The Roost and Torgarsford Village
The Roost
Until only a few decades ago, the existence of The Roost was dismissed by most scholars as little more than a traveller's tale. Hidden amongst the hills beyond Kharsten Fen, the city remained concealed for centuries, protected by its remote location and the determination of its inhabitants to avoid the affairs of the outside world. Even today its precise location is known only to a handful of trusted merchants and local rulers. The only approach to the city follows a narrow path through an ancient woodland before descending into a steep gorge whose towering cliffs conceal a pair of immense stone gates. Beyond these gates the landscape opens suddenly into a vast natural basin surrounding a tranquil lake. Carved directly into the sheer rock faces are hundreds of elegant dwellings linked by galleries, bridges and narrow terraces. Graceful arches, delicate carvings and soaring balconies overlook the water below, creating one of the most unusual settlements in Warlderia. The city is home to the Nycter, a small race of bat-like humanoids whose mastery of climbing and flight has shaped every aspect of its design. To outsiders the settlement is known simply as The Roost, though the Nycter themselves politely decline to reveal its true name. Whether this is a matter of tradition, caution or something more mysterious remains unknown.
The Nycter are amongst the most private peoples in Warlderia. Visitors are admitted only under carefully controlled circumstances and are rarely permitted beyond the lower districts. Rather than encourage strangers into the city itself, the Nycter have established a permanent market approximately a mile from the entrance to the gorge, where merchants may trade without disturbing the secluded life of the settlement. The arrangement has proved successful, allowing commerce to flourish whilst preserving the city's isolation. Those fortunate enough to enter The Roost are often struck by its remarkable age. Many of the buildings appear to have stood for centuries with little alteration, their stonework worn smooth by countless generations. Despite this antiquity the city is anything but silent. The air is constantly filled with the high-pitched laughter, conversation and cheerful chatter of the Nycter as they move effortlessly between balconies and bridges suspended high above the lake. Careful observers notice signs that the city has not always enjoyed such peace. High upon the cliffs enormous claw marks scar the stone, whilst several of the upper terraces bear evidence of ancient destruction long since repaired. The Nycter refuse to discuss these wounds, dismissing all questions with polite smiles. Visitors do, however, observe numerous ingenious torsion-powered bolt throwers positioned around the upper cliffs. Resembling oversized scorpions, these weapons remain permanently maintained despite no obvious enemy threatening the city today. Whether they defend against dragons, great flying beasts or some forgotten horror from the past is known only to the Nycter themselves.
Amongst scholars there is a growing belief that The Roost may be one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in eastern Warlderia, surviving not through military strength but through secrecy, caution and a remarkable determination to remain unnoticed by the ambitions of greater powers.
Torgarsford
A short distance from Kharsten Fen, upon the banks of the River Druhlant, lies the small village of Torgarsford. Although modest in size, it has grown steadily through the harvesting and sale of peat cut from the surrounding marshes. This trade provides valuable fuel to many neighbouring settlements and has brought the village a level of prosperity unusual for such an isolated community. Life in the peat fields is far from easy. Every cutting party includes at least one lookout whose sole responsibility is to watch the shifting waters of the fen for signs of danger. Workers have disappeared without warning for generations, dragged beneath the black waters or simply vanishing into the mist without trace. Whether such tales are the work of monstrous creatures, mischievous Fey or simple superstition depends largely upon who is telling the story. The people of Torgarsford rarely concern themselves with such debates. They know only that the fen demands constant vigilance.
Despite the risks, the village has endured through hard work and quiet resilience. Its timber buildings cluster around a sturdy stone bridge spanning the River Druhlant, whilst warehouses filled with drying peat line the riverbank awaiting transport downstream. Travellers are welcomed warmly enough, though most soon notice that few villagers willingly venture into the marsh after sunset, and none do so alone. The proximity of both The Roost and Kharsten Fen has given Torgarsford an importance far beyond its size. Merchants travelling to the Nycter market often spend a night within the village, whilst adventurers use it as the last place of safety before venturing into the dangerous fens or seeking the hidden city beyond the woods.
Amongst the locals there is an old saying: "The Fen takes the careless. The Roost watches the wise."
Few visitors remain long enough to decide whether either half of that warning is true.