# #### **Basic Information** - **Name:** Torch - **Type:** Settlement (Town) - **Region:** Numeria - **Population:** Approximately 3,800 - **Government:** Technocratic Council led by Khonnir Baine - **Notable Features:** The Purple Flame, Foundry District, Technological Market #### **Description & Appearance** Torch stands as one of Numeria's most distinctive settlements, defined by the eerie purple flame that once burned perpetually atop the town's central hill—a technological wonder that gave the settlement both its name and purpose. The town is built in concentric rings around this central hill, with structures becoming progressively more primitive as one moves from the center to the outskirts. The innermost ring features the most advanced buildings—structures of salvaged metal and stone with technological enhancements like self-illuminating doorways and climate control systems. This central district houses the Technic League's local headquarters, the town council chambers, and the homes of Torch's most influential citizens. The architecture here represents a strange fusion of advanced technological elements salvaged from the surrounding region and more traditional construction methods, creating buildings that appear both ancient and futuristic simultaneously. The middle rings contain the workshops, foundries, and technological markets that form the economic heart of Torch. Here, smoke-belching forges and strange energy-emitting devices operate day and night, processing salvaged technological components into usable items. The constant industrial activity fills this district with a perpetual haze of smoke and strange-smelling vapors, while the clang of metal and hiss of unknown energies creates a distinctive soundscape unique to Torch. Buildings in this district are primarily functional, with little concern for aesthetics beyond the occasional display of technological prowess. The outer rings house the majority of Torch's population in more conventional wooden and stone structures, though even these often incorporate small technological elements—a glowing door handle here, a strangely humming window frame there. This district transitions gradually into farmland and defensive structures that protect the town from the dangers of the Numerian wilderness. The most distinctive feature of Torch was once the Purple Flame itself—a pillar of violet fire that burned without fuel atop the central hill, emitting both light and a unique form of heat particularly suited to metalworking. Since the flame's mysterious extinguishment, the hill has become the site of frantic excavation and research as the town's leaders seek to restore their settlement's namesake and economic lifeblood. The town's overall aesthetic combines the primitive with the hyper-advanced—tribal barbarians wearing traditional furs might walk past buildings with glowing technological components, while salvagers hawk alien artifacts alongside conventional goods in the same marketplace. This juxtaposition creates a settlement that feels perpetually caught between two worlds, neither fully embracing nor rejecting either its barbaric heritage or its technological future. #### **History & Background** Torch began as a simple barbarian encampment established around the mysterious purple flame approximately two centuries ago. The original settlers discovered that the flame's unique properties made it ideal for metalworking, particularly for the strange alloys found in technological salvage throughout Numeria. This discovery transformed a temporary camp into a permanent settlement as metalworkers and salvagers gathered to take advantage of the phenomenon. The settlement's growth accelerated dramatically about seventy years ago when the Technic League recognized Torch's strategic value as both a processing center for technological salvage and a buffer between their headquarters in Starfall and the dangers of the southern borderlands. Under League influence, Torch developed from a crude collection of workshops into a proper town with defined districts and governance structures. The defining crisis in Torch's history began approximately one month ago when the Purple Flame—which had burned continuously for centuries—suddenly extinguished without warning. This catastrophe threatened not only the town's primary industry but its very identity and purpose. The town council, led by the respected artificer Khonnir Baine, immediately organized expeditions to investigate the flame's source beneath the central hill, hoping to restore it. Khonnir himself led several of these expeditions, discovering a complex of ancient technological chambers beneath the hill that appeared to be the flame's source. After his most recent descent, however, he failed to return, adding a leadership crisis to the town's growing list of problems. Currently, the remaining council members struggle to maintain order while continuing efforts to both restore the flame and locate their missing leader. The town now stands at a crossroads—without the Purple Flame, its primary industry and reason for existence is threatened, creating economic hardship and social unrest. This vulnerability has attracted increased attention from various factions, from opportunistic bandits to Technic League officials with their own agendas regarding the town's future. #### **Politics & Society** Torch operates under a technocratic council system, where leadership positions are granted based on technological knowledge and contribution to the town's industry rather than hereditary claims or pure political maneuvering. This council, traditionally led by the most accomplished technological expert (currently the missing Khonnir Baine), makes decisions regarding town defense, resource allocation, and relationships with external powers. The social hierarchy in Torch is similarly based on technological proficiency and access. At the top stand the master artificers and technological experts who can understand, repair, and repurpose the alien technologies found throughout Numeria. Below them are the skilled metalworkers and crafters who transform processed technological components into usable items. The middle class consists of salvagers who brave the dangerous wilderness to recover technological artifacts, while the lower classes include laborers, farmers, and service providers who support the town's specialized economy. The Technic League maintains a significant presence in Torch, though their control is less absolute than in Starfall. Their local headquarters serves as both research facility and enforcement center, where League agents monitor technological discoveries and ensure that the most valuable finds are sent to Starfall rather than being used locally. This arrangement creates constant tension, as many of Torch's citizens resent the League's appropriation of discoveries while recognizing their dependence on League protection and expertise. Religious practice in Torch reflects the settlement's unique nature. Traditional barbarian shamanism exists alongside worship of Brigh (goddess of invention) and even small cults dedicated to the technology itself, viewing the alien artifacts as divine gifts rather than scientific objects. These various belief systems generally coexist peacefully, united by their common incorporation of technological elements into their practices. Crime in Torch primarily revolves around technological theft, unauthorized salvage operations, and black market trading of artifacts that should rightfully be reported to the Technic League. A small but effective town guard maintains order within the settlement, while more serious threats are handled by League enforcers or, in extreme cases, by Khonnir Baine himself (prior to his disappearance). #### **Economy & Resources** Torch's economy revolves almost entirely around technological processing and metalworking, with the Purple Flame having been the cornerstone of this industry. The flame's unique properties allowed for the working of exotic metals and alloys found in technological salvage, creating a specialized economy found nowhere else in the region. The primary industries include: - **Technological Salvage Processing** – The identification, disassembly, and repurposing of alien artifacts recovered from throughout Numeria - **Specialized Metalworking** – The creation of tools, weapons, and components using the unique properties of the Purple Flame - **Artifact Trading** – A regulated marketplace where approved technological items can be bought and sold - **Expedition Outfitting** – Supplies, guides, and equipment for salvagers venturing into the technological ruins scattered throughout Numeria Since the flame's extinguishment, many of these industries have been severely impacted, with metalworkers attempting to replicate the flame's effects using conventional forges with limited success. This economic disruption has led to increased unemployment, resource scarcity, and social tension throughout the town. The settlement's resources come primarily from three sources: agricultural production in the surrounding farmlands, technological salvage from expeditions, and trade with other Numerian settlements. Of these, the technological salvage is by far the most valuable, providing the exotic materials and components that drive the town's specialized economy. The Foundry District serves as the economic heart of Torch, where raw salvage is processed into usable components and finished goods. Prior to the flame's extinguishment, this district operated continuously, with the distinctive purple glow and constant industrial sounds serving as a constant reminder of the town's purpose and lifeblood. #### **Notable Locations** - **The Purple Flame Site** – The central hill where the technological flame once burned, now the focus of excavation efforts to restore it - **Council Chambers** – The administrative center where the town's technocratic leadership meets and governs - **Foundry District** – The industrial heart of Torch, filled with workshops, forges, and processing facilities - **Technic League Headquarters** – The local base for League operations, research, and enforcement - **The Copper Coin** – A popular tavern frequented by salvagers and metalworkers, known for its technological curiosities and information exchange - **Salvage Market** – The regulated marketplace where approved technological items and components are traded - **Khonnir's Workshop** – The now-empty facility of the missing council leader, filled with half-completed technological projects - **The Underworks** – The recently discovered technological complex beneath the central hill, source of the Purple Flame and site of Khonnir's disappearance #### **Notable Figures** - **[[Khonnir Baine]]** – The missing leader of the town council and most accomplished artificer in Torch - **[[Dolga Feddert]]** – The acting council leader, a no-nonsense metalworker struggling to maintain order - **[[Valoren Zay]]** – The local Technic League representative, whose interest in the flame's extinguishment seems suspiciously personal - **[[Joram Kyte]]** – The town's priest of Brigh and council member, advocating for divine intervention in the crisis - **[[Bazlundi Otterbie]]** – A dwarf metalworker whose forge was once the most productive in Torch, now facing ruin without the Purple Flame - **[[Sanvil Trett]]** – A suspicious merchant recently arrived in town with unusual interest in the technological chambers beneath the hill #### **Threats & Opportunities** - **Threats:** - The continued absence of the Purple Flame threatens the town's economic survival - Khonnir Baine's disappearance has created a leadership vacuum - The Technic League may use the crisis to tighten control over the settlement - Bandits and scavengers are increasingly targeting the weakened town - Unknown dangers lurk in the technological complex beneath the central hill - Tensions between various factions within the town are rising as resources grow scarce - **Opportunities:** - The technological chambers beneath the hill may contain valuable discoveries beyond just the flame's source - The crisis has created openings for new leaders to emerge and shape the town's future - Skilled individuals might find their services in high demand as the town seeks solutions - The disruption of established power structures opens possibilities for significant social change - Explorers brave enough to venture into the underworks could make discoveries of region-wide significance - The town's desperation makes its leaders more willing to accept outside help than is typical in xenophobic Numeria #### **Additional Notes** - The technological nature of the Purple Flame and the chambers beneath Torch suggest connections to the crashed starship that created the Silver Mount in Numeria's capital - Despite the Technic League's presence, Torch has traditionally maintained more independence than many Numerian settlements - The town serves as an excellent introduction to Numeria's unique fusion of barbarism and advanced technology - Many citizens believe the flame's extinguishment is not a mechanical failure but deliberate sabotage - Rumors suggest that strange creatures have been seen emerging from the underworks since Khonnir's disappearance