Southern Agarthan Gate

"For many Eddans, our history is one full of painful gaps. We are tortured, tantalized, with goalposts, that stretch far into the eons of our origins, and yet the fine details between we are left only to ponder, and scramble for. That is why we, as Agarthans, must honor and protect this monument, so that we never loose this piece of history, where we first joined the wider world."

--Rísliabh Ruaidhrí Ó Corra addressing the people, 192 Oceanic Era

The evolution of people and culture has always been a mystery to the people of Edda. They have enough sparse knowledge to know it happened and can piece together certain goalposts, such as cultures meeting each other and key structures being built, but for all the time that has passed between them, there are hundreds of questions with no answers, with many thinking that Edda should be further along developmentally than it is.
However, many focus more on the present instead, although they still wish to remember and respect what concrete information about the past they have. The Southern Agarthan Gate is one such monument, as the primary entrance into the city isn't just a convenient road, but it's also the first place Dwarves from within the mountain found their way out, stepping into the grand world they were only a small part of.

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Purpose / Function

This beautifully intricate stone arch was created around the main entrance to Agartha City in order to serve as a memorial for the first dwarves that exited the mountain. Over the years, it's been weathered by time as well as various conflicts. But, each time it has been rebuilt, larger and with more carvings that tell the tales of the hardships the mountain has weathered successfully. After the Border Wars it's also doubled as a war memorial for fallen soldiers, one of many such landmarks.

Architecture

The archway is made from the purest white marble, and carved delicately and skillfully, before having the carvings filled in with gold. When first made, it was a simple rounded archway, but through the years it's become more of a square gateway with watchtowers on either side.

Defenses

From the elements, the archway is protected with a special sealant that's applied once a year. While the same is applied to all other gates, the southern gate takes the longest as they make sure every part of the etching gets properly varnished.
As for practical defenses, the two watch towers on either side manage the gate, the entrances, and keep an eye on the southern road heading into the city.

History

Dwarves always existed within Agartha. That is not to say they were all over the country. That is to say, they were within Agartha, the eponymous mountain.
At first, they were Mortal Forms, mana-controlled communities of loose material. In this case, they were clumps of mineral-laden rocks and sediment, whose weight was hard to move, and therefore required the interconnected families of mana to create smaller forms, in order to save on energy via covering less ground. They existed in this state for countless millennia, finding other communities of mana within the mountain, and taking the time to think, to explore, and to learn.
Sadly, that education would come to mean nothing. While the exact timing is unknown, rare depictions have dated this event around or before -8,000 EE. The cataclysm known as The Tower changed Edda, perhaps all of Arcanoterra, on a fundamental level, turning the mana and their piloted materials into flesh, blood, and sapient mortals. When the shift happened, the Mortal Forms were not able to pass on their collected knowledge but did leave instinctual directives for what they would become. In this case, the stout-mineral Mortal Forms became the Dwarves, with an inherent skill and desire to learn more about the earth and its many treasures.
As the world outside evolved in their new states, adapting to the needs of the land and creating their cultures, so too did the Dwarves in Agartha. They knew of the outside world, for the mountain had many vents, including the massive opening at its peak, but they knew not how to exit it. So, they lived, they created, they learned, and they grew for nearly 4,000 years, bit by bit until eventually, they developed tools powerful enough to break through the layers of the Agarthan Mountain, stepping into the wider world for the first time.
The Halflings around the hills of the mountain were their first exposure to other cultures, and their interaction would begin the long history of Agartha as a whole. But, that first exit point is now commemorated by the Southern Gates, to memorialize their first steps into Edda.

Tourism

For the people of Agartha City, it's a part of daily life and quite a busy area, since it's the primary and safest entrance into the city. But, many people from all over Edda come to see the historical first emerging place of the Dwarves as well as a beautiful piece of stonework and architecture. Historians and Artisans are usually the ones who make the most dedicated tours to see it, along with the other gates of Agartha, but even the layman can appreciate its symbology and craftsmanship.

Founding Date

Unknown (Origin), memorialized in -2808 EE, restored multiple times

Type

Architectural Element, Entrance / Entryway