Milladore isn’t a place easily found. It clings to the western edge of the Obsidian Coast, a region perpetually shrouded in a mist that tastes of iron and regret. The locals, the Stone Singers, claim the very rocks remember. They say the coast was formed by the tears of a forgotten god, each shard of obsidian a solidified lament. The wind carries fragments of these songs, barely audible, but persistent – warnings, prophecies, and the mournful echoes of lives long past.
The Stone Singers are a reclusive people, bound by a strict code of silence and a complex system of rituals designed to appease the coast. Their lives revolve around interpreting the “resonances” – the whispers of the Obsidian Coast. These interpretations guide their actions, from fishing and farming to building their homes, which are constructed using precisely-shaped stones that amplify the whispers. Their most sacred ritual, the “Echoing,” involves gathering on the highest cliffs during the new moon, chanting in unison, and attempting to consciously commune with the coast. The success of the Echoing determines the village’s fate for the coming year. Failure brings hardship, misfortune, and a deepening sense of isolation.
Each stone is meticulously shaped, not for beauty, but for resonance. The Stone Singers believe that improperly shaped stone will block the whispers, creating dissonance and attracting negative energy. The process is slow, painstaking, and imbued with ritualistic significance.
During the Echoing, the Stone Singers wear masks carved from obsidian, believed to help them focus their minds and channel the coastal resonances. The ritual involves complex vocalizations, rhythmic drumming, and the offering of small stones to the sea.
Created from the darkest obsidian, the masks are more than just adornments. They are conduits, amplifying the whispers and protecting the wearer from being overwhelmed by the coast’s intensity. The masks are passed down through generations and are considered sacred objects.
The legends of Milladore are steeped in melancholy and a profound sense of loss. The most prevalent is the tale of Lyra, a young Stone Singer who attempted to silence the coast entirely, believing that only through absolute silence could peace be found. She succeeded, but at a terrible cost – a permanent stillness that swallowed the village and transformed it into a desolate ruin, a warning against seeking to control the coast’s power. Another legend speaks of a hidden city beneath the cliffs, a place of immense power built by the Stone Singers long before their current traditions, a city lost to the echoes of time.