Eagle's Head

Eagle's Head

(City)

Nation

Taldor

Region

Kazuhn Prefecture

Leader

Rouriss Barthel, propmaster

Source: Taldor, the First Empire, pg(s). 18, 48

Eagle's Head is both an amphitheatre and the settlement that assembles around it every summer while the theatre is in season. Located in the Kazuhn Prefecture of Taldor, Eagle's Head has existed for many millennia, having been built shortly after the god Aroden ascended to full godhood at the beginning of the Age of Enthronement. Ever since then, Eagle's Head has been a centre for the performing arts which attracts viewers and performers from across the Inner Sea region. Practically, every major work of Taldan drama has been performed at Eagle's Head. Every performer from across Taldor dreams of performing here and that their performance captures the imagination of the people and elevates them as a new cultural phenomena, as has happened to countless artists before them.

Every summer, the land for a mile around Eagle's Head becomes a makeshift city of tents, performers, and theatre-goers that is in constant flux as artists and theatre aficionados come and go as the season progresses. This chaotic atmosphere also proves a heaven for those with less-refined interests. Scheming nobles, spies, revolutionaries, and just plain old criminals all use the cover of the Eagle's Head season to conduct their business, its underhanded side an open secret across the nation. The Brotherhood of Silence, one of the Inner Sea's largest thieves' guilds, has a large presence at Eagle's Head. Many members of the Brotherhood of Silence use Eagle's Head as a place to lie low after committing particularly attention-grabbing crimes in nearby Oppara. Eagle's Head propmaster Rouriss Barthel is secretly a member of the Brotherhood and is the closest thing it has to a leader in the theatrical city.

Because of the amount of espionage, intrigue, and general skulduggery that goes on at Eagle's Head, the Lion Blades, Taldor's secret spy organisation, has a strong presence here. They are led by Myro Gravilla, a long-time regular of Eagle's Head, and between them they attempt to keep a secret catalogue of all the season's intrigues. Unbeknownst to most, almost every season sees the Lion Blades foil some major plot to disrupt, poison, invade, or destroy Eagle's Head. The Lions Blades keep this undercover, this way next season's villain will assume the festive settlement to be an easy target.

For the last five years, the elven virtuoso Tirilee Ambrasa has been the talk of Eagle's Head. This is a near-unprecedented hot streak, most performers are only able to claim the spotlight for, at most, a couple of seasons. Despite being a powerful bard, Tirilee's popularity seems to have nothing to do with magic. Her sway over the attendees gives Tirilee incredible access to the Taldan nobility and prestigious guests from other nations meaning the Lion Blades keep a close eye on her. Tirilee maintains an air of mystery by returning to her home nation of Kyonin at the end of every season.