Chiptonley
Chiptonley is a town of polished banisters, quiet dinners, and the long shadow of lineage. Here, old noble houses maintain their customs with quiet fervor. The roads are clean, the gardens trimmed, and everything important happens in silence. The town’s sense of order is less about laws and more about memory: who came from where, who married whom, and which family once embarrassed itself in public. It is a place where how one is perceived matters far more than truth.
At least, it was.
Chiptonley is fracturing. With Chiptonley's opinion of the guild restored, missives had been coming fairly regularly. Requests for strategic favors, assassinations, and other less obvious attempts to get the guild to support certain families, and while most were rejected on grounds of guild political neutrality, the Guildmaster certainly noticed when the last came:
"Their eyes are wrong. The dreams broke them."
Nothing else, written in fervent and uncertain letters, and enough for the Guild to seek understanding of the situation.
While the exact event that caused the disruption is unknown, shatterings have been occurring in rapid succession. The guild has been instructed to give Chiptonley a wide berth, and the Academy has been notified, but it is quite possible that the city of lies has come to a breaking point.
Primary Features
- Estate-style architecture with emphasis on symmetry and prestige
Private gardens, often ornamental rather than functional
Subtle but strict social zoning (i.e., house placement reflects lineage rank)
Limited public spaces; most gatherings occur behind closed doors
Displaced and Disgraced
600
EXP
"An ousted Noble is seeking guild intervention. Their Patron has gone missing, and they've been blamed for the disappearance. They have given a description of the missing patron. "
The Founding Houses (Centuries Ago)
Chiptonley was established by artisan-noble families seeking cultural and bloodline consolidation. Hierarchy was encoded through architecture, custom, and patronage networks. Early records emphasize heraldry, marriage law, and inheritance precedent over governance.The Silent Wars (Generations Ago)
Internal conflicts between noble houses reached administrative standstills without open violence. Disputes were settled through marital renegotiation, inheritance contests, and exclusion from seasonal events. These tactics persist.The Whispered Heir (Recent Rumors)
An unnamed noble youth was observed traveling beyond Chiptonley’s jurisdiction under armed escort. Multiple estates issued mirror-shielding edicts citing "spiritual contamination," and at least one household dissolved a betrothal with no official reason given. Guild records note the increase in private “containment” requests during this period.Stabilization through Denial
Chiptonley has resumed normal seasonal activity. Events are scheduled, tea is served, and no further reference has been made to mirror-related disturbances. Guild presence is accepted but restricted to transactional roles. Several houses are onboarding new stewards under review. No public mention of the heir persists in record. It is presumed the issue has been subsumed into internal estate management.The Fracture (Now)
Academy intervention en-route.