An Tuil Gàrradh

"Ours is the Eternal Flame"

— Gaidelos Motto

History

This is the ancient seat of the Gaidelos, a civilization whose gods commanded time and fire magic, reflected in their motto “Ours is the Eternal Flame”. Afflicted by Porphyria, some were vulnerable to sunlight, leading them to settle in the Cradle of Vantasil, where sunlight never touches the valley floor.

The Gaidelos faced two challenges: the lack of warmth and light, and the scarcity of nourishment in the rainy lands. To solve these problems, their wise gods set their sights on the Hrethlingas, a people gifted in transmutation magic. A pact was struck: the Hrethlingas would offer their second-born children to intermarry with the Gaidelos’ royal line. In exchange, the second-born children of those unions would be returned, bringing time and fire magic into Hrethlinga blood.

From this pact was born Chulainn, a prodigy who at a young age already transmuted a seed into a radiant Suntree, a source of both warmth and light. With time magic, Chulainn accelerated its growth and raised it into the heart of the castle in mere weeks. He became known as The Child of Light, and under his radiance, An Tuil Gàrradh flourished.

For centuries, peace reigned—until Vantasil, no longer bearing fruit, tricked the Gaidelos into feeding it magic. Branwen, their god-king, sought to restore the plant’s fertility with time sorcery, but Vantasil used the energy to erupt violently. It impaled Branwen with a thousand vines, crushing the central keep and engulfing the garden. The Eternal Flame flickered and died.

Chulainn and the surviving Gaidelos fought to reclaim the castle, but their efforts were in vain. Slowly, inexorably, they withdrew east, leaving their shattered jewel to the creeping grasp of Vantasil.

Geography & Layout

An Tuil Gàrradh lies deep in the western reaches of Vantasil’s Cradle, perched on an artificial rise above the surrounding marshes. The once proud bastion of the Gaidelos is now partly collapsed.

The original design blended arcane symmetry and natural forms. A central shaft enabled the Suntree to grow through all floors spending its warming light to the rear living quaters. Fantastical frescos and rich tapestry with golden sigils spoke of the Gaidelos' legends and achievements. Aqueducts carried heated water throughout the halls, and the great atrium could channel light across chambers with rotating crystal mirrors—now shattered.

Current Inhabitants

In recent years, a primitive lizardfolk civilization has claimed the remnants of An Tuil Gàrradh. Drawn by the residual warmth of the Suntree, they call the ruins Zurhassk’Ka, the “Shell of the Burning Egg.”

They are lead by the Dragonkin god-blood Alpha and his little brother Cronbach. These two are considered semi-divine by their kin, descended from a mighty creature that soared through the skies said to have been touched by the thunderclouds itself. They have managed to clear out many of the smaller vines, establishing a thriving if fragile community. One of the few Awakened Dragonkin learned to fire the forges and has begun reforging ancient armor to fit their scaled forms.

The ambitious Cronbach is experimenting on his own offspring. He has claimed an old transmutation device left behind by the Gaidelos and believes it could be the key to fulfilling a long-held dream: granting his kind the gift of wings.