Sorcery's Crest

Nestled in the bold and statuesque mountains of Mists, Sorcery's Crest is almost solely composed of Mount Konstantin; the tallest and largest single mountain on the isle. Formerly Breath soaked mountains that peak the center of the isle are host to a number of peculiar mountain dwelling animals and a few stubborn plants that have found a way to grow along the side of the stone face or the rocky soil at the foot. Dangerous as they are stubborn, the perils of the undeveloped sides of Konstantin are many, gleaning creatures from its surrounding lordships Gryphon's Reach, Dark Waters and Midnight Lagoon, and are preserved to remain that way, though they are carefully watched.

The side of Konstantin that houses a number of the small families that tend to Arcanum's Zenith is known as the Community of Delphian, homes carved into the side of the mountain and carefully maintained by earth mages and a mingling of Guardian and Draughtian ingenuity. No new homes have been constructed in centuries, however.

At the foot of the mountain there lays a pass through the mountain range that travels through Gryphon's Reach and Midnight Lagoon called Arcanum's Rift, a small village sitting at the foot of Konstantin in the pass mostly composed of an inn, a few small homes belonging to craftsment and reclusive magely practitioners and some active adventurers and wildlife component gatherers.

Housing is an ordeal. The ruins of Arcanum's Zenith is not an occupied village, not even by the Lording family, though it is cleaned daily and has its own guard and visitors, and many of the sitting rooms are used by those who work there. Arcanum's Zenith is used only as housing for duelists and their personal parties.

The novel idea of building housing into the mountain was adopted soon after the discovery of the Pavilion and the establishment of the Lordship. The homes of those who work at Arcanum's Zenith and the Pavilion speckle down the side of the mountain, carved into the face, the lording family's home the nearest to the top. Water is supplied via a number of magical mountain springs that are carefully filtered by water mages, and rainwater that is caught and stored in large, stone basins in the mountain and works through gravity-based plumbing to fountains on cliff structures.

So not to cause any structural damage to the mountain itself, building is severely watched and codes, plans, warding and reinforcement (both magical and non from Guardian and Draught) is ardently adhered to. In fact, requesting a new built home these days is unheard of and small expansions are only tolerated on a must needed basis. There is great care in choosing the location of homes, and much of the building still remains on the outside of the mountains, on cliffs and flats, which provides an interesting and sometimes daunting chore for architects and the earth mages they work with.

It is whispered that the 'Manor' that remains to the Lording Family has underground passages into the mountain itself which lead to just about anywhere your heart may desire, but these are simply unfounded rumors at best and conspiracy theories by obsessive loons at worst.

For the purpose of magical advancement, whether it be in the realm of theory, experimentation or otherwise, the few inhabitable places in this small mountain range are always warded and reinforced to a ridiculous degree. Magical mishaps are expected at a high rate and respectful and wary of their unusual homeland, they strive to do as little damage as possible to the area by taking extreme preventative measures. Workshops are often built outside the mountain home on a cliff or flat, or even at the very base of the mountain, in a house in the pass if dangerous enough.

A mysterious place discovered on top of Mount Konstantin, and the reason for the existence of the Lordship Sorcery's Crest. Outfitted with a small community of buildings known as Arcanum's Zenith that looks over the surrounding lands, it hums with innate magics that are guided and guarded carefully by those that watch over the area.

At one time, all official duels that occurred in Mist were bound by law to take place here, now, it is only required that all duels with some political or social importance. It is still open to the public and any who may wish to use it certainly may, under the watchful eye of the Overseer of the Pavilion, Lord Sorcery's Crest. All Grand Duels involving nobles or the High Council occur here.

For the rules, traditions and rites surrounding dueling at the Pavilion, see Magical Duels.

The People here are not sublimely wealthy, but due to hard work and (mostly) honorable achievements, they have won what wealth they do have, regardless of the sacrifice or social ambiguity it may cost them. Many citizens who remain here have to wear many hats just to survive. Which is why your baggage boy is also your tour guide who is working on a master thesis on the uses of gryphon feathers in wind magic and in the winter, teaches first year beginners at the Academy.

Almost everything about Sorcery's Crest stands as a testament to honor, study, achievement and hard work--Symbols more than hard wares. Surrounded by lands rich in resources, Sorcery's Crest barely houses a handful of families other than the ruling one, and even then, many of those not required to stay travel elsewhere once they're able. This would make the number one export from the Crest being mages themselves, albeit a very small export. The rest being so rare that often times a ware that is said to be from the Crest is dismissed and the merchant discredited as being either a cheat or an un-savvy businessman.

There is a certain amount of coin passed on to those who live at the Crest purely because of the need to provide shelter, entertainment and food to travelers and spectators to duels (guest housing is provided on the living face of Konstantin for actual competitors).

Tavern owners do well in the base of the mountain, though there really are only two of any note. One is found in the meeting point of Gryphon's Reach, Midnight Lagoon and Sorcery's Crest, nestled in the hills at the foot of the mountain in a pass called 'Arcanum's Rift', which draws a more upscale patronage. A more questionable establishment simply called 'The Scullery Bucket' stands out just over the boarder near Dark Waters. Transportation mages who offer their services to offer gates of passage up the mountain are also a well-used skill, however, even this is not reliable coin as they are subject to just how many seek the Pavilion.

Avid students of magic advancement of knowledge, magical prowess and study, knowledge and discovery does turn in a bit of coin from investors and grants from the Academy, no few people from the Crest become investigators, professors or somehow working for the Magisterium, sending coin and goods back home to family. There have been a great number of master theologists that came from the Crest or have come /to/ the Crest from other places about the isle.

Due to the preservation of much of the mountain as a habitat for flora and fauna, there are some components harvested here, though they are very rare and are usually based off of the natural wildlife, which could be both dangerous to gather and also take time for the particular beast to produce. Annual skin, horn or feather molts are carefully observed by those willing to harvest them. Mining is not tolerated from Mount Konstatin, as it weakens the structure of the mountain, though, the small surrounding mountains are allowed surface mining with a special permit from the Lord, producing a few semi-precious stones.

Other forms of unofficial coin may be won by offering 'tour guides' or people trying to pass themselves off as transportation mages or scryers who claim they can show thrill seeking souls where the nearest cave belonging to a Legendary Creature of Lore may be.

Beyond what may be considered a boring existence, living on a mountain and working six jobs at various parts of the season just to get by, the morale of many citizens who choose to remain in Sorcery's Crest is quite good. Those who are discontent with their place in life often simply move to one of the surrounding lordships, so those that remain behind are fairly content with their lot in life and can in many cases, trace their roots all the way back to the founding of Sorcery's Crest.

Because of the small population, most people are in one way or another related to one another, though it seems to matter very little as Mists is not a largely family-based isle, there are exceptions to this rule as many friends don't even acknowledge that they are related. Old friends could be cousins, siblings or even, due to the staggered way generations fit together, a great uncle may be a similar age to their niece, or a first cousin to their own without ever really acknowledging it.

This creates the interesting dilemma of remembering who is who's cousin, sister in law, uncle and so forth when it comes to marriages. Thankfully, breeding aged children are encouraged to travel outside of the Crest to find suitable spouses. How often this actually happens...well.

There is, however, a herald that remains as part of the lording family's household who does keep very precise records to try to manage inbreeding and carefully monitor when a family needs to breed outside the isle. Often, a child's family will receive a letter sealed with red wax and a sprawling tree upon a child's thirteenth birthday stating just what generation that child is, their lineage and their advisement whether or not the child should seek a spouse from another isle or lordship.

Nearly all people here are well-learned, unless they came from another portion of Mists. Lessons in reading, writing and figures are not difficult to procure, nor are lessons in magic or dueling. The Warden of the Crest, Malcom Usher, is known to give private and public training in his off time, as are other notable figures of the community.

Their unknown numbers are a ragtag group of people that largely keep to themselves and only come into one of the small villages to trade for supplies, presumably living near or in the smaller mountains and passes. How sane, how safe and how these souls are regarded in general is questionable at the very least and often assumed to die off more often than not.

Socially, to take a cue from the ruling family, the people who live on the face of the mountain and work at Arcanum's Zenith are very warm, gregarious and rather quirky in their own ways. While most of their visitors are opposing forces locked and set to duel, they couldn't be happier to have them there.

Those in the passes, like Arcanum's Rift, are a bit more suspicious of people. Travelers and large groups who are not there for the Pavilion are looked upon with some suspicion and wariness, until they stay for long enough and prove their mettle. Protective of their community and at times victim to bandits, their paranoia is well-founded. Once sure of someone's intentions, they warm immediately.

These people are masters of taking a turnip and making it feed ten people. Small, humble community festivals are lavish in their own way, reusing everything and anything they are able to, they're a crafty bunch and family heirlooms are plentiful, passed from generation to generation. The Montaigus are especially noted to be very mindful of their personal effects and fond of parties and social gatherings, making them infamous for doing things to cut corners, like taking one dress from a party, tailoring it in another manner, adding an embellishment and turning it into a whole new garment. High Maintenance on a Poor Man's salary.

Elemental Birds
Drake
Dragonet
Will-o'-wisp
Few Gryphons
Basilisk
Miniature Cockatrice
Peryton
Horned Agamid