Twilight Roost

"Under the Wing, We Thrive"

— Motto of Twilight Roost

History

Nestled atop a lonely mountain, above the clouds and shrouded in eternal twilight, Twilight Roost is a village born from captivity and shaped by resilience. Its inhabitants were brought here generations ago by a giant mockingbird, whose offspring now also rule the skies. Over time, the villagers adapted to their peculiar prison, eating the mountain goats which roamed around and building homes and tools from rocks and the unique tree-like plants that grow on the mountaintop called Polylepis. These trees have bark made of layered, nearly indestructible sheets, which are used to construct sturdy shelters, furniture, and tools.

The mockingbird, surprisingly, brought hardy seeds called frost grain and potatoes, which allowed the villagers to cultivate food in the thin soil. As their harvests grew, the birds became less predatory, content with the tribute of crops offered by the humans. Soon, the villagers came to realize that the Mockingbirds had a vested interest in the village's success. Periodically, the birds would bring much-needed gifts. When the villagers struggled to cultivate the hard, unforgiving ground, the birds delivered metal tools to ease their labor. When boredom settled among the people, the birds brought books, offering knowledge and escape. When the goat population dwindled due to a lack of males, the birds replenished the flock. These unexpected gifts became vital to the village's survival, and over time, the villagers grew to rely on the birds' mysterious generosity.

Eventually over a century passed, fear gave way to acceptance, and acceptance turned to reverence. The elders whispered tales of the deadly lands below ruled by unforgiving gods, reinforcing the belief that the mockingbird had delivered them to safety. Worship of the bird became part of their culture, its shadow a symbol of protection rather than doom.

Twenty years ago, a brilliant villager named Tolomi of Twilight Roost changed life in the Roost forever. Through ingenuity, he invented tools for harvesting, a windmill to simplify bread-making, and even devised a way to craft paper, sparking a modest intellectual renaissance. He founded a school, teaching children to read the few books that had been brought over time by the birds. Yet, his brilliance could not save him when he fell ill with a mysterious disease. Driven by desperation, he constructed a daring device to fly beyond the freezing clouds and down below in search of a cure—his fate remains Unknown, but his legacy endures in the progress he gifted to the Roost.

Now, Twilight Roost is both a sanctuary and a paradox: a place of relative peace and ingenuity yet bound by the ever-looming shadow of the Mockingbirds and the unknown dangers of the world below.

Places of Interest

Sky Square

The Sky Square is the central hub of the village, where most of the island's buildings are clustered. This muddy square is the heart of community gatherings, especially for voting and important discussions. At its center stands a wooden pedestal, elevated to allow one speaker at a time to address the villagers, symbolizing the importance of each voice in the community.

The Bathhouse

This beloved building, situated near Sky Square, extends a few meters into the rocky underground, where small pools offer islanders a place to bathe. The geothermal heat naturally warms the water to the perfect temperature. These pools are divided by gender, separated by a thin wooden wall, providing privacy and comfort for all who visit.

The Great Hearth

The Great Hearth is the largest building on the island, featuring thick walls insulated with layers of dirt between stone and Polylepis bark. Inside, a spacious room is equipped with multiple hearths, blankets, food, water, and firewood, providing warmth and sustenance. An external ladder leads to a rooftop lookout, constantly manned to watch for approaching flashfrost clouds. If such a cloud is spotted, the lookout rings a bell, signaling villagers to seek refuge in the Great Hearth until the danger passes.

Mockingbird Library

The Mockingbird Library is a small building that houses all the books brought by the mockingbirds. These books are carefully preserved in special cases to protect them from flashfrost. The library's few dozen volumes are treasured by the people of Twilight Roost. Among the old, weatherworn books are topics such as Arch-Architecture, Geology that even a Mata understands, A Tinkers Handbook (includes Drawings of Artificial Wings), Gaidelos History, Altaii Lineages, Nature, Heroic Tales of Stormsurge Bay, an unreadable diary by Elvan, and a book filled with numbers, likely an old checkbook.

Rylan (M, 38, Hrethllingas) serves as both the librarian and the village's teacher, residing in a small backroom. The library's most prized possession is "Musashi’s Great Analytic Book of Nature," a magical item.

Tolomi’s Windmill

Tolomi’s Windmill is used to grind the hardy frost grain, a task that was once a communal effort during the annual grinding festival. Before the windmill, villagers would place the grain between two large rocks, using a rope to shift the upper rock back and forth. This labor-intensive process evolved into a beloved competition (tug-o-war), which continues even after the windmill's construction.

Inside, the windmill is sparsely furnished, with the main attraction being the intricate gears and grinding stone. Scattered in the corners are a few bags and baskets, while the bark-floor is dusty and creaks underfoot.

Tolomi’s School

Named after its founder, Tolomi’s School was once led by Tolomi, the village genius who taught young children to read and write.  After his departure, his assistant Rylan took over as teacher.

The school is modestly furnished with crude wooden benches and chairs. Students use slates covered with Polylepis bark for writing, along with chalk sourced from the limestone in the Bathhouse. Books are carefully borrowed from the library, kept in protective cases, and promptly returned once reading is complete.

The Skyspire

Towering far above the sea of freezing clouds, the Skyspire is a lone, jagged mountain peak that pierces the twilight like a dagger. In stark contrast to the broad, flat summit of Twilight Roost, the Skyspire’s steep cliffs and needle-like crags leave little room for life. Yet it is there, on its inhospitable heights, that the mockingbirds make their nests. Only the mockingbirds traverse the deadly gulf of freezing clouds between the two sky islands, leaving the Skyspire an unreachable enigma, veiled in both reverence and conjecture. The latter due to the legends of all the treasures the thievish birds are hoarding there.

The Frozen Sea

In the early days, some dared to descend the mountain in hopes of escape, but venturing into the sea of clouds almost always led to swift and icy deaths. Those few who managed to return bore severe frostbite, often losing fingers, toes, or even entire limbs to the numbing cold. Over time, the massive, slow-moving clouds that stretch endlessly across the horizon became known as the Frozen Sea—a deadly expanse of solid, icy vapor that isolates the mountain from the world below, an impenetrable barrier shrouded in mystery and dread.

The Cloudforest

Vegetation on the mountain is sparse, yet some patches of cloudforest persist in sheltered spots not far from the village. The cloudforest here is low-growing, with mostly only the hardy Polylepis trees reaching heights taller than a human. Still this forests host a diverse array of small wildlife, including chinchillas, vicuñas, foxes, rabbits, tapirs, lizards, frogs, and toads—most of which are harmless.

Other than the frost grain and potatoes, the lichen covered Polylepis trees and various other vegetations are natives to this land.

Another notable plant is the Raincatcher, a small, green, funnel-shaped marvel uniquely adapted to the harsh environment. Its delicate, hair-like structures inside the funnel capture moisture from the air, channeling it into a reservoir at its base. This natural water collector provides the mountain's inhabitants with their most reliable source of water.

White Snakeroot is a toxic plant that contains the poisonous compound trematol, which can cause "milk poisoning" when consumed by humans through the milk of animals that have grazed on it. This plant is capable of growing in high-altitude environments, adapting to cool and wet conditions, and its toxins can lead to symptoms such as nausea, weakness, and even death if ingested in sufficient quantities.