Abermore

Abermore is a vibrant city nestled at the foot of the majestic Joramy volcano, renowned for its stunning architecture and intricate political dynamics. Its streets are alive with bustling markets, colorful clothiers, and passionate practitioners of various Brazen faiths. But beneath the Dawnfire Capital’s picturesque surface lies a web of intrigue, smuggling, cults, and most of all the ever growing religious tension.

Battlemaps set in this location

Castle Jordel and the Malignatist's Court

The city is home to the impressive white-stone Castle Jordel, towering beyond the reach of ordinary non-magical engineering and nestled in the shadow of the volcanic mountain to its northernmost battlement. Here reign the Five Crowns, serving as the center of Dawnfire's senate branch, known as the Malignatist's Court.

The court is composed of 15 sitting members, each representing a distinct group of people within Dawnfire. Notable members include a captured daemon representing the unholy Sulfrix Legion, a dragon whose master is the primordial dragon Rox'Razareem, and an efreeti who embodies the desires of the elementals common to Dawnfire.

The Five Crowns

170 years ago, Dawnfire was divided into five kingdoms, perpetually at war with one another. The crowns united during the Redvalley Massacre when a portal to the Plane of Fire was torn open by a terrask. The combined might of all five armies was required to subdue the creature, and from that moment on, each kingdom took its turn ruling over the nation.

Each royal family possesses a unique rulership style and assumes the Grand Throne for a ten-year term, after which they step down. The rotation is as follows:

  1. Dal - Rule by Compassion

  2. Skarbak - Rule by Faith

  3. Balvoeen - Rule with Power

  4. Midwinter - Rule for Profit

  5. Alisar - Rule with Innovation

Every decade, the culture of Dawnfire adjusts to reflect the personality of its High Crown. This system has maintained peace in Dawnfire for the last two generations.

The Church of Light

The city is built at the foot of a volcano called Joramy, named after and worshipped as the goddess herself. At the center of its caldera stands a massive stone statue, casting its shadow over the entire capital. Its base rises from the heart of the volcano, making it visible from every corner of the city. The lowest level of this statue houses the center of the Church of Light.

The Light Shepherds also serve the Church, but in a more unique capacity. These pyromancers, who call themselves Consecrationists, follow in the footsteps of the Church's leader and Exalt. They refuse to wield divine magic, choosing instead to honor their goddess by studying the arcane, just as the Exalt did.

Fulcrum Accent

The Fulcrum accent is an idealistic adobe housing area, characterized by its countless staircases and switchback roads. Flowering hanging gardens adorn the buildings, and a stunning central clocktower, nearly consumed by climbing vines, stands as a focal point of the community.

Fulcrum is a beautiful, sleepy area of Abermore, where narrow roadways and alleys are densely packed with shops and restaurants, creating a vibrant atmosphere filled with life and color.

Sacred Forge

K'astur is perhaps, behind the Exalt himself, the most complicated figure in Dawnfire's government. As the representative of the Skarbak Crown, he assumes kingship every ten years in Abermore. However, when he isn’t performing his duties as ruler, he is seldom seen. This is because his primary drive and divine mission is to forge the Aberfoils. K'astur is the unscrupulous master smith who, using the very rare ingots of Joren found only in the volcano at the city's center, crafts these divine weapons.

Only 20 of these blades have ever been created, and only 10 of those were crafted by K'astur himself. The secret of their creation is a zealously guarded mystery known only to the royal families, the Grand Light, the Grand Torch, and K'astur himself. Despite this closely held secret, an entire district adjacent to the active lava flows of the sacred volcano is dedicated to K'astur's forge.

The birth of K'astur is perhaps the most complex aspect of his identity. He is the child of the primordial of fire and the goddess Joremy herself. His existence as a half-deva, half-primordial places him at the center of the conflict between his mother’s divine chosen Exalt and his father’s champion, the primordial dragon Rox'Razareem. This precarious position in the midst of such strife is one K'astur has been wholly unprepared for and reluctant to accept.

Around the City

Crown Walk
The roadway leading from the Greatbridge and Fulcrum Accent into the castle courtyard. It is the most expensive, well-kept, and heavily traversed part of Abermore City.

Abermore Plaza
serves as the center of trade in the city. Two-story buildings line the streets, densely packed with shops and vendors. This westernmost portion of Abermore is a hub of commerce, facilitating much of the trade and traffic in and out of Dawnfire.

Under-Road
Located beneath the three massive bridges that connect Fulcrum Accent across the Southern Chasm Valley to the Agrakata Ashlands, Under-Road is the center of smuggling into and out of Dawnfire. It connects to the river to the east and the city's sewer system.

Barzendel Keep
Overlooking Lowside and the city's entrance, Barzendel Keep serves as the stronghold of the Crusade of Fire. It houses a standing army capable of defending the city, including paladins, clerics, ballistae, and a small flight of riding drakes. However, Barzendel's forces are at a minimum, as the bulk of Dawnfire’s soldiers are either marching with the Crusade or defending the Cinderwall to the far south.

Lowside
Lowside is the cheapest and oldest area of the city, earning its reputation as the blue-collar district due to its proximity to the farmlands and Agrakata. While not a slum, the area is overcrowded, with a small portion of bold individuals living in tent cities.

Three Arch
The population center and middle portion of the city, named for the massive red bridge that spans the homes of Abermore. Its large pillars create three archways leading to the base of the Joramy Volcano. It is believed that should the volcano ever erupt, it would be seen as divine judgment. Consequently, no walls were built to shield the people; instead, archways were constructed to allow the lava to flow freely. The bridge serves as a place of prayer, with many walking along its length to pray to the statue and the volcano.

CULTURE

Rulership

Events

Turmoil

Abermore’s Unique Fashion Landscape

Abermore has a complex relationship with clothing, where color holds significant political meaning. This has created a vast market for apparel, making the clothier Kashmiri an extremely wealthy and influential figure in the Abermore Plaza district.

Three Arch District

The Three Arch District is home to the majority of the city's populace, as well as many churches. The practitioners of these faiths often create passionate scenes that can be quite dramatic, much to the bemusement of the locals.

Bastardfoils

Bastardfoils are unfinished, broken, or otherwise unfit weapons that are smuggled out of the K'astur Forge and sold in the Under-Road. These items are extremely dangerous to wield, as they have a tendency to corrupt and darken their owner's soul. Possession of a bastardfoil is illegal and can result in a life sentence.

Marble Statues

In recent nights, marble statues have begun to appear all over the city. They seem to weigh thousands of pounds, making them nearly immovable. Most unsettlingly, they radiate an aura that nullifies magic. The Conclave faction is currently investigating these mysterious occurrences.