Mospen

Large Town: Population 4,854 (72% vesperkin, 14% human, 8% letheni, 6% other)

History

Mospen is one of the most ancient settlements in Myr, having been founded in the Age of Creation. One of the first towns formed by the Vesperkin, Mospen never expanded much beyond its current size because many do not enjoy the arid, dry climate found here. The town is also built on top of a limited space of rocky terrain amidst extensive sand dunes, restraining expansion. Surrounded by sand dunes, the region is not as harsh as the Yzerid il Gamor, but can become very hot during the month of Asten. The town was originally a prosperous oasis situated in one of the few verdant areas of the Ixala Sunori; but events centuries ago have made the area increasingly less hospitable to the point where some have considered abandoning the town entirely. However, the Vesperkin in residence are stubborn and unwilling to walk away from such a historical place.

The primary issue Mospen is currently facing is a Wellspring anomaly called Art Glomiraten, or "the murklight", which causes the immediate region to be in a constant state of twilight. The sun never sets, nor rises in Mospen, as a series of stratus clouds above constantly shift so that during the day, the clouds darken; and during the night, they become luminous. The result is barely perceptible, but results in the sky always looking as if it's just before sunset. The locals are under the belief that this was the result of a natural Wellspring eruption at the end of the Restoration period, but that is unfortunately not the case. The anomaly came about after the artifact known as Lod'exenter was used by Archmage Kyran of the Sorcerer's Cabal to destroy a gateway to Proxon being used by the *Sithi-nas to invade Myr at the end of the Restoration* period -- a fact which Kyran kept secret, suppressing knowledge of the fact that the anomaly was brought on by his actions, despite them being necessary.

Unfortunately, the town's state of perpetual twilight has brought with it another problem. With the reduced sunlight, not only is it more difficult to grow food, but spiritual activity has become increasingly worse since the anomaly appeared. The town has become absolutely infested with spirits, and led to the formation of the Eshar Mastenath, a group that hunts spirits, and now has branches all across The Commonwealth. Many of the spirits inhabiting Mospen are harmless, though the town's residents are unsettled by them nonetheless. But the proximity of the Art Glomiraten anomaly results in many of these spirits becoming corrupted very rapidly and subsequently becoming hostile. Some spirits corrupted in Mospen seem to take on a unique form reflecting the "twilight" theme of the town; appearing as orange, purple, and pink cloud-like entities that shift in color. These spirits, called 'Nalconeshari' (mirage spirits), are the most dangerous type of spirit found in Mospen, having the ability to change their form to create powerful illusions to lure in victims, and then feeding on the emotions caused by the distress the images they create causes their victims. The Nalconeshari are fortunately not common, but are very effective.

Government

Mospen is a member of The Commonwealth, represented by Speaker Vira Cessel, a Vesperkin woman; though the Commonwealth's influence here is somewhat diminished. Besides being isolated, the town's focus on mitigating spiritual activity has taken precedence over Commonwealth politics during the Age of Extermination. Though Speaker Vira hears the needs of the people, she has had to focus more on coordinating the town's responses to the Nalconeshari and work with the Eshar Mastenath to try to end the hauntings plaguing the town. The Commonwealths' mandatory service to The Legion is still observed, but they are utilized for protecting the town against creatures found in the sand dunes around the town rather than the Empire, as the Empire tends to avoid Mospen due to its heavy spiritual infestation. Mospen has not been attacked by the Empire since a decade after the formation of Art Glomiraten.

Economy

Mospen's economy is built largely on glass production and spice trade, as there are a number of unique spices that only grow in the Ixala Sunori. One of the most popular of those spices is Dalazir, which is a spice made from an orange flower that grows from within the sand dunes itself, with a root that reaches deep within the sand to the soil far beneath, sometimes stretching for a hundred feet or more. The root is carefully extracted to preserve as much as possible so the flower can regrow, and then wound up into large coils which are ground into a spice powder. The spice has an earthy taste with a warm, sweet spiciness that is enjoyed worldwide. Another popular spice only found in the region is Tennasesir, a type of pepper found in small pods on bushels found in more solid, rocky areas. The pepper has a sweet heat that enhances other flavors in a dish, similar to salt.

The town's glass trade is used mostly for making mugs, pitchers, vials and flasks for alchemy, and decorative beads and jewelry. Artisans work on the edges of town, not wanting to be distracted by the spirits that plague the rest of Mospen. However, the glass has another use uniquely tailored to Mospen. Glass has a property of blocking spectral Flow, meaning spirits cannot pass through it. This property is used to create barriers they cannot cross, allowing the creation of safe areas citizens can hide within. However, the town does not have a way to make glass that is thick enough to withstand much force, and these shelters can be easily shattered.

Notable Locations

• Eshar il Zennis - The guild hall of the Eshar Mastenath, this large hall is located near the town center. It serves both as the headquarters for the organization, and the training grounds where prospective Mespuneshari are taught the trade and equipped with the necessary materials and equipment to hunt spirits. The building is one of the only two-story buildings in the town, as it was constructed after the appearance of Art Glomiraten; whereas all other buildings were constructed single story to minimize shadows within the home, as darkness attracts spirits. The first floor is where the Mespuneshari gather and receive assignments to investigate hauntings, equip themselves, and where there are offices for the organization's leadership. The second story is for the organization's training halls.
• Gatira Erestis - This old graveyard lies outside the borders of the town, and used to be used by many Vesperkin to entomb their dead. However, after the formation of Art Glomiraten, the graveyard was abandoned. Several homes were even moved to the other side of town to put distance between themselves and this cursed place. The graveyard is likely the most heavily haunted area in all of Myr. The Eshar Mastenath avoids the graveyard entirely, as even with all of their tools, the graveyard is so heavily infested that attempting to cleanse it would be a death sentence. The graveyard lies within the sand dunes, and occasionally, the heavy saturation of spiritual energy here will result in undead rising from old graves.

Culture

Mospen is spiritual place; many of its residents are followers of either Umos or Astix; the latter of which came about with the arrival of the many spirits plaguing the town. The town was the birthplace of the organization called Eshar Mastenath, which now has branches all around The Commonwealth, dedicated to laying spirits to rest. However, Eshar Mastenath's methods are far different than similar organizations in Arak. Instead of wielding divine magic to force spirits into the afterlife, they employ weapons and materials designed to repel or destroy spirits. Though there are no Soulbinders among the Eshar Mastenath, they make use of Acroniten both to attract spirits, and to trap them. One of the most common tools in their arsenal is powdered Acroniten, which they throw into a room to create a cloud of particles that will tear a spirit apart. Typically, Acroniten can be used to contain spirits, but when it is crushed into so many tiny particles, the spirit's essence is pulled in hundreds of directions at once. Members of Eshar Mastenath are known as Mespuneshari, and are trained at their hall, Eshar il Zennis. The Mespuneshari do not have much in the way of divine magic available to them, and though they provide "blessings" in residents' homes to ward away spirits, many of these blessings only last a very short period, if at all.

Daily life in Mospen can be filled with anxiety, as you never know when you may encounter a spirit. Many that residents encounter day-to-day are fairly benign and are simply a fact of life. However, encountering a corrupted spirit, or even a Nalconeshari, can be deadly. There are all manner of charms, totems, and blessings that can be bought throughout the town to protect against spirits; but unfortunately, not all of them are legitimate. More than a few unscrupulous merchants have taken advantage of the situation, selling fraudulent charms and blaming the product's lack of success on the customer not using them right. The one person whom the town's residents trust wholly is Nadir Kelugiren, the town's lone Ettinor resident; who despite not being a Soulbinder, is a former Bone Collector who has had experience dealing with rogue spirits. He has a number of creative defenses that have made it possible for the average person to protect themselves.

Among the Vesperkin of Mospen, many believe it to be a holy place because of the strong association between the effects of Art Glomiraten and Umos. The Vesperkin refuse to leave Mospen because they believe the anomaly was a gift from Umos, and they celebrate its formation every year on the anniversary of its appearance, the 16th of Lekaren. On the anniversary, many of the townsfolk choose to leave offerings at her shrines and lead a procession through the town, blessing the streets and ending at an overlook looking out over the sand dunes where multi-colored smoke is produced to send a cloud streaming into the air, representing Umos cleansing the town and releasing its spirits to the afterlife. This day is controversial, as there is a divide in the town, with many believing Art Glomiraten is a curse, and that their ancestors must have done something to incur the Seven's wrath. Those who condemn the anomaly often protest the festivities, believing that the worship of the anomaly is glorification of suffering.

Defenses

Like all major settlements within The Commonwealth, Mospen is home to their own chapter of The Legion and a contingent of Marshals. The local Marshals are called the Relanamudid. While The Legion watches for Empire activity and deals with monsters in the sand dunes around the town, the Relanamudid deal with more conventional issues around the town, as well as protecting those within Mospen from themselves, breaking up fights and fighting off any undead that make their way over from Gatira Erestis.

The Eshar Mastenath deals with spiritual issues, hunting down the spirits that plague the townsfolk, and attempting to lay them to rest. This can be a dangerous profession, and the Mespuneshari employ a number of tools of their trade to combat spirits. The number one tool in their arsenal is Acroniten powder, which is thrown into the air in confined spaces to tear apart the essence of spirits. This does not destroy the spirit, but instead traps their essence in the powder, scattered among the thousands of particles. This powder is then brought back to Eshar il Zennis where the spirit is drawn out and trapped inside glass vials to be sent off to larger cities like Artus to be dealt with by clerics. Because glass blocks spectral Flow, the Mespuneshari also carry glass swords and shields, which are effective against spiritual attacks, but useless in any other scenario; a convenient alternative to enchanted weaponry which is extremely rare in Mospen.

Crime

Those in the town who are predisposed to illicit acts will find ways to exploit every advantage to them to achieve their ends. The obvious difference between Mospen and the average town is the spiritual activity, which gives new avenues for crime to be committed. One of the simplest things someone can do is to attract spirits, requiring only some Acroniten ore or metal. The metal attracts spirits to it, so placing a small nugget in someone's home is enough to draw spirits to it. Someone with a grudge against another in town could buy a nugget from one of the local suppliers selling protective wards and hide it in the home of the one they are feuding with to torment them. But this becomes particularly problematic if this attracts a malevolent spirit, and that person turns up dead. For this reason, all sales of spiritual items are regulated and tracked.