The Jademist Estate is a mystical place... both blessed and cursed by the presence of it's namesake. Legends speak of a powerful relic that emits a commanding icy aura that can freeze one's life in time, and thus grants immortality. Many daring adventurers have tried to break through the great wall of icy mist and endless mazes of frozen shrubbery to claim the endless life that the relic offers, but all have failed. Those who are able to break through the thick fog-like mist and successfully navigate the maze are greeted by the large gates and stone wall that surround the estate. Behind this lies the well kept grounds of frozen flowers that combine the beauty of vibrant colored flora and reflective, clear ice that dances the mirroring lamp posts that light the grounds of the estate. These grounds never see the light of Cressedea throughout the endless wall of fog. Here, the intruders will meet the Jademist’s protectors, foremost of which is Lady Ryoko. The Jademist protectors’ welcome the intruders with a surprising level of hospitality, usually offering tea and snacks before insisting the invaders depart. Only when intruders refuse the polite offer, do the Jademist guardians resort to more forceful methods.
The Jademist may bless these vigilant guardians by causing them to never age another day, but in exchange it warps their bodies and in a vague sense... their minds. The mist causes them to grow armored scales, horns and long, strong tails. As it corrupts their bodies, it twists their souls, creating an inescapable link to the relic. Jademists have found it difficult to leave the presence of the relic for long, and are always irresistibly drawn back to it. The estate itself is an imposing three floor building made of gray stone walls, and a crimson tile roof layed like armor akin to those worn by the legendary Dracloudian warriors. The first and second floors serve as the Jademists’ living quarters, and the top floor belongs to Lady Ryoko and her handmaidens. This magnificent structure stands upon a vast complex of underground tunnels that houses the Jademist itself. An extensive underground maze of stone covered in mystical ice that changes into walls of a light, powder blue and lavender crystal. The glow rings with a spectral light as one descends closer and closer to the untampered relic. Before one can reach the relic, they must deal with the Hand of the Jademist, a solitary caged protector of the ancient curio whose vicious yet precise claw has ended the lives of all who made it into the furthest depths of the estate. The Hand of the Jademist was sealed by Lady Ryoko in the depths of the crystal caverns, but when the Jademist itself is threatened, not even the magic of the keen Lady can hold back the fury of this "beserk" dragonoid.
But what is the Jademist itself? Many tales surround the mysterious object whose power locks life in stasis. Most Halosian scholars agree on the legend, that it is the heart of a horrendous ice dragon. This beast terrorized the region until a great warrior was able to strike it down. The unnamed warrior could not destroy it's heart that still held the lifeforce of the dragon within it. The warrior had no choice but to hide it away so the power of this great destroyer could not be harnessed again. The guardians were chosen by the warrior to defend the heart from all others so it could no longer bring great peril to Halosin and it's surroundings. The warrior then departed to seek a method to destroy the terrible artifact, but passed in battle before he could complete his quest. Leaving the Jademist locked away... only to be sheltered by the hands of the chosen wardens.
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Written by Nathan Sanborn