The Grand Canal
The Grand Canal is among the most ambitious public works projects ever attempted in Chalameria. Its purpose is to connect the Cerenys Outpost to the Stillwater Canal, opening a vital artery of trade and travel to the greater world beyond. For centuries, the Dreamwood presented a vexing problem: roads or canals. The ancient Ornitharian Empire decreed that roads and canals were to be one and the same, forcing all who dwelled within their reach to commit to one mode of travel without compromise. This rigid vision left little room for adaptation, and generations struggled against its legacy.
Now, fate has intervened. A series of earthquakes split the southern edge of the outpost, unveiling a vast new lake. What might have been calamity instead revealed a golden opportunity—a natural foundation upon which a new passage could be forged. For too long, the Dreamwood was bound by a single narrow pass—its only point of entry or escape. This chokepoint stifled migration, restricted the flow of supplies, and strangled efforts to explore its depths. In every practical sense, the Dreamwood became a magical prison, isolating the outpost and cutting it off from the greater world beyond. The Grand Canal offers hope to shatter that barrier once and for all.
Yet the path forward is treacherous. The only route south winds through a narrow, densely forested valley, swarming with cryptids, plagued by disease, thick with biting insects, and haunted by hidden horrors. Carving a canal through this land will demand immense time, wealth, and unyielding labor. Success—or failure—may decide the very fate of Chalameria. To ensure unity of purpose, sole ownership and direction of the Grand Canal has been entrusted to Estrella Rollin, Reeve to Lake Town, acting under the full authority of the Concord. All supplies, labor, and resources for this monumental endeavor fall under their command. The pathway forward will be shaped by their vision, their resolve, and their ability to see the project through against all odds.
Lake City
Lake City is the bustling border town where the lifeblood of the Grand Canal Project is gathered, stored, and traded. Laborers, craftsmen, and merchants converge here, supplying the materials and manpower needed to carve a passage through the Dreamwood. Homes rise from timber and stone, shops hum with trade, and the survival of the workers rests on the shoulders of all who lend their strength to this monumental task.
The quality of life in Lake City is not measured in coin alone—it is shaped by the efforts of adventurers. Through roleplay and community-driven construction, players breathe life into this place, raising homes, shops, and halls that enrich those who labor, live, and even die in pursuit of the canal’s completion. Though no mechanical rewards come from roleplay-only assets, every choice made here shapes the growth of the Grand Canal and the fate of those who depend upon it.
This endeavor is no small tale. The Grand Canal rivals the Panama Canal or Continental Railroad—a feat of willpower that could reshape the land forever, if completed. Lake City is the frontier of that vision, and its future lies in the hands of adventurers bold enough to claim it.
