Chalice

The Eldritch colony world, which Araelis Mina Jisiensire is now overseeing with her Harat-Shariin family. This world is now considered the principle Jisiensire holding.

Vital Statistics (At a Glance)

• Major Populations: Jisiensire Eldritch and Harat-Shar
• Type: Eldritch colony
• Population: low
• Gravity: low-medium
• Native Language: Eldren and Universal
• Settled: after Reese's wedding
• Current Allegiances: Eldritch Empire
• Length of Year:
• Length of Day:

Geography

Capital

The first, temporary settlement became the first permanent one: a promontory overlooking a river valley that flowed to the sea, with a mild climate and enough land to expand. This was Banquiet, the capital, downslope from the governor's manse (which is technically outside its city limits). When initially built, it consisted of a plaza with a small building as a town hall and an even smaller one to serve as shrine for the sole priestess who initially accompanied the colonists. Mixed-use buildings were erected around the plaza, allowing for ten small businesses/apartments, and five cottages near the plaza were constructed in a style similar to those used by the Escutcheon tenantry (but erected with Alliance construction techniques). One (small) convent was also built upslope from the capital for the three noblewomen who chose to take orders. Less than one hundred Eldritch went on that first draft, and this was more than enough for them.

The Harat-Shar who accompanied Araelis chose to build housing near the spaceport, which was on a promontory not far from town. Araelis wanted a mixed population in Banquet but the Harat-Shar were not willing to let her make that decision top-down.

Landmarks

• Governor's Manse - Araelis's manor is upslope from Banquet, on a small ridge, and is connected to the capital village by a road leading over a bridge and to the plaza (beneath an arch). The manse is also the location of the first (and currently only) private Pad on the planet, in Araelis's courtyard, which spreads behind it in a style similar to Ontine's.
• Convent - Off the road in the slope leading up to one of the inland lakes, northeast of the manor and due south from Banquet. The new nuns find the climate suitable for gardening and are known for blended fruit jams and preserves.
• Lakes and fall - Two large lakes contribute to the river that flows past the capital; one at a higher elevation than the manor spills into a smaller lake behind the convent grounds. These falls are beautiful and will no doubt end up with a name.
• Spaceport - The port on the promontory northwest of Banquet is also home to a Harat-Shariin village, built in homeworld style partially underground.

History

"Jisiensire’s remains, if they’re willing. I still keep some contact, now and then, with Sellelvi’s descendants. I have cause to believe that they would welcome a closer association with Fasianyl’s family. If they are amenable, they could depart for a new world and begin fresh, absent the associations of this . . . atrocity. And they would have Alliance support. Lesandurel has the Tams, of course, and the Tams will come home here. I think a world tended by Eldritch and Harat-Shar has a chance of developing a unique culture of its own."

One reason for a second world:

• "And how many worlds did your civil war catapult into tumult?

"One, Liolesa said, "But unlike you, one is enough to serve us our extinction"

The waiting Cradle:

Liolesa gave Araelis Mina Jisiensire the assignment of developing Chalice during Reese's first holiday (as, in fact, a gift). "When I choose a new heir she will become the viceroy of our colony. But you will have first choice of everything, and it is to you and your passel of pards that I will look to conduct the in-depth surveys, choose the site for the capital, and make recommendations on the development of appropriate resources. Lesandurel will, of course, be at your disposal for creating all the necessary orbital accoutrements." At the time of the gifting, the Harat-Shar Liolesa had written to were only "two weeks from arriving."

The Harat-Shar that accompanied Jisiensire had a very nearly perfect talent spread (astonishingly, since all the initial volunteers had come from Sellelvi's descendants). There is at least one Harat-Shar pharmaceutical researcher who'd started his career in botany, and his twelve children followed him into his field of study, and on to Chalice: they are scouring Chalice's flora for utility in every field, from cooking to beauty products, to medicine, determined to find a set of exports as quickly as possible.

Natalie Felger also moved to Chalice, with her niece, and resumed her writing career from her new house on a cliff. She is also interfering mightily with Araelis's isolation, and involving herself in the new baby's welfare (which is good for Araelis). Felger insisted that her income be subject to local taxation, since she had no skills useful for building a new colony.

A "handful of Jisiensire Harat-Shar" visited Escutcheon to attend Sediryl's wedding and investiture.

Sediryl's First State Visit

• This happened the summer after Lisinthir's return to Escutcheon with his heirs.

Name

Chalice was named during Reese's first holiday on Escutcheon, by Liolesa (at the same time that she chose the name for the Eldritch homeworld). "Your Planet Buttercup shall be known as Chalice,” Liolesa said. “I expect it to overflow with the Goddess’s gifts, Araelis, so work hard to live up to the name, ah?" (Araelis's response: "Chalice. That is an auspicious name.")

Defenses

• Ships: Initially three stingships, under the Chalice System Defense Ship classification (CSDS).

Population

• Chalice was initially settled by the descendants of Sellelvi and "Jisiensire’s sad remains," implying some number of Eldritch went with Araelis. During the coup, Surela Silin Asaniefa notes that the Galare and Jisiensire contingent in the palace numbered "less than ninety" when someone reports that some 67 hostages escaped Ontine, so it's likely that at least some of the palace Jisiensire were among the survivors who went later with Araelis.
• Val says later that Jisiensire had "one village priestess left", who went with the settlers. Urise and Belinor also decamp for Chalice, after Sediryl's investiture, and before Lisinthir's return with his newborn heirs.
• Val also mentions that the Eldritch of Chalice are more willing (with the Harat-Shar's enthusiastic encouragement) to have multiple children: "I’d be surprised if some number of our people didn’t seize the opportunity to imitate their new friends and have scandalously large families. Immediately. Particularly when for many of them it’s been an unobtainable dream for most of their lives."

Inhabitants

Eldritch

• Jisiensire's last nobles: six men and four women (one with child), none of them of the Mina: two brothers Osirus and Kelevuthel Halin, and their cousin Ascalion; Talosin Ileth and his cousin Aumanor Ileth, and Cornaith Moret; and the women, Nambrassara Moret, Diruelisin Halin, Selica Halin, and Radilia Ileth, with her daughter Thaciona. Nambrassara, Diruelisin, and Radilia formed a convent; Selica, a noted horsewoman and lover of creatures and the wild places, decided to join the Halin men in exploring the new world.
• Priestess: Mathilna Kul Mina, an elder. Later, Urise and Belinor.
• Nephinae and Taenia Leon Jesa, traveling musicans

Harat-Shar

• Natalie Felger and her niece, Shelya; her other nieces Niloufar and Soraya (sisters)
• Rastag (a forester/ecologist)
• Sasan (head of the Chalice militia)
• Zahur (handyman/pard of all work)

Other

• The standard that Ceredan and the other nobles of Jisiensire died defending during the Razing of Jisiensire was brought by Araelis to Chalice, and hangs in her great hall above the mantle.