Ravenwatch: First Flight
(The following is transcribed into the trade tongue from a record keeper crystal of pale green, possibly peridot. The crystal, when held and asked, "What's your story?" emits a crisp cawing of Birdsong.)
Welcome Watcher to the Watch!
If this is your first time, mind the air currents. Ravenwatch rests along the southern face of the Shearpeak Range and is subject to wind shears both lateral and upslope.
The Ravenwatch is a large, directed basalt structure shaped by dwarves and stories to be the home and nerve center of the Watchers. It is often shrouded in mist thanks to the prevailing winds off the Wynderwood. The dark, sharp stone reflects we corvid who inhabit the Watch.
For now, flybird, bank right and wing yourself over to the...
Portico
Ravenwatch's transportation center is a cacophony at all hours. Listen for the Nesters to call out your landing instructions.
Here the basalt is shaped into tall arches the size of three Plainstriders - six each along the north and south sides, and two edge-on for the eastern wall.
Within, six great honey carob trees line up with the six arches. The original watchers carried these seeds from far off lands to plant in what was first known as a sustenance garden. Now, the widely-spaced branches of these towering carobs serve as our landing and takeoff perches.
Nesters watch both inbound and outbound flights from their nests. They see the big picture, so what they say goes. If you're called to enter "edge on" north or south, take my advice. Arc out and back so you have a straight shot through the arches on the east wall. You're not going to make it arcing around from the side. And try not to smack into someone as you count to the tree and drop to the letter of your landing branch.
If you're just given a number/letter pair, come in the side, either upslope or downslope. Just remember that the trees count TOWARDS the center of Ravenwatch and branches count DOWN from the top.
Drop a little further, and we'll dive west through the ...
Duct Zone
This here's the most solid part of the mountain. It might even be the original rock. All these duct tubes are hollowed right through, don't you worry none, and all the green and yellow crystal lets enough light in for us to see. Humans, they have to walk around, not through the ductworks like we can go.
Those four towering spires up top? No, they aren't natural. I'll let you in on a little secret. The Watch wasn't originally made FOR us.
Stories say there once was this particularly irascible dwarf, a stoneshaper whose heart was as nearly as hard as the stone he worked. He came up to the surface to get away from his kin, and he started shaping a place to live.
Our Lady , ever intrigued, drops by for a closer look. Now, this stone shaper don't want any looky-loos, an he starts pitching stones and magma to try to get Our Lady to scoot. She wasn't having it, and she dodged four skyward spires before the old codger decided he wanted to talk instead. After Our Lady pointed out the growing settlement in the middle of the Wynderwood, he was only too happy to shape the rest out for us. I heard he's found an even more inhospitable place to set up shop. I pity the Watcher assigned to him.
Back inside now. This is our ...
Grand Hall
This here is where Our Lady holds court and the human messengers meet, get assignments, and eat before they trek out again. Being hte network we are, this big cavern is more for gossip than pageantry. That smaller, pointed arch downslope with the two large doors is the ...
Guest Entry
This is where the Messengers enter and exit the Watch. Our human compatriots are useful, not as useful as us, but they can carry a lot more when we need to bring evidence or directions from Our Lady to another Human. Most of them, Messengers included, don't know how to read our crowdance.
On the outside, more of those skyward spires decorate the roof. Those weren't from the fight though. Don't know how she convinced him to do anything decorative, but I think she couched it as camouflage.
Upslope from the Grand Hall is the...
Pueblo
Our nests, public and private quarters. I don't need to tell you what your home is for; just make sure you get a nest assigned to you by the quartermaster.
Last, and most important is the ...
Aeyrie
Our Lady's chambers and planning room. Now, two things should immediately stand out: Those windows and that tree slice.
All this isn't glass. It's shaped crystal. I doubt the hermit had intended to make such a view of the Wynderwood and The City, but it's perfect for Our Lady's needs. The tree slice, now that's from the Bargain. If you're promoted to keeping watch on someone important in the City, maybe you'll get to hear it. It's not my story to tell. Plenty of perches for us to roost while receiving instructions or giving reports.
Now, that's the tour. I suspect you've got a report to deliver, so git.
Document Structure
Publication Status
The crystals themselves were likely recorded by accident, thanks to Crispin's self-obsessive goal to greet and take each new crow, raven, or blackbird on a tour of the Ravenwatch. Once found, the bearer also has to know Birdsong in order to understand the message within.
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