Talnest Solrum

Salvation of the Wastes

^{Image credit- Artbreeder}

It might not look much, but out in the Wastes, I swear those walls were the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. They were salvation, pure and simple. I let myself hope again.

A pillar-shaped stone outpost around a day’s flight from Central Nevia, set into a cliff face and repurposed from a ruined cathedral. Built on the most popular route for Talrathi messengers and traders, Talnest intercepts the wounded and fatigued and gives them a place to rest.

Appearance-

Talnest is built for functionality, not beauty- the walls are unadorned stone brick, and the windows have long been boarded up. The ruined cathedral it was built from was meant to also serve as an emergency bunker in the case of an attack, and even as the rest of the town crumbled to dust, the cathedral remained, set into a towering shelf of rock and protected from the vicious storms of the Wastes.
There are few entrances, and the only ground-level door is narrow and sturdy, opened only to those who can prove that they aren't Chatterers. Suspicion saves lives in the Wastes, and an infiltrator cannot be afforded.

Interior-

The interior of Talnest is slightly more ornamented than its exterior, but not by much. A spiraling staircase takes up most of the wall space, supported by thin pillars. The staircase leads to the patient rooms, but is seldom used, only needed by those who can't fly. The thin, cracking pillars supporting it don't inspire much confidence, anyway.
A beautiful floor mosaic is the only remnant of the cathedral's past, cracked and dusty from time. What it is meant to show has been lost, but some like theorizing about what it could have been. A portrait of the Mistress? Of her Knights? Or of another religion altogether?
Another narrow staircase leads to the basement, a sprawling, dank mess of rooms that few can properly navigate. The rooms extend deep into the earth, and no one is brave or foolish enough to explore them fully, only using the rooms closest to the stairway to store food and medication. Stories are told of the things you can find down there, but never too loudly.

Rooms-

The rooms of Talnest are temporary, host to an endless stream of patients. Most Talrathi spend only a few weeks at most recovering, so there are not many opportunities for personal touches. The rooms are small, too, just wide enough for a Talrathi to stretch their wings, and have no beds, just large makeshift nests made of whatever materials can be spared. Only the medics that stay there year-round have variation in their quarters, but they sleep in the basement, not the alcoves.
The most unique feature of the Talrathi rooms are the large double doors set against the far wall, covering the wall completely. They lead directly outside, to a hundred-meter drop and the jagged rocks below, but provide comfort to the Talrathi that sleep next to them. The door at the ground floor is too narrow for their wingspans, and the yawning fall is a promise of escape in the case of an emergency, even if they are not yet healed enough to fly home.
The doors also provide easy ventilation when opened, and even the stray beam of sunlight. They make the flightless staff a bit queasy, though, and they don't like going near them even when they're closed.

Significance and History-

Since Talnest was discovered and rebuilt, Talrathi death rates in the Wastes have plummeted. Unexpected injuries or fatigue used to be death sentences, as Nevia was still a long day's flight away, and home was even further. But with Talnest, not all is hopeless.
Because of this, Talnest was a huge leap in consolidating friendly relationships between Central Nevia and the Talrathi, as Nevians were the ones to build it. Talrathi are generally unmoved by most shows of favor, but the genuine effort to help their kind touched their hearts, and communication efforts at Talnest have resulted in better mutual understanding and respect between the two species.
In a world where Talrathi are the only ones fully free to roam between cities, able to fly over the lethal wasteland that is the Wastes, this closer allyship has been vital for trade between Central Nevia and other cities, and are part of the reason it is considered such an economic powerhouse.

Population-

Most of Talnest's population is temporary, consisting of Talrathi patients that stay for only a few weeks on average. However, there are a few dozen constant inhabitants, usually medics, that stay there almost all the time.
Some Talrathi, remembering the kindness done to them, choose to pay it forward and help with supplies, making rounds from Talnest to Nevia and back again to drop off food and medication. They are vital to Talnest’s success, as Nevians would take over a week to travel to and from Central Nevia, even if they survived.
Though Talnest is intended for Talrathi, other species occasionally pop up. Stranded groups of travelers, Wasplings, even Wildlings may seek shelter there, admitted on the clause that they cause no harm. Though offering aid to these species is not the ground-breaking deed that it was for the Talrathi, Talnest is regarded warmly by all, and does not have to compete with other groups for territory. Invading a building full of Talrathi isn't a very good idea anyway, injured or not.

What is Talnest made out of?

Talnest is built out of the same dark grey stone that comprises all of the Cold Wastes, and blends in with the rock around it seamlessly. However, it is tall enough to catch the eye, and the lights burning near the top of the pillar give it away. 

Threats to Talnest

Talnest's biggest threat are Chatterers, the monsters of the Wastes. Talnest is not built close enough to the poles to avoid them, and so many living things in once place is bound to catch their attention eventually. Much of Talnest is behind thick stone walls because of this.