The Lady of the Vast

Purpose / Function

This huge statue serves three major functions. First, she stands as an approximate halfway point for those seeking to cross the enormous desert region that stretches between the Illeros and the Sillarum mountains, a distance of over 1000 miles/1600 kilometers. Second, it marks the edge of the Kuhl border. Third, it houses a secret cache of supplies for slaves fleeing Kuhl for the relative shelter of skeyll territory.

Alterations

A hollow has been dug out beneath the foot the statue balances upon and covered again with a stone. The stone is almost impossible to see unless the viewer is standing behind the statue. On close examination of the stone, the Kuhl word for 'free' is etched lightly into one side. Inside the hollow is a cache of supplies including water, dried foods, bed rolls, clothes, and several sets of keys that may remove manacles from the wrists of some slaves who had no way of removing them before fleeing.

Architecture

The Lady of the Vast is a fifty foot tall statue carved from a single towering outcropping of red stone into the likeness of dancing woman. She is dressed in loose clothing that reveals most of her upper body, shoulders, arms, and calves. A sash is drawn over her shoulders and attached to bands around her wrists. Real, albeit huge, metal coins hang from the sash by thick chains. A few of the chains have broken from weathering, the coins resting at the statue's slipper-covered feet. The Lady holds her hands aloft and slightly cupped, as though she were clapping along to a long dead beat, while she rests the toes of one foot on the ground and balances on the ball of her other foot, clearly dancing to the beat she's keeping. Her lovely face is framed by long hair braided and decorated with simple jewelry. The harsh desert sand and wind have yet to chafe away the small, but vivacious smile she is possibly most known for.

History

It is no longer known who carved the Lady of the Vast or when, but explorers have discovered other remnants of a culture that once thrived in the desert nearby. It is commonly believed she was a monument of some kind when her people were still around. Since then, she has simply become a famous if remote landmark.

RUINED STRUCTURE
Unknown

Alternative Names

The Last Free Woman

Type

Statue