Landmark: The Fore

The ramshackle building sits atop a hill of debris, overlooking everyone below. Any Warren knows to kiss the sign at the door before entering, “Take one thing from be Fore, and one thing only.” Inside is a curious museum, overcrowded with hundreds of objects. Each thing is delicately preserved amid the chaotic space. A small description is handwritten and tagged to each little artifact. These riches were left by a mysterious, long-gone curator, for all to see and take. Outsiders, curious about the Warrens, come for a taste of slum tourism. They get a ridiculously overpriced bowl of chowder from Crowder’s, and meander their way to find their very own treasure. Through word of mouth and print, they wander to The Fore, seeking a trinket from the river of time. To the Warrens, The Fore is more sacred than commercial. The Fore is a shrine to things forgotten by time, artifacts of a bygone age. The Fore is part museum and community center. Any poor and downtrodden soul can wander into The Fore. They may take that which calls them for free, a little piece of history, an ephemeral object for their own personal archive. It may be as simple as a pocket watch, or as all important as medicine for a dying loved one. Although many leave and try their luck, others stay as keepers of the shrine. They take care of others in this small halfway house, staying so long as there is room. The Fore’s curator, Noor, is all but sixteen years old. Yet this orphan is wiser beyond their age. They write tiny descriptions in ink by candlelight, their eyes glazing over as they grasp the object firmly. Noor was born with a gift to tell an object’s story only through touch. They add to The Fore’s illustrious collection, finding tiny coins or scraps of fabric, treating each artifact with respect and love. Yet life is no fairy tale. There are those, particularly those too rich to mind their moralities, who try to steal from The Fore. Although even Noor, and any smart Warren, knows why no one should ever, ever steal. Rising from the wet, fertile silt is something-once-human. Legend tells that it was once an old man who gathered all the treasures from the dried riverbeds. Now it is more beast than man, dwelling deep in the tunnels. If ever human, it is now a terror. Once awoken by the shrine’s disturbance, this monstrous protector brutalizes anyone in its path. Once appeased by the return of the river’s gifts, the monster is gone.

Neighborhood: The Warrens

Address: Anywhere in the Warrens you can see the Fore, overlooking the whole neighborhood. It sits at the border of Brasspool and The Warrens.

True Name: Shrine of Memories

(From reader Ryan)