The Journey of Orlaphos

The city of Orlaphos is one of the few old cities that survived the cataclysm. Built in the mid-second era, the city was home to a group of Elves who were attempting a conquest across Org’aragos. The central citadel is one of the longest standing buildings in all of Rae and stands as an example of the incredible engineering of the Elvish race. 

The citadel houses five round towers surrounding a taller central tower. The outer towers are all a hundred feet tall, with the central structure standing an additional three hundred feet above them. This citadel was meant to be like the other building cities that were being put into production, like Horin’s Hall finished just a few hundred years before the Cataclysm, and Zeximphidilis built two hundred years after. 

Each of the five chambers was meant to house the major racial groups within the Elves. One for the Dark Elves, one for the High Elves, one for the wood Elves, one for light Elves, and one for the Elves of Nature.

The central tower was meant to house the Council of elders who would rule over the other five districts. However, the Elves were not expecting push back from the Orcs and Dwarves across Rae. At first, the elves subjugated those who attacked them and kept them in specially watched encampments just outside of the Citadel. Eventually, an agreement was made between the three races to live together. The people of the city left the entirety of the citadel to the city guard and the council, who was now made up of two people from each of the races of the city.

The Dwarves who had been enslaved were freed, and they began a mining operation in the South of the city in order to build a tunnel between Orlaphos and The Sheds. Meanwhile, the Elves built market squares in each of the four primary districts of the city so that everyone could have an equal opportunity to do trade. Ever industrious, the humans built barracks around the city and created one of the largest armies in the continent. The Orcs banded together and bought the stone being removed from the mine. With that stone, they built five massive towers around the outskirts of the city. The Gnomes and Halflings worked together to build walls in between the towers.

After years of discord, the city was built into the strongest hold in the world. An army four thousand strong held the walls from any who thought they could fight against Orlaphos’ might. Inside the city, everyone worked together and created unique treaties between races who would have never worked together before.

Everything was looking up for Orlaphos until the Cataclysm hit. The great storm that covered the world struck fear into most cities. In Orlaphos, most of the people tried to get within the protection of the Citadel. They were huddled together for safety when the Elves had been decimated. The central spire of the city was struck and the entire population that had hidden within the Citadel was eradicated.

The city went from being the strongest force in the world to a prison of despair. The army was now in shambles and there was no leadership, as the entirety of the council was wiped out. In the aftermath, a group of five humans took control of the Citadel. They led the cleanup effort around the city and soon became accepted as the de facto leaders. 

The Technocratic Council accepted their bid for power in 5 E.L. The new leadership made a treaty with Ragos for added protection and Orlaphos was selected as a training city for the Griffin Guard. The four districts remained distinct and slowly shifted into Syricuse, The Dregs, Ashbarne, and the Hollows. The central citadel was rebuilt with finances from Ragos and was, subsequently, adopted as a historical site to be preserved. 

To this day, Orlaphos has been a connecting force in the continent. The Dire Mole tunnels leading to Zeximphidilis connects the North to the South under the Endocrambor mountains. The airship port in The Dregs allows for people to arrive by air. There is also an ancient teleportation circle within the Citadel that is still used by a few Wizards who call Orlaphos their home.

Orlaphos is one of the few cities in Rae to accept both technology and magic within the borders of the city walls. This allowed the city to be a haven for both Steamwalkers and magic users and allowed Orlaphos to grow to the third largest city in Rae. With the rise in population, came a reputation as the drug capital of Rae. The city had an overabundance of Violence, theft, and magic and tech related deaths. 

Orlaphos is also a city of culture holding a festival every month to celebrate each of the different races. There are also art festivals, a week dedicated to music appreciation, and every year the city puts on a cooking competition and invites each city to join in.

Orlaphos may have a terrible reputation, but they survived through an era defining event and kept their cultural freedom. Orlaphos is one of the safest cities for anyone to come and live as long as you avoid the darker areas of the city. It is within Orlaphos that Dredge and Aaron reside.