Keu

Keu (cue), the City of Elementals, is situated in the center of a salt lake. It is known as the most scenic city in Norn, with scenic beaches and Greek-style architecture. Tiny elemental servants, wisps of wind and fire and water and earth, meet the inhabitants’ every need. Rent is horrifyingly expensive.

History

Champion Challenge history

Annalie Wildflower is the newest Champion in Norn, overtaking previous champion Krystal Kallure. Her Lord is Giomu the Frenzied, a chimera-like monster with various elemental abilities.

Keu is a very popular vacation destination for people from Commoil, Seyv, and Briskain, and thus has built up a thriving tourist economy. Buskers and other street performers can be found all across the city, but pickpockets also abound in the busy lakeside streets. Krystal had started to crack down on this problem by putting a one-year Faerie Fire spell on the hands of perpetrators. Most of the tourists come for the lake, which is simply known as Keu Lake. It has a beautiful blue-green tinge and is fairly clear, but its incredibly high salt content means that it is very easy to float in it. While many people just go to some of the many seafood restaurants and relax in the shallows, there are also many activities near and in the lake. The Mud Mephit Spa is extremely popular. Run entirely by mephits (small elementals made of mud), this spa boasts the best baths and exfoliation in all of Norn. No one is entirely sure who summoned the mephits or where the money they collect goes, as mephits have no need for currency. For the more adventurous, the city’s brochures recommend Weird Watersports. This enterprise has somehow tamed a large group of water weirds, an amorphous type of water elemental that can take on any shape. Once rented, they can be used as jetskis, tubes, water skis, or any other water-based contraption.

A final lake-based activity that many tourists enjoy is Sven’s Scuba. For sixty gold, customers can purchase two water breathing potions and a pair of flippers that raise your swim speed to your walking speed. There are three main locations to choose from: the Shipwreck, the Vents, and the Habitat. Participants do have to sign a waiver that says that Sven is not responsible for bodily harm and that they will not swim too deep; the bottom of Keu Lake is rumored to be home to myrmidons and even more dangerous creatures.

Keu also has one of the more significant historical buildings in Norn. Unlike many Lords who tended to wander and left no trace of their presence besides the magic and abilities passed down to their Champions, Giomu had a lair that has been preserved in the center of the city. While he had no thumbs to speak of, tales from a century ago confirm that the chimera attracted swarms of elementals wherever he went, until they all converged on this spot and bent to his desires, constructing chambers fit for a king of monsters. The central plaza of Keu is built around four connected throne rooms, which Giomu could move between depending on which of his four heads was in command. The rooms are as follows: the Snake Room, a dim obsidian fortress with purple decor and thin rivers of acid on the ceiling and floor; the Salamander Room, an igloo-like structure that has deadly icicles hanging from the ceiling; the Goat Room, which is constructed from yellow quartz, and the Lion Room, a room carved from jagged rocks that is full of steam vents, creating a sauna-like environment. Visitors are encouraged to buy some Protection From Energy scrolls before entering.