#duskhaven

OH GOD OH FUCK NOT MY JORTS--

But okay if you insist I WILL dump all of my Duskhaven lore.

Duskhaven is an island that exists in a liminal space, kind of like the Manor or Winter Hollow, and it was created as a refuge for people who had been touched by eldritch entities. Eldritch entities in my lore are beings that form that aren't attached to any specific world or universe (since my whole thing is my multiverse). Oftentimes, they form as weird embodiments of very specific but universal phenomena (but this isn't always the case). For example, one of my eldritch entities is The Forgotten Dawn, which is the embodiment of that weird feeling of being the only one awake at sunrise in the middle of the summer when no one else is awake yet.

The island as a whole already existed and had a high concentration of eldritch energy due to The Vast Growth (an entity based around the concept of growth and overgrowth of all kinds), which had taken over the island. A guy by the name of Killian Nightrust and a handful of others found the island and decided to transform it into a haven for those like themselves: people who had been touched by eldritch entities or otherwise cast out of their homes. They created the town of Havenport and, working together, turned the island into a liminal space that can be accessed from anywhere.

In addition to Havenport, the island has a few other notable places. The Vast Wilds take up the majority of the island and are basically just The Vast Growth going ham because it's extremely uncontrollable. There's also Arsendrake Cove which is specifically for people that were touched by water-based entities like The Gilded Sea, which is a manifestation of that feeling you get when you think about what lives in the deepest parts of the ocean, or when you look into water so deep that it looks black.

It is hard to find, though, and the only way in is through a portal or by finding The Ferryman and getting him to take you to the island. Most of the portals leading to Duskhaven are housed within the various embassies that exist on the island (there's one for Arboresia, Isa's world, one for Osrea which belongs to @bunchofdoodlesinspace, and one that goes to another world of mine, as well as others).

The entire island is designed to be accessible to all sorts of different people, since being touched by an eldritch being often causes some weird and insanely inconvenient physical effects. For example, Killian is almost ten feet tall and has massive hardened wing-like structures on his back as a result of being touched. Open-air atrium designs are extremely common, and custom clothing makers are in high demand.

The island also has a very distinct culture that arose, a lot of it based around acceptance and supporting those who have been through extremely traumatic experiences. Everyone is accepted, no matter their differences (except for partial Void creatures which is a whole story in and of itself). As a result, it's extremely rude to ask people why they are a certain way, and calling someone a freak is likely to land the offender in a world of pain.

Over the years, Gilnean families passed down many tales and nursery rhymes as retellings to their children. Many of these were lighthearted, but some of them were born out of myths meant to scare. Some of the tales revolved around the harvest witches and their rituals within the woods. Despite their help during the famine, they were still shrouded in mystery. In reality, many of these stories were meant to keep the children from wandering too far off the town roads and into the dangerous woods that surrounded the areas.

The following rhyme is from the now sunken town of Duskhaven that bordered the western side of Gilneas. There was a harvest witch who lived on the edge of the woods who was known as “Old Lada”. Rumor says that she would remain indoors most of the day, only emerging after sundown. She was known to let her long white hair down as she walked barefoot, blessing the local crops and gathering herbs for potions. The children would try to sneak quick peeks of her through their candlelit windows.

During playtime, the children could be heard laughing and singing the following rhyme as they skipped, jumped roped, or chased hoops down the town streets.

“Old Lada walks the woods at night. She blesses our fields by the pale moonlight. With bone, and blood, and feather of the raven, Keep us safe and well, o’ Ghost of Duskhaven.”

My Gilnean folklore series takes from in game lore and is mixed with my own headcanon to create a deeper backstory for writing/roleplay. You can read my first piece on harvest witches here.

Choo choo!

Duskhaven, Gilneas

Fruit by Candlelight

Duskhaven, Gilneas