A cluster of three villages that encircle the now dormant Ke-Sanwon volcano — Waihu-Jeou, Waiar-Seong and Waicai-Lian. Legend claims Ke-Sanwon is a stairway to heavens, the grave-like temple of the House of Ravens its first step, and the villages mere believers prostrated at its feet.
The villages are splintered by strips of barren stone land and forest enclosures, crossed by fragile high bridges. Journey between the villages is rare, with much of the communicated conducted by... bird. The villages largely sustain themselves through hunting and agriculture, but have experienced deep spells of recent drought and the ‘poisoning’ of their wells with dark, viscous and unpalatable water. Local vegetation is bare and wispy close to the villages, but lush and vibrant in the deep, labyrinthine and inevitably haunted forests.
Frequent visits from official urban dignitaries have accustomed natives to foreigners, but the villagers remain politely reserved and secretive towards their visitors. They harbour a superstitious faith in curses, the dead, pilgrimage and atonement.
All of the villages boast healers, priests, taverns, sites of local governance, merchant stalls and marketplaces. Law enforcement is scant and carried out by civilian and formal police watches.
KE-WAIHU
Originally, Jeou-Waihu. Nearest village to the coastal line and the classical first point of entry to the village circuit. Publicly ruled by a luhien mayoral office, but informally subservient to the influential Hok-Shinn clan — an assembly of dubious tradesmen, outlaws and oily bureaucrats. Many residents of Ke-Waihu believe the other villages — which prevented them from monetising the deforestation of the mountain — are far too radical in their spiritual observance. Ke-Waihu has fallen under the wrathful thrall of spirit foxes, whom they placate with tragic weddings.
KE-WAIAR
First named Waiar-Seong. The second most accessed village, home primarily to woodsmen and huntsmen. A martial residence, facing frequent siege from forest creatures that seem to scent blood on guilty hands. At night, many villagers partly or fully turn into wolves or werewolves and are released into the forest, while Ke-Waiar is gated closed. Several tall trees in the nearby forests have been equipped with rope and tree houses, allowing villagers to find shelter if they're caught out. The villagers appear to show compassion and care to those who bear the lycanthropic curse.
KE-WAICAI
Once known as Waicai-Lian. ‘The first point to godhood.’ The least visited village, only truly welcoming of pilgrims and zealots who wish to ascend to divinity or to the purity required to meet the gods. The villagers of Ke-Waicai are true and faithful worshippers of the mountain and of the House of Ravens. Further details to come.
NOTABLE LOCATIONS
■ House of Ravens: an ancient if ruined temple, home to hundreds of ravens that villagers now feed with human sacrifice, on pain of endless drought and curses. The temple's location is deeply secretive, the route known only to a handful of village elders who take tribute up the trail every season.
■ The Lady’s forests: mist-drenched and prosperous, scaffolding the mountain all the way near to its top. Difficult to navigate, as local spirits and demonic animals inject hallucinations and lure confused travellers deep into the forest — where they become pray to local fauna and crumbled abysses.
■ Witches’ huts: a misnomer for the abodes and trade sites of surgeons and necromancers, who have been pushed to reside and practise their unsavoury arts close to the forest and away from good men.
■ Crossroad of possession: certain crossroads within and outside of villages are considered 'places of misfortune.' They become the gathering sites of beggars, orphans, thieves or of those who believe they are born under unlucky stars and who leave their families to spare them exposure to their bad luck. Inevitable sites of underground networks. Villagers often offer alms to those assembled here.
■ Mouths of hell: hyperbolically-styled deep cracks that serve as entrances into the volcano. Created during the last and final (?) eruption of the sleeping Ke-Sanwon. It is said the entrances transform to match the shape of the latest travellers who entered them and lost their lives to the twisting inner pathways — hence mouths to those whom they have consumed.
■ Fortune fetters: the violently battered ruins of a fortress that once defended the coastline, in between Ke-Waihu and Ke-Waiar. (Largely) blind beggarly priestesses read the fortunes of visitors in snake venom, while hundreds of serpents hiss from inside the walls. Some say beastly creatures, half snake and half men, plague the relics at night.
■ Ancient temples: largely small and ruined, dedicated to troubled spirits of the dead, animal gods, noble heroes and the elements. If it stood still long enough, a villager probably raised it an altar. Common recipients of worship include deities of water, keepers of the mountain, wolves, foxes, gods of agriculture, marital guides and otters.
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ARC III: HOUSE OF RAVENS
A cluster of three villages that encircle the now dormant Ke-Sanwon volcano — Waihu-Jeou, Waiar-Seong and Waicai-Lian. Legend claims Ke-Sanwon is a stairway to heavens, the grave-like temple of the House of Ravens its first step, and the villages mere believers prostrated at its feet.
The villages are splintered by strips of barren stone land and forest enclosures, crossed by fragile high bridges. Journey between the villages is rare, with much of the communicated conducted by... bird. The villages largely sustain themselves through hunting and agriculture, but have experienced deep spells of recent drought and the ‘poisoning’ of their wells with dark, viscous and unpalatable water. Local vegetation is bare and wispy close to the villages, but lush and vibrant in the deep, labyrinthine and inevitably haunted forests.
Frequent visits from official urban dignitaries have accustomed natives to foreigners, but the villagers remain politely reserved and secretive towards their visitors. They harbour a superstitious faith in curses, the dead, pilgrimage and atonement.
All of the villages boast healers, priests, taverns, sites of local governance, merchant stalls and marketplaces. Law enforcement is scant and carried out by civilian and formal police watches.
KE-WAIHU
Originally, Jeou-Waihu. Nearest village to the coastal line and the classical first point of entry to the village circuit. Publicly ruled by a luhien mayoral office, but informally subservient to the influential Hok-Shinn clan — an assembly of dubious tradesmen, outlaws and oily bureaucrats. Many residents of Ke-Waihu believe the other villages — which prevented them from monetising the deforestation of the mountain — are far too radical in their spiritual observance. Ke-Waihu has fallen under the wrathful thrall of spirit foxes, whom they placate with tragic weddings.
KE-WAIAR
First named Waiar-Seong. The second most accessed village, home primarily to woodsmen and huntsmen. A martial residence, facing frequent siege from forest creatures that seem to scent blood on guilty hands. At night, many villagers partly or fully turn into wolves or werewolves and are released into the forest, while Ke-Waiar is gated closed. Several tall trees in the nearby forests have been equipped with rope and tree houses, allowing villagers to find shelter if they're caught out. The villagers appear to show compassion and care to those who bear the lycanthropic curse.
KE-WAICAI
Once known as Waicai-Lian. ‘The first point to godhood.’ The least visited village, only truly welcoming of pilgrims and zealots who wish to ascend to divinity or to the purity required to meet the gods. The villagers of Ke-Waicai are true and faithful worshippers of the mountain and of the House of Ravens. Further details to come.
NOTABLE LOCATIONS
■ The Lady’s forests: mist-drenched and prosperous, scaffolding the mountain all the way near to its top. Difficult to navigate, as local spirits and demonic animals inject hallucinations and lure confused travellers deep into the forest — where they become pray to local fauna and crumbled abysses.
■ Witches’ huts: a misnomer for the abodes and trade sites of surgeons and necromancers, who have been pushed to reside and practise their unsavoury arts close to the forest and away from good men.
■ Crossroad of possession: certain crossroads within and outside of villages are considered 'places of misfortune.' They become the gathering sites of beggars, orphans, thieves or of those who believe they are born under unlucky stars and who leave their families to spare them exposure to their bad luck. Inevitable sites of underground networks. Villagers often offer alms to those assembled here.
■ Mouths of hell: hyperbolically-styled deep cracks that serve as entrances into the volcano. Created during the last and final (?) eruption of the sleeping Ke-Sanwon. It is said the entrances transform to match the shape of the latest travellers who entered them and lost their lives to the twisting inner pathways — hence mouths to those whom they have consumed.
■ Fortune fetters: the violently battered ruins of a fortress that once defended the coastline, in between Ke-Waihu and Ke-Waiar. (Largely) blind beggarly priestesses read the fortunes of visitors in snake venom, while hundreds of serpents hiss from inside the walls. Some say beastly creatures, half snake and half men, plague the relics at night.
■ Ancient temples: largely small and ruined, dedicated to troubled spirits of the dead, animal gods, noble heroes and the elements. If it stood still long enough, a villager probably raised it an altar. Common recipients of worship include deities of water, keepers of the mountain, wolves, foxes, gods of agriculture, marital guides and otters.