Adventures in Comalan: Lapis Lake

Each major noble family in Heron has an ancestral home that has been passed down through their family line since the original clans first settled their territories. The Karns have the Aurora Lodge, a large, warm refuge at the top of Mount Phoenix that is known for housing some of Heron's most valued historical artifacts. The Crowmonts have the Scarlet Manor, a majestic castle on an islet bordered by a long thicket of rosebushes. Then, there is the Crystal Hall; a shining complex of marble, gold, and glass. The Piers family has considered the Hall their pride for centuries. With the recent ascension of Aden Piers to the lordship, some of the more ostentatious decor has been sold off and the originals restored, but the Hall is still known as one of Heron's most lavish estates. Even more spectacular, however, is the alpine valley the estate resides in. The main complex is in a clearing bordered by mountain views and pine forest. The shining jewel, however, is Lapis Lake, which reaches from the eastern, glass-walled side of Crystal Hall, all the way to the city of Eydisthorpe.

While Lapis Lake is technically a string of smaller lakes connected through streams and separated only through two thin land bridges, it is generally referred to as one, large body of water, and as such, is restricted in its entirety from being freely used by the people of Eydisthorpe, despite being so near to the city. Not that this would be an issue; the Piers family tends to view the lake as sacred, and common people in Piers Territory consider entering the water to be bad luck. Even so, the shores farther from the estate are meticulously patrolled by the Crystal Hall Guard. 

For many older residents of Eydisthorpe who have had family ties to the city for generations, the superstition and folklore surrounding Lapis Lake goes far beyond simple bad luck in exchange for disrespecting His Lordship. Some stories even go so far as to claim that there are fey forces at work beneath the surface, but these are largely disbelieved nowadays. In addition, the notion has been publicly denied by the Piers family, who strongly emphasize that the lake is restricted for preservation reasons, and that the punishment from the Guard for trespass would be far worse than any magical trickery. Privately, however, the family is said by those close to estate to hold an ancestral reverence for the lake, along with a set of esoteric beliefs about the nature of the deep. The Piers' long-time servants will be familiar with the rituals that the family carries out at certain times of the year and on special family occasions that seem to signal a deep connection with the Lake, and that indicate that there may indeed be some sort of presence below the surface. 

While it is true that because of either superstition or heavy security, very few outside the family have been able to thoroughly explore Lapis Lake, there are certainly those who wish to try. These people have varying motives; defiance against the nobility, rumors of a secret passage into the estate, or simple curiosity about the true nature of the Lake and the ancient folklore that speaks of the presence of magical beings. No matter the reason they tried, nobody has gotten far enough to discover the Lake's truth. Or, at the very least, none who have have returned to tell the tale.