Hopespring
Hopespring is a desolate scar upon the lands of Torvahl, and to those in Southstone, a powerful warning.
When a Bloodwoken becomes powerful and established enough, they seek to wage war on the living, amassing armies of Undead to besiege and exterminate settlements across their domain. In the Southstone Inquisitorium, these events are called a "Scourge"
Many centuries ago, a Bloodwoken Scourge began, and ended, the aftermath of which resulted in a somewhat lessening of the Undead stranglehold in the lands surrounding Southstone City. Because of this, the people of Southstone thought, for the first time in who knows how long, they might be able to expand and perhaps even work toward fixing the cursed lands.
This desire, perhaps ambition, culminated in the idea of Hopespring. The town's location was specifically designated to be deeper into the wilds, and establishing the settlement was to serve three specific purposes:
First, and most importantly to many of the common folk, it represented an expansion and opportunity. It felt like a "win" against the Undead that so define the lives of those in Southstone.
Second, its location nestled into the mountains meant that, in theory, it should have been a naturally defensible location, serving as a "forward base" in what was, at the time, perceived to be a "war" against the Undead.
Lastly, it was located deeper into the wilds of the mountains. This meant that opportunities to study and perhaps learn about new types of Undead were more available, and the hope was that new information could help better prepare for threats in the future.
For awhile, nothing seemed amiss. In those days there were more Inquisitors among the Southstone branch, and under armed escort people began to migrate to Hopespring. A community was established, and while the occasional Undead problems arose, they were resolved easily enough by those who'd lived their lives under constant threat. In the wake of the recent Scourge, minds were sharp and blades sharper. Morale was high, and the people of Hopespring saw themselves as taking an important step in the history of Torvahl. They were correct of course, but not in the way they might have hoped. The migration of people from Southstone to Hopespring took place over, by best estimate, the better part of a couple years. It is assumed that it occurred in waves, with large caravans of people travelling as a group following a carefully planned timetable and route every six months or so. Records from the time of Hopespring are scarce, but it seems as if the more civilian migrants came later in the process, with necessary individuals to establish the security or local infrastructure being sent in the initial waves. Perhaps more interesting, it seems that contingents of the military of Torvahl accompanied some of these initial movements as well, seeming to indicate not only approval but support from the crown for this venture into establishing a new settlement. Throughout the migration process, communication was maintained between Southstone City and Hopespring via Sending spells. Weekly updates from one settlement to the other were provided regarding mundane matters, with daily updates should the activity of Undead near either location become alarming. It is this system of communication that makes the fate of Hopespring so disturbing.
The system of communication should have meant that if either location became aware of concerning movement by local Undead, the other would be preemptively informed of the activity. Furthermore, the shift to a daily update cycle if Undead activity was seen to be increasing should've meant that a record of the progression toward whatever befell Hopespring should've been thoroughly recorded. And yet the fate of Hopespring remains a mystery. Southstone City was not aware of Hopesprings destruction until their sister-city missed its weekly update. Attempts were made to contact Hopespring, none of which succeeded. A group of Inquisitors was sent out to investigate, and after missing their return date by weeks, were deemed lost. The fate of Hopespring seemed clear, but with the cause a mystery, Southstone went on the defensive. Anticipating some kind of unstoppable Undead force, the city stockpiled supplies and sealed their walls for what seems like a few months. Eventually, when no signs of an impending assault on Southstone appeared, the need for information became more prevalent. A second group of Inquisitors made the trip to Hopespring, and this time, though fewer in number, they returned to report their discovery. What the Inquisitors described was a nightmare, their report confirming that not only were the fears that Hopespring and its inhabitants were now dead, but something worse: That they didn't stay that way. The Inquisitors described a twisted forest of grotesque trees, shambling corpses of friends and loved ones roaming the streets, and ancient terrors thought gone from this world. The news baffled everyone in Southstone, as somehow Hopespring was not only wiped out, but twisted into a perverse vision of its purpose.
In the time since the fall of Hopespring, most in Southstone have chosen to see it as a warning. Those privy to the few known details of the events surrounding the settlement's destruction tend to conclude that only an act of divine spite from the Goddess of Undeath and Corruption could be responsible for such a swift and powerful contortion of the town, and indeed it does seem to be a clear statement. Over the years since the fall of Hopespring, this has become the common tale. Hopespring is now an inversion of its name, being seen as a warning against the hubris of mortals attempting to expand beyond their divine walls and a reminder of the manipulative and cruel nature of Vyshareth's ire.
For awhile, nothing seemed amiss. In those days there were more Inquisitors among the Southstone branch, and under armed escort people began to migrate to Hopespring. A community was established, and while the occasional Undead problems arose, they were resolved easily enough by those who'd lived their lives under constant threat. In the wake of the recent Scourge, minds were sharp and blades sharper. Morale was high, and the people of Hopespring saw themselves as taking an important step in the history of Torvahl. They were correct of course, but not in the way they might have hoped. The migration of people from Southstone to Hopespring took place over, by best estimate, the better part of a couple years. It is assumed that it occurred in waves, with large caravans of people travelling as a group following a carefully planned timetable and route every six months or so. Records from the time of Hopespring are scarce, but it seems as if the more civilian migrants came later in the process, with necessary individuals to establish the security or local infrastructure being sent in the initial waves. Perhaps more interesting, it seems that contingents of the military of Torvahl accompanied some of these initial movements as well, seeming to indicate not only approval but support from the crown for this venture into establishing a new settlement. Throughout the migration process, communication was maintained between Southstone City and Hopespring via Sending spells. Weekly updates from one settlement to the other were provided regarding mundane matters, with daily updates should the activity of Undead near either location become alarming. It is this system of communication that makes the fate of Hopespring so disturbing.
The system of communication should have meant that if either location became aware of concerning movement by local Undead, the other would be preemptively informed of the activity. Furthermore, the shift to a daily update cycle if Undead activity was seen to be increasing should've meant that a record of the progression toward whatever befell Hopespring should've been thoroughly recorded. And yet the fate of Hopespring remains a mystery. Southstone City was not aware of Hopesprings destruction until their sister-city missed its weekly update. Attempts were made to contact Hopespring, none of which succeeded. A group of Inquisitors was sent out to investigate, and after missing their return date by weeks, were deemed lost. The fate of Hopespring seemed clear, but with the cause a mystery, Southstone went on the defensive. Anticipating some kind of unstoppable Undead force, the city stockpiled supplies and sealed their walls for what seems like a few months. Eventually, when no signs of an impending assault on Southstone appeared, the need for information became more prevalent. A second group of Inquisitors made the trip to Hopespring, and this time, though fewer in number, they returned to report their discovery. What the Inquisitors described was a nightmare, their report confirming that not only were the fears that Hopespring and its inhabitants were now dead, but something worse: That they didn't stay that way. The Inquisitors described a twisted forest of grotesque trees, shambling corpses of friends and loved ones roaming the streets, and ancient terrors thought gone from this world. The news baffled everyone in Southstone, as somehow Hopespring was not only wiped out, but twisted into a perverse vision of its purpose.
In the time since the fall of Hopespring, most in Southstone have chosen to see it as a warning. Those privy to the few known details of the events surrounding the settlement's destruction tend to conclude that only an act of divine spite from the Goddess of Undeath and Corruption could be responsible for such a swift and powerful contortion of the town, and indeed it does seem to be a clear statement. Over the years since the fall of Hopespring, this has become the common tale. Hopespring is now an inversion of its name, being seen as a warning against the hubris of mortals attempting to expand beyond their divine walls and a reminder of the manipulative and cruel nature of Vyshareth's ire.
