Terminus

Terminus, is the home city of the Terminus Warforged Collective and has a population of roughly 25,000 people. Terminus, in common, translates to a final point in space or time; an end or extremity. Terminus is meant to be the final point for the weary, worn, and broken. A home for not just Warforged, but members of any species to come and find their purpose. A community where they belonged and could find others in the same strife or pain they are. During the Awakening, many Warforged fled to the distant, deep swamp marshes north of Cannith. They followed a Warforged Visera who was believed dead by her creators and was worshiped like a prophet by other Warforged. Hundreds of Warforged who made the pilgrimage remained in sentry's rest, many succumbing to the elements or wounds they suffered on their pilgrimage. As the years went on, the Warforged began to awaken one by one, and chose to use the skills they learned in their servitude to build a home. With Visera leading them, the Warforged of Terminus built an underground community away from public eye, in the vast expanse of the Underdark. Huts turned into great halls, spears and picks turned into incredible drills and blades. Using the materials around them and their skills, the Warforged built a small city which they called home. A safe haven.

Today, Terminus occupies a shallow level of the Underdark connected to a small surface settlement where traders and merchants can hawk their goods and services. The interior of Terminus is a medium-sized city that, like the Warforged, continues to grow and improve every day. Where anyone can be anything, not just what their masters or abusers limited them to. After recent events, the city of Terminus was subject to a massive, seismic earthquake as a result of a battle between Visera and Croak and Dagger. In the aftermath, the entire city appear to transform into a glistening, gold and chrome paradise. What this means for the Warforged of Terminus, and other Collectives, remains to be seen.

Government

Similar to other large-scale Collectives, Terminus is overseen by an Archon. Below the Archon is any number of Ministers, in Terminus's case a Minister of Defense, Law, Industry and Commerce, and Science. Beneath the Ministers is a council of elected civilian-officials who listen to the concerns of the people. At the end of the day, Terminus is a socialist society controlled and maintained by its people, and only exists and continues to function, with the full cooperation of its people. Archon Visera and her Ministers are but public servants, and oligarchical representatives for other nations. Should any of them abuse their power, they fully expect the citizens that outnumber them to bring them to heel. A majority of Warforged do consensually share a consciousness with Archon Visera, who does not want any barriers, physical or social, to come between her and the needs and woes of her people. Should the Ministers and Council fall short of a need, citizens can go straight to the Collective's founder.

Since the events of Croak and Dagger, Archon Visera has been disposed after being corrupted by a powerful artifact. Her Ministers, Council, and citizens remain leaderless, but have begun to pick up the pieces of their shattered framework. After Terminus was restructured, the Warforged of Terminus immediately began to restructure and hope to have commerce, trade, and everyday life back to normal. Or as normal as they can get it after the events of the Philosopher's Stone.

Defenses

Terminus is surrounded by a 40 wall of adamantine and steel, and beyond that, the lawless, deadly denizens of the Underdark. The only safe way to reach the underbelly of Terminus is via large lifts through the Brisbane Settlements above ground. Should an attack be imminent, Brisbane's citizens follow a weekly practiced evacuation plan to the interior of Termius. If an invading force penetrates the interior they can expect to be engaged by high-powered cannons and ballistas mounted to one of many airships that patrol Terminus. The full arsenal of Terminus remains a closely guarded secret, and it's that same unknown that deters any large colony or nation from testing the full firepower of one of the most advanced Warforged Collectives.

Notable Locations

The Spires The first fully-constructed buildings in Terminus. Five, nine-hundred foot tall towers each sitting in one of five boroughs of Terminus. The Spires were originally communal buildings where Warforged slept as small-scale construction continued around them. Most Warforged remained on the surface in communal tents and shacks, but those who braved the dangerous, but necessary journey stayed in the under-construction Spires. The Underdark was, and still is, a dark, hostile, and lawless land and the walls at the time did very little in terms of protection. Each Spire was heavily guarded and contained a number of greenhouses, mess halls, barracks, and communal living-spaces for the brave engineers and workers within. Once construction of the walls of Terminus finished, and large-scale construction of surrounding buildings began, the Spires began to be transformed into hubs of judiciary and legislative purposes. The largest, the Command Spire, is where the Archon resides and where most of the communications for defense and construction pass through. In the event of an invasion, the Spires act as command posts where the fleet of airships can station, resupply and rearm, and transport soldiers.