Garks
Óraxtap: Garks /kaːrks/
Garks is the capital and largest city of what little remains of the once powerful Órax Empire that once ruled much of the Sjorg Desert in southwestern Dragonía, but has since been reduced to a handful of cities along the coast of Súrkniss Sea following a series of massive slave revolts nearly eight hundred years ago.
Garks is the capital and largest city of what little remains of the once powerful Órax Empire that once ruled much of the Sjorg Desert in southwestern Dragonía, but has since been reduced to a handful of cities along the coast of Súrkniss Sea following a series of massive slave revolts nearly eight hundred years ago.
History
At the time the Óraxes reached the settlement nearly 6000 years ago, Garks -or Gaherks as it was known as- was a town founded an inhabited by Krekkúxes millennia before. The former, who had been banished from from the Múlíat Mountains to the east after losing a war with the hulking Znagrúks, were allowed shelter in the town in exchange for aiding the locals against enemy invaders from a neighbouring city-state, after which the Óraxes overran the town and enslaved the inhabitants.
Garks became the center of the Óraxes' fledgling city-state, which gradually grew into an empire which encompassed much of the Sjorg Desert, safe for a few Krekkúxan states which managed to resist them to the very end. At its peak, the city was one of the largest in the world and boasted of numerous palaces, temples, gardens and monuments, many of which are now in poor condition -if not ruined entirely- as the population declined and either moved closer to the shore or to nearby settlements throughout the Gnikrin Peninsula.
Garks became the center of the Óraxes' fledgling city-state, which gradually grew into an empire which encompassed much of the Sjorg Desert, safe for a few Krekkúxan states which managed to resist them to the very end. At its peak, the city was one of the largest in the world and boasted of numerous palaces, temples, gardens and monuments, many of which are now in poor condition -if not ruined entirely- as the population declined and either moved closer to the shore or to nearby settlements throughout the Gnikrin Peninsula.
Points of interest
The great Temple of Strjúxal, níróg beetle-headed goddess of war and the moon, is located at what was once the heart of the city. The temple complex is a three-tiered step-pyramid meant to evoke Mt. Exirglarp, Dragonía's highest mountains, upon which the Óraxes believe to be abode of the gods and honoured dead, Terxaní.
Aside from the goddess' sanctuary, shrines to related deities and storage rooms for sacred paraphernalia are found there as well, along with gardens which have seen better days.
More mundane but nevertheless important is the subterranean aqueduct which still supplies Garks with fresh water from hills some distance away to the northwest, built using technology adopted from the native Krekkúxes.
Aside from the goddess' sanctuary, shrines to related deities and storage rooms for sacred paraphernalia are found there as well, along with gardens which have seen better days.
More mundane but nevertheless important is the subterranean aqueduct which still supplies Garks with fresh water from hills some distance away to the northwest, built using technology adopted from the native Krekkúxes.
Architecture
The architecture of Garks is similar to that of the other cities ruled by the Óraxes, predominantly made of mudbricks and clay and featuring a mixture of structure dating back to the imperial days in various styles popular during the time alongside more recent building, the latter which are generally simpler and often incorporate materials gathered from the abandoned parts of the city.
Type
Capital
Location under
Comments