Selache, the Drowned Court
Selaché is the hauntingly beautiful capital of the Nightmarrow Isles—an eerie, semi-submerged city clinging to the edge of the Eldertide Deep. Home to 9,873 living, undead, and dream-struck inhabitants, Selaché serves as the spiritual, political, and economic heart of Nightmarrow. The city blends decayed elegance with otherworldly splendor: obsidian towers rise from drowned plazas, bioluminescent kelp sways from every archway, and phosphorescent mist veils its narrow alleys.
Ritual and reverence pulse through its daily life—Selaché is as much a holy site as it is a city. At its core lies the flooded cathedral where Queen Selene Umbra communes with gods no longer bound to mortal time.
Demographics
Selaché is a city where the veil between life and death is thin, and the people live by tidal rhythms and whispered prophecy.
- Population Makeup: A blend of humans, wraith-touched, drowned undead, fey-descended, and hybrid forms. Many are moonbound cultists or dream-priests.
- Language & Rites: Most speak Low Dracon and a regional dialect infused with ritual chants. Worship and necromantic tradition shape daily routine.
- Social Order: The ruling class is composed of priestesses, necromancers, and those chosen in dream rites. All owe fealty to Queen Selene Umbra.
Defences
Selaché’s defenses are equal parts arcane and maritime.
- Tide Wards: Magical runes along the reef that repel most conventional naval attacks.
- The Drowned Host: Undead guardians who rise from the harbor depths when called by bells from the Drowned Moon Cathedral.
- Fogveil Sentinels: Wraithlike creatures that patrol the skies and waters during moonless nights.
Points of interest
- The Drowned Moon Cathedral:
A semi-submerged temple-palace of coral spires and moonstone. Here, Queen Selene rules and communes with the Drowned Pantheon. The cathedral glows from within, its flooded nave reflecting sacred lunar tides. - The Siren’s Port:
Selaché’s vital harbor, filled with whispering sails and haunted ships. It serves as the primary gateway for merchants, pilgrims, and spies from the rest of the Noctavian Empire. Fog wards and spectral moorings protect the port. - Moonveil Tower:
A thin, spiraling structure of petrified bone and starlit glass. This is the seat of the Dream-Scribes, a circle of seers who interpret omens from dreams and drowned souls. Its bells toll only when a god weeps or a ruler dies. - The Salt-Husk Market:
A labyrinthine market built into the exposed ribcage of a dead sea leviathan. Here, ghost-touched goods, forbidden relics, moon-charmed trinkets, and soul-bound scrolls are traded alongside mundane items. - Temple of the Tidelocked Eye:
The religious center for public rites, smaller than the cathedral but older and more accessible. Worshipers offer tokens, blood, and dreams to the sea.
Architecture
Built on coral-encrusted foundations and ancient sea temples, Selaché spreads across a crescent-shaped bay. Much of the city is partially submerged, and gondolas, kelp-driven rafts, and trained sea beasts are used alongside traditional streets.
- The Upper Heights: Elevated terraces and towers of dark stone that remain above water year-round. This is where most trade and formal governance take place.
- The Half-Drowned Districts: These lower areas are tide-swept, with buildings adapted to flooding. Here, necromantic workshops, spirit markets, and dream-feeders thrive.
- The Gloomwater Canals: A winding network of dark waterways connecting neighborhoods, often patrolled by moon-masked wardens.
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