The Babylon

Babylon

The Babylon is a massive, arcane-powered zeppelin that endlessly circles the skies above Castlemere City. Built during the final years of the Ravencrest reign, it serves as a high-security aerial prison—both a symbol of imperial wrath and a monument to eternal punishment.

Overview

Part prison, part relic, The Babylon is considered one of the most feared structures in the City. It is reserved for prisoners too dangerous, too powerful, or too politically sensitive to be held within conventional dungeons or execution blocks. Suspended by eldritch engines and warded against teleportation and planar intrusion, it is said that no one has ever escaped its confines.

Its haunting silhouette is a constant presence in Castlemere’s skyline—visible on clear nights as a dark shape drifting through the clouds, lit by flickering arcane lanterns and crimson runes along its hull.

History

Commissioned by Empress Narri Castlereagh in the wake of Castlemere War, The Babylon was constructed with the assistance of the Order of Rubicon. It was originally intended as a temporary solution for housing rogue spellcasters and dangerous nobility.

However, the zeppelin became infamous following the imprisonment of Harker Blackwood, Narri’s former lover turned vampire. After his attempt to turn her against her will, Narri had him imprisoned aboard The Babylon indefinitely—a punishment that transformed the airship into a living symbol of betrayal, lost love, and power corrupted.

Notable Prisoners

• Harker Blackwood – Vampire noble and former consort to Empress Narri. Still held in the upper sanctum.
• Lady Vestra Mournvale – Seer of the Hollow Star Cult, known for predicting the Ravencrest Collapse.
• The Coilborn Twins – Sorcerers fused by wild magic, responsible for the Ironveil Incident.
• Thorn the Silent – Assassin who slew three members of the High Assembly with a cursed whisper.

Structure and Features

• The Hull – Reinforced with darksteel and layered with anti-teleportation wards. Constantly patrolled by arcane constructs and bound wraiths.
• The Furnace Core – Powers the Babylon’s perpetual flight. Said to be fueled by captured soul-essence.
• The Warden’s Eye – A floating crystal orb used to monitor all prisoners psychically. Operated by the ship’s mysterious warden, identity unknown.
• The Red Sanctum – The high-security chamber where Harker Blackwood is held. Sealed with runes designed by Empress Narri herself.

Reputation and Symbolism

Among the citizens of Castlemere, The Babylon is a source of grim fascination. Poets call it the “Wound in the Sky,” and children sing rhymes about its shadow bringing bad luck. It is both feared and mythologized—a symbol of justice without mercy.

Some believe the Babylon will fall from the sky only when the sins of the Empire are finally answered.

Trivia

• A cult known as the Cloudborn Redeemers worships the Babylon as a vessel of divine judgment.
• Sightings of spectral figures walking the outer deck are common, especially on moonless nights.
• The Babylon’s engines never stop. Even during maintenance, it is said to glide on the momentum of its own hatred.

Related Articles

• Castlemere City
• Harker Blackwood
• Empress Narri Castlereagh
• Ravencrest Dynasty