Eagle Prefecture

Geography

A serene, river-riddled pastoral land on the western coast of the Blessed Isle, Eagle Prefecture has little of note to attract attention: it does not have the mineral wealth of Juche, the industry of Chanos, the trade hub status of Arjuf, the agricultural productivity of Pangu or Lord's Crossing... it has instead a mixture of those things in far lesser quantities, and other than House Sesus who makes the land its home it has little to attract Dynastic attention.

Eagle Prefecture is large, bordered to the West by the Western Ocean, and is surrounded on its landward sides by lesser prefectures. The Broad and Twisting Tail of the Dragon, known colloquially as the Water Dragon Road or the Eagle Highway, is a paved road which runs eastward from Eagle’s Launch to Lord's Crossing, while the Great Coast Road also runs through the prefecture along its western edge. Aside from these two roadways, much of the traffic in the prefecture takes place by riverboat rather than road.

Local weather is cold and stormy, though as elsewhere on the Isle the worst storms and lowest temperatures are evened out by the weather control system.

Notable locations include:

Eagle’s Launch - Major port on the Western coast, and prefectural capital.

Glalo - Farming village.

Guin - Farming village.

Cloaka - Town known for its horse-breeders and horses, called Firemanes.

Sennet Mill - Farming village .

Blood and Iron – Small township, inland near the prefecture's eastern border. The surrounding hills are home to several mines producing Iron ore, and the Deep of Blood-Gorged Heroes, ancestral manse of the Sesus Chenow branch.

Eyrie of Ten Thousand Eagles - Fortress manse on the northern end of the prefecture's coastline. Ancestral seat of the Kajak branch of House Sesus.

Verdant Song - Small township located within a narrow river valley of the same name. The valley is sheltered and fertile, a microclimate making it one of few areas in the prefecture fit for growing grapes. It is home to several orchards, as well as the prefecture's only winery (controlled by House V'neef for the past 60 years). At the center of the valley stands the fortress-manse Plum and Cherry Redoubt, ancestral seat of the Denerid branch of House Sesus.

Ochre Pit Cove - A mining and fishing town on the prefecture's northern border, known for an excellent sheltered harbour which can provide succour not only to the local fishing fleet but to Dynastic or Imperial Navy vessels seeking to avoid severe weather. The port is home to a floating villa which can entertain such waylaid guests, the Blessing of Waves, home to Senator Sesus Tabana.

Flora & Fauna

Eagle Prefecture is not named at random: its cliffs and trees are filled with the eyries of those large birds of prey, who feed on the abundant fish of its rivers and ocean. The largest are a threat to local livestock and in lean years occasionally local children. Many House Sesus estates will have ‘bird feeders’, pens paved in stone and stocked with rodents or other small animals to attract local eagles.

The rich fishing grounds off the coast of the prefecture are also very attractive to ferocious River Dragons, who also venture up the estuaries of the larger rivers. House Sesus Exalts are often called on by the locals to slay these beasts, and it is traditional for new-Exalted Sesus Dragonblooded to join these hunts and prove themselves by spearing the creature. Slain dragons are towed to shore and roasted over an open fire, their teeth taken as trophies and meat shared amongst local and Dynast alike.

Economy

Eagle Prefecture is not an economic powerhouse, lacking the highly valuable resources seen in some other prefectures, but in terms of mundane goods it is quite productive.

Both freshwater and saltwater fish are exported in abundance from the region, while the pasturelands produce the overpriced dairy and meat (primarily pork) sold to the coastal islands or the villas of the Dynasty. Vegetables such as leeks and cabbage are also grown in the prefecture, many of which are pickled and preserved in clay jars for later consumption. Inland hilly areas provide clay for pottery (including Ocarinas, a favoured local folk instrument) and ample Iron ore (though the quality of local Steel is considered lesser than that of Juche Prefecture or Lord's Crossing Dominion).

The economy of Eagle Prefecture has been hit hard by the actions of its local Salt Gods, who have increased the tithe demanded for taking their Salt. This has rendered exports of meat, pickled vegetables, and fish more expensive, as salt is vital to the preserving process. It has also hurt business, as this salt rate determines the rate of interest for local loans, though the largest organizations (such as House Sesus) have staved off difficulties by using their reach to secure loans in other prefectures with more reasonable rates.

Religion

While not embracing heresy, neither House Sesus nor Eagle Prefecture are particularly known for their piety. In previous years, this has meant outbreaks of the Hundred Gods Heresy have been more common here than elsewhere on the Blessed Isle, put down by the Immaculate Order in brutal fashion, though perhaps because of their place in a religious wilderness those residents truly gripped by Immaculate faith tend to be more hardline and zealous than elsewhere.

Politics & Military

Prefect: Orchid Coral

Eagle Prefecture is dominated by House Sesus. All five branch families maintain their ancestral homes in the prefecture, and the family’s unExalted children have intermarried with the local patricians who occupy many government posts in the prefecture and its neighbours. Their control is comparable to (perhaps even greater than) that of House Ledaal in Arjuf, save that most do not think it matters... Eagle Prefecture has nothing anyone else would particularly WANT.

House Peleps also had a presence along the coast, as the Imperial Navy's Water Fleet was based in Eagle’s Launch, but many families have relocated to Tongma Island along with the Fleet, with those remaining behind tending to be households with deeper ties to the Sesus lords of the prefecture.

Eagle Prefecture was once home to the headquarters of the Water Fleet, with all the defences such entails, but the Fleet's home base has been relocated to Tongma Island. On shore, the prefecture and a number of its neighbours are garrisoned by the 26th Imperial Legion, sponsored by House Sesus.