Portal 16 – Restricted Access
Portal 16 opened in a practice room in the Ho Huong Bardic College, which was nested in the shadows of Ba Den Mountain. The confluence of portal energy and discordant bardic power started a seismic chain reaction that caused the nearby picturesque peak, the inspiration to so many first year poems and couplets, to erupt.
Most of Ho Huong was covered in ash and molten rock, as were the artists training there. A small group were able to escape through the portal, and were some of the first people to see the collection of portals where Junction would be built. As the armies came to claim the land around the portals, the Survivors, as they called themselves, were able to use their charms and abilities to place themselves as entertainers, then advisors to the various factions.
Today, access to what the area just called “The Burning Schools” is restricted. The area is still very seismically active. Lava flows and choking ash falls are still common in the area, with little ability to harness the geothermal energy. However, The Descendants of the Survivors are still a vocal part of Junction’s civic life. A bid for a council seat is guaranteed if one of the Descendants publicly back you, though in recent times the Descendants have been voicing more concerns for the poorer parts of the city.
Some say Junction would not have been founded at all if not for the Survivors. Others say that myth is only whispered by Descendants to grow their power…
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