Necropolis
Major Settlements
The Necropolis
At the mouth of the river Couros lies Bastion’s shadowed twin, a mausoleum in black marble. Built in the ruins of Pharos - the first Highborn settlement was destroyed in the Patrician war – the tombs have spread to encompass almost all the old ruins. Scattered throughout the ruins are mausoleums built to house the Highborn dead. To many Highborn it is as if the city itself has been entombed, its memory preserved in the house of the dead.
The Necropolis holds the bodies of the Empire’s heroes, along with the Imperial Histories, guarded eternally by the Stewards of the Dead. The legendary mausoleum has become the final resting place of almost every Emperor and Empress. In death, all Highborn desire to be lain to rest here, amongst the heroes of the past, where the Stewards of the Dead watch eternally over their silent graves. It is a tremendous honour for heroes of other Imperial Nations to be offered a final resting place alongside them. Those who would be heroes know that granite – and the words placed upon it – will endure long after their flesh has faded.
Minor Settlements
Crown’s Quay
Once a small fishing village called Westport, Crown’s Quay became notable as the preferred port for those wishing to travel to Anvil, and its docks were rebuilt by the Military council in the early days of Empire. Legend also says that it was the place the three sisters, the founders of the Brass Coast, took ship.
Hedra
A trading port. Here League and Brass Coast ships arrive with produce from as far afield as the Marches. Their goods are transferred to wagons or river-boats to get to Bastion and beyond. Has a great rivalry with Cargo in Urizen.
Sanctuary
Where funeral boats land their cargo of the dead. From all over Empire, great heroes take their final journey to Sanctuary and then are carried along the steep cliffside trail to the Necropolis.
Places of Interest
The Shrine of Britta
A beautiful white granite shrine honouring the Empress Britta was constructed in early 377YE. While the body of the Empress was interred in the swamps of Kallaveasa, her accouterments were placed in the shrine. An eternal flame burns in a paved courtyard in front of the memorial, which serves as a place of pilgimage for those wishing to pay their respects or meditate on the lessons of Britta's reign and death. The Guardian of Britta's Shrine watches over the memorial, and receives a stipend of liao as well as voting power in the Imperial Synod.