Glimmerfalls

Perched on the edge of the Onyx Mountains, Glimmerfalls is a city with a storied past that stretches across centuries, shrouded in both myth and history. Its towering cliffs and cascading waterfalls, sparkling in the light like a shower of gems, gave the city its name and have made it a place of natural wonder. Not far from the city lies the mysterious land of the Mirajin, a realm that remains steeped in myth, with few ever daring to venture there. Glimmerfalls, with its strategic location and abundant natural beauty, has long been a coveted place of power, but no figure is more central to its history than Icaghor, the infamous adventurer-turned-conqueror.
Icaghor’s First Reign (pre-1138 PE): In his early years as an adventurer, Icaghor roamed the lands, seeking both glory and the secrets hidden within the ancient mountains. It was during these journeys that he first laid claim to Glimmerfalls, a city already well-established but lacking unified leadership. Icaghor, with his bold charisma and unparalleled tactical skill, took the city without bloodshed, becoming known as the Master of Glimmerfalls. He ruled with a light hand, focused more on exploration and discovery than governance, and the people of the city admired him for his wisdom and strength.
However, Icaghor was never one to remain in one place for long. The call of adventure drew him elsewhere, and he eventually left Glimmerfalls behind, setting his sights on the Tath River Delta, where he would later found the Tatharian Regnum. His departure from Glimmerfalls was not bitter; he left the city in the care of local leaders who continued to honor his legacy, though they ruled more for their own benefit than the city's. Over the centuries, Glimmerfalls continued to thrive, though without a strong central authority, it became a place of divided loyalties and growing tensions among rival factions.
Icaghor’s Return in 1138 PE: After centuries of ruling in the Tath River Delta, Icaghor returned to Glimmerfalls in 1138 PE, now a seasoned ruler and military tactician, having led the Tatharian Regnum through numerous conflicts. He returned not as the wandering adventurer, but as the master tactician, seeking to reclaim the city that had once been his. Yet his return was not met with the same admiration. During his absence, the city had grown independent, and its ruling elites had no interest in relinquishing control to a figure they saw as ancient history.
The resistance was immediate and fierce. The city's ruling families, along with mercenaries and other forces, united to fight against Icaghor, believing they could protect their home from the old conqueror. But they underestimated his strategic brilliance. Icaghor, backed by soldiers from Tatharia and centuries of accumulated experience, quickly laid siege to the city. The battle was swift but brutal. He used the mountainous terrain to his advantage, cutting off supply lines and outmaneuvering the defenders. Within weeks, Glimmerfalls was his once more, though the cost of resistance left scars on the city and its people.
After reestablishing himself as the Master of Glimmerfalls, Icaghor implemented several reforms. He consolidated power, dismantling the corrupt ruling families, and introduced governance that aligned more closely with his vision of a unified empire. Despite the violent conquest, he quickly turned to building peace, fostering a culture of renewal and healing. The city would become known not for its war-torn past, but for its tranquil present.
The Era of Peace and Respite: In the modern Tatharian Empire, Glimmerfalls stands as a testament to the wisdom of Icaghor’s rule and the grandeur of the empire he helped forge. Over Time, the city has transformed into a sanctuary of peace, with its natural beauty becoming a symbol of the Empire’s more serene aspects. It is here that Empress Naram-Sin and her family retreat when courtly life in Tatharia Capitolina becomes too demanding. The city, surrounded by mist from the waterfalls and the towering peaks of the Onyx Mountains, offers a quiet refuge far from the intrigues of the imperial court.
At the heart of Glimmerfalls stands the famous Temple of Lunumbra, dedicated to the silvery shield of the goddess Alessandra. The temple, perched at the very edge of the cliffs overlooking the waterfalls, is a place of great spiritual significance. It is said that in the moonlight, the temple itself glows with a silvery light, as if touched by Lunumbra’s divine essence. Pilgrims from across the Empire come to pray for protection and guidance beneath the Moon’s soft glow, and it is a favored retreat of Empress Naram-Sin herself, who is said to find solace in the temple’s quiet halls.
Today, Glimmerfalls is not just a city, but a symbol—a place where history and legend intertwine, and where the power of the Tatharian Empire meets the enduring beauty of nature. From its tumultuous past to its peaceful present, Glimmerfalls remains a jewel of the Empire, a place where the echoes of Icaghor’s conquests are softened by the sound of the ever-falling waters.

Defences

Given its role as a favored retreat for Empress Naram-Sin and the imperial family, Glimmerfalls is not only a place of natural beauty but also a critical stronghold for the protection of Tatharia’s most powerful rulers. While its outward appearance as a peaceful sanctuary remains intact, beneath this calm surface lies a network of formidable defenses designed to safeguard the imperial family and preserve the tranquility of the city.

1. The Natural Fortress: The Onyx Mountains

   The city’s location on the precipice of the Onyx Mountains serves as its first and most obvious defense. The towering cliffs, combined with the jagged mountain ranges surrounding the city, make any large-scale attack or invasion a logistical nightmare. Steep, narrow paths lead to the city, and many of these can be easily controlled or blocked if needed. Any invading force would face dangerous terrain before even reaching the city's outer limits.
   The high elevation also allows for unparalleled sightlines across the region. Watchtowers, built along the peaks, are manned by skilled rangers, descendants of Icaghor’s original scouts, who can spot threats from miles away and signal the city of incoming danger long before an enemy arrives.



2. The Waterfall Bastion

   The famous waterfalls of Glimmerfalls are more than just a scenic feature—they are a key element of the city’s defenses. The city’s engineers, under Icaghor’s direction during his second reign, constructed intricate sluice gates and channels within the cliffs, which can redirect the flow of the waterfalls at a moment’s notice. These channels allow defenders to flood certain paths or create temporary moats around the city’s vulnerable points. In times of great threat, the waterfalls themselves can be weaponized, sending torrents of water crashing down onto any forces attempting to approach from below.
   Additionally, a system of underground reservoirs, fed by the waterfalls, ensures that the city has a constant supply of fresh water, even in the event of a siege. This makes Glimmerfalls extremely difficult to starve out or force into submission through prolonged blockades.



3. The Walls of Glimmerstone

   The city’s architecture, built into and from the very stone of the Onyx Mountains, makes use of a rare material called Glimmerstone—a mineral with natural reflective and refractive properties, mined from deep within the mountains. This stone has been used to construct the outer walls and key defensive structures, creating surfaces that not only gleam in the sunlight but also have a unique property when imbued with Magic. When activated, the Glimmerstone can reflect or absorb certain types of magical energy, making it difficult for invaders to breach the city using magical assaults.
   The Glimmerstone Walls are also equipped with strategically placed ballistae, capable of repelling both ground-based and aerial threats. These ranged defenses can launch projectiles imbued with Aetherite-enhanced explosive runes, ensuring that even dragons or airships would struggle to approach the city unchallenged.



4. The Imperial Guard: The Silver Phalanx

   To defend the imperial family directly, a special division of elite soldiers known as the Silver Phalanx is permanently stationed in Glimmerfalls. The Silver Phalanx is renowned across the Empire for their loyalty, discipline, and mastery of both martial and magical combat. Clad in armor forged from Adamantine and enchanted with Aetherite, these soldiers are nearly impervious to physical attacks and possess heightened resistance to magical assaults.
   Trained to defend both Empress Naram-Sin and her family at all costs, the Silver Phalanx can be deployed rapidly to any part of the city via enchanted pathways and teleportation circles hidden beneath the streets. The guards are also highly skilled in defensive formations and are capable of holding strategic chokepoints throughout the city. They are trained to work in tandem with other Tatharian forces and each member of the Imperial Family's personal bodyguards.



5. The Temple of Lunumbra’s Sacred Ward

   At the heart of Glimmerfalls stands the Temple of Lunumbra, and while it is primarily a place of worship, it also serves a protective role. The priests and priestesses of Lunumbra maintain a powerful Sacred Ward over the city, a divine shield of lunar magic that can be summoned in times of need. This ward, blessed by Lunumbra herself, envelops the city in a protective barrier that shields it from dark magic and prevents hostile entities from entering.
   The Sacred Ward is strongest during the full Moon, when the power of Lunumbra is at its peak, but even at its weakest, it provides a formidable defense against magical infiltration. The ward also bolsters the city’s defenses, making the soldiers of the Silver Phalanx and the city’s inhabitants more resistant to fear and mind-altering spells. The temple itself, positioned at the highest point of the city, is the central focus of this defense, and its priests are trained not only in healing but in the art of defensive magic as well.



6. The Aetherite Conduit System (ACS)

   As in Mosshall, the Aetherite Conduit System runs beneath Glimmerfalls, powering much of the city's infrastructure. In Glimmerfalls, however, the ACS has been adapted for defensive purposes as well. Hidden in key points along the city’s walls and in certain strategic locations are devices that can channel raw Aetherite energy into powerful defensive spells. In times of crisis, these conduits can generate defensive wards, energy shields, or even offensive blasts of arcane force to repel attackers.
   The Aetherite Conduits are carefully guarded by a special branch of engineers and arcane technicians who ensure that the system is maintained and can be activated on short notice. These technicians are also responsible for keeping the system in balance, ensuring that the magical energy flowing through the city does not interfere with the natural flow of the waterfalls or the Glimmerstone structures.

Table of Contents

Founding Date

349

Type

City

Location under

Eoperax

Owning Organization

Tatharian Empire

Related Materials

• Glimmerstone