Serault

Serault is a forested-river region clinging to the far-west borderlands of the Orlesian Empire. The name "Serault" refers to both this marquisate as well its titular town, which some refer to as "the Edge of the World". Going any further west leads into a dense, uncharted forest known as a Tirashan.
Despite her isolation and modest size, Serault plays an outsized role in Orlesian culture. Many songs and stories have been made about its beauty, unique personalities, and ancient history. Furthermore, Serault also is the only place in the world with glass-makers who know the secrets of how to make stained glass.

History

The Shame

Once a prosperous and famed marquisate, Serault has since weathered a long, slow decline. While many misfortunes have contributed to her fall, none have left a deeper scar than the "Shame of Serault."
The grandfather of the current marquise was a brilliant man: generous, romantic, ruthless, and intense. He lived as a secret apostate, even while ruling Serault. At some point later in his years, this power got the better of him. He began delving into blood magic; eventually warping himself into an abomination.
When his corruption was revealed, templars traveled to Serault and ripped the Shame from his throne in a terribly bloody struggle. When word reached Divine Beatrix III's ears, she had the de Serault's ancestral Glass-Antlered Mask confiscated. To this day, it remains locked in Chantry vaults. The Orlesian Council of Heralds similarly debated stripping the de Seraults of all titles and holdings. Such outcomes never came to fruition.
Today, the family continues to rule, though the shadow of their ancestor's heresy looms over them.

"I've been hearing about your little exploits in my city. You've been causing quite a stir."
Click here to reveal spoilers for Campaign 2.

Though the public knows only of the heresy, the sons of House Amell made a chilling discovery long after his passing: the Shame had used blood magic as a way to keep something ancient and malevolent entombed.
While the Amells never uncovered the nature of what was entombed or the location of this vault, they learned that the burden of this secret had been passed directly to their father. Next in line, he continued the Shame's work and kept such secrets to his grave.

Devastation

While the War of Lions was ravaging the rest of the Empire, Serault faced its own catastrophe. A once-in-a-thousand-year storm descended upon the town's surrounding area. For seven months, hurricane-force rains and winds made it impossible for anyone to come or go from the town. Crops drowned, the river flooded, and lightning strikes destroyed much of the town's infrastructure — blows that set Serault back for many years.
Some speak of this having been because of a dragon, but such claims are dismissed as folkloric nonsense. Not only have dragons been extinct for ages, but no evidence exists of these beasts possessing the power to manipulate weather.

"I've been hearing about your little exploits in my city. You've been causing quite a stir."
Click here to reveal spoilers for Campaign 2.

Despite the skepticism, the tempest was indeed the work of a dragon: Durixaviinox — the Sun Eater and Silent Decay — a beast from ages prior. Its skeletal remains had been found in the Applewoods by Venatori agents, who used forbidden Mortalisi rites to reanimate the corpse.
Dire times drove Serault's people to band together under the guidance of the Marquise and the sons of the Amell family. Against all odds, a pyrrhic victory over the monstrosity was won. However, the work of the Venatori left a seemingly permanent effect on the town and its forests: everything is now permanently black and white; color is absent. Nowhere else in the world has such a thing ever been recorded.

Locations

The capstone of Serault is the de Serault's home: the Thousand-Windowed Chateau. On an island in the middle of the river, situated between the forest and the town, this ornate manor glistens in the sunlight. The name is no hyperbole; its half-dozen towers are mosaics of glass that climb above all else in the region.
From the chateau, the Green Bridge connects to the western bank of the river. Here, narrow trails eventually fade away into the oppressive forests. This place, the Applewoods, is surrounded by many mysteries. Accounts of ancient ruins and strange creatures fill Seraultine stories. Supposedly vagabonds live amidst the trees, swearing fealty to the powers of the forest. Few ever venture in.
In the opposite direction, the Masked Bridge connects the chateau to the town proper. Referred to as "the Stones" by locals, the streets are paved with smooth, multicolored rocks pulled from the riverbed. Red-roofed buildings dot the area and alleyways harbor stunning statues of a bygone age.

Culture

Seraultines are an odd, insular people. The remoteness of their home attracts those seeking to vanish: outcasts, debtors, and those wishing to bury a imposing past. It's rare for questions regarding one's home or history to come up — not because it's necessarily rude, though it could be, but because Seraultines "just don't do that".
Most striking to outsiders about this culture is how people refer to one another. Local superstitions suggest there's something dangerous in stating your name aloud when in Serault. These fears likely lead back to the neighboring forests and the legends that mysticize it. To protect themselves, denizens adopt monikers that reveal bits of themselves to the world. Most take the form of an adjective and a noun related to who one is, such as "the Smiling Guildmistress" or "the Hot-Headed Sorceress". Fewer take on a title, such as "the Marquise of Serault" or "the Purveyor of Teas".

Mysticism

Masked Andraste

The beliefs of the Andrastian Chantry mingle with curious local customs in Serault. Fortunately for the faithful here, the prying eyes of the Grand Cathedral are far away.
In what outsiders would consider heretical, religious groups pray to a version of Andraste found nowhere else. She's depicted as huntress with a wooden mask and a bow in hand. Prayers contain slight deviations and worship her in unorthodox ways. One such example can be found in the town's abbey, where the sisters wear charred wooden masks.
Darker rumors suggest that some stray even further: donning their own black masks, journeying out into the forest at night, and offering sacrilegious prayers to appease the primal spirits of the Applewoods as much the Prophet herself.

The Horned Knight

The Horned Knight is a mysterious, primordial entity. Comporting himself as the Lord of the Forest, he views the Marquise as his equal and acts as the ruler of the shadowy lands west of the river. Ancient and supposedly non-human, legends say it's haunted the Applewoods for several ages of the world.

"I've been hearing about your little exploits in my city. You've been causing quite a stir."
Click here to reveal spoilers for Campaign 2.

In the wake of the Venatori's defeat, the Marquise became aware that the Horned Knight had finally been "slain". The vacancy was shorted-lived, as by the time the Marquise had learned, the Knight's bereaved wife — the Princess of Shadow Glass — ascended the forest-throne. She continues his legacy to this day.

Commerce

"Glass so clear and worth the price, as kicks of light catch color twice."

— An old limerick, documented by Philliam in On the Glassworks of the Marquisate of Serault

Serault’s economy relies almost entirely on glassware and mirrors. Glassblowers are highly prized and thus treated as royalty. However, they're forbidden from ever leaving the town. Resenting this "cage", they stage minor protests but most love their art too much to do anything more.
The town otherwise has lackluster trade thanks in part to being Orlais' western-most holding. Few traders make the journey out, and worse yet they're often besieged by bandits or pirates. As such, the town's economy has struggled but it's plentiful agricultural land keep it afloat.

"PAYMENT IN GLASS."

Alternative Name(s)

The Edge of the World

Type

Town

Inhabitant Demonym

Seraultine

Owning Organization

Orlais

Thedas

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