Kaldona

More of a myth to the common folk, Kaldona is said to both exist and not exist. A hidden, quite literally, gem in the Luwani Desert, it is unseen by the naked eye, and while detecting magic can, in fact, detect there is magic in the air, due to the sheer size of Kaldona it is impossible to make out exactly what the magic is and means.
Nearby there are a series of trials and riddles to help uncover the activation plate to reveal the city, and even after successfully navigating the ordeals, the defender of Kaldona, a massive rock golem, rises to ensure no threats will challenge their home.
Once the barrier is down, a vast, sprawling empire is revealed in a moment of breathtaking awe. Marketplaces are lined with vendors and customers, and a common sense of unity fills the air.

Government

Theocratic Monarchy - It is believed the pantheons assign the ruler and their family.

Defences

Kaldona's main form of defense is their barrier that hides them away from the rest of the world, powered by the Helios Obelisk, but they also have an in house military and an elite group known as The Sunsworn

The Helios Obelisk

by KKS

The obelisk powered and unpowered

The city of Kaldona houses an ancient device of mysterious origins, actually there before anyone settled. This seemingly innocuous pylon is powered by the sun, but not simply being exposed to it. A small thread, pulled from the sun in the sky, is fed into the base. Afterwards the upper segment will lift and float, allowing for a thin prism of light to expel itself from the new divide in an upwards facing cone. This cone, after extending a generous distance will actually find a 'sweet spot' with the sun and reflect the image of its surroundings, hiding Kaldona from the naked eye and placing it on a sort of middle ground between a separate plane and the material plane. Individuals not inside of the dome who wander unknowingly into it will only be met with mirages.

Industry & Trade

While amazing jewelry, particularly made out of gold and jade, comes from Kaldona, merchants leaving the city are rare and hard to find. Instead a small trading post is set up on the edge of the desert in a hidden cave where Kaldonans will supply the outpost and then the merchants will leave to make their trades elsewhere.

The Kaldonan Protector, a giant golem made from rocks.

Alternative Name(s)

The Hidden City

Type

Large city

Inhabitant Demonym

Kaldonan

Location under

The Luwani Desert

Owner/Ruler

Nediarakhen

Owning Organization

The Kaljadian Empire

Related Tradition (Primary)

• The Ritual of Sunset

Characters in Location

• Nediarakhen