Ravali, City of Creation
The Ortegans built Ravali in order to study something which they believed would not be safe in their territory. So they built it in dwarven territory, as though this would be acceptable. Yet the dwarves were, surprisingly, not angry. Instead they were intrigued by what was going on at the forges in Ravali. Dwarves...At the top of the tallest mountains the ancient Ortegans knew, they built a city dedicated to the craft of forging. This was Ravali, the City of Creation, home of the Great Forge. Among many of the scholars who investigate mysteries around the lost empire, the city is documented as the single source for a material which is legendary to the rest of Erisdaire: orichalcum. It has become increasingly clear, without Ravali there can be no metal of its type made. Through the metal, the empire had the edge over many other powers which would stand against them. Especially as orichalcum was often paired with potent enchantments meant to improve its impact against enemies.
With Ravali having become lost, the secret of orichalcum was also gone from the world. Weapons, armor, and tools made of orichalcum became rarer and harder to find. Even ornamental objects such as urns or tableware became valuable and prized by collectors. Searching for the city and attempting to find answers of how to craft orichalcum has been the drive for many metalsmiths with dreams greater than their means.
History
WARNING: This section is heavy with spoilers. Do not read if you are playing in my campaigns and wish to remain innocent!
Show spoiler
Early Ortegan mystics had been studying arcane arts for many years, with a focus on what could be practically used from the various theories. One of these arts revolved around the conjuration and binding of magical energies, specifically what are now known as "the core elements": fire, air, water, and earth. A group of mystics presented a bound fire elemental as a proof it could be performed indefinitely, and asked for leave to build a location to apply the proof in a practical matter: to smelt ores, provide heat, and other related potential uses. Wary of the impact of a fire spirit getting loose, the council of mystics instructed the aspirants to put the city in a place where the damage could be minimized if anything went wrong.
Perhaps the mystics who left to found Ravali were feeling upset, or they truly wished to follow the instructions to the best they could. They intentionally traveled to the top of the tallest peaks known to Ortegans, and only then proceeded to define their city's foundations. Denizens of the deep mountains were difficult to keep at bay, but they found a surprising ally in the dwarven clans who were curious about the sudden appearance of humans in the mountains. These new allies were instrumental in the founding of the city, even having no real trust of the mystics and their arcane magic. Once the forges were built and a rudimentary understanding of metalworking shown, the dwarves provided some new knowledge about the theories of how to craft alloys. Once word got back to the rest of the Ortegan Empire of 'Ravalian Steel', resources were approved to see the City of Creation grow.
The experiment of applying a bound spirit of fire proved to be a success, but a new method was applied within a generation of the original founding. This method allowed the mystics to conjure a non-sentient portion of 'elemental fire' into a specially-prepared vessel. This "True Flame" was the core of a new project: The Great Forge, and the intense heat which could be counted on led to new experimental alloys. One of these alloys employed magic to ensure all components could not burn, only melt, resulting in a peculiar result unexpected by the mystics. The metal took on the reddish hue of the True Flame, and proved almost indestructible by normal means. Thus the mystics had created an alloy which would become legendary: orichalcum. It could only be worked when magic was applied swiftly during the time it was still heated, but once it cooled it was impervious to any further work.
Magic, metal, and craft allowed Ravalian smiths to reinforce their city so no enemies had a hope of breaching the walls. They repaid their dwarven allies with tools crafted of orichalcum, while warriors from Ravali assisted the dwarves in also repaying enemies with swift destruction. The ruling council of mystics agreed the great experiment had proven a wild success, and began looking for the next project which might yield useful results. As each of the next great cities rose to prominence, Ravali endured and prospered quietly. Their steel became a desired material when orichalcum proved too difficult to acquire, and mithril was too expensive. Artisans from the forges also would lend their expertise to crafting decorative assets for people living outside the Ortegan borders, for a significant price. The pursuit of excellence and knowledge drove Ravalian mystics and craftsfolk ever onwards, chasing the impossible dream of perfection in the work being done.
The fate of the mystics was unknown, as some time in the future the dwarves moved to investigate why shipments of orichalcum and Ravalian steel had ceased. Yet they claimed to be unable to find the City of Creation despite having clear maps to its location, even with guides who had been there once before. Worried about the portents of a known ally simply vanishing from the world, mentions of Ravali were removed from maps lest whatever fate follow those who sought it back to their clanhalls. The dissolution of a great dwarven kingdom in the time afterwards did not do much to help retain knowledge which had been deemed "dangerous", and so the possible locations of Ravali passed from the knowledge of the world even as their unusual products remained.
Perhaps the mystics who left to found Ravali were feeling upset, or they truly wished to follow the instructions to the best they could. They intentionally traveled to the top of the tallest peaks known to Ortegans, and only then proceeded to define their city's foundations. Denizens of the deep mountains were difficult to keep at bay, but they found a surprising ally in the dwarven clans who were curious about the sudden appearance of humans in the mountains. These new allies were instrumental in the founding of the city, even having no real trust of the mystics and their arcane magic. Once the forges were built and a rudimentary understanding of metalworking shown, the dwarves provided some new knowledge about the theories of how to craft alloys. Once word got back to the rest of the Ortegan Empire of 'Ravalian Steel', resources were approved to see the City of Creation grow.
The experiment of applying a bound spirit of fire proved to be a success, but a new method was applied within a generation of the original founding. This method allowed the mystics to conjure a non-sentient portion of 'elemental fire' into a specially-prepared vessel. This "True Flame" was the core of a new project: The Great Forge, and the intense heat which could be counted on led to new experimental alloys. One of these alloys employed magic to ensure all components could not burn, only melt, resulting in a peculiar result unexpected by the mystics. The metal took on the reddish hue of the True Flame, and proved almost indestructible by normal means. Thus the mystics had created an alloy which would become legendary: orichalcum. It could only be worked when magic was applied swiftly during the time it was still heated, but once it cooled it was impervious to any further work.
Magic, metal, and craft allowed Ravalian smiths to reinforce their city so no enemies had a hope of breaching the walls. They repaid their dwarven allies with tools crafted of orichalcum, while warriors from Ravali assisted the dwarves in also repaying enemies with swift destruction. The ruling council of mystics agreed the great experiment had proven a wild success, and began looking for the next project which might yield useful results. As each of the next great cities rose to prominence, Ravali endured and prospered quietly. Their steel became a desired material when orichalcum proved too difficult to acquire, and mithril was too expensive. Artisans from the forges also would lend their expertise to crafting decorative assets for people living outside the Ortegan borders, for a significant price. The pursuit of excellence and knowledge drove Ravalian mystics and craftsfolk ever onwards, chasing the impossible dream of perfection in the work being done.
The fate of the mystics was unknown, as some time in the future the dwarves moved to investigate why shipments of orichalcum and Ravalian steel had ceased. Yet they claimed to be unable to find the City of Creation despite having clear maps to its location, even with guides who had been there once before. Worried about the portents of a known ally simply vanishing from the world, mentions of Ravali were removed from maps lest whatever fate follow those who sought it back to their clanhalls. The dissolution of a great dwarven kingdom in the time afterwards did not do much to help retain knowledge which had been deemed "dangerous", and so the possible locations of Ravali passed from the knowledge of the world even as their unusual products remained.
Comments