Town of Castlelight

Grow Forever, Never Yield

As we approached the gates, the guards glowered down at us from raised platforms, plumed helmets glinting in the setting sun. They didn't stop our entrance, but two of them followed us down the main street. I feared our wheels would break with all the missing cobbles, and the errant guards made even our steadfast oxen nervous.
Sailing Into the Fire: A Blacksmith Around the Continent, Aembrith Epneyn

Located on the Kensinghurst Peninsula in southwest Braks Eshai, Castlelight is a medium-sized town in the Kingdom of Ashain. With a claim to be one of the oldest towns on the continent, the town certainly shows it with broken cobbled streets and run-down buildings. Despite that and the infamously heavy-handed personal guards of the Greenshaper clan, it is a bustling trade center situated slightly inland of the Gravesoll Sea and its many roads lead Skoyyaen merchants further into the continent.
Castlelight is divided into four main districts, with two larger wards dominating most of the town.

Rosegate Burough

The largest district in Candlelight, Rosegate Burough is a mostly middle-class residential district in the northeast of the town.

Places of Interest

A two-story building made of brick and wood, the home and personal library of a sage named Sybel Arper is usually open to those that wish to speak with her. She specializes in the study of legendary heroes and battles, and has published several well-discussed books on the subject.
The Astral Pavillion A large theater made of brick and stone, which appears bigger on the inside than it is on the outside.
The Silver Mug A shabby adventurer's tavern built in the Dwarven style. It is said to have one door leading to Castlelight and one to Gadghati, in the Kingdom of Zalux.

Arcanist's District

The second largest district in Candlelight, the Arcanist's district is home to several branches of the prominent guilds of the continent as well as a plethora of small artisan stores and workshops. It is one of the more heavily patrolled wards in the town, as it also contains scattered courthouses and the offices of the ruling nobles.

Places of Interest

A monolith of smoky crystal etched with geometric designs, said to entomb the undead corpse of a necromancer. Most pass the rumors off as an oddly malicious myth, though it's also said that the truly evil can hear murmuring coming from inside it.
The Pantheon of White Light A large terraced building rumored to be carved out of a single block of white marble. It is covered in hundreds of starbursts made out of various precious metals and gemstones and has several guards posted outside its entrance at all times.
The Watchtower A sturdy stone-walled tower, known as the center of the town guard. Its door is flanked by two bronze statues of the goddess of law.

Coppergate Market

A large square marketplace in the Arcanist's District, around which most of the town's business is conducted. It is surrounded by three courthouses and a small bronze statue of a dragon stands in the southern portion. Despite the crowds, the atmosphere is tense and hurried thanks to the patrolling guards who do not hesitate to throw suspected thieves and ne'er-do-wells into the Watchtower.

Whiteheath Village

A smaller residential district, mostly comprised of the wealthier residents of Candlelight and situated to the north between Rosegate Burough and the Arcanist's District. It is heavily planted, with smooth and wide stone streets winding past large mansions and elegant artistic ventures.

Places of Interest

The College of Arcane Study An infamous school of evocation, built within a floating tower encased in ivy and moss. Its headmaster, Swalda Cinderwinds, is heavily disliked among the nobility and middle-class residents of the town.
Odwyth's Woodwork The workshop of an elegant woodcarver named Odwyth. She also boasts a collection of self-brewed potions and elixirs, though their quality is below standard.

Dragon's Ward

Dragon's Ward is the smallest district of Candlelight and makes up the southern tip of the town. It is walled off from the rest of town, with small gatehouses connecting it to the Arcanist's District, and guards are few and far between. Crime, mostly petty thievery and assault, runs rampant through the ward with little semblance of order. The impoverished and disenfranchised are forced to reside here and the decisions of the nobles rarely reach into it.

Places of Interest

The Coliseum A crumbling, circular amphitheater, well known within the town for its trials by combat. The most popular fighters within it are revered by the local population.
The House of Bytar An overgrown ruin of a former abbey, torn down several centuries ago after the discovery of a cult practicing human sacrifice within it. It is said to be haunted by the spirits of those who died on it's altar and were buried without honor in the catacombs below.
The Shrine of Ambriel A lovingly-detailed stone statue of a nude young man dedicated to Ambriel, the god of wanderers. It is surrounded by a crumbling stone labyrinth and is often said to move when both moons are new.

Demographics

Castlelight is a diverse town, comprised of Humans, Dwarves, Elves, Gnomes, Halflings, and several in between. Tieflings and Dragonborn are slightly more common than their population across the continent itself, and it is not uncommon to see mixed families.
Wealth and status, on the other hand, are much more scrutinized, with the very wealthy residing in Whiteheath Village. Middle-class citizens and businessmen live in either the Arcanist's District or the Rosegate Burough, while the poor and former criminals are rigidly confined to Dragon's Ward.
Professionally, the town is spread across the spectrum as well. Tradesmen and mages live alongside one another in harmony, and those belonging to guilds generally don't advertise their connection through clothing and insignia unless the guild requires it.

Government

Castlelight is governed by a small court of aristocrats, the leader of which is Athel Greenshaper. The laws decided by the court are carried out by the town's judges and guards, the latter highly prejudiced and belonging to a branch of the Greenshaper's personal militia.
Challenging these laws are thought of as both highly unlikely and deeply offending to most of its residents, though the poor are heavily taxed and often speak up against such abuse.

Guilds and Factions

Along with its diversity of people, there are also a plethora of guilds operating within Castlelight.

Alternative Name(s)

Called Sékar by Skoyyaen merchants and normally shortened to S'light by lower class residents.

Type

Town

Population

About 2800 people

Inhabitant Demonym

Castlelighter, Sékarra, Ashani

Location under

Kensinghurst Peninsula

Owner/Ruler

Athel Greenshaper

Characters in Location

• Athel Greenshaper