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Urthnak is the largest of orc strongholds and capital of the powerful Clan of Clay. Located between the desolated Plains of Dun in the northwest and the Teeth in the east, the city stands as an impregnable metropolis of ancient grandeur, an unmistakable superpower of modern history.
Founded roughly three-hundred years after what the orc call the Great Schism, Urthnak is most recognizable by the Great Fungi, astonishingly-shaped black-and-brown sandstone structures hanging high above a thousand and one orc compounds. Whilst in Urthnak, it is hard to miss the impressive range of black-tiled market squares, along which the soaring spines of the Urthnok Guildhouses - the legendary workplaces of the Mhizhak craftsmen - rise high and mighty. Other than that, it is without doubt the Clay Palace that catches the eye: a gigantic cubical complex right in the middle of Urthnak, a bastion of power characterized by a triangular-shaped glass roof shining bright when light catches it.
In current international affairs, the notoriety of Urthnak surged as the Urthnaki warlord and veteran of the War of Wails, T’ebor the Toothless, compromised with the Duxa Emperor regarding the profitable slave-mineral exchange, thereby securing Urthnaki existence on Tyrrha.
Atronis is the imperial capital of the Duxa Empire and the industrial engine of Calinthia. Whilst its foundations on the banks of the Minaii river were laid long ago, its significance rose when the Atronis-born and self-proclaimed Emperor Fernan Duxa I decided to rebuild the city after its destruction in the first year of the Rain.
Built in the image of the powerful Duxa dynasty, Atronis was imagined to resemble the idea of human superiority and human prevalence on Tyrrha, an idea incarnated through architecture and industrial design displayed throughout the city. Its most iconic landmarks are the Tower of Tolarax, the impressive “Mira” Plants, and the Great Palace of Duxa - residence of the Emperor and his family.
The most powerful instruments of the Empire can be found in Atronis: the Imperial Court of Magistrati and Councillors, as well as the Duxa Artifica - the massive body of laymen eternally loyal to the Emperor. And, of course, the all powerful MiraCorp mining corporation - the epitome of sustained global interdependence.
The city-state of Calatria is considered the last elven stronghold. Some Imperial architects have denounced it “the last breath of Tyrrha”, for inside the city-state one is relieved from the oxygen poor environments one finds all around Tyrrha.
Inside the enormous bio-megalopolis, a complex variety of indigenous florae can be found, next to hyper-plantations and, not the least, the Trees of Atrica – a supertree-system of three giant trees that connects the cities’ infrastructure to hanging squares and courtyards covered by the trees’ foliage. High above, the fantastic hydro dome covers the city like a blue veil, softly humming by the magic weaved by a thousand hydromancers. A city that truly reinvented itself in the aftermath of the Rain, the city homes more than half a million Elvae, who work as craftsman in the workshops, as botanists in the hyper-plantations below, or stand on lookout, guarding the realm of elves with heart and soul.
In recent history, Calatria became a refuge for those elves fleeing the terror of the Rain. As time passed and generations followed, some voices have become stronger, calling for a return to those lands loved dearly.
Carved in the living rock of the mountains, the subterranean wonder of Tirros is a metropolis in the heart of the Peaks of Light. Although its origin is unknown, it is assumed that the first Hadaki started chiseling their way into the mountains roughly five-thousand years ago.
Once passed through the Gate of Triads, a complexity of hundreds of caverns and chambers open up in splendor, with a myriad of spiraling marble staircases and century-old corridors curving deep down towards the great Hadakian halls, underground courtyards and mines. Tirros is absolutely an example of a splendid symbiosis of craftsmanship and natural realism in its core, exemplified by the immense upward and downward levels of the city seem to sustain each other as were part of one organism. The greatest example of this is found in the Centenarian Aula, an enormous hall where a mystical cylinder-shaped glass construction called the Cataract generates enormous amounts of power, fueling the city with energy used for climate control, irrigation, and, most importantly - charging the immense mining machines.
After fiercely resisting Duxa attempts to take control of the city, the inevitable happened. In the aftermath of the annexation of Tirros, many managed to flee into the depths of the mountains. However, for many a man, woman and child, life under Imperial rule became the new reality. With the Order disbanded and the Guard of Tirros scattered, the hope-soaked tales of ancestral glory are all that echoes through the catacombs.
Valis is the third largest of Calinthia and one of the oldest major cities in Tyrrha. Located in the far northwest of the continent at the mouth of the Black Tongue inlet with the Endless Sea beyond, the city is considered a city of great wisdom.
Founded in the year 2189 Before Rain by the Kaja Royimer the Tall, Valis’ tolerant climate welcomed generations of statesmen, philosophers and scientists, sparking scientific development and research which paved the path for the industrial-intelligentsia of the modern age. A city encircled by an inviting scarlet-and-white city wall, it consists of winding cobbled streets and houses made of ocher granite rock, with remarkable dome-topped roofs revealing the exquisite architectural minds behind its design. Behind the cities’ inner city walls lie some of the most powerful centers of Calinthia, the most important of all being the Korial, also known as the House of Sages: a magical dome-on-pillar shaped institute keeping record of all human and extra-human developments.
After annexation by the Duxa in the aftermath of the Rain, Valis has kept most of its mystical allure intact under Imperial rule. However, under pressure from the Empire the wise of Valis succumbed, becoming mere peons in spreading pro-Duxa propaganda all across Calinthia and beyond.
Built on the ruins of what once was the great city of Mardhos, the Council of Storms is regarded the epicenter of Tyrrhean political-economic affairs, a place of international conclave and exchange. Right in the middle of the desolated Silent Waste, the Council of Storms consists of various compounds situated around a forum known as the Eternal Square - the meeting place of the great powers of Tyrrha. It is here where representatives of the Duxa Empire, the Urthnaki Confederation and the Elvae annually debate on the topics of economic affairs, climate policy, and defense, setting the course to sail for the coming years.
Although the exact origins of the sacred city of Gor Ghulum are unknown, the cities’ reputation has traveled a long way. An enigmatic citadel of power and worship, it is without doubt the most holy of cities in the realm of orc.
Home to the pale Shamani and Foundlings of Gor Ghulum, it is pivotal in the spreading of socio-spiritual and religious teachings among the orc clans - also known as the Carving, the singing of monotone hymns audible from hundreds of miles away. Within the city, there are many temples, the most important being the Bul Azim - the temple of Golar. A simple structure of horizontally and vertically places grey-granite pillars, the temple of Golar embodies the full spectrum of Shamani holiness, the epitome of orcish faith and spiritual engagement.
Forbidden for anyone but the supreme warlords of the orc clans, it is widely acknowledged that the political reach of the Shamani far-stretching. An invisible influence, a silent orchestra that anonymously holds command strongly in its grip, it is without doubt one of the most elusive magical bulwarks of the modern age.
A majestic fortress-city located east of the Mountains of Pilatri and southwest of the Plains of Dun, Daradin is home to the Clan of Salt and one the three major orc strongholds on Tyrrha.
As the city seems to be hidden between thick clouds of fog for most of the time, there are days where light does not reach the onyx walls of Daradin. However, on clear days, one is able to see the mhille terrasses at the feet of the city, and maybe the long carving stairway that leads straight up to the Portal of Gor and behind it the power-soaked Monolith of Arak. Steep slippery cobbled paths seem to slide seamlessly through this brisk city, connecting the many Mizhak Guildhouses and to the impressive courtyard of the Halai Din, the despotic rulers of the Daradin and the wealthy catalyst behind the Confederation of orc.
After all, the export of agrarian technologies like the mhille system – an enormous pump-like machine that converts sulfuric acids to pure carbon dioxide necessary for growing food stocks - has historically made the Daradin an increasingly powerful faction within the Duxa-Urthnaki exchange program.
Possibly the most iconic landmark on Tyrrha, the Orphans are considered by the Urthnaki clans as the most sacred site of all. According to Urthnaki mythology, it was in the three craters where the sky god Golar decided to leave his three sons to be orphaned by the clans of clay, salt and shadows.
The craters are relatively wide and shaped by millions of years. The rocks that make up the craters are basalt, while shades of sand-yellow and red make it stand out in the dry realm of southern Dun.
The oldest of the known orc cities, Molghir’s history reaches back to the times of the Great Schism - the coming of the first orc on Tyrrha. A city built close to the gaping depths of the Blind Gorge, it is the home of the Shadowclan, a notorious bunch of shape-shifters and omen-sayers who pride themselves as the original defenders of the Three Orphans of the sky god Golar - the “God Who Carved Earth”, “the Sacrificial”, “the Giver of Light”.
In the city, one can sense the religion-spiked fanaticism that has built its walls. Wandering over the broad blackstone pavilions, a creeping feeling of constriction gets to you whilst progressing past mighty open roofed buildings and massive sanctums where an occasional pale Foundling preaches to its following, a sense that continues up until you’re right in front of the iconic Bul Uguril - the holy tomb of the Orphan Aguzam the Shadeen.
Presently, the Molghiri are known as the architects behind orc-harvester recruitment and transport, a process starting with a holy ceremony of sacrificial enslavement called Khariakh. During these ceremonies, the toughest of orc-harvesters are selected and ritually anointed, ready to be sent away as slaves to the Duxa Empire.
The harbor city of Aetria is the second largest port on Tyrrha (after Miritae) and regarded by the Elvae as a city of supreme naval splendidness. Partly destroyed during the Rain of Stars, the city of Aetria consists of enormous wharfs where the authentic silvadar ships are made: large but shallow sailing vessels designed for rapid transport of goods to other parts of the Black Sea.
Yubin is a former Elvae capital located in the Yubin Hills southeast of Calatria. A city built on a plateau that rises sharply above the surrounding area, it once was a city of timeless beauty, filled with ornate high cylinder-shaped towers, captivating golden aqueducts and rich market squares to whom many from close and afar would gather.
During its thousand-year history, Yubin has always been regarded the cradle of Elvae civilization on Tyrrha. Long before the foundation of Calatria the Yubinese were famed for their tremendous craftsmanship, forging armor and weapons of stellar quality. More than that, they are considered as the architects behind the Code of Ilvindran, the laws that bind all descendants of the First Elves of Novimum. Once a grand place built with the pride and honor of those First Elves, the cities’ tale is bound to those whose roots run deep into its sacred soil.
As the Yubinese had to flee after the destruction of their city during the Rain they found shelter in the city-state of Calatria, where they were embraced as the Lost Elvae. However, having encountered the hardships of life as half-citizens, some have spoken to return to their beloved Yubin.
Terana used to be called the City of Guilds, housing thousands of craftsmen from all over Tyrrha. Elves, men and even orc lived here peacefully for centuries, pushing the city of Terana forward in terms of manufacturing and architecture, geometry, craftsmanship, agriculture, and artistry, a thriving place of exchange and mutual understanding. Completely destroyed by the Rain, the city is now merely a shaded symbol typifying the demise of honest interspecie interaction.
The Watchers are two enormous spy-towers that make up the Imperial guard-espionage bulwark in the heart of Calinthia. Built in the second decade After Rain, its design was made possible by technology obtained from the confiscated To’ashir see-sphere from Hotis, making it possible to observe far beyond the reach of the Empire. The Watchers are also a training facility for the Imperial Sentinels, who are tasked with the objective to be the Emperor’s secret eyes, observing from the dark, spying on any suspicious movements both within and outside the borders of the Empire
The city of Miritae is a port city fundamental in the exchange and trade of Calinthian resources and goods to all over Tyrrha. Inside the cities’ walls, a wide array of shipyards, foundries, nautical research centers and guilds can be found working solely on the development of nautical exploration. Whilst the city is forbidden for non-Imperials, it is known that the center of power remains the Black Sail, an enormous building made of volcanic glass which functions as the command center of the local Magistrates and the Duxa naval force.
Once a city of sizable naval power and a widely respected center for trade in northern Calinthia, the city of North’s End’s epilogue reads as a bitter end. One of the only non-Hadakian cities that were known for attending the courts of Tirros, it was completely destroyed by Duxa forces in the year 4AR. What used to be a thriving port city known for its trade in valuable furs and blue pearls was reduced to ashes, the ruins of the old city the only remaining proof of its existence.
Built on the site of what once was the city of Heralias, the city of Corintes was founded with the sole purpose of protecting the Calinthian border from southern invasion. A garrison city and a military bulwark right at the border of the Silent Waste, the city is home to the majority of the Duxa Military, who are trained to dedicate their lives as loyal servants of the Empire.
As the Corintesian are tasked with the prime objective of defending the northern realm of Tyrrha, the feel one gets of the city is one of stark pragmatism. A place where individual freedom feels as far away as ice is far from fire, an ever-present feeling of wariness presses down on all inside its walls. Surrounded by a gigantic piercing wall of hard yet plane stone, the inner city consists of large black-and-red terminals and factories, rectangular hangars designated for the construction of war machinery, training facilities, and barracks for the accommodation of stationed combatants. Every aspect of life is strictly regimented by the local Magistrati, and the notorious Fist of Txomin - a military caste of Atronis-born humans trained in the martial virtues of the Spirit of War.
Outside of the city, a hundred or more watchtowers are manned by Imperial Gunners and Protectors. They wait patiently in utter silence, trained to act on a moment’s notice.
Hotis is the second largest Hadakian city and historically an important strategic location right at the edge of the Hadaki Basin. During the Battle of the Basin, the city was conquered by the Duxa Empire, eventually leading to the capitulation of the city - an event that was followed by the fall of Tirros one year later.
For many centuries, the Hotisian were regarded as the guards of the Hadakian realm. A city built high against the foothills of the Southern Peaks, its slender watchtowers stand gloriously from dusk till dawn. Behind the walls and in the heart of the city stands the great Marble Tower and the famous Dome of Clouds, which housed the only known To’ashir on Tyrrha - a spherical stone with the power to see as far as lies in the might of its user. Another impressive landmark and symbol of Hotisian craftsmanship is the Gate of Yadis - the septagram-shaped entrance to the mountains and the mysteries beyond. Strongly bound to the mother-city of Tirros, Hotis was, and will be again, the Hadakian shield against those who intend to do harm to those beloved to them.
However, as happened to most of the cities now part of the Empire, the stature of Hotis was stripped from most of its iconic splendor. The holy crests are removed, statues torn down, the coat of arms no longer flaunting on the long mast poles of the cities’ towers. All that remains are those Hotisian who either keep a straight face whilst faced with their oppressors, or those who dwell in the shadows of the mountains, scheming in silence.
The Peaks of Light are a mountain range in the far north of Calinthia and by many nicknamed "the roof of Tyrrha ". It is by far the highest range on Tyrrha, home to the Hadaki of Tirros and Hotis, and supposed hideout for the exiled Orderling of Hadaki: the leaders of Hadaki, creators of the famous mining enterprise.Not much is known about the Peaks of Light, apart from its vast wilderness and mysterious allure. The Duxa have sent many companies on expedition, in search of the Orderlings, but have either returned in failure or died miserably.
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