Districts lists all relevant cortex entries of Geography sub section found in the Library main section of the Cortex.
Collection Details
A total of 66 cortex entries make reference to the Districts.
The following Cortex Entries give an overview of all the Districts in which the Freelancer has traveled.
Abyssal Loch (District)
See Cortex Entry: Abyssal Loch (District) for More Details
The Anzu emerged from the deep waters near the camp. Hatred for the Freelancers burned in his heart. How dare they chase him from his cave? How dare they eat and drink merrily, when he had been forced to hide under the water, eating cold phiranix. He watched them around their fire on the rock face, so confident in their mastery. Well, he would show them, He would remind them why humans would never rule this world.
Arden's Road (District)
See Cortex Entry: Arden's Road (District) for More Details
This road to the sanctuary is thought to be as old as Velathra, perhaps indicating that it was built in the time of great optimism after the urgoth defeat. The name "Arden's Road" has always existed, adding support to the old folk tale of the Princess and the Merchant.
Blackshore (District)
See Cortex Entry: Blackshore (District) for More Details
The Freelancer failure at the Heart of Rage has had one other unfortunate result. With Freelancer numbers much reduced, the Scar population flourishes again, spreading to nearby Lakeshore, occupying the mine and destroying the water system in the area. Scar scouts are once again an everyday occurrence, making travel more dangerous than ever. Between this and the occupation at the gate to Heliost, I can't help but feel that the Scars are winning.
— From The Heart Of Rage: A Discussion, a pamphlet by Edgar Cye
Crescent Lake (District)
See Cortex Entry: Crescent Lake (District) for More Details
Ancient Anzu Arcanists think that this lake was home to some sort of creature. The lake's underwater passages lead into the cenote in Anshar, so it could be possible that this creature had something to do with whatever happened there. If it was, in fact, an Anzu of some sort, this would be the basis for many of the stories from the area. Maybe the Fen Watcher, the Ezurite Anzu, and the mysterious shadow that came to Anshar are one and the same.
— From Ancient Anzu, radio show
Crosslands (District)
See Cortex Entry: Crosslands (District) for More Details
An ancient road connecting the Fortress of Dawn to the old strider path, this is the road where Vassa led a large multitude of lancers and striders away from the Fortress to Antium.
Dark Canopy (District)
See Cortex Entry: Dark Canopy (District) for More Details
The trees are thick are like green smoke and it's blocking out the sun.
The cool breeze of the morning is a signal you should run.
The canopy is dark and it will not light your way.
The water there don't give you hope, it will only take away.
Fly away from Dunar, do not cross the Arden's road.
Turn your strider back, my friend, return your merchant's load.
Fly away from Dunar, don't you take the chance.
For the canopy is dark and wants to make you dance.
Darkwood Barrens (District)
See Cortex Entry: Darkwood Barrens (District) for More Details
The place where Arden Vassa stood when building the Fortress of Dawn. It's said that Vassa's use of ember was so powerful that it scorched the earth around him, changing the vegetation here forever. The Darkwood Barrens is also the name of the satirical poem by humorist Constanza Yar. The poem references Durnwin Dell, a royal prince who was also a famously inept lancer, though none in Antium's court dare point it out. The verse recounts his supposed visit to the Frtress, where he battled insects and not much else, and caused a scandal in Antium society.
“Twas lithey in the brimmley glowves
Did in the Darkwood tarry fein
With swarms of bothers flakint roes
And Durnwin Dell did lance again.
When the pokes and pots were done
Not an insect did dare to shave
For Dell had fallen off the skoe
and did the Darkwood tarry fein.”
Eddian Grove (District)
See Cortex Entry: Eddian Grove (District) for More Details
The Eddian Grove in a must-see for day trips. These are the only plants of this species in existence, and while they have a tree-like structure, Arcanists are divided over whether or not it is a tree. As Tansy Hull wrote in her book The Joy of Botany, “It has a trunk, yet its top is soil and grass. Without foliage, I can hardly consider it a tree.” Regardless, if you happen to make it there, you can rest on its grassy tops and watch the clouds roll by or stars twinkling in the sky.
— From Quest Advisor pamphlet
Exile's Arch (District)
See Cortex Entry: Exile's Arch (District) for More Details
This pass leading to the Fortress of Dawn has a long history, not just as one of the Legion's defensive posts, but being the place they exiled one of their own. The Legionnaire Verithan had murdered his friend Felux out of jealously and Tarsis decided he should be banished rather than have Legionnaires spill human blood. Today, Exiles Arch is still a key location for the banished as the primary location for outlaw hostage exchange. When the authorities fail to arrive for a hostage exchange, captives are left alone at “The Hanging tree.” where they are more than likely to be eaten by wildlife.
First Refuge (District) (1)
See Cortex Entry: First Refuge (District) (1) for More Details
I, Governor Tanner, do hereby approve the commencement of the extension of Fort Tarsis. With this radio tower, the Emperor gives his Sentinels leave to patrol and coordinate the building of a new dawn for Fort Tarsis and the new people flooding in every day to take part in the exciting work here in Honor Valley.
— From Transcript, Arcanist records
First Refuge (District) (2)
See Cortex Entry: First Refuge (District) (2) for More Details
I’m sorry to say that I think we should halt the extension of Fort Tarsis to First Refuge until these strange creatures can be dealt with, which Freelancer Gurney assures me will be a week at most. But rest assured, we will finish the project on time and on budget.
— From Transcript, Arcanist records
Gathering Falls (District)
See Cortex Entry: Gathering Falls (District) for More Details
Gathering Falls is the water system that gathers effluence and takes sit away from Fort Tarsis. Not recommended as drinking water, though the Crop Terraces did prove remarkably fertile when this particular stream was used for irrigation. Not all good things are gathered in this water system, however, and there has always been a number of dead animals and missing people discovered further down the way.
Giant's Crossroads (District)
See Cortex Entry: Giant's Crossroads (District) for More Details
Today we witnessed the most beautiful thing. We were investigating the Shaper ruins in the area, when a great wind knocked us to the ground. Of course, we feared that a relic had been set off, but the next thing we saw was a giant butterfly, rising up from the path to one of the cliffs, and then up over the next one. Thank goodness the lancer with us managed to capture it on his link. It was the most amazing thing I have ever seen. Sometimes the world is astounding, isn’t it?
— Diary, Arcanist archives
Governor Springs (District)
See Cortex Entry: Governor Springs (District) for More Details
Governor Springs has held many different names over the years. First known as Upper Springs, it was changed by the ruling governor to “Flaxia Springs” after his daughter. The next governor, who had experienced personal clashes with Flaxia, changed the name to “Busybody Springs”. This, naturally, was addressed by the next governor in turn, who decided to put the naming of the waterway to a popular vote. Suggestions included “Splashy Splashway,” “The Babbling Brook” and “Water McWaterface.” Public disagreement over the name led to a riot in a local pub, until the commander of the Sentinels stepped in and named it “Governor Springs.” This name has not since been contested.
Headless Hollow (District)
See Cortex Entry: Headless Hollow (District) for More Details
There on the other side of the corridor was a lancer. It was some sort of old javelin, not like the kind you see today… its back was to me but I could tell something was funny about it. Gave me the chills. As I moved closer, I realized that the javelin… had no head! I must have gasped or made a noise or something, because then it turned around and looked at me. Or at least it would have, but it had no head!
— Eyewitness account
Helena's Walk (District)
See Cortex Entry: Helena's Walk (District) for More Details
This structure is built where General Tarsis’ ghost was apparently spotted wandering, years after her death. Pilgrims from all over Bastion came to the temple to meditate and pray for Tarsis to return. Of course, popularity of this site grew again after it was the setting for Eritono's dramatic masterpiece “Raxion,” but it has not been visited since titans from the Heart of Rage breached the Shadow Lock.
Honor Valley (District)
See Cortex Entry: Honor Valley (District) for More Details
It's awe-inspiring to think of brave citizens coming to Honor Valley to work the land without having to wear armor. And though it is now abandoned, Honor Valley remains as a symbol of hope, a reminder that for one shining moment, mankind mastered the threat of the wilderness and expanded into new prosperity. What heights this experiment might have reached if not for the new danger of Scars, we will never know.
— From History of Scars by Hanni Blythe
Junkhead Basin (District)
See Cortex Entry: Junkhead Basin (District) for More Details
After the terraces were destroyed, Fort Tarsis decided to be more proactive managing Scar swarms. a combined force of Sentinels and Freelancers assembled to destroy the construct in the Basin. Upon arrival, they were met with a new discovery: an intelligent Scar with technology built into its skull, earning in the name “Junkhead.” Junkhead is considered the first official Scar Luminary.
— From History of Scars by Hanni Blythe
Korox Shallows (District)
See Cortex Entry: Korox Shallows (District) for More Details
Shallow water makes this a favorite area of korox, who gather here in mating season. Korox mating is a violent, bloody affair, where females have been known to rampage and butt their heads against nearby rocks, occasionally causing avalanches. The korox who do not make it through the mating ritual become carrion for grabbits and wolven hungry for a feast. It should come as no surprise that Korox Shallows is to be avoided at certain times of the year.
Legion's Plateau (District)
See Cortex Entry: Legion's Plateau (District) for More Details
Sanadeen knew she could not let the Fen Watcher escape, and so leapt from the Legion's Plateau into the Shaper tunnel after it.
— From The Volume of Tarsis by “Garred”
Legionnaire's Ravine (District)
See Cortex Entry: Legionnaire's Ravine (District) for More Details
The Legionnaire's Ravine was where General Tarsis’ most trusted lancers trained and learned to pilot the first javelins. It's a favorite destination of those visiting the Fortress of Dawn, most memorably writer Fallon Dalatie, who etched his name into the side of some of the ruins found in the ravine. In an effort to restore the ravine and its structures, the Shadowmark Ladies’ Auxiliary repaired Dalmatic's graffiti, outraging the Dalathie Society of Antium. Unfortunately, the structures were destroyed around 344.
Lost Road (District)
See Cortex Entry: Lost Road (District) for More Details
Formerly called the East Strider path, this ancient road used to be a bustle of activity, but when Scars began ambushing striders, traffic became less frequent. The term “Lost Road” was coined by strider drivers.
Lover's Springs (District)
See Cortex Entry: Lover's Springs (District) for More Details
Said to be the place where notorious outlaw Gemma “Blondie” Dane and her opponent Kellye Belgat were found mid-gunfight and attacked by a pack of Brutes. The Sentinel and the outlaw had to work together to survive, hiding out in nearby caves until the brutes passed. This cooperation sparked their doomed love affair, the inspiration for a storyline in the popular radio show, “The Crimson Lancer.”
Memorial Gate (District)
See Cortex Entry: Memorial Gate (District) for More Details
The “Phredies Par Memorial Lock and Parkland” is the strider entrance to Fort Tarsis, and a walking path developed just outside the walls for the purpose of recreational use. In the time of the Great Expansion, Arcanist inventor and Engineer Phredies Par came to Fort Tarsis to build the Honor Valley Dam, and its success brought an era of peace and prosperity to the area. The parkland is especially notable, intended as a well-guarded recreational hike for residents of the fort, but which had to be closed due to Scars.
Mentor's Trail (District)
See Cortex Entry: Mentor's Trail (District) for More Details
The Mentor's Trail is the path of meditation often walked by Arcanists seeking to ponder the deeper mysteries of existence. Though mentors would always have a lancer with them, stone tablets mark the way to and from, since disappearances, while not as frequent as in today's Emerald Abyss, were an issue.
Moonpod Lagoon (District)
See Cortex Entry: Moonpod Lagoon (District) for More Details
Setting of the beloved “Tessi the Tesilar” series of children's books.
“Who goes there?” asked Tessi the Tesilar. She was feeling a bit scared and thought about putting out her best zaps, when she heard a sad voice.
“Hullo, Tessi,” said the voice.
“Do I know you?”
“Yes. It's me. Koko."
“Oh. Hullo, Koko. You don’t look like yourself.”
“I seem to have lost my armor.” Koko sat in the cool water and batted at the glowing plant with her foot. “I wonder… if I don’t look like myself, am I someone else now?”
“Yes,” said Tessi. “I wonder who?”
— From Tessi the Tesilar by P.K. Ornwerth
Morning's Edge (District) (1)
See Cortex Entry: Morning's Edge (District) (1) for More Details
An expansion of the Fortress of Dawn, Morning's Edge was abandoned when Arden Vassa locked the Fortress and went to Antium. In recent years, it has become a favorite romantic spot for lancers, due to its prominence in “The Crimson Lancer” radio program.
Morning's Edge (District) (2)
See Cortex Entry: Morning's Edge (District) (2) for More Details
Kista: “Morning's Edge? Why did we come here?”
Garaxis: “The same reason everyone else does.”
Garaxis: “Delaro… will you marry me?”
Kista: “Well I…? Yes. Yes! Oh, Garaxis!”
— From The Crimson Lancer radio program
North Rock (District)
See Cortex Entry: North Rock (District) for More Details
Once you’ve enjoyed the intricate structures of Anshar, head out of Shadowmark to this delightful picnic spot. Nothing goes better with a saltberry sandwich and a cup of tea than the vista from North Rock. This secure location is where Shadowmark holds their annual summer festival. While not as large as Freemark's tournament, it's still a delightful place to watch lancers battle it out for the big prize in the spirit of sportsmanship.
— From Quest Advisor pamphlet
Observatory of Velathra (District)
See Cortex Entry: Observatory of Velathra (District) for More Details
While not as large as Anshar, Velathra was a thriving Arcanist academy created by Arden Vassa, dedicated to the specific studies of astronomy and the mystery of the Shaper's Rings. Record of Velathra's destruction has been lost, but tales passed down from Arcanist to Arcanist say that it was decimated when the Shaper Rings became active.
Praedean Falls (District)
See Cortex Entry: Praedean Falls (District) for More Details
While much of Velathra's history has been lost, the story behind “Praedean Falls” remains. Of all the Arcanists who lived and thrived in Velathra, none was more famous than Yerth Praedean, an astronomics disciple. Not only did he map the cycles of the moons, but he was notoriously clumsy, and was often tripping over himself. His mentor always said, “Praedean, one day you are going to fall to your death,” and then one day, while lunching at the particularly slippery waterfall, his mentor's prophecy came true. The Falls serve as a reminder that not every danger has teeth or comes out of a Cataclysm.
Sanadeen's Pass (District)
See Cortex Entry: Sanadeen's Pass (District) for More Details
And so it was that Sanadeen and the Fen Watcher did battle for three days and three nights at the pass, until they could no more, and collapsed onto one another and the deepest sleep. It was at this time that the Watcher's blood did cover Sanadeen, and make its secret way into her being. And so it was that Sanadeen, Helena's Corvus, received her secret gifts, and the Sister Dark was truly born.
— From The Volume of Tarsis by “Garred”
Scar's Duskheap (District)
See Cortex Entry: Scar's Duskheap (District) for More Details
The heart of the Scar incursion is found at the base of Hammertop Mountain, call the Scar's Duskheap. Though efforts have been made to disrupt and destroy this massive swarm, the depth and complexity of the caverns have been to the Scars’ advantage No matter the lancer's efforts, there always seems to be somewhere to hide.
— From History of Scars by Hanni Blythe
Serpent's View (District)
See Cortex Entry: Serpent's View (District) for More Details
Deni discovered a new plant! Yes, under the coils of the serpent, new discoveries abound… beautiful blue and red glowing tendrils that light up the whole area. While we’ve seen the glowing vines before—who hasn’t?—this breed is new to us, and I’m excited to get a sample back to Shadowmark. Of course, it also seems to emit an electrical charge, so I’ll have to be extra careful. Will the charge remain once it's been cut? This is the big question. Fingers crossed!
— Diary, Arcanist archives
Shadowmark (District)
See Cortex Entry: Shadowmark (District) for More Details
My mentor has decided that we should settle ourselves on the ruins of Anshar. When the other scholars and I objected to rebuilding our new academy where so many had died, my mentor revealed that the city itself was built on Anzu ruins that required study. Then he said that “we should not forget the dead or the events at Anshar, though they fill our hearts with dread. And so we will call it Shadowmark.”
— Arcanist diary
Silent Path (District)
See Cortex Entry: Silent Path (District) for More Details
Skystone Mine (District)
See Cortex Entry: Skystone Mine (District) for More Details
Compounding the hardships that had fallen on Fort Tarsis was the closure of the Skystone Mine. The key source of metals and resource revenue for the area had become unstable, and the managers chose the safety of the workers over money, but the fort suffered greatly, now having to import yet another resource from far away. Most miners left the fort, and those who stayed either fell into poverty or turned to life with outlaws outside the wall to survive.
— From History of Scars by Hanni Blythe
Skystone Pass (District) (1)
See Cortex Entry: Skystone Pass (District) (1) for More Details
News from Fort Tarsis: Freelancers have defeated the outlaws holding the gate at Skystone. Striders from Heliost will be able to resume their paths through Fort Tarsis immediately. Consequently, renovation of the palace rooftop will recommence shortly.
— Transcript, radio broadcast, Antium
Skystone Pass (District) (2)
See Cortex Entry: Skystone Pass (District) (2) for More Details
Breaking news: Scars have taken Skystone Pass. Any travel to Heliost will have to use alternate routes. The Emperor asks that any Freelancers willing to help should report to the wall for contracts.
— Transcript, radio broadcast, Antium
Southern Reach (District)
See Cortex Entry: Southern Reach (District) for More Details
It is absolutely vital that the Southern Reach remain in our control. With Freemark gone, and the gate to Heliost overrun by Scars, the road to Antium is our only source of food and supplies.
— Governor Teak, radio transcript
Stinging Gulch (District)
See Cortex Entry: Stinging Gulch (District) for More Details
Of course not everything beyond the wall will kill you. Some of the birds are quite friendly. I was watching a flock of indigoes when I wandered into the Hollows, completely missing the huge insect colonies. The insects swarmed and damaged my javelin. It was pure luck that I wasn’t eaten by wolven right there! Which brings me to the point of this guide: while not everything is trying to kill you, it may get you killed anyway. Stay home.
— From A Guide To Living Things That Will Kill You by Timon Batrok
Strider Alley (District)
See Cortex Entry: Strider Alley (District) for More Details
The main strider path connecting Shadowmark to the Shadow Lock. During the Honor Valley boom, trade striders would experience gridlock as they waited to load and unload their supplies. The ease the boredom of the drivers and passengers, musicians would often perform, making Strider Alley a hotbed of local entertainment.
Strider Way (District)
See Cortex Entry: Strider Way (District) for More Details
Sentinels posted along Strider Way: you must be aware that should an attack occur outside of your designated area, it will be dealt with by the Sentinels in the next area or by the nearest Freelancer. Do not leave your posting. Your job is not to chase monsters, but to defend the striders. Be the wall.
— Commander Raidon, Sentinel records
Tarsis Bypass (District)
See Cortex Entry: Tarsis Bypass (District) for More Details
Said to have been home to the dreaded Ezurite Anzu, this passageway has a secret entrance to Fort Tarsis and is patrolled bi-weekly to keep creatures from building homes here. In 324 L.V., the bypass was home to a family of tesilars, whose electromagnetic fields caused javelins, striders, and household appliances to malfunction. These tesilars were the inspiration for the much beloved “Tessi the Tesilar” series.
Tarsis Falls (District)
See Cortex Entry: Tarsis Falls (District) for More Details
These falls, considered the most beautiful in the region, were named after the legendary general of the Legion of Dawn, Helena Tarsis. It is not, however, a place she actually fell. In the late 300s, Maldi Sett went over the falls in a barrel and lived to tell, starting a brief fad with youths in the time of the Honor Valley boom.
Tarsis Forest (District)
See Cortex Entry: Tarsis Forest (District) for More Details
Most notable in this forest are the fierce-looking statues of an unknown beast, reminiscent of “The Hound” of Honor Valley, meant to frighten wildlife and keep them away from the settlement. These statues are found along most major strider pathways in the Fort Tarsis area and were given the nickname “The Happy Anzu.” But could this beast have once existed? Ancient Anzu Arcanists think so.
— From Ancient Anzu, radio show
Tears of Liatrelle (District)
See Cortex Entry: Tears of Liatrelle (District) for More Details
While Urry and Perimodes bounded along the trail, singing “Karin the One-Handed Barmaid,” Gillimer stopped for a moment to watch the Tears of Liatrelle fall. How lucky he was to be here with his companions, and be reminded of Tarsis’ most trusted friend. He thought of how Liatrelle had stopped fighting to heal her friends, and how her compassion was just as important to the fight as her strength. For a Freelancer without compassion was merely a flailing ursix in the woods.
— From The Freelancers Three by Fallon Dalathie
The Bowl (District)
See Cortex Entry: The Bowl (District) for More Details
As one eyewitness attests, “The Cataclysm wasn’t that big. We’d all seen worse. But as the freelancers were working to silence it… the lake water began to boil. And we were standing in it! Didn’t even realize. If it wasn’t for that Freelancer, we’d have been cooked like phiranix in a pot.”
— From Cataclysms and Their Effects, 16th edition
The Breach (District)
See Cortex Entry: The Breach (District) for More Details
They’re building in the Breach again, their favorite place. Maybe that's because this is where they first started, you know? Like it's home… someone's going to have to go in there and stop it. Too bad there aren’t enough Freelancers around…
— Transcript, Sentinel records
The Bullet Mires (District)
See Cortex Entry: The Bullet Mires (District) for More Details
Location of the famous shoot-out between Sentinel Gira Cage and the outlaw Hatch Gang. Cage was low on supplies, but took the gang out one by one with only eight bullets left. Gang leader Roben Hatch fired hundreds of rounds at Cage, who took cover and finished him with her last bullet while he re-loaded. The incident was later turned into a popular ballad.
The Crop Terraces (District)
See Cortex Entry: The Crop Terraces (District) for More Details
The Battle for the Crop Terraces is the most significant Scar skirmish to date, in which Scars mounted their first organized attack against a human settlement. It was a long and bloody battle, resulting in the total decimation of the fort's crops. Antium sent supplies and troops north, but had difficulty crossing enemy lines, causing extra hardship to those in Fort Tarsis. After the hard-won victory, it was decreed that the Scar population must never be allowed to grow that large again, and so “bug-hunts” became a necessary and dangerous practice for lancers in the area. The Terraces haven’t been cultivated since.
— From History of Scars by Hanni Blythe
The Dawn Gates (District)
See Cortex Entry: The Dawn Gates (District) for More Details
Though the number of ancient javelin ruins revealed by our team does indicate that this was a major point of conflict centuries ago, is it actually the “Dawn Gates” of legend, where the urgoth were defeated and General Tarsis gave her life? Garred refers to the final battle being in a closed area with great cliffs, and if the urgoth were descending from the north, this would be a plausible location.
— Arcanist diary, Arcanist archives
The Double Cross (District)
See Cortex Entry: The Double Cross (District) for More Details
Freelancer Galen Blewet had grown so disgusted by society's treatment of criminals that he chose to live in the wild. He provided protection and supplies for those who had been cast outside the wall with nothing, and robbed as many striders as he had once saved. He was notorious for holding people for ransom, and during a hostage exchange in 389, he was shot in the back of the head by his best friend Billy “Good Boy” Natarno, who wanted to collect the reward for Blewet's capture.
The Garrison at Velathra (District)
See Cortex Entry: The Garrison at Velathra (District) for More Details
The Sentinel headquarters for the nearby academy of Velathra and home to a family of Sentinels, the Dirx. When Cadmius Dirx was stationed in Velathra from Antium, no one could guess that he would soon be joined by his two sisters, Clara and Claudia, as well as his youngest brother Corlon. All Sentinels were said to have perished while evacuating Velathra, and while there is no record of proof of the Dirx family, they are honored by Sentinels to this day.
The Guardians of Dunar (District)
See Cortex Entry: The Guardians of Dunar (District) for More Details
Said to be one of the wonders of Bastion, the Guardians were enormous statues built to scare off wildlife from entering the area or threatening the Arcanists at Dunar. The Guardians themselves are likenesses of Arcanist mentors long past, particularly Idris, who taught Arden Vassa the ways of Ember, and Hrennen, who found the gateway to the Anthem.
The Hureen Slide (District)
See Cortex Entry: The Hureen Slide (District) for More Details
Site of the tragic Hureen Slide. A large caravan of merchant striders from the Hureen company were travelling to Freemark, only to be buried by a landslide that killed most of the crew. Those who survived managed to walk to the Tower Road before wyvern caught them. Freelancers found the lone survivor, hiding in a tree nearby.
The Iron Serpent (District)
See Cortex Entry: The Iron Serpent (District) for More Details
The Iron Serpent (the colloquial name for the canyon) is home to the largest Shaper ruins in the entire region. Arcanist records show that the long serpentine arms were once the source of a great disruption in the area, upsetting gravity itself, and turning what was a flatland into canyons and cliffs. The Monument in the center of the canyon is currently active, though not cataclysmic. Arcanists and lancers alike have kept a constant surveillance on the area, ready to alert the nearby settlement of Fort Tarsis, should danger become apparent.
The Palisades of Idris (District)
See Cortex Entry: The Palisades of Idris (District) for More Details
The waterways of Great Falls Canyon collect and spill out into the Palisades of Idris, a small lake surrounded by the jagged cliffs that once protected humans fleeing the urgoth. Here, the Statue of the Faithful looks out onto the water, watching for danger, and guards the Haven nestled in the rocks.
Vassa spoke, “In this place, the free people gathered and thrived. And like Old Idris, the mentors taught the secrets of ember while protected by these cliffs. In these Palisades did the dream of Idris come to pass. And so will we pass through these Palisades and dream of Old Idris.”
— From The Volume of Tarsis by “Garred”
The Phantom Crag (District)
See Cortex Entry: The Phantom Crag (District) for More Details
The Phantom Javelin was last spotted along the eastern edge and the old strider path. Recent eyewitnesses confirmed previous accounts that the Phantom Javelin did indeed have no head and consequently, no pilot. Who and how can this possibly exist?
— From Ancient Anzu, radio show
The Pistons (District)
See Cortex Entry: The Pistons (District) for More Details
We chased Malachi through to the Pistons, and as we took the small chute out, some of his cronies pushed a boulder on top of us. I broke my leg. They got away. I have to give the outlaws credit… they really know the land.
The Sanctuary of Dunar (District)
See Cortex Entry: The Sanctuary of Dunar (District) for More Details
Though the Sanctuary was built long ago, it came to societal prominence in the 150s, when Arcanists from Anshar relocated there to accumulate the written history of humanity. It soon became the primary Arcanist academy in Bastion, and its library the primary source of history and knowledge. It attracted many famed Arcanists, notably Mederines, who would engage in long discussions about the nature of existence in the courtyard, as documented in the philosophical masterwork, “Dialogues.” In 297, a young Arcanist brought a relic into the library, and the ensuing Cataclysms resulted in hundreds of deaths and the loss of the library and its contents.
The Solarium Court (District)
See Cortex Entry: The Solarium Court (District) for More Details
In the time of the urgoth, free humans lived underground, and with the urgoth defeat, humans sought to live above ground, in the open. An Engineer and an Arcanist set out to build a wondrous solarium, where people from all over could come to find peace and reflection in nature… of course, that didn’t go so well. The project had to be abandoned halfway through construction when the workers were eaten by a pack of Brutes. The moral learned from the Solarium Court is that looking for peace in nature is impossible.
The Tower Road (District)
See Cortex Entry: The Tower Road (District) for More Details
“Scars have set up just off of Tower Road. Downed the missing transport. Stripped it for parts. If we’re not careful, they’ll start building and then we’ll have a bug problem on our hands. But the Freelancers should be returning from the Heart of Rage soon enough. I expect the issue will be contained. Sorry for the letter; our cypher has been ill all week.”
— Letter to Antium, from Governor Teak
The Tracks of Midderon (District)
See Cortex Entry: The Tracks of Midderon (District) for More Details
When he was a boy, General Tarsis’ page boy Midderon was well known for being a fast runner, even without a javelin. It was said that he could run from the base of the ravine to the Colossi and then to Anshar in record time. Before the Scar incursion, running the Tracks of Midderon was a popular event in neighboring Shadowmark as part of their yearly festival, and in individual fitness regimes.
The Watchtower of Arath (District)
See Cortex Entry: The Watchtower of Arath (District) for More Details
According to Garred's “The Volume of Tarsis,” Arden Vassa build the citadel of Arath along the High Road as a base of operations for lancers to keep watch over the strider path. While Arcanists place the time of the Citadel's destruction before the shadow fell on Anshar, there has been speculation over what could have demolished such a large structure, and while chimeric compound is present, there is not enough evidence to support the theory of Cataclysm. In recent years, there has been support for the idea of a titan having wreaked havoc, as stated in Dalathie's “The Freelancers Three.”
Fortress of Dawn (District)
See Cortex Entry: Fortress of Dawn (District) for More Details
Vassa worked his mind for five days and five nights and lay before them a jewel in the crown of humanity. A fortress made of light and crowned in gold, the splendor of the world at its feet. Tarsis walked upon the polished bridge and was awestruck and did kiss Vassa's cheek in thanks.
— From The Volume of Tarsis by "Garred"