Cathedral of Liberty
The Cathedral of Liberty
In the Domain of Obsidian Bay, approximately two days away from the city by fast horse, surrounded by the untamed wilderness and brutality of The Pomarj, there is a small holding. It is a place where individuals bow their head to no lord; a place where everyone has a role, a purpose and value. In this place was raised a shrine, nay, a Cathedral to the tenets of Liberty, Justice, Self-Determination, and the Pledge that no evil deed should go unanswered. And in this place, there were Champions....
Kalib’s ‘cathedral’ is an exceptionally large, fortified stone building, beautifully constructed to be both enduringly strong and uplifting to the spirit. The cathedral is made out of large, smoothed and polished granite blocks of excellent quality and light gray color, cut to give the structure a feeling of simple, elegant strength. The cathedral is built on a slight rise in the surrounding plains and farmland. The tall tower spires in front of the cathedral keep a lofty eye on the surrounding buildings and lands, while the large dome over the main chapel glints with the sparkle of large stained-glass windows. There is a spacious, marbled courtyard in front of the cathedral with a fountain in the middle. There are usually people enjoying a meal or a rest in the courtyard. Many windows can be seen on the third story of the cathedral. Most are open on to admit a nice breeze, and in the evening, a pleasant light streams from all of the windows of the cathedral.
Still, the windows are narrow, calling to mind arrowslits. There are always men in the towers, observing all approaches. There is a large weapons yard behind the cathedral and men-at-arms are always there, honing their skills, practicing swordplay, archery and horsemanship. This is not a place unmindful of the dangers of the land.
Patrols of the Elite Knights of the Fist, led by a powerful cavalier also dedicated to the Power of Freedom, Demetry Hawkins, ride through the land every week or so, sometimes staying in the barracks located an easy bowshot from the Cathedral proper. The barracks building was constructed by the same craftsman and from the same materials. It is a rectangular, one-story building with a peaked roof. The front of the barracks faces the west side of the cathedral.
Spread out in front of the Cathedral, like a patchwork quilt, lay the small farms of the folk of Obsidian Bay who Kalib and the rest of the Blackrazors freed from slavery to the Scarlet Brotherhood. There are about 150 small farms in all, most holding no more than 3-5 acres, according to each families’ ability. These people have seen the lash of slavery and are ever vigilant against outside aggression. Most wear short swords and/or daggers while working and all have bows and crossbows nearby, as well as a means of alerting others to danger.
Around the outside of the farmlands are several small watch stations, each equipped with a medium sized bell to warn of intruders. There are also 2 homing pigeons kept at each station, one that will fly to the Cathedral and one to Obsidian Bay. Each watch station has a few soldiers and a few horses for fast communications.
