Validnay, City of Life
Even among those who know about Ortega's existence, many consider Validnay a fable on the same level as the Unsullied West. A place which does not exist except in the stories told to children, or gullible young people after fame and fortune. But it did exist. It can still be found. It should not be, however, as what they did there is an affront to everyone.Among the cities of lost Ortega, Validnay stood out as a place where one could find the secrets to eternal life. Whether it was true or not, the city enjoyed a reputation for many generations and used it to benefit the mystics who ruled there. The exact location is unknown, and those who have any knowledge of Ortega at all cannot entirely agree on where the ruins lie. Some suggest it lies on an island off the western coast, on the edges of the currents which draw ships westward into the apparently-infinite ocean. Others say it must reside in a secluded valley where many would pass by without realizing they missed the approach. A very few have suggested it might not even be on this realm at all, but exist in a pocket-realm which can only be accessed by those who know how.
Whatever the case may be, those who accept Ortega as a reality instead of a myth still seek the City of Life over all other ruins from the pre-Imperial era. The temptation of eternal life is far more of a draw than knowledge or impressive riches.
History
WARNING: This section is heavy with spoilers. Do not read if you are playing in my campaigns and wish to remain innocent!
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After the success Evaline had in harnessing an unusual energy, the mystics began to experiment further with their method of channeling. A location was chosen in the northwest of the empire's territory to attempt another such large-scale experiment, and after a few months of preparation the settlers left to found Validnay. Much like Evaline and Feytral, there were ample resources and very few barriers for resources to build with and expand. Within the first year, Validnay was established and the mystics had begun experimentation.
The concept was to attempt to tap into energies used to heal others by other channelers beyond the Ortegan traditions. Theoretically, it was the same as any source of energy and could be likewise conjured and tapped to work with. Once a plan was finalized, the mystics constructed an obelisk of red stone to serve as a focus and the rituals enacted. As the spells completed, shards of the stone seemed to shear free and float in the air. These pieces proved to also be an open channel for energy, as their original source was, with a far lesser scope. Over the space of a lunar cycle the unusual energies being channeled caused the original obelisk to repair itself and more pieces could be harvested. It seemed the Ortegans had successfully harnessed "the power of life itself", inside the newly-named Stone of Respite.
However, while there seemed to be no limit to the number of times the Stone replenished itself, there were limitations to what the energies could be made to do. Each piece harvested slowly lost potency as it was used, providing a finite amount of healing and restoration before it crumbled into a coarse powder. Similarly, the energies could be harnessed to heal almost any wounds and turn back the ravages of natural aging - yet an individual exposed to it repeatedly showed signs of requiring more energy for the same results. Furthermore, those whose lives were extended by the Stone of Respite often enough required a piece of it on their person at all times. The Validnay mystics attempted several times to replicate the same process, and found each time the finished products would degrade rapidly. Far too rapidly to be of any significant use, as it would turn out. Accepting the limitations of their project, the mystics of Validnay constructed a large amphitheater around the Stone of Respite while more buildings became added nearby for those who visited.
The location of Validnay was lost, as were many things, in the fall of the Ortegans. Any portions of the Stone of Respite presumably were destroyed as they lost their properties, though it can be rather hard to verify this. There are always rumors of stones which bestow exceptional health on their owners, from a tendency to shrug off the worst illnesses to having cuts heal without any scarring left behind.
The concept was to attempt to tap into energies used to heal others by other channelers beyond the Ortegan traditions. Theoretically, it was the same as any source of energy and could be likewise conjured and tapped to work with. Once a plan was finalized, the mystics constructed an obelisk of red stone to serve as a focus and the rituals enacted. As the spells completed, shards of the stone seemed to shear free and float in the air. These pieces proved to also be an open channel for energy, as their original source was, with a far lesser scope. Over the space of a lunar cycle the unusual energies being channeled caused the original obelisk to repair itself and more pieces could be harvested. It seemed the Ortegans had successfully harnessed "the power of life itself", inside the newly-named Stone of Respite.
However, while there seemed to be no limit to the number of times the Stone replenished itself, there were limitations to what the energies could be made to do. Each piece harvested slowly lost potency as it was used, providing a finite amount of healing and restoration before it crumbled into a coarse powder. Similarly, the energies could be harnessed to heal almost any wounds and turn back the ravages of natural aging - yet an individual exposed to it repeatedly showed signs of requiring more energy for the same results. Furthermore, those whose lives were extended by the Stone of Respite often enough required a piece of it on their person at all times. The Validnay mystics attempted several times to replicate the same process, and found each time the finished products would degrade rapidly. Far too rapidly to be of any significant use, as it would turn out. Accepting the limitations of their project, the mystics of Validnay constructed a large amphitheater around the Stone of Respite while more buildings became added nearby for those who visited.
The location of Validnay was lost, as were many things, in the fall of the Ortegans. Any portions of the Stone of Respite presumably were destroyed as they lost their properties, though it can be rather hard to verify this. There are always rumors of stones which bestow exceptional health on their owners, from a tendency to shrug off the worst illnesses to having cuts heal without any scarring left behind.
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