Pash Vaelenor

Where Dwarvish craftsmanship meets Elvish intuition

Created by Mu

The Dauntless City, Fort Indomitable, Pash Vaelenor, a city forged by the bravest craftsmen of the Blood and Arcana Wars - a statement of true combined efforts of the Dwarven and Elvish artisans of the time. It stands as a memorial and impenetrable relic of the darkest times of Anderall.
Untouched for 1000 years by war begs only the question:
"Is it ready for history to repeat itself?"

Demographics

65% Elf, 15% Dwarf, 10% Human, 10% Other

Government

Pash Vaelenor is run by a stratocratic government, a military rule. The man behind the fortified city is Lord Marshall of the Realm, Ilstreth Enar'il, a High Elf from a long lineage of heroes. From his base of operations, deep within the city, he ensures that the streets are cleared of all threats of crime, including petty thieves and potential murderers.
Despite the iron grip of the military, people live normal lives under the law systems at hand, often working as smiths, farmers, miners, and so forth, in attempt to pay the 30% tax for running public domain services. These services are relatively well kept, mostly schools, hospitals, and public spaces, all of which have some military influence or connection.
Those within Pash Vaelenor know not to smuggle illegal substances into the city, for fear of death by public execution. Simple crimes such as vandalism are treated harshly, as the Lord Marshall sees it as a besmirching of their ancestors' ingenuity and hard work, and allows guards who catch anyone doing so to strike the wrongdoer with a cane as many times as they like, until they feel you've learned a lesson.
The people are allowed to practice some forms of magic, such as abjuration and divination, but have no access to anything more than the tomes that young wizards learn from, and thus are not much of a threat. Arcane threats that do emerge are easily taken down by the Astrudim Court, people with anti-mage training that can dispel the threats of a rogue wizard or cleric with a swipe of their blade.

Defences

Asides the mountainous walls and intense guard presence, the gates to the city have four portcullises as well as a bending path that leads deeper inside of the cliff side. The winding path has a 10ft gap on either side that drops down another 10ft, armed on opposing ends between gates with large murder holes and arrow slits, which are capable of pouring molten tar down to burn and restrain whilst a hail of arrows pours down. In times of war or battle, the guards will retreat to the final gate, but will slick the path with a viscous, flammable oil, similar to that of Alchemist's Fire and will ignite it to allow archers a chance to pick off enemies without foot-soldiers being at risk.
The city of Pash Vaelenor also has an ancient artefact from the Convergence, a Gnomish Siege Construct, whom the people dubbed "Rust Bucket". It has been inoperable for centuries, however, outsiders do not know this as Rust Bucket is kept deep inside the city vault, alongside all of the city's wealth.
Intricate streets that span the Cliffs of Efane allow many of the Vaelenorian Army to eliminate threats who have made it into the city from the shadows.

Industry & Trade

The smithing industry of Pash Vaelenor is incredibly well documented and respected, for crafting Vaelen Steel swords and armour, of which are believed to remain keen after a thousand swings into stone. The gemstone and metal trade within the city allows the inhabitants to make some money or to commence a trade for other wares, to sell on within the city.
There is a secret organisation of thieves and assassins that hide in a secret area of the city, uninhabited due to supposed poisonous fungal spores floating in the air. They trade in illicit goods and contraband, and provide more morally-questionable services. Those who wish to find them need only go to the Tawny Lady's Inn and ask the bartender if they have seen a Vazinian spice merchant selling vanilla.

Infrastructure

The people who founded Pash Vaelenor constructed the fortress city within the Efane Cliffs, to the very edge of the Meridian Valley. The walls are carved from the cliffs themselves, and nigh invincible to siege weapons. Inside are intricate streets and tall ceilings excavated from the dark rock, the rubble of which was used to create homes and pave paths and roads, polished and cut to Dwarvish standards.
Deep aqueducts were constructed to give all of Pash Vaelenor fresh water from deep mountainous reservoirs, complete with minerals that have been washed through it from untouched sources of precious gems and metals. Occasionally, these ducts are cleaned out due to Myconid infestations, and are maintained by clerics to purify any potential viruses or poisonous metals that come through. This was only recently put in place due to a vicious epidemic of lead poisoning from the water and large quantities of legionella that had formed inside of the pools that the ducts take from.
Despite being underground, the people of Pash Vaelenor managed to obtain some aid from Druids to create wondrous gardens and greenery for the people to enjoy. These spaces are kept by green-fingered inhabitants who plant many vibrant, native, flora to brighten the area. The Druids had trees planted to circulate fresh air and to expel any heavily polluted areas from the smoke of the smiths' blast furnaces.

Assets

The city of Pash Vaelenor has an armoury fit to weaponize an army 10,000 strong, they have a seed bank to ensure that all green spaces are populated throughout the year. The city also has a vault containing many precious gems and metals that act as its basis of local finance, so that they can be traded for goods and services during times of economic depression.
Traders from the outside that make it into the city bring foods from around the realm of Vaelen, as well as spices, textiles, and many luxury goods. Anyone found smuggling weaponry or contraband will also find themselves inside the city... In a stony cell, awaiting trial and execution.

Guilds and Factions

• The Vaelenorian Army

• The Vaelenorian Guard

• The Astrudim Court

• The Ruby Mirror

History

Pash Vaelenor was founded over 1000 years ago, in the year 682DS (Dominus Secta/Master Path), around the same time the Blood and Arcana Wars were being waged across the Planes and Realms. Built by a group of Dwarves and Elves from a splinter cell of the Meridian Alliance, known as the 17th "Artisan" Brigade, under the order of their commander Mulwar Ignus, a Mountain Dwarf, to establish a safe haven for refugees and create an impenetrable fortress for the army.
It took the brigade, as well as additional brigades, 30 years to complete the first section of the city, but managed to house around 3,000 refugees and soldiers. In that time, Midfort was built, capable of circumnavigating danger for a period of time. However, it was not long until the Council of the Magus began to lay siege to the citadel. After an 11-week battle, the army residing inside of Pash Vaelenor emerged victorious, with major losses, losing around 2,600 men and women out of the 3,000 that were posted at the fortress city.
This epic battle is remembered by the descendants of the survivors' family as "The Battle for the Dauntless City", and is eventually where the city got its name "Pash Vaelenor" or "Fort Indomitable".
The fortress city was completed in the year 780DS, spanning 24 miles throughout the Cliffs of Efane, and is home to near 20,000 people, and continues to be a relic of valiant battle from a dark age of war.

Architecture

The interior architecture is that of a mix of Dwarven intuition and integrity, with strong-walled homes and facilities, decorated by Elvish masons to alleviate the rigidity of the designs, having many balconies and terraces that have had flora intertwined with the mortar to bring some colour to the dark grey stone.
Many inhabitants have painted the exteriors of their homes white or added more bright flora to make their homes less depressing and more inviting.
Most storefronts have thick windows made from the sands from the Efane Coast, giving it a strange sky blue tint, which is amplified by the globules of light that are peppered throughout the streets, hung from tall lampposts.

Geography

The city is within the tall Cliffs of Efane, a ravenous area of jagged rocks, prone to giving way from the faces of the cliffs, and steep inclines. From the highest point of the city, there is an outlook, where the Lord Marshall lives, to which he can look out over all of the Meridian Valley, and see as far as the Mesmer Sea beyond the Umberfeld Woods.
The Cliffs themselves have access to mountain streams and reservoirs deep within the heart of the rocky city.

Natural Resources

Water, stone, gemstones, and metals from the interior of the Cliffs.

Alternative Name(s)

Fort Indomitable

Type

City

Population

19,600

Inhabitant Demonym

Vaelenorians

Location under

The Uncharted Lands of Anderall