Malperdy

Malperdy
Geographic Information
Alternative name(s)	Den of Yellow Tears Evil Well of the Fox
Type	Labyrinth
Region	Trinity Gask, Western Libaterra
Societal Information
Race(s)	Gargoyles, Trolls
Political Information
Ruler(s)	Katsutoshi Kobayashi
Faction(s)	Clergy of Dionysus, Clergy of Laverna
Historical Information
Age	First Age Third Age

"Abandon Hope all Ye who enter Here, or be filled with Despair. What has been Seen cannot be Unseen, so value what is left of your Life for it can End in the Blink of an Eye."

—A text above the entrance to Malperdy

Malperdy, also known as the Den of Yellow Tears and the Evil Well of the Fox, is the principal labyrinthine hideaway of the trickster Katsutoshi Kobayashi which many consider nothing more than a legend to scare children with. It is located below the Undersewers of Trinity Gask in Libaterra in the Third Age.

History

Origins

Malperdy's origins go all the way back to the First Age and was located in the kingdom of Barjassil. It served as a mausoleum of renowned thieves which the Clergy of Laverna, worshippers of the thief goddess Laverna, paid homage to. The kitsune trickster Katsutoshi Kobayashi used the labyrinthine mausoleum as the base of operations for the Band of the Fox, a group of rogues whom he led, and helped other thieves amass a vast fortune in its treasure chamber which included artifacts, weapons, coins, jewels, tomes and other valuables.

A few years prior to the War of the Andain, Laverna's influence weakened, and her high clerics Izanami and Izanagi disappeared around the same time. Having lost both their goddess and their spiritual leaders, the Clergy of Laverna fell apart slowly but surely, splintering into factions which became various thieves guilds and gangs, many of which were eradicated in the following war years. Malperdy fell into disuse and was shrouded in the mists of time, becoming an obscure legend.

Revival

Time moved on, and as the Third Age began, Malperdy was now located in Western Libaterra. A city, known as Trinity Gask, was built on top of the labyrinthine mausoleum, as the Rebels became a prominent force in the region. Katsutoshi Kobayashi returned sometime prior to the Cataclysm and was accompanied by Laverna's divine brother Dionysus. They made Malperdy their base of operations again without the Rebels realizing what was going on, and also attracted trolls to guard the treasure chamber and the caverns while they prepared to set events in motion which would lead to the revival of Haruko Mizushima and the goddess Laverna who had been trapped in her body in the First Age, which had originally led to their disappearance and the fall of the Clergy of Laverna.

In 1017 AE, Katsutoshi succeeded in his scheme to retrieve Haruko and took her to Malperdy in order to release the trapped goddess from her and thus restore them both to their original selves. However, a group which had sworn to protect Haruko gave chase and eventually located Haruko in Malperdy where she was guarded by the troll minions of Dionysus and Katsutoshi. This led to a battle during which Haruko gave birth to the twins Nozomi Mizushima and Zetsubou Kobayashi whom the gods Dionysus and Laverna then possessed before they were taken to a dark portal as all their goals hadn't been achieved yet.

Haruko and Katsutoshi remained behind, however, and they and the fellowship who had tried to free Haruko were captured by the Crimson Coalition which had located and entered the labyrinth by then. The groups managed to leave just in time as parts of the cavern collapsed. The Coalition began digging a hole to the collapsed labyrinth a day later, intending to get their hands on the buried treasure while interrogating the survivors of Malperdy to learn anything they could about this strange place which the Coalition had been unaware of until now.

Layout

Malperdy could be accessed via a few entrances in the countryside in earlier days but an expedition from the Union Workers ended up blowing up one of the main entrances which was buried as a result. Presently the only safe way to access Malperdy, which is located below Trinity Gask, is through the Imaginarium, a magic mirror owned by the Weird Sisters of Parnassus.

Malperdy is a vast underground fortress with many secret chambers and passageways. It is also full of crooked and long holes with multiple exists which can be opened and shut from the central area to elude and play with enemies.

The hideaway was originally built on an ancient well and mausoleum which is why some of its chambers look like tombs. It has many seemingly obvious yet also insidious traps lying in wait for any who dare enter it. Some of the dark passageways are guarded by the Bassarids (commonly known as the Unseen), mannequin-like figures made from white stone which look uncannily human with some vulpine traits and which remain still until a trespasser turns their back on them after which they strike from the shadows.

At the centre of Malperdy lies the eponymous Den of Yellow Tears. It is a beautiful underground garden where Yellow Tears, which are related to Red Bells, are growing and glowing in soothing yellow light which makes the garden glimmer as if it is made of gold. In the middle of the garden is a huge black stone pillar with dug holes which has the cramped sleeping chamber of the Lord of the Den where only a handful of people can barely fit in. It also has the skeleton of Arlen Finian sitting on a throne.

Behind the Den one can access the vast Treasure Chamber where Katsutoshi Kobayashi, the Lord of the Den, has gathered all sorts of valuables, ranging from gems to ancient ceremonial weapons and tomes, from his journeys.

Legacy

The Finian Clan has visited Malperdy ever since their ancestor Arlen Finian first began working for Katsutoshi Kobayashi. It has also served as the hiding place for the Band of the Fox and the god Dionysus.

The Hyuga Clan in Yamato used the legend of Malperdy as an inspiration when they designed and carved the Hidden Castle into a mountain range. The castle's last known lord was Shogun Masamori Hyuga before the Cataclysm.

See also

• Band of the Fox
• Battle of Malperdy
• Dionysus
• Katsutoshi Kobayashi
• Unseen
• Yellow Tear