Twilight Loch

Much like the body of water that gave it it’s namesake, the city of Twilight Loch is a murky, shadow-veiled place. Unfazed by the haunted terrors of the deep and the never-ending fog, ragtag settlers and runaways built the town on shallow swamp waters, extending it to deeper waters via a winding series of (now dilapidated) docks. The city constantly grows and shrinks as parts of it age and sink into the depths, leaving space for newer structures to be erected on top of them. An ever-changing city, always unfamiliar, with little law and even less stability- it’s hard to imagine why people ever called it home… and yet, it still stands.

As mentioned earlier, there are no true constants in the Loch- even Karomatzu, the supposed guardian of the place, regards it with disdain. Besides sporadic visits to collect “taxes”, he and his cronies of the Glitterati are hardly ever seen. Greed doesn’t discriminate, so many races can be seen here- though all of them bow before the rugged dangers of the Sweetfish, a merfolk subrace that has a hub far below the murky waters of the Loch. Whomever pleases these aquatic bandits most gets to be the “king” of Twilight Loch, though it’s hard to hold that position for more than a year, if you don’t have the coin.

However dire Twilight Loch may sound, there are still good sides to it. The few fish that are cultivated are oddly portly, with thick scales so high quality they can even be used for armor. Occult forces gather here to sell their wares- some illegal in most places, some not, but all incredibly rare. An unwritten thieves pact binds the town, building a thin code of honor that most of the criminals who can the place home will enforce themselves. You can disappear in the fog for weeks at a time and remain unbothered, while still being moments away from the city. For those who can brave the dangers, the Twilight Loch can be a uniquely interesting home.

### History

Though Karomatzu was sworn to protect the people of the Southwestern Fringe, he has never been kind. His beauty gave him violent vanity, and though he built his nest to live with his people many didn’t “make the cut”, forcing them to find refuge outside the smaller mountain range. Many died traversing the swamplands, plagued with foul-blooded beasts left over by the god Tiamat’s rage. The fraction who survived were cold and untrusting after being neglected by their god, determination broiling beneath their skin. When they reached the foggy banks they realized that the home could keep them safe from the swamps, as well as provide food- and so, the struggling foundation of Twilight Loch was built.

Millennia passed, and the people of the Loch continued to survive. Even against sweetfish raids and warriors from the Southern Mantle, the city stood tall and bared its fangs. During one battle the city was even detached from the shore, drifting far into the lake before a mass effort brought it back. Many of the original structures of the town were lost to the deep because of this- many years of history and treasure were submerged, only to be retrieved by brave (or stupid) adventurers who attempt to enter the Twilight Graveyard to this day.

Twilight Loch is by far the sketchiest of the capitols, and the most anarchistic. Secrets come and go every day, and danger threatens the lives of every visitor. Who knows what will rise from the depths of this harbor town next…?