Mount Highshield
Epithet: The Wolfram Kingdom[edit]
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Type | Nation |
| Status | Active |
| Established | ??? |
| Areas | Capital |
| Organizations | Monarchy Champions of Rane Ando Order |
| Religion | Ando Order |
Introduction[edit]
Mount Highshield is the self-proclaimed favored city of Delta, the Kingmaker. It's said that Delta once attended to this kingdom above all others, fending off even Helios of Ash to preserve his people. And while the families here have lived for around a thousand years, none extend beyond the last Convergence that occurred a millennia ago. What makes Highshield so unique, though, isn't such a mundane truth; instead, it's that Delta's persistent replanting of this once-village, now-city has caused a lineage of thousands upon thousands of years of scripts, texts, and instructions to persist beyond the deaths of generations with each Convergence.
Much about Highshield is still wreathed in mystery to outsiders, though. The mountaincity is infamously xenophobic, wary of the entry of those that weren't born within their mighty walls. This is because, given the aforementioned texts which they view as sacred, the world should have encountered apocalypse- Convergence- hundreds of years past. Thus, any who might bring with them strange knowledge or oddities in general might well bring with them the foretold end of days as well, leading many to outright shun them in fear of death or worse. The more we learn, though, the more we understand just why Highshield is so adept at bouncing back every time it's fallen.
Backstory[edit]
Long ago, Delta set about the delaying of Convergence. This was ultimately in vain, for even all Spirits together might struggle to do so... However, he discovered that while Convergence itself cannot be interrupted so simply, equipping humans with the knowledge and strength required to survive or even thrive within the conditions of said Convergence is far easier and in some cases far more successful. Highshield, sitting upon the greatest mountain peak on Rhyst, is thus his grandest achievement.
In their first days, Delta told the founders of Highshield of magic, how to cast it, and how to teach others to do so as well. The first generation was weak, meager, and unable to survive. But their children, their children's children, and so on- they fought back. They challenged the might of the Void and Faewild, and while their village was stormed eventually by the monsters and soldiers of both planar realms, what was left was the knowledge required to skip the first steps. Upon its rebuilding past this initial Convergence, Highshield had already discovered the relics of their predecessors.
They, unlike said predecessors, understood magic. Their children knew it better than them, and their grandchildren doubly so. This effect compounded over hundreds of years until stragglers managed to survive the waves of invaders and pass on their know-how directly to the next Highshield settlement. Over millennia, this practice was labeled sacred- while Convergence was deemed criminal, a condemnation of human existence. And in time, the city itself began to survive. At first, their buildings and walls fell... Then, only their walls. Eventually, it was no more than a war, barely an apocalypse at all.
Now, after a delayed Convergence, the city is split. Some believe this is recompense, as if perhaps their survival was "winning" an endless war. Others believe that it's merely taking more time to build up, resulting in an apocalypse of greater magnitude than anything experienced before. In recent times, though, with the most recent Convergence coming to pass, many of Mount Highshield have taken up arms. They have more power now than ever before to fight back, and many believe they might be the most viable defense against the forces of the Void and Faewild. They are a weapon, honed over millennia.
The Rane Monarchy[edit]
Mount Highshield has always been ruled by a monarch. In every age, even in their histories spoken of before the Empire of Iségrad or the Realm of Arlandria had so much as found their lands settled, the island chain of towering mountains has been home to the longest surviving dynasty known to mortals. Though their xenophobic tendencies have made their histories hard to learn, recent interactions with other nations has allowed outsiders a peek into the past, and now both rumor and fact has spread. Where Iségrad has found power in progression and Arlandria in expansionism and community, Mount Highshield’s people believe wholeheartedly in the ability of their king to lead them into the future.
The Ando Order[edit]
While Highshield holds dominion over most of the Aurumtine Mountains, the peaks are recognized as the home to the monks that belong to the Ando Order. While Mount Highshield preaches faith and loyalty to their king and country, the monks are separated from this ideology and seek enlightenment and mastery of their spellcraft through other means. They are considered masters of evocation and some of the most formidable fighters in the world. Through understanding themselves they are capable of feats that most would require a blade or a mage’s focus to accomplish.
Modern History[edit]
In 1003, A champion of Mount Highshield named Labyrs the Woodsman would be sent to Sarea under the order of Delta to aid against the Convergence, specifically against the Faewild assault on Sylva.
Afterword[edit]
We aren't exactly sure why Highshield is so adept at fighting back the Void and Faewild, but some believe that they've crystalized a new school of magic over those thousands of years that's uniquely powerful in the art of channeling Rhystian energy. The rare traveler that manages to visit and return speaks of "Evocation", empowered by the "brilliance of Rhyst". Whether this is just a souped-up version of Arcane magic or something more is as of yet uncertain.
Trivia[edit]
General[edit]
Some believe Highshield has been abandoned by Delta, while others believe he's merely achieved his goal and thus needs no further intervention.
Highshield is built upon a now-dormant volcano. The mountain range itself is enormous, very difficult to traverse, and several hundred miles off the coast of Kal Azul.
Churches and worship in general are extraordinarily prevalent in Highshield. The standing military and the religious are one in the same, having merged some centuries ago.
Credit[edit]
Roomyrooms https://forum.verdict.dev/showthread.php?tid=1249