Middlesburg

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Middlesburg (米德希尔堡)
Alias(es)	Middhir Fort City; “Mountain City”
Type	City
Affiliation	Kingdom of Delarion
Location	Northwestern foot of Sikar Mountain, Rommel Mountain Range; southeastern Delarion
Status	Active; returned to relative tranquility after the Life and Death Limbo crisis
First Appearance	587

Geography & Cityscape

Middlesburg is built against Sikar Mountain, with terrain rising in the southeast and descending northwest toward the plains. Its southern and southeastern outskirts begin directly at the mountain’s foot rather than in open countryside. 587

• The city sits beside the most important route through the Rommel Mountain Range in the eastern Old Continent. 587 594
• Its grid-like streets spread below the mountain; factories cluster near the foothills, while the railway crosses the city before entering the mountain pass. 594
• Street trees line nearly every road wide enough for two carriages, giving the city more greenery than Tobesk or Coldwater Port despite persistent industrial haze. 587
• The older southern district is characterized by stone buildings, a legacy of military and fire-prevention needs. 618
• Newer northern districts have more modern municipal infrastructure, including standardized steam and gas meters and relatively uncorroded metal piping. 596
• Noble estates, including a royal holiday manor, occupy forest land at the foot of Sikar Mountain. 599

History

Middlesburg began as a castle built to defend Delarion against Kasonlik. As the border shifted south and relations between the kingdoms changed, it developed into a major southeastern Delarion city and a transit point between the two realms. 587

During the 1765 Delarion–Kasonlik war, an abandoned tower outside the city likely served as a military outpost. Once the front moved and the new border was established, it was abandoned. 587

The original defensive castle of old Middlesburg was preserved rather than demolished after its military purpose ended; it later became the base of Middlesburg Mechanical College. 629

Life and Death Limbo Disaster

In autumn 1853, Middlesburg became the center of a crisis involving the Life and Death Limbo, a phenomenon possibly caused by the departure of the Ancient God of Death and the resulting instability in the laws governing death. Civilians, soldiers, and Ring Arcanists disappeared, while the Seer Association warned against spiritual communication and divination within the city. 593

The Limbo expanded toward collapse. Destroying it outright risked releasing millions of souls into reality as Evil Spirits, and three passages connected it to Death—guarded respectively by the Church, Witch Emperors, and an ancient being. 607

• The Five Gods Church gathered large numbers of old priests and fathers in the city under the cover of meetings and collective study. 587
• The Church eliminated active members of the Truth Society before the sealing ritual, using a Thirteenth Ring Warlock and the Angel-level Relic Star Calling Magic Stone. 748
• The disaster culminated in a divine battle and the city’s greening. The Church’s plan was mostly successful, though Ring Arcanist casualties were high and the Great Fog persisted afterward. 816
• By the following summer, Middlesburg had returned to its former tranquility. 2194

Economy & Transportation

Middlesburg’s importance derives from its position between Delarion and Kasonlik. The railway through its western districts links Delarion’s northern plains with the entrance to the Rommel Mountain Range, allowing goods and travelers to avoid detouring around or crossing the range. 587

• The city is a major rail transit hub for the southeastern region of Delarion. 587
• Its station stands at the mountain’s foot near the old urban area, surrounded by an unusually dense concentration of taverns and inns. 587 618
• Trade through the Sikar Mountain pass supports well-maintained infrastructure in the old city. 587
• Industrialization accelerated with access to the transportation route and mineral resources on Sikar Mountain’s northern slopes. 596
• Timber is a major local resource; logging, hunting, orchards, and mountain products shaped the area before steam industry transformed the city. 596 620
• Autumn grain shipments commonly pass through the Wind Arising Path toward southern countries beyond the mountain range. 730

Culture & Folklore

Middlesburg retains local beliefs that predate its industrial growth and continue as customs, folklore, and seasonal traditions.

Twins Worship

Local legend holds that the Old God [Twins] once stayed in the region. Twins are consequently regarded as spiritually significant and as a favorable omen throughout Middlesburg, the Sikar Mountain area, and even parts of Kasonlik south of the range. 620 634

Mountain Worship

Sikar Mountain was once revered by residents who depended on hunting and orchards for survival. This localized Nature Worship declined with the Steam Epoch and survives mainly in folkloric records. 620

Fire Worship

Middlesburg’s autumn Fire Worship Festival is believed to derive from an older local fire faith. Its modern explanation is practical—praying against forest fires during logging, hunting, and harvest season—but folklore associates it with earlier Nature Worship and possibly its absorption into the Nature Church. 620

Moon Worship

Rumors persist of women in gauze dresses appearing on Sikar Mountain during the full moon in March, indicating a local tradition of Moon worship. 621

Notable Locations

• Sikar Mountain — An extinct volcano and the defining geographic feature of Middlesburg; the city lies at its northwestern foot. 587 620
• Middlesburg Railway Station — A foothill station on the key Delarion–Kasonlik railway route. 587
• Middlesburg Mechanical College — Occupies the preserved defensive castle of old Middlesburg. 629
• Sikar Inn — Four-story stone inn near the railway station; its lower floors function as a tavern and restaurant, while the upper floors provide lodging. 618
• Russell Manor — A locally known haunted mansion near the mountain forest, used as an entrance site connected to the Life and Death Limbo. 599
• Snake Heart Hospital — A three-story hospital at the edge of the southern old-city slum; it is associated with Sister Devlin’s charitable work. 835
• Saint Roland Square — Core of the western old city and site of the local Sun Church. 754
• House of the Blind — Local base connected to the Order of Spiritual Cultivation during the Limbo investigation. 598

Organizations

• Order of Spiritual Cultivation — An old organization active in the eastern Old Continent, with deep knowledge of death, spirits, and the boundary between life and death. It had operated in Middlesburg since the previous Epoch and helped locate an entrance to the Life and Death Limbo. 593 598
• Five Gods Church — Mobilized extensively during the Limbo disaster, gathering clergy, conducting the sealing operation, and suppressing the Truth Society. 587 748
• Nature Church — The city’s most prosperous church is located near the city center; it also led the local application for the anti–Truth Society operation. 594 748
• Middlesburg Police and garrison — The city’s proximity to the railway station places police and a fully equipped infantry company nearby for public-security emergencies. 620