Gardens of High Chalcis

History

Said to contain every kind of flower, fruit and herb in the known world, this walled sanctuary was once a haven of tranquillity and the study of the healing arts. While much of the gardens were given over to the study of healing herbs, it was also maintained as a conservatory where examples of plants brought from all over the world were cultivated and studied. When High Chalcis fell to the Druj in 367YE, the gardens were been gutted and enslaved Highborn forced to toil to produce herbs and poisons for use by the barbarian invaders.

The Stone Toad orcs built a great fortification out of the town which they called Urith Barath. When the liberation began in earnest in 379YE, the orcs withdrew into their citadel and sealed the gates, fighting a slow war of attrition against Imperial forces. The citadel finally fell in Autumn 379YE, and shortly after the remaining Stone Toad forces were routed. The fortificaiton was largely destroyed in the process, but the gardens survived - albeit in a form unrecognizable to the former gardeners.

Distasteful as it is to admit, the Empire was able to learn several lessons from the study of Druj herb lore. Indeed, investigation of the Stone Toad gardens has already lead directly to the development of new potions such as Black Star and Sorrow's Mask. The people of Peakedge Stead in Therunin expressed a particular interest in making Chalcis Mount flower again. As well as Highborn exiles eager to return home, the move was supported by Navarr who wished to express their gratitude to the Highborn following their role in the defense of the steading when the Druj attempted to invade the territory from Reikos.

In Summer 380YE, the Highborn Civillian Commissioner Rhesa of the Scions of Ravensfell commissioned the re-establishment of the gardens. Work was finally completed shortly before the Winter Solstice 380YE.

Great Work

The Gardens of High Chalcis are a great work. Each season, they create a bounty of herbs that is distributed equally between every herb garden resource in Reikos owned by a Highborn character who attended the previous event.