Lough Lord
"No crown weighs heavier than the one reflected in these waters." -Common saying among the nobility of Opulence
Lough Lord, a vast and imposing freshwater lake, is the lifeblood of Opulence and one of Everwealth’s most crucial trade arteries. Fed by the southeastern fork of the Snaketongue River, it serves as a natural defensive barrier, a bustling hub of commerce, and a deep well of history tied irrevocably to the kingdom’s rise. The lake’s placid surface belies the hidden currents that have swallowed countless vessels, its depths home to the bones of both kings and commoners alike. Stretching across central Everwealth, Lough Lord is a place of wealth, war, and whispered secrets. Merchant barges laden with gold and grain cross its waters, while smuggler skiffs vanish into its fog-heavy inlets, evading the watchful eyes of Opulence’s patrol ships. The lake's deep blue expanse is a monument to Everwealth’s prosperity, yet its history is stained with betrayal, shipwrecks, and spectral tales of those who never made it across.
Geography
Lough Lord sprawls across the central reaches of Everwealth, approximately 500 miles from the Katharan borderlands, its waters forming a vast inland sea surrounded by rolling hills, fertile farmland, and the towering walls of Opulence itself. The Snaketongue River feeds into it from the north, carving a path through the heartland before emptying into its waters. The lake extends for miles in all directions, serving as a central hub for riverine trade between the inland territories and the capital. The northern shore is a chaotic mass of piers, shipyards, and docks, dominated by the Golden Crescent, Opulence’s grand maritime hub. To the west, the land slopes into dense forests, where hidden inlets and marshlands offer ample cover for smugglers and bandit flotillas. The southeastern banks, lined with noble estates and fishing villages, are more stable, hosting well-maintained ports and patrolled waterways. Despite its wealth of resources and importance to the kingdom’s infrastructure, Lough Lord remains unpredictable. Heavy fog often rolls across its surface, concealing vessels and distorting distances. Sudden storms churn its waters into a frenzied tempest, sending the unprepared to a watery grave.
Ecosystem
The waters of Lough Lord teem with life, sustaining a delicate yet thriving ecosystem. Beneath the waves, vast shoals of Gilded Pike and Everwealth Sturgeon provide a staple of the region’s fishing industry, their scales shimmering like silver under the moonlight. In deeper waters, Depth Snappers, enormous, eel-like predators, lurk beneath the lake’s surface, hunting anything unfortunate enough to drift too far from the shallows. Along the lake’s fringes, the rich soil nourishes Lordsgrass, a golden reed used for crafting textiles and medicinal poultices. The surrounding forests hold an abundance of King’s Ivy, a magickally resilient vine said to have grown from the final resting place of an ancient ruler. Waterfowl, including the elusive Mooncrest Heron, make their home along its banks, their presence regarded as an omen of fortune, or impending disaster, depending on whom you ask. Yet for all its bounty, the lake has its horrors. The deeper recesses are rumored to be home to creatures beyond mortal understanding. Sailors speak in hushed tones of black silhouettes moving beneath the waves, their shapes too large, too wrong to belong to any known fish. Whether these are mere myths or remnants of forgotten nightmares, few dare to explore the abyssal reaches of Lough Lord.
Ecosystem Cycles
Unlike the steady, predictable seasons of Everwealth’s rivers and farmland, Lough Lord operates under its own enigmatic cycles. The fish migrate erratically, their movements dictated by unseen forces rather than seasonal changes. The fog, too, shifts seemingly without pattern, some years it clings to the lake for weeks on end, while in others, it vanishes entirely. Storms are frequent, particularly in late autumn, when the temperature changes create violent clashes of wind and water. This season, known among sailors as the Drowning Month, is marked by an increase in shipwrecks and disappearances. Despite the dangers, it is also the most lucrative time for fishermen, as the turbulence stirs the lake’s richest catches to the surface. The surrounding forests also play their part in the lake’s cycles. Each spring, the King’s Ivy blooms along the shoreline, its purple flowers releasing a faintly luminescent pollen that drifts across the water like fireflies. This phenomenon, known as the Crown’s Bloom, is celebrated with feasts and festivals in Opulence, though many claim the lake’s spectral apparitions are most active during this time.
Localized Phenomena
- The Drowned Court - A collection of ruined stone formations submerged beneath the lake, rumored to be the remains of an ancient palace swallowed by the waters.
- The Crown’s Bloom - A seasonal phenomenon in which the surrounding flora releases glowing spores over the lake, creating a breathtaking display.
- The Fog of Kings - Thick, eerie mists that can persist for weeks, obscuring entire fleets and leaving captains stranded within an endless gray void.
- The Singing Depths - Strange, melodic sounds that echo from beneath the waves during certain nights, attributed to either magickal resonance, or something calling from below.
Climate
Lough Lord exists in a temperate climate, with mild summers and cold winters. The lake’s sheer size influences local weather patterns, drawing frequent rainfall and mist. During winter, the northern edges of the lake often freeze, though the deeper waters remain unfrozen, sustaining fishing and trade even in the harshest months. The lake’s fog is its most defining atmospheric feature, a near-constant presence that rises with the dawn and lingers until midday. It shrouds the waters in an eerie silence, muting sound and distorting distance, a treacherous hazard for the untrained, but a boon for those who know how to navigate its depths unseen.
Fauna & Flora
Natural Resources
Lough Lord provides a wealth of resources to Everwealth, though access to its bounty is tightly controlled by Opulence’s governing factions. The lake's fisheries yield abundant supplies of sturgeon, trout, and pike, while its deep waters house deposits of freshwater pearls, often harvested under the supervision of noble-owned ventures. The surrounding wetlands produce high-quality reeds used in weaving and papermaking, while the river-fed lowlands supply nutrient-rich silt that enriches the nearby farmland. The forests bordering the lake provide lumber, though deforestation is carefully regulated to prevent disruption to the lake’s natural balance. Salt deposits, left behind by ancient inland seas, are occasionally extracted from the surrounding cliffs, providing a lucrative but labor-intensive resource. Additionally, the lakebed’s mineral-rich soil is sought after by alchemists, who believe it holds traces of arcane residue from long-forgotten relics that may have once been submerged beneath its waves.
History
Lough Lord has shaped the fate of Everwealth since the earliest days of its settlement. Though its waters predate recorded history, the lake has been the site of countless naval battles, political exiles, and disappearances, many of which remain unexplained. Some scholars speculate that Lough Lord’s formation was a consequence of the Schism’s catastrophic reshaping of the land, though there is little evidence to support this beyond the unnatural cliffs that border portions of its northern reaches. What is undeniable, however, is its importance: the lake has always been a stronghold of power, a liquid highway connecting the inland territories to Opulence’s sprawling dominion.
Tourism
The waters of Lough Lord are more valued for industry than serenity. However, nobles often take pleasure barges along its calmer shores, hosting lavish feasts and theatrical performances upon the water. Religious pilgrims travel to the Drowned Court, believing it to be the remnants of an ancient, god-touched city. For the superstitious, ghost stories and whispered warnings of the lake’s depths make it a place of both reverence and unease. Sailors, merchants, and smugglers alike pay their respects when crossing its waters, because whether real or imagined, the lake is always watching.
Alternative Name(s)
'The Crown’s Reflection', 'The Veiled Depths', 'The Kingmaker’s Wake'.
Inhabiting Species
Comments