Cathedral of Doves
Aspect: Earth Rating: •• Hearthstone: Stone Of The Earthweb Bearer: Cathak Petraius Attuned: Cathak Petraius, Mnemon Illex, Cathak Broadsword, Cathak Yosei, Ledaal Zhinja, Ledaal Shannar, Ledaal Yosara, Cathak Iwana, Ledaal Alatien, Cathak Anara, Cathak Moran, ?
Aspect: Air Rating: • Hearthstone: Wafting Stone Bearer: Cathak Petraius Attuned: Cathak Petraius, Mnemon Illex, Cathak Broadsword, Cathak Yosei, Ledaal Yosara, Cathak Iwana, Ledaal Alatien, Cathak Anara, Cathak Moran, ?
Aspect: Water Ratings: •• Hearthstone: (none) Features: Essence Vents. Bearer: (none) Attuned: (none)
Located at the eastern edge of Bright Parasol Prefecture, the Cathedral of Doves is a military fortification built into the coastal cliffs. It has long served as headquarters of the 30th Imperial Legion.
Once the Cathedral of Doves was an extensive complex, consisting of barracks and warehousing facilities built into the shore cliffs, a long causeway system and skyship landing platforms connecting it to a Manufactory Cathedral on a metal platform over the water. During the earliest days of the Shogunate Era (and perhaps, some might whisper, in the Golden Age before) it was Creation’s primary construction facility for Warbird skyships, but these devices became increasingly difficult to manufacture as centuries wore on, due to shortages in vital parts and expertise, and much of the Cathedral’s efforts at the opening of the Great Contagion were devoted to maintenance of the Shogunate sky fleet and production of simpler transport craft, as well as Warstriders mounting ancillary flight systems.
The Great Contagion disrupted the Cathedral... its technicians and staff suffered mass casualties like every other population, and those who survived took to their vessels and set out for the edges of Creation to oppose the Balorian Crusade, leaving the structure empty. When the Seven Tigers rose and planned to take the Blessed Isle from the Scarlet Empress, the Cathedral was a prime target, its production sure to bolster their forces as they pushed further across the Isle. However, the Empress invoked the powers of the Imperial Manse to destroy the invaders, and this time the very land beneath the Cathedral bucked and rolled, the manufactory platform shattered and split as essence fires thundered into the skies, bits of scalding metal rained down as far away as the port at Arjuf. The cause of this disaster is absent, of course, from Imperial histories, who blame the explosion instead on unprovoked launch of a weapon by the Seven Tigers.
Scavenger efforts were launched, but there was little left to recover, and the surviving shore-based facilities were instead repaired as best could be done to serve as a supply depot and garrison for the military of the Scarlet Empire, the distorted geomancy smoothed and capped by lesser manses. The latest unit assigned, some centuries ago, was the 30th Imperial Legion.
Today the facility consists of three manses, whose construction is interconnected to reduce dangerous buildup of essence. The first, formed by the cave network and solid surface fortifications off the Great Coast Road, is aspected to Earth. The cliff opening and warstrider hangar chamber is aspected to Air. A further manse has been constructed over water, aspected to that element, but properly capping it proved beyond the abilities of the Realm's artificers, and so its power is diverted up the cliffs along a series of Essence Vents, which erupt occasionally in colourful displays.
