Nemesis

City Description

Population: ~ 700

Founded: 1200 (1,190 years ago)

Calla tor Feor is the signature of the fortress city of Nemesis. "Because of, not in spite of." This is the rallying cry for each person who keeps watch with a weathered eye on the walls, sheds their sweat and blood in the forges, and toils in the practice yards until they can no longer move a muscle. Because of, not in spite of. That is because every person who dwells in Nemesis is doing so because they have lost something along the way. Perhaps it was their sight or their hearing, an arm or a leg; perhaps they can no longer speak or never could. Perhaps they can no longer recognize their loved ones or perhaps they have trouble understanding things others take for granted. Whatever the people of Nemesis struggled with before they came to their new home, the city has one rule above all else: Calla tor Feor. You are not strong despite these things - you are strong because of them.

Built atop the cliff, known as the "Ever After," overlooking the western Carapace Badlands, Nemesis has over a thousand years of history in Vad. Long before the elder dragons arrived, the people of Vad were passionate about domination. The traditions of those times live on today in pockets around Vad, but Nemesis has held them as sacred. Respect for one's enemies, true emotional investment into the fight, and care for those weaker than yourself: these were the tenant by which all of Vad once lived, and the tenants to which Nemesis has remained true.

It was in 1985 an event known as the "Blinding" occurred. The elder dragons ruled Vad, and Nemesis, a fortress built hundreds of years prior for the sake of focusing on world domination, was home to the greatest warrior in all of Vad: a gnome named Zayv, Lost in the Stars. Zayv had rallied more to his banner than anyone in the history of the country, and had plans to sail south to conquer lands yet unseen. Embergore saw this as an opportunity to exert his dominion. After a battle which created the Carapace Badlands and raged for weeks, the result was Embergore removing the eyes from Zayv, boasting the gnome would never see the world conquered even if the elder dragon could not land the killing blow. While this battle eventually lead to Embergore's exodus from Vad, the loss affected Zayv differently.

After the Blinding, Zayv changed but everyone agreed it was a welcome one. He ceased plans for leaving Vad and instead turned his attention to the people of his country. His claim was that no one was ready to conquer the world who was not prepared to conquer themselves. Nemesis became a bastion not for the bloodthirsty warriors it had always been, but slowly, over decades, became a home for those who no longer believed in themselves. The maimed, the disabled, the challenged, the hurt. Those in pain. Those who had been deemed unfit. These people had so much to overcome but Zayv made Nemesis a place where overcoming was a different type of conquest. Calla tor Feor.

While Zayv, Lost in the Stars is long dead, the purpose of Nemesis remains to this day. During the Firetide War, the people of Nemesis followed Hellfall to battle and were feared. The old ways of Vad combined with the vision of Zayv created an army that never lost a battle. Hellfall imbued in them a direction towards which they could point their fire: Highcroft. They bought in with every ounce of their being, seeing the conquest of Highcroft as the realization of Zayv's original destiny. They blame the capture of Hellfall on the Drakar, which has made for tense relations between the Vadian neighbors. But the people of Nemesis are content to stay in their city fortress and perfect themselves, more than aware that someday they will get another shot at Highcroft. And when they do, they will not fail again.

City Landmarks

Old Mother - when someone arrives in Nemesis seeking to conquer themselves, they must go to Old Mother, a magical sphere which, as far as anyone is aware, has simply always been in Nemesis. She would claim the same, and that the fortress was even built up around her, but no one can be sure. One sure thing is she has a power to look deep into a person and see who they really are and who they want to be. Her chamber is a vast hall where only a single individual is allowed at a time. Once you enter, emerging means beginning your journey in Calla tor Feor.

The Enemorium - half library, half war room, the Enemorium is where the people of Nemesis learn about the people of Highcroft. Required to live in the fortress, study here is all about better understanding the world of Highcroft to better someday bring it to its knees. This is also where those who come from a lineage dating back centuries will teach about the old ways of Vad: respectful conquest for a better world.

Unassailable - the battlements of Nemesis have earned their name. It is a fact that Vad will not fall so long as Nemesis stands, and this fact is known to the Wing Guard of Highcroft. But the war parties sent by the Highcroftians during the Firetide War could never get past its defenses. Even in times of peace, the walls are constantly manned, built to withstand an army.

The Gutter - not everyone who trains in Nemesis succeeds, but it is forbidden to give up. Those who need time to face themselves and decide to press on go to the Gutter. Most believe you cannot become your best self until you've hit your lowest points: the gutter. It's here many build camaraderie, get advice, and earn a second, third, or fourth chance. Located beneath the fortress, the community here live simple, spartan lives, and learn from one another on how to carry on.

Quiet and Quench - the forge of Nemesis, this is where those who push themselves too hard, too fast go to soothe their souls and learn more about what it means to seek conquest. While the quality of the arms made in this forge vary greatly, the process is not about the result of the metal but rather the result of the person. To be unmade, then to rage in fire, then to be hammered into shape, then to be heated in flame again, then to be quenched in quiet waters: this is how a person becomes who they are.

The Show Yard - the final display of mastery before being acknowledged as a true warrior of Nemesis, the Show Yard is where one exemplifies how they have become who they are because of what they've overcome. It is not enough to simple show skill. One must show the way in which the have changed from who they were. This means something different to every person, and the Old Mother helps to ascertain the truth of each heart that enters the Show Yard.

People of Note

Denali de Monroe: Female Goliath, commander of the forces of Nemesis, she is the war leader and trained to those deemed fit for combat
Sekundis: Male Human, spiritual leader of Nemesis and constant presence in the Gutter, he works alongside Denali while interfacing with Old Mother
Babel: Male Kobold, master of the forge and seer, his propensity for speaking without ceasing has been a gift of foresight for many battles
Ruby, Lost in the Stars: Female Gnome, has taken up the mantel of Zayv despite not being a blood relation, hellbent on killing Embergore to free Nemesis from its past