Garm: The Earlen of Flost's Labradorite Villa

Transit

The Labradorite Villa of the Earlen of Flost is three miles outside Trisden, halfway up the Freebarg slopes. Due to ancient edict and custom, the usual city travel services are forbidden from traveling up the Freebarg, and so reaching the gates of the Labradorite Villa requires the service of the Flost Order of Stablemin.

An ancient order, the Stablemin of Flost were originally the Earlen’s hand-picked carriage drivers, chosen for their skill with the whip and handling of their carriage over the rocky paths and cobbled streets of Flost. The post is now largely honorary and traditional, with a larger-than-average portion of seasonal and visiting workers.

Easily recognizable with their uniforms of puffy trouser legs and ribboned sleeves, a Stablemin’s coach ride will cost you only 3 scrip in the afternoon, to 7 scrip in the mornings and evenings. This low price for such a distance is due to a quite expansive public trust set up by the Earlen before his dispensation.

Carriages leave from the Flost Order of Stablemin’s guild hall every hour on the hour. The guild hall itself can be found between Yew street and Orence avenue, just off the main street that cuts through the city. If you are staying anywhere outside of the central hub of Trisden, the local busses and taxis are well acquainted with the guild hall, and will take you there without hassle.

The Place

Built only a hundred years after the reign of Emperor Furgarth, the Velvet King, the Labradorite Villa was commissioned by the Earlen of Flost in a bid to enrich himself in the eyes of his fellow Earls, Dukes, and similar nobility. Intended to be a casual display of incomparable elegance, the Labradorite Villa became Flost’s center of foreign diplomacy.

There are few places in Garm that have a history as rich and detailed as the Labrodorite Villa. It is here that the treaty of Seven Loaves was signed, where Queen Adule the Steadfast was crowned, and where the genius inventor Eldorandi Vo’kli first presented the Earlen of Flost with the Clockwork Opera — the same automaton that now resides in the Villa’s music room. There are few historical figures that had not, at some point in time, spent some time within the Villa’s walls, and so lovers of history would do well to put the Labradorite Villa on their itinerary.

Commissioned in the year 108, the Earlen of Flost drafted over ten thousand laborers in the construction of the Villa. The labradorite was sourced from local mines and known deposits. The furthest deposit was the Argu Eye some twenty leagues away from the construction site. The mining of the Argu Eye cost a full third of the entire production costs, and resulted in more injuries than any other aspect of the construction.

The Earlen of Flost took the Villa as official residence in the year 137, even though the residential wings had not been completed. It was nevertheless necessary, so the Earlen could invite dignitaries and officials of state for state balls, hunting trips, and diplomatic meetings. The first recorded visitors arrived in the year 139 — a diplomat from Nottish Ins of Flororeghashst.

The Villa took fifty years to complete, the final stone being placed in the year 162. The Earlen continued to entertain guests long after the establishment of the Flost Council and even the abolition of the ruling peerage. Every time the people of Flost either reduced the Earlen’s holdings or seized his property, he made painstaking efforts to maintain his ownership over the Villa. Luckily for him, the Labradorite Villa had attained enough attention outside Flost that there was always sufficient reason to allow the Earlen to maintain residence and continue to host visiting nobility. Even as his local political power waned, his foreign influence remained substantial.

The Earlen’s place in history as a neutral party was solidified with the signing of the Treaty of Seven Loaves. According to records at the time, the King of Lamberly and the Duke of Hightower both refused to be present at the signing unless it was at a suitable third-party location. Neither agreed to the others offers until the Earlen of Flost suggested the Labradorite Villa, and both agreed. This, coupled with the largest reclamation of public land by the Flost Council gave the Earlen a reputation as a free agent, one outside of regular political gamesmanship.

Even those who are not fans of history can find much to occupy their time. The labradorite stones that compose the entirety of the villa are dazzling to see. The best — some might say only — time to visit is during the two hours surrounding high noon, when the light of the sun catches the stones at just the right angle to make the heart weep.

Local legend says that the shimmering lights and strange shapes buried under the stones’ surfaces are echoes of the past, and perhaps the future. There are several ancient orders of oracles and prognosticators who ply their trade by staring into the depths of the villa’s stones. It is likely this is partially due to the local folk-religion, Goti-pan.

Goti-pan

I wasn’t sure if I had the right to discuss this religion, both because comparative religion is not the goal of this book and because I am neither a native of the region nor the faith, but I think it’s important for visitors to have at least a basic understanding of some of the local faith, because of how influential it was in the design of the Villa.

Please understand that what I offer in this section is not a comprehensive discussion of the goti-pan faith, nor a representation of the faith’s most significant aspects.

The goti-pan faith holds, among other things, that each of us is made up of two separate entities: the body and the soul. In contrast to other similar faiths, the goti-pan faith says that our conscious self is an aspect of the body, rather than the soul. The soul (a translation of the word goti) is an entity that is, in some very real way, a possessing spirit that is a traveler with but ultimately not an owner of the flesh body.

The goti-pan do not see this as an invasion, however, but that the spirit is a kind of truer self, and at once a guest and caretaker of the body. There is a great respect among the goti-pan of reflex, instinct, and un-consciously instigated behavior. Such reactions are seen as more “real” than conscious effort or action.

The goti-pan faith venerates labradorite in its ceremonies, as the iridescence of the stone from different angles mirrors the faith’s view of the soul. Some orthodox believers say the stone has captured souls of the dead, and bearing the stone will bless the wearer with their strength.

While some scholars believe this may have influenced the Earlen of Flost’s choice of building material — he wanted to seem blessed and powerful in the eyes of the faithful — most historians believe that the followers of goti-pan were neither populous enough nor influential enough to warrant much concern during the Villa’s construction, and their numbers have only dwindled since.

The Knights of the Fulcrum Blade

Of special note among the denezins of the Labradorite Villa is the specially appointed knights and guardsmin, the Knights of the Fulcrum Blade.

Originally founded by the Earlen of Flost in 122, the Knights of the Fulcrum Blade were trained as elite warrior-sages who followed the Code of the Fulcrum; a chivalric code of bravery, honor, reverance, and cleanliness.

The Fulcrum Order was originally intended to not only represent high ideals of Flost, but also be able to maintain both societal order and the Monarch’s influence in the border regions with a band of no more than five, where a whole legion of regular armymin might otherwise be required.

After the Three-Parts War, the Fulcrum Order separated from the Earldom, declaring themselves loyal to the land and its people rather than any one noble. With the Earlen’s power base still uncertain, he wisely chose to not open another avenue of contention and gave official dispensation to their commander, Lairdy Forpenteuer of Qualm, also known as the Windswept Hare.

By virtue of being one of the most famous and popular Knights, as well as being the one who delivered their declaration to the court, the Windswept Hare became the first Knight-Aspirant, commander and spiritual leader of the Fulcrum Order. It is the Windswept Hare who gave the Fulcrum Order their distinctive helmets, as the top and sides are modled after the Hare’s chosen hairstyle.

Today, an honor guard of three Knights is stationed at the villa, both as a sign of respect for their history and their duty towards the people.

The Fulcrum Blade is the symbolic weapon of the Knights. The art of forging the Fulcrum Blades is a closely guarded secret, though many copies and forgeries have been made throughout the years. The structure itself is simple enough: two thin swords bolted together at the midpoints. The art of crafting the handles, guards, and proper balancing of the two-in-one sword is difficult enough, even before accounting the secret rituals and processes that make the true Fulcrum Blades so formidable.

Travelers to the Monestary of the Fulcrum, located several leagues to the west of the villa, are allowed to observe exhibitions and training matches. If you have the opportunity, I suggest you take it, as masters of the Fulcrum Blade are like extentions of the sword itself, capable of displays equal to — if not surpassing — dance-like grace and charm.

Accommodations

I have never had trouble finding a place to stay in the whole of Flost, never-mind near the Labradorite Villa. Trisden is well prepared for visitors and tourists, and there is no lack of deals or discounts for budget-minded travelers.

My favorite place to say is Popps’s Bed and Basket, on Willow Way. A cozy and charming establishment, the rooms are comfortably furnished and kept well clean. There is always a spare room available, and Owarda Popps is a woman of great charm and character. You will be able to spend many hours speaking with her, as she has a remarkable ability to treat you like the most interesting person in the room. It was uncanny how she made me feel special, simply by listening and commenting on my stories.

Rooms cost a note a night, five notes for a week. This includes meals in the dining hall, which is an excellent place to meet fellow travelers and find locations to travel to in the future. The food is traditional Flost cuisine, and always an excellent value. Popps’s is situated relatively close to central Trisden.

If you are looking for something higher end, the Earldom Palace is a hotel with some of the largest and exquisitely decorated rooms I’ve ever stayed at. Located at the corner of Eastern Avenue and Yew Pass, each suite contains a bedroom, sitting room, dressing room, dining room, and some include an in-house kitchen. The Earldom Palace even provides a valet for each room who will handle laundry, food orders, and carrying luggage as you require. The hotel also offers many extra services, such as massages, classes, tours, and a wide selection of grooming options.

You will pay for your luxury, however; rooms cost anywhere from ten to twenty notes a night, or a hundred for a week. This does not include any extra pricing for the room services such as meals or pampering.

The only other place I think it’s important to mention is Hobberd’s Hovel, a place for those with little money and less need for amenities, on Alendal street between Yew Pass and Narch Street. Marketed as a place for backpackers and bargain-hunters, Hobberd’s Hovel is a large building full of rooms just large enough for one traveler, or two if they are comfortable with intimacy. These rooms have little more than a bed and a chest or dresser for luggage. Bathrooms and showers are communal, one in each wing, and the central foyer is filled with pamphlets, advertisements, and information about local restaurants and shops. The rooms are comfortable, if small, and ideal for any travelers who prefer to spend their time out of the room and exploring the city.

Things to Do

Daytime

Trisden is popular tourist destination, largely because of the Labradorite Villa, and as such has a wide variety of activities for the curious traveler. At the same time, tours of Trisden are largely unknown, as the locals expect travelers to find what appeals to them on their own. This isn’t to say the locals aren’t friendly, simply that asking to “see the sights” or “experience the city” will generally get you laughed at before being asked what kind of things you want to see.

Much of Trisden has maintained a quaint atmosphere, such that it is difficult to not stumble across stores selling authentically woven Flost-wool blankets or restaurants offering traditional Flost cuisine. Wandering down Kedds Way will give you a wide selection of shops to peruse at your leisure, offering clothing, spices, books, candies, traveling gear, and all manner of local sundries perfect for the tourist to purchase as gifts.

Walking down Ash Street around three in the afternoon will provide a veritable cornucopia of local delicacies worth sampling. All the street’s restaurants and cafés open their doors and provide small bites of local cuisine. It is quite possible to fill up on these samples, so watch yourself if you plan on patronizing one of the many restaurants for dinner.

Alternatively, newcomers are encouraged at least once to Eat the Ash, and walk from one end of Ash Street to the other and back again. If you sample one of everything you find, you will have eaten enough to fill the largest of stomachs. Note that it is considered polite to provide a small tip — no more than a scrip or two — to each eatery. All total, you will get a substantial meal at only slightly higher cost than if you sat down at a single eatery, all while getting a wide sample of Flost cuisine.

Art and history lovers will find much to appreciate at the Flost Artistic and Historical Museum, which chronicles Flost’s history through the creations of contemporary artists. The Museum performs a historical play once a week, swapping out every month. These performances are full of poetry, historical music, and are followed by an optional “context lecture,” where an expert explains the historical importance of the work.

Trisden is well known for its sport activities: the Trisden Arena holds games of all kinds throughout the year, both professional and amateur. Fans are encouraged to contact the Arena to find out what scheduled events are upcoming, and which are open to the public. There are also semi-regular “all comer” matches, where a sport is open to any who wish to join in.

I strongly advise travelers to watch these matches first, to get an idea for what these games are like. Players are allowed to choose their divisions and weight-classes, and it’s not uncommon for a tourist to sign up and be thoroughly embarrassed by their performance. There is even a colloquial term for these kinds of players; “wet-bread.” This is not to say that amateurs are not welcomed: far from it. Nevertheless, it is easy to tell when a player is in over their head, and while those who soldier on in good humor are sometimes applauded, those who fail to meet their humbling with good grace are looked at with disdain.

Sight-seeing tours are also fairly common in Trisden, giving visitors a view of the natural landscape, famous landmarks, or historical locations. There is even a Painting Tour that circles Trisden and the Labradorite Villa, taking customers to the locations where seven famous paintings of the Villa and city were painted.

Evening

The evening events are not much different from the daytime. Most of the stores are open late in Trisden, while the Trisden Arena also has night games. The Labradorite Villa, however, closes its doors to visitors in the evenings.

There is not so much a culture of dancing or clubbing in Trisden, though several bars have informal dance spaces. Singing, on the other hand, is encouraged in pubs thanks to the historical influence of the frill.¹

In Flost, because musicians were generally soloists, frills were the result of pub patrons inventing their own words to commonly played tunes. These were generally regional folk songs, but the tunes survived longer than the words as musicians traveled and shared their music. Eventually, frills became simple, catchy, and easy to improvise words to. This turned the frill into a kind of Karaoke, where patrons are allowed at any time to stand up and sing a verse or two of a song they’ve come up with.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the Vibrant Garden Show, a delightful performance of light, fireworks, and quiet music that takes place in the Flost Grand Garden once a week. It is a wonderful show, entrancing in its beauty and charming in its melodies. It is a performance that has continued for over a century, and the performers have not spent that time idly. Instead they honed their craft and turned what could have been a banal showcase into a miraculous experience, well worth the seeing for any tourist.

Late-night sight-seeing tends to die down as well. There are several nighttime tours that circle the local forests or provide a night-light showing of Trisden, but many of the tours close at sundown. The one exception to this is the Catacomb Tours, which are the only tours that operate exclusively at nighttime.

The Catacomb Tours take customers through a mile-long tomb on the outskirts of town, which was believed to have been built in the early centuries of Flost’s founding. The catacombs are a fascinating historical and cultural artifact, marking a chronological timeline from the founding of Flost to the dethroning of the Velvet King. This makes the catacombs one of the few physical artifacts of the time before the Labradorite Villa was built.

Be aware, however, that the catacombs are a tight squeeze. People who are uncomfortable in enclosed spaces would to well to avoid this particular tour.