| The Black Spires of Ne'ghul |
| The Black Spires of Ne'ghul: In the Northeastern corner of the planet B'raxis lies a mountain range which once seperated the peaceful kingdoms of Starthra from the invading enemies of the Northern Expanse. The mountains themselves form a formidable barrier to keep out the invaders, their sheer surfaces rising thousands of feet upwards provide an impenetrable barrier for large forces to move through. There is one pass through the mountain range large enough to move vast troops through, , this is where Khayman, Valiant of the Akhayee, has chosen to place his fortress keep. He has made his ghoul hordes carve the massive citadel out of the surface of the great black onyx mountains, leaving his Garou and Gangrel soldiers to guard and roam the Northern forest outside the great gates. The massive black hewn stone fortress divides the path from its Eastern edge some 2000 feet across to the Western side. There are Twin walls made of 100 feet thick black onyx that rise 200 feet into the air, with an enormous 40 feet thick, 50 feet high wrought iron door tempered black from the forges. The surface on the exterior of the great walls has been polished to provide a smooth non climable surface as archers turrets and oil troughs have been designed into its defensive aspects. Inside the massive entryways are stone monoliths, sentient guardians of the gates, watching over the entrance with huge axes and swords, their strength is nearly unfathomable as they close and bar the gates with but a mental command from the Akhayee Valiant. The huge iron bar they place into slots to secure the door from intruders would require an army of men to close. Once inside the great walls a vast courtyard stretches out covering 1000 feet from east to west and 5000 feet from north to south between the great walls. The floor of the courtyard is made of the same onyx as the walls as gardeners plant trees and various other plants into prearranged areas in which topsoil has been placed. Pools of fresh water have been channeled down into the courtyard from the Southern face of the mountains snow caped peaks, a constant water source for those inside the fortress walls. Twin black spires jut upwards from what one would assume is the base of the massive fortress... 50 feet thick are the onyx stones at its base as it rises nearly 1000 feet towards the heavens its top stones being 20 feet thick. These Eastern and Western spires have a single doorway made of 30 feet thick, 25 feet high wrought iron which face the center of the courtyard, the surface as smooth as that of the exterior walls. Upon entry of either tower one will notice a central spiral staircase, doubtless many other stairwells must exist as well, which leads upwards to the top of each spire, it also descends from the floor into a vast expanse of sublevels which connect the two towers together allowing for easy unhindered troop movements. This makes the true size of the citadel unknown to outside observers. Within these vast sublevels lay many hidden secrets such as but not limited to: At least 2 arboriums full of gardens and farm animals to feed his vast ghoul armies, underground freshwater springs to provide a constant water source for them as well, vast treasuries, armories, and sleeping facilities for his soldiers. There are also hidden rooms such as science laboratories, alchemical labs, occult libraries, arcane weaponsmiths and armor forges, and hidden rooms for the tremere conclave and Akhayee themselves to conduct their dark rituals. It is even rumored that a small portal to hell may even exist in the vast undergrounds of this keep. Built upon a Caern of power all spells of Garou are at 200% power, all Kindred spells are at 170 %, and all mage spells are at 150% in this portion of the realm of Starthra. Khayman himself resides in the Eastern spire with several of his off spring, the Western spire has been given to ruin after the death of his daughter Raven and disapperance of her husband. The great forests on the Northern and Southern sides of the great walls are vast and truly expansive... these he has given to his Garou Ronin to guard with their own vast armies of Garou and Gangrel soldiers. On the Southern slopes of the mountain range, in the valley below the twin spired citadel, several commonwealth representatives of the realm of Starthra have begun constuction of a small city, Dravel, this should give way to trade routes and business expansion between the Akhayee kingdom and the other kingdoms of Terra Sol. Inside the ornate citadel are lavish fineries, oil paintings by the masters themselves, fine furntiures, exquisite bedrooms lavished with ornate draperies, kitchens stocked full of fine china and magnificent cookery as well as full wine cellars of rare and exotic vintages <each bottle contains some of Khaymans blood in it.> All of this makes the citadel one of the most comfortable places in which to reside, even the guards are lavished with finery, as are all of his troops... the finest equipment and rooms are provided for them and as one moves up the ranks one gets better equipment. This land was a gift to Khayman from the Magi-Prince of Starthra, Drythar_Starthra, and Khayman has sworn to keep it safe. Yet as time shifted so to did the lands of Starthra until, with the seeming demise of the Starthra Alliance and the absentia of the Magi- Prince Drythar, Khayman planar shifted his kingdom to the new realm of Terra Sol. Now it stands amidst the resplendant grace of Terra Sol, in the Northern Lands of B'raxis a reminder of the greatness of Starthra and a dark beacon for the future of Terra Sol. |
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