Thorns is a city in the Scavenger Lands which has been conquered by Mask of Winters, creating a massive shadowland.
History[]
Thorns was once one of the great cities of Creation, rivaling its neighbors like Nexus, Lookshy and Great Forks in size and power. It was known as a center of arts and culture, and its people valued beauty and excellence in all things.[1]
The Autocrat of Thorns submitted to the authority of the Scarlet Empress almost as soon as she took power, making the city a key foothold for the Realm in the Scavenger Lands. However, Thorns produced few soldiers, and contributed little to the Realm's wars on the region. In RY 748, when the old Autocrat died, agents of the Realm interfered with the succession: they helped the his younger son take the throne in exchange for the promise of increased military cooperation. The new Autocrat immediately began preparing the city for war, and in RY 750 launched an attach on the Confederation of Rivers, in the name of "civilizing" the "barbarian" cities.[1][2]
In the early stages of this war, Thorns struggled with an under-trained and inexperienced command structure, and were easily resisted by the Seventh Legion and professional mercenary forces hired by the Confederation. In RY 754, however, the army of Thorns laid siege to Mishaka, hoping to draw Confederation forces onto a battlefield of their choosing. The resulting Battle of Mishaka was brutal on both sides, and though Thorns and their Dragon-blooded allies inflicted heavy losses, in the end they were driven from the field. While no treaties were signed, the war was clearly over; Thorns was too exhausted to fight on.[2]
Back home, the city teetered on the brink of civil war, and only the support of the Realm kept the Autocrat on the throne.[1][3] Years of infighting and simmering tension further weakened the city's defenses, leaving it ripe for invasion. In RY 764, the Mask of Winters brought an army of the undead to Thorns and easily swept into the city, transforming it into a vast shadowland.[4]
Geography[]
Thorns lies on a natural harbor on the southern coast of the Scavenger Lands. Mask of Winters' living fortress, the Juggernaut, rests to the south of the city proper. The sheer force of necromantic energy utilized in the invasion destroyed the region's dragon lines, collapsing manses and rapidly breeding a spreading shadowland. Strange pools of Abyssal Essence form in the area, and can mutate the living into undead monsters through over-exposure.
Shroudvaunt District, in the center of the city, is the seat of the government and the face put forward to powerful visitors. Austere black marble buildings and iron statues of Mask of Winters fill the area, and the air is heavy with potpurri and incense to mask the smell of decay. The Autocrat's palace is located here, as is the Twilight Amphitheatre, a beautiful concert hall designed by Mask of Winters himself which serves as part of his propaganda apparatus.
Aspir Haven, the dockside district, has become the seat of a military-industrial complex, though a few more traditional dockside amenities still exist for visiting travelers. Most of the heavy labor is now done by zombies, though they still require human overseers.
The remainder of the city is now known simply as Legacy, and serves as warehousing for the mortals Mask of Winters has no immediate use for. Those who try to escape are executed, and any other troublemakers are confined in Shackle Maw Prison, a former hospital that converts its prisoners into zombies for the labor force. [5]
Undercity[]
Thorns lies deeper into the Underworld than most shadowlands, and its sewers and catacombs have partially merged with the Labyrinth. This Undercity is full of its share of dangers, including undead monsters and tainted Essence radiation, but it is also generally free of Mask of Winter's direct domination.[6] The safer portions are home to secret Immaculate shrines, black markets, and resistance cells, but also regular citizens trying to eke out a slightly less desperate existence.
The Seven-Tiered Sanctuary is a den of vice located in the Undercity, run by a beautiful man named Silken Laughter. He is an absolutely amoral bandit-lord, but he also cooperates with the resistance; he uses strange magic and has been known to fight a death knight to a draw. [7]
Occupied Thorns[]
Government[]
Mask of Winters allows Thorns the pretense of self-govenrment, and there is a large living bureaucracy in place to attend to the day-to-day operations of the city. The dead Autocrat still sits on his throne, an iron crown sewn to his head, animated by necromatic puppetry to occasionally make some dramatic announcement.
Mask of Winters' primary agent in the city is the Unrepentant Soldier, a nemissary who inhabits a body crafted from twenty Dragon-Blooded warriors who attempted to defend Thorns from the initial undead assault. He is "advised" by Wisdom Whispered, a mortal thaumaturge who assisted in the invasion in exchange for power.[8] Other advisors are Stern Ashakawa, a soldier eager for conquest, and Senoske Malcom, a mystic who fully believes that harmony between the living and the dead is possible.[9]
Lilia, the late Autocrat's wife, has been reduced to a concubine of Wisdom Whispers, but she and a few of the old administration secretly work withing the palace to undermine Mask of Winters and aid the resistance.[10]
Military[]
Ghosts and zombies make up a significant part of Mask of Winters' army, but not all of it. The mortal army of Thorns was absorbed into its forces, and additional troops have been drafted to fill out their ranks. The Thornguard are mortal soldiers trained by Abyssal Exalted to serve as Mask of Winters' elite troops and secret police.[11] Unlike the mortals drafted into his service, the Thornguard are fanatical in their loyalty and have rejected any shred of human compassion.[12]
The most powerful weapon in Mask of Winters' armory is the Juggernaut, a prehistoric titan on which he has built his citadel.[13]
Religion[]
The Mask of Winters has imposed an ancestor cult on the remaining living residents of Thorns, forcing them to pray to the dead. Hower, a number of Immaculate monks survived the initial invasion, and form a key part of the resistance. [14] Rumor has it that Mask of Winters seized the City Father of Thorns and impaled him on a spike to feed the growing shadowland over the region.[6]