Two bells before midnight on 8th Tuzlle, 3065 APC, Mt. Rintalima, an active volcano in the Katra mountains close to
Katrapetch began to spew out gas and rocks. Then shortly after dawn on the following day, it erupted with explosive force, sending a great cloud of ash and dust into the air. The image at the head of this article shows the sight from Tallnut Park in the west of the city, as the debris moved to cover the city.
This was not the first time Katrapetch had suffered from the after effects of volcanic activity in the Katra mountains.
The Mt. Gelzibom eruption in 211 APC had, in fact, been far worse. Both disasters gave rise to a deeply unpleasant condition amongst a significant fraction of the population known as
Rapid Onset Severe Silicosis. But the Mt. Rintalima event provoked a more active response from the city government which sought both better ways to treat
Rapid Onset Severe Silicosis and a means of protecting the city from future eruptions. This was the genesis of Project Sky Shield.
Project Sky Shield was conceived and initially led by the
Senior Magician of Katrapetch,
Drithald Unkeld and the
Arcane Wisdom,
Sudharma Vyas, but it required the aid of many mages from the
Arcane Advisors to implement it over many years. It was eventually completed under the leadership of
Clarise Vabatan in 3125 APC.
The Sky Shield used advanced geomantic magic to establish a link between a set of sensitive warning triggers embedded in the lithic flows of the mountains and a series of Lodestones, occupying critical points in a fine tuned network within
Katrapetch. In the event of a volcanic eruption in the Katra Mountains, the Lodestones were designed to project a dome of aerial force over the city, deflecting dust and ash until the atmospheric conditions stabilised.
Drithald Unkeld by DMFW with Art Breeder
Sudharma Vyas by DMFW with Midjourney
Much of the work of the project consisted in the commissioning of individual Lodestones, an act that required the expenditure of intense arcane energy from several mages working together and aided by generous quantities of both
Arcane Amplification Perfume and
Synaptic Unbinding Potion. The costs of these materials was a limit to the rate of progress that could be made.
Images for some of the Lodestones are shown below with the date when they were commissioned. Most of this material is drawn from the
Diary of Clarise Vabatan where she recorded her own contributions to Project Sky Shield. The locations of these Lodestones are marked on the
Katrapetch maps.
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Name
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Commissioned
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Comments
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Rynyne
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7th Doloph, 3068 APC
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The Rynyne lodestone stands at an apparently humble crossroads south of the river and close to the western boundary of Katrapetch, not far from the egress of the road to Bress. It was the first to be commissioned.
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Katrapetch - Commissioning the first Sky Shield Lodestone by DMFW with Midjourney
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Name
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Commissioned
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Comments
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Kohl Street
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1st Mald, 3071 APC
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The Kohl Street lodestone stands in the Confluence District, west of the river Petch and north of the river Jold.
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Katrapetch Kohl Street Lodestone by DMFW with Leonardo AI
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Name
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Commissioned
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Comments
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Coldwell Lane
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12th Mald, 3079 APC
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Located south of the Jold river in the central districts within the Old City Walls, the Coldwell Lane lodestone taps into the aqueous energies of an ancient well.
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Katrapetch - Coldwell Lane Lodestone by DMFW with Leonardo AI
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Name
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Commissioned
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Comments
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Pyvan Road
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17th Glim, 3093 APC
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The Pyvan Road lodestone can be found to the north and east of the Royal Palace of Katrapetch, in the Wymerk District which lies close to the ancient limit of the city, defined by the now blurred lines of the largely ruined Old City Walls.
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Katrapetch - Pyvan Road Lodestone by DMFW with Leonardo AI
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Name
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Commissioned
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Comments
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Wimgix Source
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7th Authon, 3106 APC
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The Wimgix is a stream that flows into the river Jold in a more or less straight north to south line which parallels the Pale Empire Walls for much of its course. The Wimgix Source lodestone stands at the point just beyond the city limits where the spring rises.
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Katrapetch - Wimgix Source Lodestone by DMFW with Leonardo AI
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Name
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Commissioned
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Comments
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Gale Square
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3rd Kerax, 3112 APC
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Gale Square is in the East Petch District, close to the river Petch.
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Katrapetch - Gale Square Lodestone by DMFW with Leonardo AI
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Name
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Commissioned
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Comments
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Sumaruld
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12th Doloph, 3120 APC
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The Sumaruld lodestone can be found in the Upstream District close to the western edge of the Pale Empire Walls.
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Katrapetch - Sumaruld Lodestone by DMFW with Leonardo AI
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Name
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Commissioned
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Comments
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Keystone
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28th Glim, 3125 APC
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The Keystone lodestone completed the Sky Shield. It stands in Gundabah Park close to the Royal Palace of Katrapetch.
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Commissioning of the Katrapetch Sky Shield Keystone by DMFW with Night Cafe
Comments