The First Redoubt

Off the coast of Iber stands the First Redoubt (also known as 'The First Glade', and formerly 'The Iron Glade'), the greatest achievement of the Burdinadin and their sorriest loss. It served as their home and shelter for millennia, until the tectonic activity triggered by the Cataclysm caused it to begin sliding into the sea. The resulting structural damage, containment breaches, and general chaos invoked resulted in most of the Redoubt's inhabitants dying or being trapped within. 
In its prime, it stood 7.8 miles above the sea and immeasurably further beneath. Its above sea-level floor space alone was greater than the area of most nations, and it was home to millions of Burdinadin. 
The majority of the First Redoubt is submerged under the ocean, but that does not mean it is filled with water. Great swathes of the Glade's interior are still sealed, silent and still throughout the centuries and laden with untold technologies and riches.
== Base Camp ==
Clustered where the First Redoubt meets the sea, a shanty town has developed to supply and profit off the efforts of the Divers. Known as the Base Camp, its floating boardwalks and raucous taverns are generally among the first experiences that newcomers to the First Redoubt receive. The more permanent structures of the Base Camp are suspended some twenty meters above the sea, built upon great metal beams that are affixed to the side of the Redoubt, projecting outwards.
=== Zorezai Zaibatsu ===
The Zorezei Zaibatsu operates a branch office at the Base Camp
The Zaibatsu will purchase salvage recovered from the Redoubt, although the reward offered is usually less than what a Glade or a discerning private party buyer might pay. They are also willing to purchase information from divers concerning the locations of interesting devices, technology, or potential salvage of interest.
== Divers ==
Diving the First Redoubt draws an unusual crowd as far as Voscan adventurers go, being predominantly composed of Burdinadin explorers, while Humans make up the most significant minority. It is extremely rare encounter Ohanedin at the First Redoubt, although there have been some exceptions.
Most heartland Glades maintain sponsored teams of divers, but are often willing to hire freelancers and freelance teams to pursue their interests.
The First Redoubt is also a popular destination for Orredin seeking the excitement of exploring the unknown, but without all the filth, grime, and other unpleasant things that traditional adventuring has to offer. However, Orredin divers and their entourages typically avoid spending time at the Base Camp, instead preferring to lodge on yachts moored nearby.
=== Cartographers Union ===
Part guild and part hobbyist club, the Cartographers Union is a non-political organization dedicated to maintaining access to and consensus on the verified locations and dive routes of the First Redoubt. The Union maintains a catalogued library of maps, descriptions, routes, and objects of interest within the First Redoubt, and provides access to the library to anyone who is up to date on the union dues.
== The Depths ==
The interior of the First Redoubt provides unique challenges for any who set out to explore its depths. Most of the explored sections the Redoubt are not sealed to spirit energy and there is little possibility of foraging food or water from the endless black steel corridors. 
Generally Burdinadin environment suits are not made to provide insulation from the immense spirit energy that direct contact with the ocean conducts, so flooded chambers and compartments are impassable at best and horrifically lethal at worst. Likewise, environment suits that are capable of operating in the water often lack the compactness and versatility that navigating the depths requires. 
Perhaps one of the more troubling peculiarities of the silent depths of the First Redoubt is that there is little to no evidence of the untold millions of its inhabitants--no corpses, refuse, or detritus of any kind. 
Thaumaturges that tap into the spirit realm from inside the First Redoubt report a number of experiences. One may describe it like being cast into a great, black, and bottomless sea where the only sensations are the biting cold, the crushing pressure. Another might describe it as an endless labyrinth of dark hallways and enormous chambers that open into nothingness. 
All of them describe a sensation of being hunted by some predator in the dark, always just outside of their vision.
=== The Central Shaft ===
The Central Shaft of the First Redoubt is an octagonal shaft with a 50 meter diameter that extends the entire height of the First Redoubt at its orthocenter. It was previously used to house the scores of bulk cargo elevators that provided lift services between the floors of the Redoubt.
== Dive Sickness ==
While decompression sickness is well known to Burdinadin physicians, the affliction known colloquially as 'dive sickness' by inhabitants of the Base Camp is less understood, and arguably more dangerous in some ways.
The first noticeable symptom of dive sickness is a peculiar disorientation concerning the layout of the chambers and landmarks of the First Redoubt. The diver will come under the impression that the structure of the First Redoubt is different in some way from existing consensus and documentation, but even the diver's own notes and maps will reflect the actual layout of the First Redoubt.
The diver will begin to experience hallucinations. That being said, experienced divers argue that these hallucinations carry some truth to them.
As the affliction progresses, the diver's anxiety and paranoia concerning the First Redoubt's depths turns into an obsession with progressing deeper into the Redoubt.
Not much is known about the specifics of the final stage of dive sickness (save those that suffer from it) except in that it manifests as delusional sureness of what is waiting for the diver at the bottom. When the sufferer describes what it is they are seeking, it is always in vague, nonsensical, or gibberish terms.
It is safe to say that all of the top divers are deep in the throes of dive sickness, always preparing for the next expedition, and always looking for the next route further down.
Category:Iber