Biser Marble Quarry

The once proud capital of Draethlin is now a quarry for the Kingdom of Helia, as if the purging of its people weren't enough.

— Curious Eyes, Dungeon Delver

Overview

A small and rough town stands next to one of the largest quarries on the Quassus Continent. The town is called the Biser Marble Quarry today having yet to receive a proper name as the Kingdom of Helia considers it a mere outpost. The town's purpose is to house quarriers. Many would say this is a tragic site in light of what it used to be.
Before it became a quarry, Biser was the capital city of the Principality of Draethlin. It's buildings were carved into the largest known deposit of Eira Marble. Eira Marble is known for its snow white appearance as well as being a strong building material if difficult to work with. The marble is also a rare material. The hoped for splendor of Biser was meant to recapture the glory of the ancient Dwarven citadels of old and to be the centerpiece of a vibrant Draethlin
The principality only lasted around one hundred years before it was conquered by the Kingdom of Helia. The conquest happening swiftly when the legions of Helia executed a surprise attack on Biser. When Draethlin's capital fell, so did the rest of the principality.

The Unfinished Wall

As each building was hollowed out the leftover materials were used to construct buildings in the outer districts and most notably a wall. This wall was designed to surround and protect Biser- a common function of walls everywhere. It was also carefully designed in order to complement the city's architecture behind it. Early Draethlin military commanders took issues with this approach citing that the needless effort would make the city vulnerable longer than it needed to be. Later events would validate these concerns.
Delays in the carving of the city, and constant design revisions, delayed the finishing of the wall. The delays proved fatal to the city as the Helian Army took advantage of the remaining hole in the wall in order to take the city by surprise. Since the conquest of Biser, the wall is all but dismantled, its materials finding new uses elsewhere.

A Quarry for Helia

Once Helia had removed the majority of the city's population for assimilation in the Radiant City of Sol it proceeded to mine the quarry for marble materials. As such, many of the elaborately and painstakingly carved buildings were destroyed. As of 1277AGC, over half of the city has been destroyed, the Eira Marble having been transported to Helia for construction projects there. The site continues to be used as a quarry for Eira Marble.

Founding Date

1043AGC

Alternative Name(s)

The Marble City of Biser

Type

City

Population

1250

Location under

Continental Island of Lluvia

Owning Organization

Kingdom of Helia

Note(s) from the Archivists:

It breaks my heart to see the Helians destroying what could still have been a beautiful city. Now we'll never have the chance to see a completed Biser. - Archivist Savitri