The Ocean's Keep

A stunning feat of magical engineering, the Ocean's Keep is a massive castle made entirely of ice. It was the first structure built on the island of Ekos and grew with the city around it, both over- and underground. The rulers of Ekos have always lived in the Keep, and point to it as the ultimate example of what their nation could achieve. But it is also home to secrets which could send the entire archipelago back into a nightmare from thousands of years ago.

Unmelting Glory

Unlike most other magical buildings, the Keep does not have any supporting framework like metal poles to keep it upright. Instead, it is surrounded by fifteen gigantic shards of crystal which float in mid-air, all carved with runes that prevent it from melting. Their airborne status prevents unwelcome tampering, which would almost certainly trigger a tidal wave of water and ice.
Aside from these runic shards, the Keep is also sustained by a core said to be crafted from the same material as ancient Arkan. This is untrue, but lends a level of extra protection to the surprisingly vulnerable stone orb at the Keep's heart. It provides a backup source of magic to keep the castle frozen, but the current Triton has redirected some of that power for their own use.

Strength in Beauty

"Surely even the Wolves must view this work in awe, for we have reclaimed the glories of nations long gone. Arkan itself lives again in us, in the flow of this water which remembers such a beautiful citadel."

- the first Triton of Ekos, upon completing the Keep

When Ekos was first inhabited by humans, around 100 A.E, the island was still wild and out of control. Its high concentrations of wyr meant that the settlers had to contend with wyrbeasts, strange constructs, and remnants of old things better left untouched. In order to rein in this uncontrolled land, they needed to create something that would both lock down some of the wyr and provide protection. As such, the architects of their settlement began to design a castle - learning from the mistakes of old Ara, aspiring to the heights of old Arkan. They raised the waters of the ocean surrounding them, and the pure springs beneath their feet, and froze them into walls and pillars. The city grew around them as they did so, sprawling across what had once been untamed land.
If such craftsmanship and effort had gone into anything else, they would have been called insane. But, consumed by their ambition, the architects continued until the Keep was complete. None have touched the design since, and the thick, artificially hardened ice has not yet been breached.
As its creators had hoped, the Ocean's Keep has become an enduring pinnacle of beauty. While other states have had histories too turbulent to focus on trying to surpass the Keep, the island of Ekos, and the archipelago it claims dominance over, has been largely peaceful until recently. But with the previous Triton's tyranny, the increasing hostility of both emikun and wyverns, and the rise of a certain cult, unrest is beginning to spread.

Type

Citadel