thisbluespirit (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
thisbluespirit) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
rainbowfic2023-03-02 09:14 pm
thisbluespirit) wrote in rainbowfic2023-03-02 09:14 pm
Tourmaline #12 [Starfall]
Name: Five Good Reasons To Visit North Eastern District (Despite Everything They Say About It)
Story: Starfall
Colors: Tourmaline #12 (jewel/stone)
Supplies and Styles: Graffiti (I'll Have Seconds) + Photography + Fingerpainting
Word Count: 840
Rating: G
Warnings: None
Notes: c.1337 (it’s a recent article, anyway). (This is the kind of thing Governor Delver has to put up with when he’s in Portcallan.)
Summary: You know what? North Eastern District isn’t half as bad as they say – and here’s why you shouldn’t cross it from your list when exploring the country.
Five Good Reasons To Visit North Eastern District (Despite Everything They Say About It)
You’ve heard what they say about North Eastern – it’s damp and dreary with nothing to offer but gloomy valleys, rocky mountains, and its chief crop is the unlovely alionrel vines. Why would you make the time and effort to tour everybody’s least favourite district?
It may lack Central's starstone splendours, the Eister Ranges are nothing like as scenic as Northern's Starfall Mountains, and it certainly can’t claim the elegance and sophistication found in the south, but that doesn’t mean it’s not hiding gems you don’t want to miss.
So, here are five North Eastern attractions to put on your list:-
ONE:
North Eastern is famed for its wet climate, but that’s not all bad news! Shara’s Garden in Old Ralston is the largest in Emoyra and also one of the oldest. Legend has it that this area is where Shara landed after Starfall, so you can expect to see plenty of Sharan shrines in this district, but none to equal Old Ralston’s. Take time out from the city bustle to feed the soul. Walk in its serenely beautiful water gardens and uncover its charming hidden grottos – you’ll feel like a new person.
TWO:
Before you leave the capital, you must visit the fort that towers over it. It’s something of a grim guardian (built out of the ubiquitous local grey stone over eight centuries ago), but it’s now chiefly an administrative centre for the district with a small museum and archive attached. Why, do you ask?
Well, tucked away inside, you’ll discover the remarkable Rosefall Hangings – three large tapestries made not long after the fort was completed, depicting the Rosefall (or Rosfallen) story. They are remarkably intact and unique in size, age, and intricacy. They portray the legend of the North Eastern's founding by a group of Norhyrian Exiles, starting with the long journey over the mountains, the second showing the three tests set for the Lady Endea and concluding with her triumphant inauguration.
Of course, as the historians will insist on telling you, despite the enchanting name, the Rosefall legend has nothing to do with roses of any sort!
THREE:
Now that you’ve refreshed your memory of North Eastern’s founding tale, you’ll be ready to take a trip only a few lengths to the east of Old Ralston, up into the glowering Eister Ranges.
One part of the Rosfallen story does hold some truth, as you’ll be unconver for yourself once you’ve trekked up the narrow mountain path to reach this attraction. It’s said that the people of Rosfallen created fabulous cities built in the mountainside with many waterways, and you can still see the largest remains of one at Paranshall Falls. Few buildings survive, but you’ll be able to explore the labyrinthine tunnels, and stone waterways, all brought into being by ingenious ancient artifice.
If you’ve read The Ghost House, you’ll have an idea of what to expect – but there’s nothing to beat seeing it for yourself.
FOUR:
But, I hear you cry, what about culture? What can North Eastern possibly offer you there?
Rob yourself of this misconception – Old Ralston is as well endowed with theatres and concert halls as any other district capital! However, to experience the best it has to offer, you should travel out of the city, this time to the nearby Pollean Academy. It’s one of the best in the country and, not only that, it has an attached theatre and art gallery. You’ll be able to attend performances by its most gifted pupils and graduates, as well as visiting singers. When I stopped by, I was lucky enough to hear Tenno Ulfer give her final recital – who knows what treat will be in store for you here?
FIVE:
Eager as you may be to hurry along the westward road back to healthier climes, don’t go too fast – you won’t want to miss the fantastical Croberlon House, which you’ll find a little way off the main road, just short of the border with Northern.
Built last century for Seah Crober, who made a fortune in alionrel processing, it is a private residence, but visitors are permitted to visit the grounds as well as parts of the house and the outbuildings in spring and summer. It’s built in the style of a Korphilian Castle of legend rather than reality, so it's well worth pausing to admire the fabulous architecture. Just be careful not to lose yourself in the mazes and walled gardens you’ll find in the grounds or the long corridors, galleries and spiralling staircases you can explore inside!
So omit North Eastern from your itinerary at your peril! Trust me, you really would regret it if you did.
Story: Starfall
Colors: Tourmaline #12 (jewel/stone)
Supplies and Styles: Graffiti (I'll Have Seconds) + Photography + Fingerpainting
Word Count: 840
Rating: G
Warnings: None
Notes: c.1337 (it’s a recent article, anyway). (This is the kind of thing Governor Delver has to put up with when he’s in Portcallan.)
Summary: You know what? North Eastern District isn’t half as bad as they say – and here’s why you shouldn’t cross it from your list when exploring the country.
Five Good Reasons To Visit North Eastern District (Despite Everything They Say About It)
You’ve heard what they say about North Eastern – it’s damp and dreary with nothing to offer but gloomy valleys, rocky mountains, and its chief crop is the unlovely alionrel vines. Why would you make the time and effort to tour everybody’s least favourite district?
It may lack Central's starstone splendours, the Eister Ranges are nothing like as scenic as Northern's Starfall Mountains, and it certainly can’t claim the elegance and sophistication found in the south, but that doesn’t mean it’s not hiding gems you don’t want to miss.
So, here are five North Eastern attractions to put on your list:-
ONE:
North Eastern is famed for its wet climate, but that’s not all bad news! Shara’s Garden in Old Ralston is the largest in Emoyra and also one of the oldest. Legend has it that this area is where Shara landed after Starfall, so you can expect to see plenty of Sharan shrines in this district, but none to equal Old Ralston’s. Take time out from the city bustle to feed the soul. Walk in its serenely beautiful water gardens and uncover its charming hidden grottos – you’ll feel like a new person.
TWO:
Before you leave the capital, you must visit the fort that towers over it. It’s something of a grim guardian (built out of the ubiquitous local grey stone over eight centuries ago), but it’s now chiefly an administrative centre for the district with a small museum and archive attached. Why, do you ask?
Well, tucked away inside, you’ll discover the remarkable Rosefall Hangings – three large tapestries made not long after the fort was completed, depicting the Rosefall (or Rosfallen) story. They are remarkably intact and unique in size, age, and intricacy. They portray the legend of the North Eastern's founding by a group of Norhyrian Exiles, starting with the long journey over the mountains, the second showing the three tests set for the Lady Endea and concluding with her triumphant inauguration.
Of course, as the historians will insist on telling you, despite the enchanting name, the Rosefall legend has nothing to do with roses of any sort!
THREE:
Now that you’ve refreshed your memory of North Eastern’s founding tale, you’ll be ready to take a trip only a few lengths to the east of Old Ralston, up into the glowering Eister Ranges.
One part of the Rosfallen story does hold some truth, as you’ll be unconver for yourself once you’ve trekked up the narrow mountain path to reach this attraction. It’s said that the people of Rosfallen created fabulous cities built in the mountainside with many waterways, and you can still see the largest remains of one at Paranshall Falls. Few buildings survive, but you’ll be able to explore the labyrinthine tunnels, and stone waterways, all brought into being by ingenious ancient artifice.
If you’ve read The Ghost House, you’ll have an idea of what to expect – but there’s nothing to beat seeing it for yourself.
FOUR:
But, I hear you cry, what about culture? What can North Eastern possibly offer you there?
Rob yourself of this misconception – Old Ralston is as well endowed with theatres and concert halls as any other district capital! However, to experience the best it has to offer, you should travel out of the city, this time to the nearby Pollean Academy. It’s one of the best in the country and, not only that, it has an attached theatre and art gallery. You’ll be able to attend performances by its most gifted pupils and graduates, as well as visiting singers. When I stopped by, I was lucky enough to hear Tenno Ulfer give her final recital – who knows what treat will be in store for you here?
FIVE:
Eager as you may be to hurry along the westward road back to healthier climes, don’t go too fast – you won’t want to miss the fantastical Croberlon House, which you’ll find a little way off the main road, just short of the border with Northern.
Built last century for Seah Crober, who made a fortune in alionrel processing, it is a private residence, but visitors are permitted to visit the grounds as well as parts of the house and the outbuildings in spring and summer. It’s built in the style of a Korphilian Castle of legend rather than reality, so it's well worth pausing to admire the fabulous architecture. Just be careful not to lose yourself in the mazes and walled gardens you’ll find in the grounds or the long corridors, galleries and spiralling staircases you can explore inside!
So omit North Eastern from your itinerary at your peril! Trust me, you really would regret it if you did.