Csillasgrad

A distant reflection of the jagged peaks of the Csordani Ridge across the water, the stone steeples and cathedral spires of an ancient city cast long shadows over the surroundings. It looms over the black-water shores of the Csillasloch, with lantern-lit docks and clusters of harbored houseboats that stretch out from the city like luminous roots. Bustling harbors line the loch, but the streets of the city have a haunted and cavernous nature to them. Old stone streets that weave between refurbished churches and now-empty mausoleums, paved over undercity crofts from ages long past.
Csillasgrad is the capital of the Eastmark and one of the larger cities in the Valedori Empire. While just as old as Dvaros or Valedor, it is the most preserved and intact of any city today. It wears its age with an imposing pride, with cathedrals and manors dating back to long before The Breaking. These old relics make Csillasgrad not only a place of interest for scholars of the Miridian Archive, but also the subject of religious discovery and reformation - which has led to the overwhelming presence of the Church of Saint Azrael, and its conflict with some of the other Churches of the Saints in the area.

WHY PEOPLE COME HERE

Outside of the handfuls of church missionaries and traveling scholars who come to the city for research, the true draw of Csillasgrad is its agricultural importance to the entire Imperial Fractals. The city on the loch is the largest and most-reliable source of fish in the known world. Here at the mouth of the Verseras River, the Csillasloch is filled with wildlife that draws the work of hundreds of fishers in service of the Fisher’s Guild. The sprawling harbors of Csillasgrad are large enough to be their own small village, with neighborhoods of moored houseboats filling the spaces between the piers with glowing lantern light.
This significant and unique trade also brings a supporting craftsmanship of woodworking in a way that can’t be found elsewhere. The construction of water-faring boats, rather than Skyships, is a rare skill that is vital to the work around the city. With nearby logging from the Accorsa Crossroads and Grey's Mooring across the water, Csillasgrad has become a nexus of talent for woodworking and construction - driven by the Shipwright’s Guild, but carried into the Cartmakers Guild and other businesses.
These trades as a whole make the markets of Csillasgrad an eclectic sight, well-worth visiting for travelers and merchants alike - whether the sprawling Floating Market of the Csillasloch harbor, or the shops of the now-emptied burial crypts of Mausoleum Row and the guild hall of the Old Stone Society.

PEOPLE WHO ARE FROM HERE

Csillasgrad is a city of old families, many which have called this region home since the Age of Darkness and the rule of the Vampire Lord Markov Ambrose. With this comes tradition and wealth, established so resolutely that it is difficult to find the more exclusive work or trade without the favor of one of the families.
It goes without saying that people of Csillasgrad are inherently religious - though the nature of their faith is layered. The uncovered buildings of worship to the Saints have wound religion into the core of those who live here - however many of the old churches were once devoted to the Church of Saint Gauwin, before the discovery of Saint Desvelas the Lucidious and the proliferation of his faith shortly after the start of the Imperial Age. The church has converted much of the city, including most of the nobles and the Marchese and Marchesa who now seem deferent to the High Priest Nicolai De Luca.
This renewed faith has been guarded and maintained by La Balizza who now safeguard the city streets and patrol the nearby lands, even protecting against the dangers of the Muldrotha Wilds and encroaching on the business of the local Devilblood Companies. It has even led to a resurgence of music and playwrights in Csillasgrad, similar to that of Valedor, with the establishment of a grand theater in one of the refurbished cathedrals - now deemed the Cathedral of Lights.

by Zahir Aghakhani

Parent Region: The Eastmark
Ruling Nation: Valedori Empire
Local Ruler: Marchese and Marchesa Solaras
Demographics: Heavy Human and Devilblood, some Were-Touched
Points of Interest: Csillasloch, Muldrotha Wilds, Tzodero Steppe, Castle Ambrose
Districts: Csillasloch Harbor, The Floating Market, Mausoleum Row, Saint Azrael Square, Theater District, The Steeples, Old Stone Road, Riverside