#hallowdene

Hallowdene was a beautiful town, even on a drizzly day. The rain made the greens and browns of the trees richer somehow - a deeper color that made his camera sockets tingle pleasantly. Nestor much preferred sunshine, of course, for obvious reasons: he was not only mainly powered by sunlight, but the world just seemed...warmer, somehow, when the sky was clear and the sun was shining.

Rain was lovely too, though he had to treat it with care. Water wasn't exactly good for electrically-ran beings such as himself. Sure, humans had a mild electrical current themselves, but they were sentient water, practically. Water didn't short them out like it did Intelligent Cybernetic Entities.

Regardless of all of that, he was lost again. He had gotten lost from Old York's walls and stumbled here into Hallowdene months ago, and yet he still couldn't figure out how to get to the battery bank in an efficient manner.

Fortunately, so long as he stayed away from the trees, he would get there eventually...the whole place was a giant circle. Less fortunately, his battery was getting awfully low, and his energy was depleting rather fast.

With an exhausted chuckle, Nestor sunk down onto the porch of a small, stone-and-wood cottage. They were almost all stone and wood - at least the newer ones. Some of the older buildings crafted from ruins had metal or concrete, but on the outer ring of the town? Primarily wood and stone. That's what they had the most of, and that was what they used.

Oh, his thoughts were wandering, as they always were. That's why he always ended up lost in the first place, he never paid attention to his surroundings-

"Eep!"

...What on earth was that?

Nestor turned from where he sat to gaze in the direction of the house door. He found it cracked open now, gently lit from within. No one was there that he could see, but clearly someone had been. With a huff of his hydraulics, he rose slowly to his feet, curiosity overriding his need to conserve energy.

"Hello?" Nestor took a step towards the door, fingers itching to reach for the handle. But before he could do that, a wild patch of black, untamed curls and the most beautiful eyes he'd ever seen peered around the corner of the door. They were deep brown, just like enstatite - and were very wide with surprise, shyness, and trepidation.

"H-hello-" The soft voice floated to him like a sunbeam, and for the first time in a long time, Nestor's mind went quiet. For some indeterminate amount of time he could only stand there, in the rain, staring at this small wonder of a human. She stared right back at him, and he witnessed the surprise fade from those bright eyes...replaced with confusion and concern.

"Um," she finally spoke, and the sound startled Nestor out of what felt like a daze. "Are you okay?"

Nestor felt his circuits tingle with what he decided was embarrassment. "Ah - yes - my name is Nestor! I'm...trying to find my way to the battery bank."

There was a pause, and then the door opened wider. The small human stepped out, peering up at him as she joined him on the porch. "I-I'm Ryn," she replied, her previous shyness seeming to fade away much like the clouds that were beginning to disburse overhead. "It's not far from here...I can show you?"

Without waiting for a reply, she trotted past him and started walking in the direction he had came. Feeling uncharacteristically flustered, Nestor could only shake himself and follow her short, swift stride. His longer legs quickly caught up with her with little effort, but he felt his central core racing regardless.

Hallowdene is a cluster of villages that became a town North and West of Old York. It's nestled in a valley surrounded by hills, where trees grow tall and water runs gently. The nearby ruins have long been dormant - and many children sneak away to go play in them when the day is long and there is mischief to be made. Few Sun-Bound are ever seen here...and those that do linger tend to be peaceful, even on cloudy days.

The chief is an ICE known as Nestor (N-3270-R) - a forgetful but gregarious being who greets strangers like friends, and treats friends like family. His soul-partner is a human named Ryn, who - despite being shy and easily flustered - always remembers what he forgets. The two are much beloved, and are fiercely protected by the residents of Hollowdene.

Magitech users may not come by often to scavenge the nearby ruins, but they do come by simply to enjoy the peace. The villagers welcome users enthusiastically - especially if they are merchants bringing goods from other locations. Magitech users especially come by during the yearly summer festival known as The Day of Threads - a festival where ICE and humans exchange art made of memory: one handmade item, one logged moment of joy.

Known for:

Light fermentation - sun-baked vinegars, soft meads, fungal teas

Glassgrown tech - ICE-honed tools made from living silica that grows like coral

Seed-libraries and memory-libraries being kept side by side

Celebrations:

Bloomfast (Springtime festival celebrating the first flowers that bloom over the poisoned ruins)

The Quieting (a yearly night of silence in the winter to remember the cities lost)

The Day of Threads