View source for Telenkar Hold

{{Outposts in the Sanctuary Vale Infobox
|Name=Telenkar Hold
|Image=[[File:Terasil - Telenkar Hold 01.jpg|center|frameless]]
|Type=Mountain Customs Outposts in the [[Sanctuary Vale]]
|Location=Central Murazkar Range
|Realm=[[Terasil]]
|Inhabitants=Orasian
|Controlled by=[[Council of Stone]]
|Significance=Primary junction on the Kar-DuL Deep Road and site of the Skybreak Road to [[Vaelthar]]
}}
{{Outposts in the Sanctuary Vale Sections
|Introduction=Telenkar Hold is a fortified above-ground Outposts in the Sanctuary Vale situated in the central heights of the [[Murazkar Range]]. Positioned at the midpoint of the deeproad route between [[Kar-Thal]] and [[Dul-Val]], it also marks the terminus of the high-altitude path from [[Vaelthar]], known as the Skybroken Trail. The hold functions as a customs checkpoint, supply depot, and neutral meeting ground for surface travelers crossing in from Vaelthar.
|Geography=Built atop a stone shelf overlooking deep chasms, Telenkar Hold is surrounded by sheer cliffs, unstable switchbacks, and mist-wreathed escarpments. The Skybroken Trail from Vaelthar approaches from the south via a narrow series of weather-scoured ridges and stone bridges, considered passable only by trained caravanners or with escort. The hold itself is ringed by a double curtain wall of obsidian-flecked stone and supported by cistern-fed terraces and elevated storage vaults.
|History=Telenkar Hold was originally a [[Orasian]] border bastion repurposed and expanded under treaty with the [[Torinok]] of Vaelthar, following the stabilization of the Skybroken Trail. Its customs function emerged from the need to control trade, refugees, and illicit items traveling across the range.
|Functions and Features=* Customs Gatehouse – The heart of Telenkar’s administrative role. Travelers are processed through this reinforced stone chamber, where registrars record entries, inspect goods, and enforce passage codes.

* Ledger Hall – A vault-like archive where harmonic resonance signatures and traveler tones are stored. 

* Watch Spires – Twin observation towers built into the cliff above the Skybroken Trail. Used for early detection of weather shifts, signal fires, and potential contraband movements.

* Neutral Stone Altar – A flat, unmarked stone in the center of the Outposts in the Sanctuary Vale where diplomatic meetings, caravan oaths, and compact renewals are ritually observed.
|Culture and Ritual=Telenkar is highly pragmatic and law-bound, with a culture of enforced neutrality and rotational governance. Speech here is deliberate and records are meticulously kept. Most residents are not permanent, and the hold is considered a place of passage and protocol, not belonging. Travelers are expected to observe local code..
|Defenses and Watch=As a keystone checkpoint, Telenkar is heavily fortified and militarily efficient. The Stonewardens maintain a permanent garrison, and Torinok observers and registry liaisons also keep a watch on things. In the event of breach, the hold can be sealed on three sides within moments.
|Threats and Dangers=Primary dangers are environmental: rockslides, icefall, sudden fog veils, and vertical tremors from the Murazkar spine. The Skybroken Trail is prone to disorientation and collapse in storm seasons. Smuggling, resonance leakage, and tone drift from unregistered passers remain monitored risks.
|Districts=Telenkar Hold’s layout reflects its logistical and cultural hybridity. Key districts include:

* The Junction Ring – The central plaza where Deep Road caravans arrive and depart.
* Surward Reach – The vertical chambers surrounding the Vaelthar Sur, including landing docks and freight lifts.
* Deepwatch Bastion – Fortified guild halls used by the Compact to maintain order, coordinate patrols, and regulate passage.
* Red Vault Market – A semi-permanent trade concourse carved from iron-rich stone, known for rare ore and shard-trade.
* Lantern Wall – Residential chambers arrayed along the southern slope, named for their soft bioluminescent lamplight.
|Culture and Society=Telenkar Hold is multilingual and adaptive, known for its blend of Kar-Thali formality, Vaelthari openness, and deep-dwelling traditions. Silence and tonal etiquette are respected, but ritual flexibility is greater than in surface-bound settlements. Inter-faction arbitration, trade oaths, and passage rituals are overseen by neutral tonekeepers.
|Economy=Telenkar thrives on trade tariffs, deep ore refinement, shardcraft, and surface-linked exports. The Red Vault Market is one of the few places where goods from Kar-Thal, Vaelthar, and Dul-Val intersect without direct political oversight.
|Defense and Watch=Telenkar Hold maintains its own internal warden force under the Deepwatch Compact. Though not as heavily militarized as Kar-Thal or Dul-Val, its compact structure and multiple chokepoints make it easily defensible. All approaches—especially the Vaelthar Sur—are under continuous surveillance.
|Dangers and Threats=Occasional deep tunnel collapses, minor resonance surges, and illicit crossings from lower spurs remain risks. Long-term spiritual drift or echo saturation has been recorded in deeper chambers. The ruins of nearby abandoned town [[Kharum-Zhal]] are sealed but monitored, and any activity along its collapsed spur is considered a Class II threat.
}}
[[category:Council of Stone Holdings]]