For this week’s spotlight, we toured the town of Insulam de Nocte. The town is located conveniently just east of Brittany. After a few hours boat ride, our group arrived safely on the island to be greeted by town resident, Applerust, and the town’s designated guide. Our group is eager for a tour of what is rumored to be a place that has the an intense tournament series at the local arena.
“Greetings and welcome to Insulam de Nocte! This town is generally used by the guild, Carpe Noctem, however, we do welcome as many visitors as we can get. For those wishing to stay for awhile, we have some free rooms for new arrivals to the lands of New Britannia. While land plots are reserved for guild members, anyone may rent a room in one of the inns for as long as they like. During your stay, you will find a town full of people intrigued by… the night.” Applerust said as he nodded to the guide.
“Seize the night, ha, yes!” our guide smiled. “What brings you here? Just browsing the shops? Looking for a master craftsman? Do you seek an adventure companion, or perhaps a teacher to be mentored? Perhaps you came looking for trouble?” With a tilt of his head, He gave us a sideways look with the last question. “No matter what your purpose, you came to the right place. We can help you satisfy your needs, and in some cases, we may be the only ones that can do so. Please, please feel free to peruse the town with Applerust while I, *clears throat*, excuse myself to find us some refreshments. I’ll catch right up with you later Applerust and everyone.”
There appears to be more than one entrance into what is clearly the heart of town, but, our guide led us to this one instead…
Suddenly the entire town seemed dark. Wasn’t it just day time a few moments ago? With night having descended, the first thing easily noticed was the crafting area. It’s laid out in an efficient manner, and while dimly lit, there is enough light to get work done.
In the distance we noticed a large walled off area. While on the way there we encountered a courtyard that’s quite cozy and well lit. The light bounced off of everything so well, the place seemed out of place in the surrounding darkness.
As we continued our walk through the town, an arena came into view. We were greeted by a guard that stopped us before we could get to the main gate. “Traveler, welcome to Chaos Coliseum. You may have a look around if you like, and if you are interested in becoming a gladiator… just let us know and we will take care of you.”
As we walked through the gates, it was clear the arena’s ‘charm’ was obscured by the towering arena walls. Evidence was everywhere of recent large scale battles having occurred. We saw plenty of what looked like foot prints in the mud… or perhaps it was dried blood?
We climbed the crumbling stairs in the corner to get a better view from above. Applerust did not follow us up.
A moment later our guide appeared out of nowhere to stand next to Applerust. “You there, please come down from the wall. It is unsafe, and we don’t want you to get hurt so soon into your tour. I have some delicious refreshments while I show you the guild hall down the way, if you would kindly follow me please.”
On our way to the guild hall, one of the nearby homes had its door open. Our guide didn’t mind us having a quick peek inside. There were some rather strange things that filled the room which none of the group could identify. An eerie humming sound also seemed to emanate from somewhere near the central table.
The inn further down the way was also open, but wasn’t very busy that night. The inn keeper gave us a drink on the house and bid us a fair “and very dark” evening.
After exploring around a few other places, we finally came into view of the guild hall so talked about on our tour.
As we approached, the building came to life with lights and an unseen movement inside. “Welcome to the Carpe Noctem guild hall, which is where your accommodations will be for… the night. We have prepared, *cough* something for you to eat. Please excuse my poor communication tonight, there must be something in the air.” our guide said inbetween bouts of more coughing as he motioned Applerust toward the door.
Once we were inside, there was quite the spread of food awaiting our group. The amount was considerably more than all of us would be able to eat that evening. We felt so taken care of, though it was strange that there didn’t seem to be anyone else present…
Without warning, the door locked behind us. Above the door threshold we noticed the inscribed statement, “Welcome to Insulam de Nocte, we hope you enjoy your stay!”
There are so many towns and historical landmarks to explore throughout New Britannia. If you are interested in sharing your tales of adventure, message community manager Berek!
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