City of Saints
The City of Saints is the closest thing to civilization in all of Deserter, and it carries the weight of that distinction in every alley, temple, and marketplace. Originally a massive Fallow Hopes complex called the Tabernacle, the city has been divided into unofficial districts where each faith maintains its own embodiment: temples of Hedonism, industrious Nuclear Family complexes, solemn Sainthood outposts of servitude, and the SLC, a Red Star commune that exists without religion in a city defined by it.
For years, these groups coexisted without conflict. That era is ending. Recent skirmishes of religious dissent have nearly broken out into full wars of faith. The neutral ground marketplace that formed in response is as dangerous as it is necessary, the only place in the region where all faiths interact under a fragile truce. The marketplace keeps an uneasy peace, held together by the shared understanding that destroying it would mean destroying the only trade network in the territory.
As the City becomes more populated, residents are forced outward into Crush Valley, where raiders grow stronger with each new exile. Fewer safe places remain within the walls, and newly initiated faithful are pushed into the raider-infested valley because there is simply nowhere else to put them. From the View mountain villages above, Governor Phoenix Brighton and the wealthy families manipulate events for entertainment and profit, funding gangs and triggering avalanches while the people below fight over scraps of sacred ground.
For years, these groups coexisted without conflict. That era is ending. Recent skirmishes of religious dissent have nearly broken out into full wars of faith. The neutral ground marketplace that formed in response is as dangerous as it is necessary, the only place in the region where all faiths interact under a fragile truce. The marketplace keeps an uneasy peace, held together by the shared understanding that destroying it would mean destroying the only trade network in the territory.
As the City becomes more populated, residents are forced outward into Crush Valley, where raiders grow stronger with each new exile. Fewer safe places remain within the walls, and newly initiated faithful are pushed into the raider-infested valley because there is simply nowhere else to put them. From the View mountain villages above, Governor Phoenix Brighton and the wealthy families manipulate events for entertainment and profit, funding gangs and triggering avalanches while the people below fight over scraps of sacred ground.
History
The City of Saints began as the Tabernacle, a massive Fallow Hopes complex in the heart of Crush Valley. As other faiths arrived in Progress seeking their own sacred ground, the Tabernacle grew into a multi-faith settlement, each group establishing its own district and embodiment within the expanding walls. Groups coexisted without conflict for years, but religious dissent eventually turned to skirmishes that nearly became wars of faith. The neutral ground marketplace was established as a response, creating a fragile truce built on commerce rather than trust. The city continues to grow, pushing its excess population into the raider-controlled valley outside its walls.
Geography
The City of Saints occupies the heart of Crush Valley, nestled against the western mountains in Progress, Deserter. The architecture centers on the original Tabernacle, a massive Fallow Hopes complex now divided into unofficial districts for each faith: temples, family complexes, solemn outposts, and the SLC commune. A neutral ground marketplace serves as the commercial center. The View mountain villages sit above, looking down on the city and valley.
