purely organic type such as bone or chitin pillars. Other, more indescribable pillars can be found though such are usually avoided by Imperial and Eleusynian alike. Lannercast itself lies in one of the larger navigable zones which is mostly clear of the hazardous vines that make traveling the Henge difficult for locomotives. The main export of Lannercast is the various materials and processed products extracted from the pillars of the Henge along with stuff from the trees and animals. The port, while technically a major one, is certainly regarded as the least important of those in the Disk and few parties outside of Lannercast are invested in it. The Swan Khan does try to make inroads in turning the port into an Astrakine stronghold to further his influence, but the Astrakines have had little luck in this. They do maintain regular patrols in the Henge though, providing protection and reliable charts for travelers in the region.
Ozryn is the last major port if one starts at Veles. The port is counter-clockwise from Veles and rests in the heart of Samarkion, a vast wasteland region full of old works from the Old Kingdom. Ozryn lies in Hennos' Pavilion, an ancient meeting place from the Old Kingdom. Ozryn is one of the main centers for extracting relics and various archeological products from the ruins of the Old Kingdom (Thorpeness and Hankala are the two other main places that do so as well). While Eleusynia is covered in Old Kingdom ruins, Ozryn lies in the heart of the largest and most accessible source of said ruins. The Ascalonian Royal Society has a major detachment in Ozryn to research the Eleusynian Old Kingdom for their historical records. Alongside the sale of relics, treasures and assorted paraphernalia from the ruins, Ozryn also functions as a prominent seller of Soleum Gemstones, rare gems found scattered across Eleusynia. Ozryn possesses the good fortune to have access to an ancient mine of the gems, though said access is not constant, safe nor always profitable. Nevertheless, Soleum Gems from Ozryn are highly prized within Eleusynia and beyond its borders.
Above and below the Main Disk lie the Polar Zones. Each Polar Zone is home to three minor ports and has a generally unified environment. The North Polar Zone is warm, hot even and generally fecund. The South Polar Zone is mostly dry and cold. Travel to the Polar Zones of any Domain is difficult compared to travel in the Main Disk and Eleusynia is no different. Like other Domains, the Polar Zones are much more thinly settled than the comparatively denser Mina Disk. In Eleusynia's case, the Northern Zone is more populated than the Southern Zone.
Violl's Garden is an unusual port for Eleusynia in that it is essentially a grand park. The port lies near the mouth of the main (safest) access path into the region (the Polar Jungle), and proudly welcomes travelers into the Garden for a wide variety of opportunities. Many people come to hunt game, gather unusual plant or fruits or simply explore. All under the watchful eye of the Gardeners. The Garden's main export is food and various botanical products, some of which have been declared illegal in Imperial territory. This has led the Handsome Men, the prominent smuggling band in Eleusynia, to work hard at establishing smuggling routes from the Garden to Solomon's Reach and Ascalon to profit handsomely over the delivery of the illicit goods. Violl's Garden lies roughly above the direct path between Veles and Lunaris.
Soime lies in the North Polar Terraces, a semi-ruin region now heavily grown over with plant life most from the nearby Polar Jungle. Soime itself is a restored Old Kingdom palatial estate that has become the primary prison for all of Eleusynia. It is not an uncommon task for engine captains to be charged with taking new convicts to the prison at Soime. The port itself is divided into five main parts: the Docks, the Administrative Quarter, the Temple Quarter, the Prison Quarter and the Gardens Quarter. The Docks combines the literal dockyard with a small market and the visitors' residences, though all of these are well set apart from the bulk of Soime. The Administrative Quarter is where (as the name states) all of bureaucracy needed to run Soime takes place, along with being the residence for said administrative staff. It is here the Warden of Soime typically resides when not on his duties in the prison proper. The Temple Quarter is the smallest main segment of Soime, built out of the old estate's temple to the old gods. The First Warden ordered the temple to be restored and dedicated to any and all gods of the Ethereal Heavens, for anyone from any Domain could find themselves in a stay at Soime and they should still be able to worship as they need to. The Gardens Quarter is the second largest area and one under strict control. Guests are only allowed in the area with a guide as prisoners are permitted to spend recreational time in the Gardens, under the expectation that they have kept the privilege. The Prison Quarter is the largest segment of the port and is the home of both the prisoners and the various mines and workshops where they work if they choose to. The prison is a gentle and peaceful place, meant to be a place of reflection and honest work for the prisoners. Violence is not tolerated amongst the prisoners and is only used by the guards when a inmate shows themselves to be unwilling to cooperate with the prison or be a serious threat to their fellows. In such instances, the inmate will be placed in a more secure zone of the prison, known to the prisoners as "the Quiet Rooms". Without fail, any inmate taken into the Quiet Rooms will come back out changed and much more pleasant, but many regard the Rooms with no small amount of fear for what it takes to achieve said effect. Nonetheless, Soime is effective, as the vast majority of the prisoners who are released from it (it should be noted this is a fairly small number) rarely ever relapse. On the economic side, the main export for Soime is the Soleum Gems taken from the mines of the prison. These are sold to interested parties not from the market of the Docks but from the Exchange Desk in the Administrative Quarter. It is regarded as something one must be aware of to ask for in order to be granted the privilege to try and purchase the gems of Soime.
The final prominent minor port in the Nroth Polar Zone is Thorpeness. Located roughly above Ozryn, Thorpeness is built in the North Polar Ruins, an extension of Samarkion in the North Pole. Thorpeness is built on Agmar's Triumph, an ancient monument of the Old Kingdom which is being slowly restored by the citizenry of the port. Thorpeness was initially established as a research post much like Ozryn to study the nearby ruins. Over time, the researchers admiration for the Old Kingdom grew and grew. Eventually, the teams switched from pure research of the ruins to desiring to restore the ruins. They started with Agmar's Triumph as they saw it as the best showcase of the Old Kingdom's majesty and work. Restoration is ongoing and the people of Thorpeness, now calling themselves the Custodians of Agmar, have begun trying to spread awareness of their work and essentially proselytize their views about the Old Kingdom to the rest of Eleusynia. To support this work, Thorpeness exports a wide variety of literary works, both research oriented and non-academic works, to those willing to pay for them. The port exports various replicas of the most important relics as well, mostly to visiting Imperial crews, to provide an easy income source that is more reliable for them. The Custodians have recently begun investing in a small locomotive fleet to both protect themselves from pirates and marauders and to project their interests to the rest of the greater Samarkion ruin sprawl. The end goal of this fleet is to let the Custodians claim control over the ruins of the Old Kingdom and ward off those who seek to pilfer the ruins for their own petty reasons.
Laelfall is a strange place in the South Polar Zone. Built in the shell of what is believed to be a shell or skeleton of a great beast. No one is quite sure what the ruin truly is but most agree is the story behind the structure. It is believed to have been the work of the greatest artisan of the Old Kingdom, Lael of Zukal. Lael desired to create a living monument to the Old King, a beast that was at once a living creature and a physical monument. There are many debates on whether Lael succeeded either in principal or practice. Regardless of which side one is on such debates, it is inarguable that Lael had some measure of success. Unfortunately, his success didn't last. Some believe the Old King despised the work, others think the beast didn't live long or was never truly alive. Either way, Lael was humiliated by the Old King and banished from the Court of Midnight. There are a thousand and one stories for what happened to Lael after this but there is only one for the remnants of his work. The great shell of Lael's final work laid to rest in the South Polar Zone and the area has been call Lael's Folly ever since. The port's name, Laelfall, alludes to this ancient story of Eleusynia. The port itself is scattered across the ancient monument beast. The port has long been a sort of gathering place for the outcasts of fragmented Eleusynia and more recently Imperial who find the rest of the Ethereal Sea intolerable. The monument itself is vaguely insect-like in design and so is generally referred as such. There have been long stretches of time where no one lived in Laelfall and the port reflects this transient nature. The current inhabitants of Laelfall are collectively referred to by Imperials as Amber Men, in reference to the strange amber they gather and sell in the port's little market. Most habitable areas are simply carved into the structure and currently food is mostly imported from the Main Disk, aside from what can be grown in the small series of fungal farms in the port itself. While rarely visited by outsiders or Eleusynian locomotives, the current resident of Laelfall do have a windfall of sorts. Anthony Morkain, captain of the simply named Morkain's Men engine band, has chosen the port to be his base of operations in Eleusynia due to its general isolation from the more active parties of the Domain and has taken upon himself to support the fledgling port. In return, the people of the port help Morkains Men extract the valuable copper, amber and stranger material from both the monument and the wider Lael's Folly region.
Hankala lies in the southern reaches of greater Samarkion and once among the greatest settlements of Eleusynia. In the ancient Old Kingdom, Hankala was one of the centers of power - specifically a grand temple complex. From what can be gathered, Hankala was easily the most sacred place in the Old Kingdom and its priests used their influence to great effect during the rule of the Old Kingdom. When the Old Monarchy fell ages ago, the priests of Hankala withdrew into their grand temples and fortified them. No one is entirely sure if there is any remnant of the old priesthood left since as far as can be determined, Hankala is abandoned and lifeless. But while Hankala is abandoned, it is not without protection. The entire complex is covered in traps, defensive magic wards, caged or feral beasts and just about anything one can think of as protection. Hankala has developed a reputation as being a place of great, untapped riches and unspoiled relics that is utterly hostile to outside forces seeking entrance and so thoroughly trapped that trying to claim said riches is nearly suicidal. But for many, this reputation is nothing more than waving the flag of opportunity. Few who enter Hankala come back alive, but those who have typically come back with something worthy of the endeavor. As such, a small transient community has built up in the outermost precinct of the ancient complex (one of the few areas both safe enough to live in and safe enough for locomotive to dock). The little market of Hankala thrives on the sale of just about anything scraped from the old ruins (be they real or counterfeit) and of various crafts made on site. Both the Royal Society and the Custodians have established a presence near Hankala port to study the ruins (though in their own unique ways and for their own goals) and these two factions help support the town in their way.
Azmar is the last prominent port in the Southern Polar Zone and is among the most openly aggressive places in all of Eleusynia. Built in the shadow of Mount Ogar, an ancient volcano (as much as one can exist in the Ethereal Heavens), Azmar sprawls across a mix of swamps, fertile land and frozen and dead crags. Azmar used to (and continues to be) renowned for its spice and tea trade, based in the swamps on the western slopes of Mount Ogar. Over time, the continual flow of Imperials (predominantly renegades and criminal crews) caused the people of Azmar to grow more wary and eventually hostile towards outsiders encroaching on their port and home. Things boiled over when the Imperial Chorstead Company (led by Emory Chorstead) established itself to sell its own products out of the swamp. A series of battles occured before Chorstead, other Imperials and the Azmarian natives came together to has out an arrangement. Imperials would not be allowed outside of select areas of the swamp and green valley but would still be allowed to live in Azmar and profit off of what they grew there. The Chorstead Company would be in charge of main port and dock area with the market of the town located at the juncture of the swamp, valley and frozen fields (and of course Imperials were allowed to sell in the market). In return, Chorstead would help keep unwanted outsiders (Imperial and Eleusynian alike) out of the rest of Azmar. While restrictive, both sides agreed to this arrangement and things between those parties have warmed up significantly since. New outsiders are heavily watched and Chorstead Company men help newcomers to Azmar understand the best way to approach the port that won't cause issues. Those outsiders who do win over Azmarian loyalty will find themselves with die-hard allies in their adventures.

Type

Plane of Existence