Kirsha, City of Mercy
Once there was Kirsha, a bright place for solace in the harsh desert. Welcoming to all who braved the searing sun, where shadow and darkness were synonymous with safety and comfort instead of fear and danger. Now there are nothing but silent sands and terrible monsters which thrive on those foolish enough to chase legends.The Lost Empire of Ortega had eight great cities across western Erisdaire, each built around a singular concept and purpose. Kirsha was settled within the Kiroan Desert, and expanded rapidly thanks to an unusual source of water which was harnessed by the mystics. Over time, the city became built around a singular structure made from sandstone and channels of water flowing through the streets. The mystics thus established the city as a shelter inside the harsh desert, and in its time pilgrims would travel there to seek solace from the 'Mirror of Kirsha'.
However, when Ortega fell the city became lost in a massive sandstorm which also stirred up many deep horrors of the desert. Attempts to locate the city failed, leading to the conclusion it was completely destroyed in the cataclysm which ended the Lost Empire. In the generations which followed, Kirsha's existence steadily became merely a story, then a myth about a city in the sands. This became conflated with the existence of the hidden tiefling city of Akara Moloch, and as such many stories about Kirsha now are misremembered as being about that city.
History
WARNING: This section is heavy with spoilers. Do not read if you are playing in my campaigns and wish to remain innocent!
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The Ortegan mystics were always looking for ways to exploit new magical arts they developed, to innovate further with what they had taken from 'theoretical' to 'practical'. After this process worked in regards to harnessing pure expressions of elemental aspects, there were a small number of mystics who wanted to adapt it for something on a larger scale. Some of those traveled to the northeastern mountains and founded what would become Ravali, while others took a seemingly innocuous Kiroan oasis and changed it into a plentiful spring of life-giving water. Kirsha thus began as a small collection of mystics and their followers merely proving it was a practical application of their magic. Once the enchantments proved stable enough, planning for a city began. Over the time the city's foundations were being built, a peculiar aspect of the manipulated water became noticed. Those who drank it were relieved of fatigue, revitalized beyond the simple effects of a refreshing drink. Experimentation soon followed, and it was determined to be a property of whatever spring fed the oasis - and now the harnessed elemental water feature had inherited this trait. The founding mystics thus made plans to explore the potential refinements which could be made to this special water.
Travel through the empire was never quite safe outside many of the settled lands, but the desert was much more hazardous than most other regions, which meant the respite present in Kirsha was welcome. Since the desert was a harsh and unforgiving landscape, and there was a notable increase in the number of travelers headed to Kirsha, the mystics gave permission for some of their defenders to train others. These special guides could lead others through the desert safely to and from the city, boasting a near-total success rate after their first batch of trainees were finished. These guides chose to wear loose and lightweight linen clothing dyed to blend into the sand, and specialized in knowing how to find dangers and avoid them before any misfortune could befall their charges. After the first year of their operation, they became known by the moniker 'Kirshan Sand Foxes', and the traditions of these guides survived the fall of Ortega.
Thus the city became prosperous, trading various necessary supplies for safe passage, until such time as they could expand the city to provide their own necessities. Those who were not mystics learned various trades to support the city, such as how to use desert sand to create a stone-like material to build with or how to cultivate food in the desert. Kirsha was the southern-most settlement of Ortega for many years after its construction, but within a generation it supported many efforts to expand into the southern jungle. The types of people coming to Kirsha changed from explorers and cartographers to settlers, and then to caravans carrying supplies for new towns.
The mystics, as was usual, became secluded within their own building and were focused on their experimentation. It was not for a few years their efforts had a tangible representation in a liquid which was refined from the unusual water - something they called 'panacea'. This draught, when applied regularly, caused symptoms of most diseases to become suppressed and in time the disease itself would become cured. Experimentation with this aspect had been kept secret until it was certain the effects were not merely temporary, and now Kirsha became a place to which many people traveled seeking healing. The mystics thus became forced to train others to take care of these patients, so they could return to experimentation on the water and panacea. As keeping with a thematic name adopted by the desert guides, the leader of these healers became known as 'the Mother Vixen' to the patients and pilgrims, despite repeated attempts to brush off the title. (This was attributed to the Sand Foxes finding it too amusing to avoid referencing, which was taken for more than a joke by pilgrims over the years.) After the fall of Ortega, healers from the region became folded into the same reference to 'Sand Foxes', and with time the two traditions merged and unified to perform many of the same duties.
In the final years of the Ortegan Empire, Kirsha had become known more for the pilgrimage of the sick and needy than the experiment which had led to its establishment. The way of life in Kirsha left a legacy of desert nomads who understand the desert and its dangers, and a few healing treatments which survived the loss of the miraculous water which was once plentiful through the region.
Travel through the empire was never quite safe outside many of the settled lands, but the desert was much more hazardous than most other regions, which meant the respite present in Kirsha was welcome. Since the desert was a harsh and unforgiving landscape, and there was a notable increase in the number of travelers headed to Kirsha, the mystics gave permission for some of their defenders to train others. These special guides could lead others through the desert safely to and from the city, boasting a near-total success rate after their first batch of trainees were finished. These guides chose to wear loose and lightweight linen clothing dyed to blend into the sand, and specialized in knowing how to find dangers and avoid them before any misfortune could befall their charges. After the first year of their operation, they became known by the moniker 'Kirshan Sand Foxes', and the traditions of these guides survived the fall of Ortega.
Thus the city became prosperous, trading various necessary supplies for safe passage, until such time as they could expand the city to provide their own necessities. Those who were not mystics learned various trades to support the city, such as how to use desert sand to create a stone-like material to build with or how to cultivate food in the desert. Kirsha was the southern-most settlement of Ortega for many years after its construction, but within a generation it supported many efforts to expand into the southern jungle. The types of people coming to Kirsha changed from explorers and cartographers to settlers, and then to caravans carrying supplies for new towns.
The mystics, as was usual, became secluded within their own building and were focused on their experimentation. It was not for a few years their efforts had a tangible representation in a liquid which was refined from the unusual water - something they called 'panacea'. This draught, when applied regularly, caused symptoms of most diseases to become suppressed and in time the disease itself would become cured. Experimentation with this aspect had been kept secret until it was certain the effects were not merely temporary, and now Kirsha became a place to which many people traveled seeking healing. The mystics thus became forced to train others to take care of these patients, so they could return to experimentation on the water and panacea. As keeping with a thematic name adopted by the desert guides, the leader of these healers became known as 'the Mother Vixen' to the patients and pilgrims, despite repeated attempts to brush off the title. (This was attributed to the Sand Foxes finding it too amusing to avoid referencing, which was taken for more than a joke by pilgrims over the years.) After the fall of Ortega, healers from the region became folded into the same reference to 'Sand Foxes', and with time the two traditions merged and unified to perform many of the same duties.
In the final years of the Ortegan Empire, Kirsha had become known more for the pilgrimage of the sick and needy than the experiment which had led to its establishment. The way of life in Kirsha left a legacy of desert nomads who understand the desert and its dangers, and a few healing treatments which survived the loss of the miraculous water which was once plentiful through the region.
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