View source for Chester Mills

Chester Mills is an abandoned subterranean village located in northwest [[Oldeshire]], directly south of [[Hideaway Hills]] and southwest of [[Gravel Pond]]. What makes Chester Mills unique, and the subject of ongoing debate among historians and geologists, is its complete encapsulation within a seamless obsidian sphere, buried deep beneath a mountain. The village appears to have once been a typical surface settlement, only to have been entirely entombed by geologic forces or deliberate intervention. The origins of this phenomenon remain unknown.

The town, discovered only recently after a narrow brick road was carved through surrounding rock to the surface, is entirely enclosed within the spherical interior of the dome. The encasement allows for no natural light, and the entire area is bathed in a perpetual dim glow, lit only by sparse redstone torches and the faint bioluminescence of moss and minerals growing along the inner shell.

Inside, Chester Mills remains hauntingly preserved. It is enclosed by a modest stone wall and features about two dozen homes, a small City Hall, a frozen pond at its center, a rusted water tower, and a small cemetery with weather-worn headstones. The pond’s permanent state of ice raises questions- was it once used for recreation, or did its freezing only occur after the entombment? No residents have been found, and no evidence suggests where they went.

The town appears to have been built during the late settlement era of Oldeshire and exhibits classic architectural traits from that period. However, its encapsulation is unlike anything seen elsewhere in the Shire. Whether the mountain was formed around the village or the village was somehow transplanted into the mountain remains unclear.

Chester Mills was a collaborative build between 0031benjy, batmins, and prey2live_evdy. Its eerie atmosphere and preserved, light-starved aesthetic have made it a subject of intrigue, attracting explorers and researchers. Today, the site is protected under the Shire Historical Preservation Act, and expeditions to uncover its mysteries are ongoing.