Tor Anan

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Tor Anan
Geographical Information
Location: Everywhere. Anywhere. Nowhere.
Significant Resources: Ley energy
Dangers: Fae
Civilization
Population: Varies


Tor Anan is a place that exists astride, but not in, the world that the Black Dragon Inn rests. It rides the current of magic that flow throughout the land. Creatures of dreams and nightmares cavort through the halls while matters of magical kingdoms and courts are settled. It is here where the Fae, be they children of dreams or nightmares, come to mingle, dance, laugh and play.

The world of the Fae is one of great magic. The Fae are themselves creatures of magic, many born entirely of the imaginations of mortals: Be it from a dream, a nightmare or a tale told about a fire. There are some Fae who simply are and who have not been willed into existence from the whimsy of mortals, and many Fae born from other Fae. Every Fae creature holds some measure of magical power.

Behind the Name

A subject of much conjecture, the exact meaning of Tor Anan has been lost in time. Some claim it means the Kings Tower, others 'Meeting Place'. Some that cling to the theory of Tor Anan being an imprisoned god say it is the name of the god, or that it means 'Fool's Bind'.

Tor Anan

While not the only Fae place in the world, Tor Anan is arguably the most important. It stands at the border between the two vast courts. For Fae of both courts it is neutral ground. Further, Tor Anan holds great authority and power among the Fae: Within it exists the third court, presided over by the High King or Queen, and here matters between both sides are held, weighed and tried.

Not only that, it exists atop a magical convergence: Great strands of magic, sometimes referred to as ley lines, intersect and combine, throbbing power into the halls. There are some who challenge this theory, stating that rather than the power pulsing into Tor Anan it spreads from it, lashing threads across the land akin to a spider’s web.

Origins

The origins of Tor Anan are unable to be pinpointed. There are various theories put forth by scholars of the place, some accepted and some rejected out of hand.

There is one popular theory which is gathering support, and that is that Tor Anan itself is actually a prison for an ancient god. They put it that the world was created by this god, and along with it the god created a fae-like creature.

This creature was quite mischievous, possibly where the general association came from, and frequently played games with the god. One day during a game, the creature tricked the god into revealing its True Name, and with this the creature was able to exercise absolute control over it and imprison it within a cage of its own making. They say this creature became the first High King. They claim that when a new High King ascends, the True Name of this god is imparted to them and the bonds are reinforced. In this theory if the High Kingship was not passed on and the name not imparted, the god would eventually break free and exact revenge for its imprisonment.

What information the Fae make known to outsiders is often contradictory, and colored by their own motivations--whether simply amusing themselves by baffling mortals, or some greater purpose. Many Fae find truth to be a highly mutable substance and say things not because they are true, but because they ought to be.

Appearance

Within its home realm, Tor Anan tends to exist as a giant palace or fortress, a sign of the authority that the place has over the Fae planes and realms. This, of course, is often tailored to the personality and whims of the individual who controls it.

When manifesting in the Arangothian realm, it has done so in many forms. Various records have it described as a brooding fortress perched upon a cliff, a homely halfway house with a light always lit in the window, a simple garden gate with vines growing upon the trellis or a soaring tower piercing the clouds.

An interesting note: The area around where it manifests tends to be randomly changed by the magic of the place. Faerie rings, water running upstream, creatures being warped and changed. Some have postulated that it had once visited the Elgar Forest or the Sresar Vale, its effects long lasting upon the areas.

Reaching Tor Anan

It is these strands that people must travel along in order to get to Tor Anan. For those attuned, it is possible to feel a pulse through the strands, like a great heartbeat, that is able to be followed to reach the convergence. Travellers must be wary however, for there are creatures that stalk the strands looking to feed, and some of these creatures have learned to emulate the pulse of Tor Anan very closely. There are several ways to traverse the strands. One is to be guided by a Fae themselves, for they know the byways of these magical roads. Further one may find a gateway to Tor Anan, a direct strand of the magical thread that has been anchored to the land and has been willed into physical existence: As simple as a wooden door, or a bridge, or even the earth itself.

There is yet another way to arrive at Tor Anan, but it is rare to find someone with the will to do it: Dream. Tor Anan and the adjoining Fae realms tap into the dream world, or even some argue that perhaps, just perhaps, they are dreams themselves. In Menxism some have raised the possibility that Tor Anan is in fact the first of the Nine Otherworlds, just the first step on a journey.

A warning: time passes differently in Tor Anan than in the mortal realms, and it is impossible to predict how much time has elapsed in the 'real' world while one is within its halls. Some find that they were only away mere minutes or hours, while others return from a seemingly brief visit to find that decades have elapsed. Mortals do not age within Tor Anan, but unless they are under the protection of a Fae guide or powerful magic, the elapsed time will catch up with them all at once when they return to their native place and age them rapidly.

The High King

The holder of the High Kingship is the lord of Tor Anan and with that office commands its powers. They exert control over the entire plane that Tor Anan is located on, as well as capable of choosing where in the Arangothian realm the manifestations of it appear. By that crown and oath they are also bound. Once a High King assumes the role there is no retirement: They serve till death, whether it be natural or otherwise. There has only been one High King to live long enough to see the ultimate end: So consumed by the magic of Tor Anan his entire being was absorbed into the place.

For that is the arrangement that is made: For such great power, power enough to hold both other courts in check, at the end the High King has to return it. Yet the power it grants is not enough to satiate Tor Anan, stripping from each holder their powers and lives. With each passing of a High King, Tor Anan grows stronger. There is some conjecture as to why Tor Anan feeds as it does: Some believe that Tor Anan grasps back to itself power that was rightfully its own in the first place.

Not normally a hereditary position, the High Kingship is passed on either by the High King's choice, to those that kill them and seize the position, or in rare cases to children of the High King should they die of natural causes. This of course allows extremely dangerous individuals to take power. There has only been one recorded incident where the High King has been bad enough to invoke the wrath of the entire Fae nation, causing them to rise up and dethrone him forcibly.

The High King is recognised as the highest source of mediation between Fae nations and Fae peoples, or any other who choose to associate themselves to Tor Anan. Even with this court as a balancing point, the Fae and their world is constantly in flux, always with one side dominant other the other. It is believed that the role of the High King is to bring balance, but none have so far managed to come close. In fact, sometimes the High Kingship has nudged matters just enough to spill completely to one side.

As of yet none of the High Kings have stepped in on the meddling of the other courts on mortal affairs. In the defence of Tor Anan and the High Kingship however, it must be said that such meddling has only become prevalent amongst the Fae relatively recently and even still such meddling has been kept small and unremarked.

The King's Court

Over the history of Tor Anan, there has been as little as one creature up to millions though always present is the High King. Currently, the numbers fluctuate from hundreds to thousands.

Creatures of all races can gather here for what is a tireless court, with jesters, musicians, puppeteers and all manner of entertainers working at all hours to entertain the masses. Of course while there are humans, elves and other such of the 'mundane' races, the majority are what would be called Fae, or Fae-like.

The opposing Fae Courts tend to keep a presence in Tor Anan as it has been a key place where many great treaty and trade opportunities have presented themselves. Whether they send an ambassador, or even a member of the royal family, quite often every nation that associates with Tor Anan will be in presence. The High King's Court is a web of byzantine intrigues, as each faction present attempts to advance its agenda and sabotage rivals, driven by motivations that make little sense to most mortals.