Runners End

Runner's End is the deep harbour located on a large island in the southern end of Reverence Bay, just off the coast from Helton. It is a heavily fortified port and naval base owned and run by the Icerunner's Guild, and is the primary headquarters of its global operations.
The island itself is largely un-inhabited, with cliffs and steep mountains dominating the entire coastline, except for the series of inlets and natural harbours that shelter on it sunward side. The largest of these consists of a series of water-filled canyons that converge upon a deep harbour. The cliff sides have been nearly entirely transformed into wharves, shipyards and warehouses built directly into cliff faces.
The harbour is essentially a compact and vertical city, with the high cliffs rising above the wharfs built into with multi levelled and tenement buildings of the Guild's members, administrators and seafarers of all types.

The Guild Chambers

There are three primary buildings that dominate the harbour's sides, each an monolithic fortress in its own right. These are the buildings assigned to each of the main Chambers of the Guild, and are connected to each other and the surrounding apartments by a complex array of stone balconies, stairs and walkways.

The Black Chamber

The Black Chamber is the oldest of the three, and can be recognised by the three story statue of the First Breaker, Marq D'Or that stands beside the entrance.
The Black is responsible for the expeditions into the Sea of Black Ice, and the wharfs it oversees are the largest at Runner's End. The Black sends their gargantuan icebreakers to collect the bergs from the vast icefloes and prepare them for their global journey Sunside.
It is by far the most powerful of three chambers, and keeps a tight monopoly on any activities Shadowside of the Twilight Lands. Their reputation is as tough as the Oroscuro that pilot their ships into the cold dark.

The Gold Chamber

The Gold Chamber is the newest of the three, and has grown to rapid wealth and influence in recent years with the opening up of trade to the sunside lands of Kukutana and The Gleaming City itself. Their Congelari are responsible for the magics needed to keep the Bergs that the Black Chamber collects cold enough to survive the long journey sunside.
The stores of crystalline Uhd they bring back from The Gleaming City have made the Gold Chamber the most wealthy of the three, but the dependency on the Blacks for their mastery and control of the Sea of Black Ice means their coffers are regularly shared with the Black, much to the leadership of the Gold Chamber's constant frustration.

The Silver Chamber

The Silver Chamber runs the trade ways of the Silver Reaches and Reverence Bay. This Chambers ships are far smaller and fast moving, and are essentially devoted to the shorter and much safer trade between the Protectorate cities and as far as the Empire of Novalucca's coastal city, Kinport.
The Silvers are seen as much more mundane compared to their more intrepid guild members of the Gold and Black. However, the Silver Chamber does control the commerce of the Twilight Lands, and all the influence it brings. The Protectorates, and even the Empire of Novalucca have grown dependant on The Silver's control of the oceans that connect them, and the political influence that the Silver's have is immense. They are known across the Protectorates as the Silver Tongues, with an equal mix of admiration and wariness.

Demographics

The population of Runner's End are predominantly guild members, who are employed by the Chambers from all corners of Shadowfire. The large blue-haired Goblin Kin from the Sea of Black Ice rub shoulders with Anarchas from The Tangled Fathoms, Midkin and Arkin of The Returned and some of the Deepkin who have tired of life in the underground empire.
There are even those from further afield, Devilkin from the deserts of Ardi-Kokufa, and the occasional emissaries of the Lords of Fire from The Gleaming City.

Government

The three Chambers are the powerhouse of the Guild, and their leaders together form the Guild Council. The Council manages the financial affairs of the Guild, and acts as bank for all trade conducted by the Chambers and their employees.
The Council is responsible for any maintaining the laws and punishments that govern those living or visiting Runner's End, while the Chambers, and the captains of the ships under their employ manage their own discipline and activities while on the sea or in foreign ports.
The other critical member of the Council is the leader of the Isulo faction of the Icerunner's Guild. The Isulo control the many ports across the Reaches and hold considerable sway over the Chambers. The current leader of the Isulo is Kedra Blacksalt, who manages the harbour at Runner's End. She wields as much power as the heads of the Chambers, and is probably the most powerful individual within the Guild.

Founders

• Marq D'Or

Alternative Name(s)

Havenport

Type

Trade post

Inhabitant Demonym

Runners

Owning Organization

The Icerunners Guild

Vehicles Present

• Icewarden

Related Professions

• Breakers

Shadowfire

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Wecome traveller, to the world of Shadowfire. This is a land of extremes, where an ancient cataclysm caused time itself to stop. Now, the sun never sets, bathing one side in fire, while the other freezes in eternal night. In between there is a band of twilight where many struggle to survive and thrive. This map shows the places of the world, and the stories that have been told within it. Use the layers in the rop-right of the map to show and hide the different article locations within the world.