Warm Diamond in a Frozen Rough
Hidden away in the unforgiving land of
Barakal lies the strange town of Bal Deakorra. Founded by a group of
Roctane who left Stelwen to worship their god in peace, the town feels out of place in the barren ice sheets. The isolated Feknr people are unwelcoming to outsiders for fear of persecution and interference. Little is known of their culture and practices, making them perhaps
Nostrina's greatest enigma.
History
Founding
To understand the history of Bal Deakorra, one must know what lead to the town's founding. It began in 3962 AE in the Rocturran province of Utek. Within the town of Bal Ronkoll on the southeastern coast, a woman named Cunda Faldain claimed to come into contact with an entity that called itself Deakorra. Most within the town dismissed her as mad or foolish, though some wanted to know more about this supposed entity. Those that joined her became just as fascinated with the mysterious god.
As the months went by, more people joined Cunda's cult of Deakorra, which had begun to alarm some within Bal Ronkoll. Paranoid townsfolk began blaming all their misfortunes on the cult who had been honoring their god in secret. Things reached a breaking point in the winter of 3963 AE when three people were murdered under mysterious circumstances. Townsfolk were instantly suspicious of Cunda's cult before any investigation could be done on the murders. Members of the cult were killed in acts of mob justice in fervent efforts to avenge the murdered. Town officials tried to quell the hysteric mob but found themselves overwhelmed.
Faced with a town full of people out for their throats, Cunda and her followers chose to flee. They believed that nowhere in Stelwen would be safe, so with the help of a skilled mage within the cult; they conducted a ritual that would transport them far away from Utek. In the eyes of the townsfolk, the cult had just suddenly vanished, never to be seen again. Little did they know, Cunda and her followers teleported far to the south to the icy land of Barakal. With the help of magic, the cult created the Warming Obelisk, a magical obelisk that emitted a warming dome in the local area. With a haven established, the cult began building their new home.
The Visitor
Thanks to their secluded location, no one outside Bal Deakorra knew of the Feknr's existence. That was changed in the year 183 2E when a traveling wizard named Padmini Malhotra accidentally teleported into the town when fleeing the domain of the
Aeunta Khalran. At first, Padmini took notes on the strange town she found herself in, believing she was in some undiscovered realm. As she studied the strange town, the Feknr locals watched her from a distance, unsure what to make of the peculiar and unwelcome visitor. When she began trying to make her way into the tunnels below the town, the locals had enough and guided her to a place that would allow her to teleport out of Bal Deakorra.
After returning to her home in Nelakash, Padmini wrote about her findings in the strange town she found herself. Upon bringing her writings to her peers, a hunt was conducted to locate the strange village. The search for the mysterious elven settlement would find nothing until they came across records detailing Cunda's cult in Bal Ronkoll in 190 1E. With a possible lead, Padmini and her colleagues searched the area until they uncovered the ritual site that Cunda and her followers used to flee Stelwen centuries ago. Since uncovering the ritual site, Padmini has dedicated her life to finding the mysterious town she once found herself in all those years ago.
Points of Interest
Warming Obelisk
According to Padmini's writings, at the center of the town was an enchanted stone obelisk that was the source of the warming dome surrounding the settlement. Padmini believes that the obelisk is powered by a source found within the tunnels below the town.
Deakorra Tunnels
During Padmini's unplanned visit to the town, she was able to explore most of the above-ground structures without trouble. Once she reached the entrance to the tunnels, however, the Feknr locals were quick to shoo her away. Padmini believes that something sacred to the cult lies within those tunnels, though others believe that there may be something sinister lurking underground.
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