Unrest & Authority
Beyond the Cities
In outlying settlements, protection is uncertain. A fort may keep a road open for years, then lose its garrison when soldiers are needed elsewhere. Farmers and traders must continue using the route.
Ebstone’s abandoned workings and struggling villages show what happens when industry declines and support withdraws. People remain attached to homes their families have occupied for generations, even as earning a living becomes harder.
The Ebstone PeninsulaThe Gildreach Burns
Goruk raids have reached the farms of Gildenrun, bringing fire and violence into land on which the Gildreach depends. For rural families, the conflict arrives at their fields and homes.
The loss of farms threatens livelihoods well beyond the places attacked. News travels between settlements alongside merchants and refugees, while communities wait to learn whether help is coming.
Public Punishment
Cages stand in squares and beside gates, placing prisoners where neighbours and travellers must pass them. Punishment forms part of public life, alongside markets, religious gatherings and ordinary business.
In Sarnath, an inspector’s involvement means the Black Keep has taken a direct interest. Silas Graves investigates some of the city’s most sensitive deaths, working under the pressure of its rising body count. People brought into such inquiries must answer to officials whose authority is difficult to challenge.
Marshall Square