Mournstead
Mournstead (RZD: Gorest Mezd, ABY: Salashor) is an ancient settlement that was long abandoned by its original inhabitants by the time Winterbourne was founded.
It was one of the first settlements to be incorporated into the expanding city, and is thus also one of the oldest boroughs.
Name
The Merchant Pidgin name Mournstead is a rough translations of the original Abyssan name Salashor (pronounced /s̪ɑɾɑʃʌʀ/), which more literally means "place of mournful devotion". The Razdunan name Gorest Mezd (pronounced /ɡɔɾəst mɜzd/) has a very similar meaning. The word gorest can mean both "grief, mourning", "fever, delirium", and "sacrificial pyre". It's also related to razgorestak, meaning "zealot", via the latter two. Whether the correlation between the Abyssan and modern names are coincidence is hard to say with any certainty. The fact the old name is even remembered, and at times still used, points to the modern names being actual translations.History
According to the Fleet Archives, Salashor was a place of religious significance to its Abyssan inhabitants, with shrines to the machine gods and monuments commemorating their lost home in Abyss. It was abandoned around the time Sun-Dweller seized control of the planet.The pre-Razdunan history of the borough can only be surmised by its current inhabitants from what little evidence remains. Buildings resembling modern temples in layout, albeit not in architecture, hint at the settlement's religious nature. Others resemble burial monuments, but all are empty. A ruined tower, still higher than most other buildings in the city, remains a mystery. Ancient machinery, some of it still running and fulfilling some obscure purpose, can still be found in the Undercity. Mournstead has always been a refuge from the revenant plague. The current outbreak is not the first of its kind, and still no revenant dares set foot into Salashor, turned away at the border as if by an invisible barrier. Even though the Sunforged only ever had mixed success fighting these outbreaks, they could never discover the reason for Mournstead's defenses, considering the mere research into the matter heretical.
Notable Locations
Broken Spire
The Broken Spire (Ozorig Bashtak) is a large, ruined tower at the center of Mournstead. Devoid of furniture and any other clear indication to its former purpose, it sits mostly abandoned. Few dare go there, as it's claimed to be haunted. Its basement holds a number of the ancient machines that are still functional.Garen's Well
Garen's Well (Kolda Garenen) is an ancient well in an out-of-the-way courtyard. Its water source is unknown, though it's always clean, and some consider it blessed for that reason. How it got its name, and after who or what it was named, is uncertain, as several legends exist.Gloom Way
The Gloom Way (Temak Dorgha) is a street cast in permanent shadow from the surrounding high buildings, hence its name. It's notoriously cold and damp, often shrouded in fog, but also one of the largest streets in the borough.Knife's Edge
The Knife's Edge (Peronu Rez) is a notorious tavern frequented by a wide variety of patrons, though it's safe to say that most are not of the law-abiding kind. Brawls are frequent, but the Watch is rarely seen in the area.Low Street
A long, narrow street in the lower parts of the borough, Low Street (Nizig Shegrest) is home to numerous shops, taverns, and other establishments.Scribe's Yard
The Scribe's Yard (Sluganu Dvar) is a large courtyard. It was named for the predominant buildings and professions found around it: A library, clerk's offices, and the like.Thief's Passage
The Thief's Passage (Kradeynu Shegrest) is a narrow, covered passageway, flanked by pillars, running under buildings and connecting to alleyways. Its original name and purpose are no longer known, and while it serves not only criminals, it is a favored route for them.Zealot's Shame
A mostly subterranean quarter within Mournstead, Zealot's Shame (Razgorestaku Padanye) was named for its former purpose as a prison for heretics, false prophets, and disgraced Sunforged. Most of its involuntary inhabitants were deemed too dangerous for imprisonment with less fervent heretics, let alone for rehabilitation.
Alternative Name(s)
Gorest Mezd, Salashor
Inhabitant Demonym
Salashorian(s)
Location under