Pulsatum

The Heart of Production

Pulsatum is the premiere mining city in the Confederation, a very lucrative postion considering that various metals and products made from them are Ilkatu's primary export. This means that almost most companies, guilds, and the overwhelming majority of the labor force are all dedicated to the process of mining, transporting, refining, and manufacturing metal. While all of these factors contribute to why Pulsatum got its name, the real reason comes from it unique Weight Towers. Rather than hanging massive weights like a clock, the original architechts of Pulsatum decided to implement a design that had only been recorded in Parch History rather than have any remaining ruins to base off of; the towers would contain massive pistons that Cradles would throw up and down with bursts of extreme gravitational pull. While it resulted in more jagged spikes of movement as the kinetic energy was transferred across the city and beyond, the increased strength of the piston designed allowed for stronger, heavier objects to be moved. The sound of these weight towers moving up and down creates a slow, unceasing heartbeat that can be heard across the entire city and beyond. It's even said that a native from Pulsatum tends to pattern their breathing in rhythm to this heartbeat.

The Mahlee Wastes

Pulsatum is positioned just south of the Weary River as it leads straight into the Mahlee Wastes. Once suspected to be an incredibly lush and arable piece of land, the massive, sometimes city-sized, craters throughout have eroded the land into an inhospitable desert. The Parch believe that the Wastes predate even the first humanoids, and a common theory is that the land was used by the Ancients to create the floating islands, thus creating the craters.
This, however, has turned out to be a blessing in disguise. With massive chunks of earth torn from the ground, these craters have revealed that the land is positively rich with underground ores, including the highly sought-after Culon. While some evidence of mining operations existing in previous eras, Pulsatum has mastered a near-restless mining operation that has grown to span almost the entirety of the Wastes.

A Battle of Guilds

Because of how crucial manufacturing is to Pulsatum, it's governing body is not elected or appointed, but instead determined by the most powerful guild in the city. The top contenders for over a century have been The Bakabs, the largest mining guild, The Toestels, one of the largest refinery guilds, and the Kursts, the largest transportation guild and current leading guild of Pulsatum. The current guildmaster is Kunleb Kurst, a middle-aged half-orc that took over the position from his father over a decade ago. Under his leadership, almost every aspect of cargo transport has been re-examined and optimized, with rumors of secret research into a new method of high-speed travel going on for years.

Population: ~6 million
Common demographics: Orc, Loxodon, Human, Gnome, Kenku
Territory: The Wastes, the Plains east of the Abdiel River up to Lake Devrim
Most Popular Song: Makey Makey Pit