Chalcedon Well
The Chalcedon Well is a Glade in the County of Selkrest in the Kingdom of Pacifica.
Overview
Chalcedon Well, or the Well of Veils as it is sometimes called, is the center of the Edge of the Labrys' power. It is the most potent source of Glamour to which they lay claim, and even the most unenlightened redcap enforcer or lecherous satyr will not intrude on this holy place. The well is located in a valley between two of the San Bruno range's highest peaks, a valley which maps never seem to show. At the very lowest point of the valley, called simply The Glen by the Labrys' members, sits a roughly crafted stone well. A copper dipper and wooden bucket rest by the well's side while streams of shimmering, shining clear water constantly spill of the construction's upper lip. Every woman who comes to The Glen drinks of the Chalcedon Well and adds one stone to its construction. Nunnehi are welcome here as well, so long as they hew to the Edge of the Labrys' custom.
The well actually gets its name from the softly glowing curtains of light that occasionally dance up from its depths on Festival or other important occasions. It is said that particularly observant Kithain can see blood-red lights dancing on new and full moons as well, and that those who will die in the next twelve months see shrouds of black instead.
Around the well proper are cushions grown from monstrously large toadstools. Verdant moss, springy and soft underfoot, carpets the entire glade so that none need wear shoes here. Lanterns of balefire draped in pine cones are hung round the circle by the well, giving a warm glow to the nights when the curtains of Glamour do not dance. There is also a small stream that forms from the well's glistening runoff. This spirals outward between the toadstool cushions, somehow finding a path (even though the well is at The Glen's lowest point) to a small, silver-surfaced pond. The women of the Edge of the Labrys use this mere as a ritual bath, and often the silvery sheen of the water shines in their eyes for days after the ceremonial immersion.
There has only been one male Kithain who has witnessed these sights, a daring and possibly suicidal pooka wilder named Alcibiades Nikiraeus. Using Glamour to disguise himself as a woman, he joined the rituals which no man had seen before. His cheat was discovered within days, as the pooka could not resist bragging about what he had done. Before another hour had passed, he was stripped of his commoner knighthood, banished from Pacifica, and barred from any of the domains of the Kingdom of Concordia. Such is the power of the Edge of the Labrys when they chose to wield it.
References
- CTD. Immortal Eyes: The Toybox, p. 47.