- Gypsy Queens, the
- There are two main sources of further insight into the Gypsy Queen visit. First are the hidden records, secret knowledge of various Sages and Societies, and ancient tales of a few long-lived creatures. The second source is to visit directly some of their bases and "homes".
The various Secret Societies have some inkling into deeper truths, as do a few Historians of the various formal sources of knowledge across Trishore. And certainly the Steel Dragons, Aboleths, and Drow all have insights to share (for the right price). From any of these sources will come new insights. For example, the "peace" that was "brought" by the Gypsy Queen arrival seems to have already been well developed by the time they appeared. Yes, their stay here coincided with a lengthy period of human stability, but it appears all humans sought to defeat only external foes after the pains of the so-recent Migration Wars.
Another thread of their tales will be hints of sudden changes, of those who distrusted the visitors and overnight changed their minds completely. There are also whispers of questions unanswered: Gypsy Queens traded fairly it seems for vast quantities of a variety of goods, but where did it all go? For what purpose? They were reputed to be obsessive in their record keeping and tracking of all trades and objects -- but apparently refused all requests to see these notes no matter what the circumstances. And of course, the biggest question of all, that apparently was never answered: where did they come from?
Perhaps the most intriguing information can be gathered from actually visiting the sites that are most associated with Gypsy Queen activity. Initial searches will eventually lead to what were known as Gypsy Queen Cities. Today these will be inaccessable ruins, but even when in use, they were in reality little more than an opulent mirage: an encampment meant for show and to impress. Divination spells or archeological work will show that even when these cities were found within human human settlements (which was very uncommon), they were in their own quarter and traffic was controlled and contact was regulated. The buildings themselves were facades and little more.
Most often, the Gypsy Queen cities were well away from most other habitation, but well placed in terms of trade routes and access to other centres. It was here that the Gypsy Queens bartered for manufactured goods, artwork, and finished items. Those selling to the Gypsy Queens were paid in gold or gems.
Extra research, or more digging, and perhaps a little luck, will reveal an astonishing fact: there were many of these "city" trading posts, and they were all connected by a teleportation network called "Waypoints" that still functions to this day! Why is there no record of this? Why does it appear that the entrances to this network within each city was so well hidden? Why were the Waypoints not left for human use after the Gypsy Queens departed? Was there something they wished to hide from the people they lived and traded with?
Thus, it's possible that not all of the Gypsy Queen deeds were altruistic, nor were their motives without question.
LEGEND
- City -- Site for public contact and trade of art and manufactured items, with hidden Waypoint
- Plat -- Secret mine site for Platinum, with open Waypoint
- Gems -- Secret mine site for Gems, with open Waypoint
- Thrym -- Secret mine site for Thrymice, with open Waypoint
- Meteor -- Secret mine site for Meteoric iron, with open Waypoint
- Adam. -- Secret mine site for Adamantine, with open Waypoint
- City/item -- Public contact site, with both hidden mine and Waypoint
- Gold -- Secret mine site for Gold, with open Waypoint
Use of the Waypoint system is not without its hazards. First, many of the sites are either in ruin or destroyed: teleporting to such a location without first clearing the receiving end (or ascertaining its active status) can be deadly. Second, all destinations are code controlled: finding a code for a destination after thousands of years may be difficult. Finally, a few powerful individuals have mastered a link or two in this ancient system, and they may not take kindly to interlopers on what they deem "their" private network.
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