Necrotic Zone

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The Necrotic Zone is a region of Half-Haul Canal which is home to many communities of necromancers founded during the Long Night.

History

During the Long Night, Samuel Fate had the city of Cannath razed and sought to exterminate anyone living on the island chain of Half-Haul Canal. Exactly how effective this pogrom was is unknown, but it is generally recognized that by the early True Night the region was entirely uninhabited save possibly for a few isolated groups who had regressed to the status of hunter-gatherer tribes.

In about A.D. 2000, Necromancers fleeing the worst of Samuel Fate's aggression began to re-settle the region. They mostly settled on the previously uninhabited southern-western-most shore. Because necromancers naturally prefer to live underground, they found it easy to adapt to living in secret, and eventually built a vast network of caves and tunnels, all hidden from the surface where they grew food and fished for sustenance. It is known from records of the time that Fate was aware "something" was happening on Half-Haul Canal, but as expedition after expedition failed to locate anyone to be killed, it was eventually ignored.

By the end of the Long Night, dozens of distinct temples existed in the area and had been around for over 1,000 years.

When the Age of the New Day began, nearby Sun's Beacon quickly rose to prominence. Despite Fate's many efforts, Sun's Beacon was never really abandoned, and rapidly became the dominant power in the region. One of the first projects once a functional government was re-asserted was to gain control of the valuable anchorage at Half-Haul Canal. The grievances went back as far as the Mage Wars, where Sun's Beacon and Cannath fought bitterly. During the Alliance era, Cannath took valuable shipping from Sun's Beacon, as it provided a more useful stop-over for long-distance trade. The Beacon, eager to avoid a repeat of this, effectively claimed the uninhabited islands of Half-Haul for themselves.

This then led to some concern when the thriving Necromancer communities were discovered in the southern-western regions. They occupied an area of the island with then little economic or military value, and provided a valuable supply of food to the workers looking to rebuild Cannath as a vassal state of Sun's Beacon. Fortunately, the matter was easily resolved by the establishment of the New Day Alliance under Conri Jusenkyou. Effectively, the necromancers were granted eternal rights to their land, citizenship under Sun's Beacon's charter, and everyone was quite happy with the arrangement. Some further negotiations were made a few decades later that granted the temples stewardship over most of the southern island's landmass in order to prevent resource exploitation and preserve the pristine jungles.

By about the end of the first century N.D., Cannath was a thriving port city, while the necromancers maintained watch over a vibrant jungle. Locals from Cannath often traveled out to the temples as guests to explore the jungles and avail themselves of the lush black sand beaches.

The Necrotic Zone

During the early negotiations over the land, the area was called simply "The Necromancer Temple Zone" because it was shared by 13 distinct temples each either various offshoots. This was colloquially shortened to "The Necrotic Zone". The locals in Cannath, many of whom vacationed there or visited on weekends, coined the term and it stuck. The title was not meant to be derissive, indeed residents of Cannath always spoke very highly of the necromancers who lived there. "Going to the Necrotic Zone" even became local slang for taking a much-needed vacation. Quite a lot of jokes abounded in Cannath about being "dead (tired) from work and going to the Necrotic Zone to get raised up".

In the first decades of the second century N.D., the first formal resorts opened up. These were simple affairs, businesses started up by the temples in order to bring in revenue. By then the populations of necromancers had outgrown what they could feed through primitive farming methods, and they were eager to get modern medicine and education for their children. Most of the early resorts were very rustic, little beach cottages with no amenities, and communal meals. As more money came in, the temples invested in continually improving accommodations, and by the mid second-century controlled a thriving network of popular resorts. Half-Hall Canal was a vacation destination for tourists from all over Aren, though is not well-known to off-worlders.

In the year N.D. 300, High Mountain Bank and Trust opened a branch of their popular Dragonland Amusement Parks near the port city of Cannath but on the Necrotic side of the canal. The park did use some land belonging to the necromancers but an arrangement was made, as the park was very good business for everyone involved. Despite its proximity to the city, about 70% of the park employees are necromancers (though a sizeable population do live in the city or on the outskirts).

Amenities

The Necrotic Zone is most famous for the singing black sand beach and the Laguna Crescent, which is said to have the most beautiful sunset in the known worlds. Because the land is owned wholly by necromancers living a traditional temple lifestyle, there are no private houses, and extensive pains have been taken to preserve the natural beauty of the area. All buildings near the shore are built low or set into hillsides, with tree cover to preserve the jungle canopy and create ample shade.

The resorts themselves offer a blend of activities, with a lot of simple resort life like restaurants and bars (though excessive alcohol consumption is discouraged), as well as swimming, boating, and scuba diving. Off shore there are several coral reefs, ship wrecks, and submerged ruins for the adventurous travelers to explore. Other recreation such as games and sports are available, as well as exhibitions of Foot Kort matches.

Further inland, the jungles hold beautiful waterfalls and a plethora of wildlife. Deeper underground, there are miles of explorable natural caves connected by artificial tunnels, all shaped and mapped by the necromancers. Many great underground structures show the rich history of the area.

The primary attraction, aside from the natural beauty, is the great amount of safety the region offers. There are very few poisonous or venomous local fauna, and crime is virtually non-existent. Resort employees are temple necromancers whose basic needs are well met. Most of the very few crimes are perpetrated on tourists by other tourists. The necromancers are also impose extremely strict bans on the importation of illicit substances. Alcohol is permitted but discouraged. To that end the resorts attract a lot of families, who enjoy being able to take their kids somewhere they can be safe.

Customers

The Necrotic Zone does cater heavily to the necromancer population of Aren, however many non-necromancers visit as well, and no one is ever made to feel unwelcome. Necromancers in general, and specifically those living in the Necrotic Zone, practice sacred hospitality. Welcoming guests is not merely their business, it is part of their religion.

Origin Story

The following tale is widely considered apocryphal, and has over time evolved into the status of myth. Many historians believe it to be a patchwork narrative, and that several similar events probably happened. The story is as follows:

One day, a man from Cannath was out fishing. Searching for the elusive schools, he sailed further and further from the city. Eventually, his boat ran out of gas near Laguna Cresent. Now many hundreds of miles from the city in what was then very rough country, he went ashore expecting to spend an awful night trying to survive. He felt his fate was very grim, he had few provisions and no real knowledge of how to survive in the jungle. He knew there were people living in the area, but did not expect much help. He felt ashamed of his predicament, as it was his own fault that left him stranded so far from home.

Alone and despondent, he went into the forest hopping just to find some fruit or a little stream to slake his third. He was quite surprised, just a few yards from the tree line, to discover a well-tended glade of trees where a necromancer girl was picking fruit. Upon seeing his unfamiliar dress, she asked if he was from Cannath, and he admitted that he was. Recognizing that he was on someone's land, the man asked only for a few pieces of fruit to slake his thirst, and explained his boat was stuck on the beach and he would have to walk back to the city. The girl told him to follow her and that his needs would be met.

She brought him back to the communal house where many necromancers slept, they being sent to tend to the orchards and harvest fruit. Here, the man was offered food, water, and a blanket to sleep on. Since it was after dark, the necromancers insisted he stay the night. The next day, a few of their number followed him back to the shore, where they helped him drag his boat up and told him which tree to tie it to so that the tide could not carry it away. He thanked them for all they had done, and asked if to be pointed in the direction of Cannath. Instead, they told him to head inland.

A ways in from the ocean, the man found the path he was following disappeared into a lava tube. Underground, he found many lit passages, and more necromancers moving around. To each he asked 'Which way to Cannath' and was directed further into the labyrinthine tunnels. After walking for hours, he finally encountered a high priest, who had just completed the days' ritual. The man told him he was lost now underground, and said he wished to go back to the surface so he could walk home to Cannath. The priest told him he was now inside one of the temples, and explained that he could not get back to Cannath on the surface because there were no paths or roads outside, and some of the island's terrain was nearly impossible to pass on foot. The man felt ashamed that he had trespassed in their temple, and asked only to be shown the way back out to the beach, and that he would walk home the long way.

The High Priest would have none of this, and instead gave him a totem, telling him to carry it and to ask the way to Cannath. The man walked the rest of the day. When he hungered, he was given food. When he thirsted, he was shown to clean water. When he tired, he was again offered a place to sleep. He walked all the next day, certain he would be lost forever in the maze of tunnels. Finally, still bearing the totem the High Priest had given him, he asked one more necromancer to show him the way to Cannath. Instead of merely directing him, this necromancer brought him to a nearby tunnel, and walked with him out. The tunnel led to the surface, and at the crest of a small hill the man was shocked to see Cannath in the distance! His guide gave him a few simple directions on which paths to follow to reach a road into the city. The man thanked him, and tried to return the totem, but the necromancer told him it was a mark of passage, and that he would need it again.

The man returned to his home and his friends, and told them of his journey. He was glad to be home and alive, and thankful the journey had cost him only some mild embarrassment. A few weeks passed, and the man began to yearn for his lost fishing boat. He knew it to be fully intact, merely sitting on a beach a long ways off. He thought about the boat over and over again, and asked many friends if they would take him out to retrieve it, but none would dare. Finally, one weekend, he took the totem the High Priest had given him and four cans of gasoline. Carefully, he retraced his route back to the jungle path, and followed it finally to the cave entrance. Steeling himself for another long time underground, he carried the cans inside. Not far from the entrance he was met and challenged by a necromancer, who asked him why he had come.

Showing the totem, the man explained he wished to request passage back to Laguna Crescent so that he may retrieve his motor boat. The necromancer he encountered said that he would take him, if only the man would give him a ride on his boat. The man heartily agreed, knowing it was a but a small thing in return for a very large favor. They walked together for the rest of the day, again with everything they needed being provided. Many necromancers even helped carry the large canisters of gasoline. That night, the man and his new necromancer friend slept in one of the many communal shelters. The next day, they walked all day again, and near the end of it reached the cave entrance close to the beach. The necromancer told the man they could go on to the beach and sleep the night in the shelter near the orchard, but asked if he would stay half the next day and pick fruit. The man readily agreed to this as it was, again, only a small request, and he knew he could be home again by nightfall in his boat. They went to the shelter and slept.

Early the next morning, the man was led to a waterfall and invited to join the necromancers in their morning bath. He felt this a bit odd, but was sweaty and dirty from two days walking with the heavy fuel canisters. He swam in the clean blue waters with them, and then together they all picked fruit in the orchard. Around mid day, the man joined them for a meal, and then a few of them along with his new friend went down to the water to help him launch the boat. He was ecstatic to find that after many weeks, not a single thing was missing, and a few of the necromancers told him he should have expected nothing less. The boat was his and they thought he would return for it, so they had guarded it for him.

The man took his friend out onto the bay, and showed him how his fishing lines worked. The necromancer in turn taught him about traditional fishing methods, and before long they realized they had spent the whole afternoon talking and fishing. Since he could not get back to Cannath before dark, the man asked if he could trade another half-day's fruit harvesting for another night in their shelter. His necromancer friend told him he was welcome, and they returned in time for evening meal. The following day, after bathing with the necromancers and picking fruit, the man set off once again for Cannath. This time, his new friend asked if he would like to come back again and fish together some time. The man told him that he would like that very much.

Taking his boat and a bag of fresh fruit, he returned to Cannath and shared the fruit with his family, telling them all about how at ease he felt with the necromancers and how much he enjoyed the time he spent with them. Some time passed, and, happy to have his boat back, the man began to plan another fishing outing. He remembered his friend the necromancer and thought he would like to fish together again. He also missed the quiet serenity of the jungle, and the meals he had shared with the necromancers. He decided to take a vacation from work and requested the time from his employer. Then he loaded his boat, taking care to back enough food for himself should he need it, and ample extra fuel. He sailed the route once again, and arrived at Laguna Crescent around mid-day. He did not find his friend there, but asked the necromancers he did meet if he could pick fruit with them and stay for evening meal. They agreed and once again invited him to share their sleeping shelter.

His friend returned on the second day, having received word that the man had returned. They bathed and ate and picked fruit as before, and then he took several necromancers out on his boat to fish. For the whole week, he had a most enjoyable holiday, helping the necromancers with their chores and fishing with them. He even gave all of his fish and the food he brought way, away, preferring the necromancer food he was offered.

The man and his new friend kept in touch, and he returned the next year for another extended stay at Laguna Crescent. The year after that, he asked if he could bring a member of his family. The next year it was his whole family, and the year after that several friends from work. In turn the necromancers found they liked playing host so much that they built a few more huts near the beach for visitors to stay in.

This is the story of how the first resort at Laguna Crescent came to be.

Historical Analysis

There are many things wrong with this Story.

The oldest modern masonry structures at Laguna Crescent date to about the end of the first century N.D., by which time there was already a thriving commercial resort.

The first un-improved overland road from Cannath to Laguna Crescent was complete by N.D. 90.

These two facts mean the story had to have taken place before N.D. 90. However, Cannath was not re-settled until around N.D. 60, and lacked a major presence until closer to N.D. 70. This leaves only a 20-year period for the story to take place in.

The problems, then, are myriad:

  • Privately-owned motorboats were quite uncommon at the time
  • Gasoline engines had not yet been perfected
  • Boats small enough to be dragged out of the water by a few people but with the range to sail from Cannath to Laguna did not exist
  • It takes at least a week via the most direct route to walk from Laguna Crescent to Cannath through the necromancer tunnels

The historic genesis of the story is generally agreed to be the ordeal of Lyle Cuthbert, though his story is quite a bit different. In N.D. 81, Lyle was surveying the coast from a light aircraft when an equipment failure forced him to make an emergency landing about 60 miles outside of Cannath, on the north-east part of the island. His story has many similar veins, including the terrain being much too rough to cross on foot. In Lyle's case, he was also injured badly in the crash, with a severely broken foot, four cracked ribs, and damage to his spine. He was rescued from the downed aircraft almost immediately and given medical attention, then was cared for and brought back to Cannath where he made a full recovery. The company that owned the plane was keen to get it back (it having landed mostly intact and appeared to still be flyable). The necromancers offered to build an improvised air strip in exchange for some simple luxury items (accounts vary but 60 lbs of chocolate bars is generally agreed to be the price). The airstrip was built and the necromancers paid, but the aircraft was never salvaged. Lyle did return to visit the necromancers who saved his life.

There are additional stories of shipwrecked sailors, going back into the Long Night, who found a safe haven among the locals. While the story widely told at the resorts is most likely a work of fiction, the necromancers attest that it is "basically true", and that its certainly what would have happened anyway. This underscores an oft-criticized facet of necromancer culture in their tendency to accept falsehoods as truths if it suits their narrative. Fourth-Age historian Herbet Patric Galactis was known for the same thing, in his Accepted Histories.