Notes[]
This lore is maintained by Thorn.
Cultures[]
Takafi are the dominant race. Magic users from other races settle here occasionally.
Geography[]
Tauenga is a series of ruins, stretching a good distance underground. It looks as though in it's heyday it was very densely constructed, with hallways instead of roads and little open space. Many areas have crumbled, but it's still a cluttered ruin, claustrophobic in some areas. Only the upper regions are settled. The further down one goes, the more distant they are from any remnant of living civilization.
Resources[]
It seems that before the city became ruins, it thrived on magic. Somehow, a number of magic amps were constructed, that boost the intensity of local magic. At least one is still functioning, and the Takafi have taken to it like moths to a flame. There is plentiful scavenging to be had here in the lower levels. Enchanted items don't decompose the same way mundane items do, and with a bit of polishing a blade recovered from the depths can sing as though it was fresh from the forge.
Local Wildlife[]
Rats are not an uncommon sight in the ruins. Various small lizards and snakes also live in the plentiful nooks and crannies about the crumbling structure.
Transport Links[]
Tauenga is a ruin that the Takafi have taken as their own and built on to. It is located in southern Jingara.
Layout[]
The Vibrant Hold[]
Something in the ruins emits a massive amount of the magic crucial to the Takafi's existence, and allows a larger than normal population of them to gather in the same place. Within this area where the energy is strongest, the walls seem almost to faintly glow, and simply snapping the fingers (or clapping, etc) can produce a minor spark of energy. It's in this region that most of the residents can be found.
As this is where the heart of the settlement is, here too can be found various shops and services. There are a number of facilities set up for the use of non-Takafi, which may confuse visitors at first as to why they would be there.
Grim Omen[]
A shop focusing on the sale and restoration of ancient weaponry, mostly from the ruins. Though their stock is not high end , few possess the skills needed to remove the wear of ages from such items. If someone does bring an ancient weapon in need of restoration, it is handled by Tufu, the owner and sole employee. He retreats with the item into a small tent, and a sound like a didgeridoo can be heard. When he emerges, the weapon looks freshly forged.
That Which is Needed[]
A cobbled-together inn catering to visitors. Though out of place among a race that doesn't eat or sleep, the residents of Tauenga were alerted to the approach of foreigners by the residents of Tankanira, and saw an opportunity. To that end, they have a small but steady supply of food and water, and a handful of straw beds. Fortunately for visitors, the warm climate removes the need for the non-existent blankets.
Demesne of the Sunken Heart[]
While the residents of the higher levels thrive on the energy of the magic amp, they only dimly suspect that a similar item may be the source of the various threats arising from the ruins. The fact is, before it was ruins the city had a number of these amps. At least two are still active in some regard, the one in the Vibrant Hold and the one that has sunken into the depths. Unfortunately, at some point during the one of the numerous misuses of magic during the falling of the Empire this particular amp became corrupted. It now spreads decay, and gives rise to undead from the ruins.
Locations of Interest[]
The passageways in the lower levels can become absolutely deadly. There's no way to actually disable the corrupted magic amp, so the best that can be done is to purge the undead in the depths on a regular basis.
Threats[]
The undead from the depths are relentless. If shattered, the magic amp simply gathers the broken shards of their tormented spirits and binds them to a nearby body. If no bodies are available, it forces the spirit into an animated pile of rubble, effectively creating a ruin elemental. Fortunately, none of the creations have any real goal, and though they will attack the living on sight they only find their way to the higher regions by chance.