Caradhina
Steady footsteps echo through the modestly decorated mess hall, refurbished from old Arcadian residences. You hold the bundle of tomes in your arms tightly, the product of a difficult venture into the abandoned ruins down below. Usually, the Tenders of the Eternal River disbar anyone from venturing underground for good reason - between the murderous automatons, vengeful souls and strange artifacts, the undercity of Old Caradhina is better left untouched. Even so, there is much to be discovered still - the Arcadians were leagues more advanced than even the Steelsworn, and their troves contained techniques, sorceries and innovations to help the common man. You have the momentum, for now - the leads will be pleased to see the successes of this mission, but deep inside you realize you're tackling the sleeping beast. It's only a matter of time before it bites back.
Structure
Passage of the Eternal River
Followers of the forgotten religion of the Arcadians, preserved first by the native population of Caradhina. The first settlers of the city stumbled upon the strangely visible and untouched ruins of the uppercity of Old Caradhina, taking refuge in the crumbling and untouched structures left behind. They built New Caradhina atop the old ruins, renovating much of the dilapidated environment into a thriving and hospitable settlement. These first settlers regarded the Arcadians favorably, almost worshipful had it not been for their discovery of texts describing the Passage of the Eternal River, the Arcadians' main belief system. Their worship of the Eternal River has extended to the modern day; the 'Tenders', the religion's priests, hold governance over the city's mundane matters. Though they are accepting of the citizens' pleas and ideas, they prohibit venturing deep into the undercity of Old Caradhina for fear of incurring the dangers left behind by the Arcadians.
New Caradhina Initiative
A mission started by a Medianan scholar who was captivated by the abundance of Arcadian artifacts within the uppercity. The Initiative oversees matters related to the discovery, research and implementation of discoveries made of the ruins of Old Caradhina. Though their influence is limited solely to these responsibilities, they have connections to other scholarly organizations and figures to help secure investment and interest in the success of this mission. In recent times, the Initiative is attempting to convince the Tenders to allow limited exploration of the undercity ruins, and though the first few forays have been major successes they have incurred some casualties to the growing concern of the population.
Culture
Caradhina has a unique mix of Arcadian and modern culture. They derive much of their heritage from the initial learnings of the first settlers, heavily rooted in the Arcadian belief system of the Eternal River. But the recent influx of scholars and travelers from the New Caradhina Initiative has introduced modern cultures from the rest of Muria, resulting in a thin but growing layer of tension between the Passage and the Initiative. Nevertheless, both factions are still largely amicable to one another.
The Eternal River
Most of the city follows the belief of the Eternal River, an Arcadian religion. The religion describes the existence of a parallel plane of existence in the form of an expansive, eternally flowing river symbolizing the flow of time. The river's inhabitants form the divine pantheon, and is ruled by a serpentine entity known as the Everwrym, who curiously shares the same title, trait and epithet as Ouroboros, the Serpent God of Time. The scriptures through which they derived their worship of the Eternal River is incomplete, prompting the Caradhinans to produce apocryphal extensions of the belief inspired by other modern religions. Much of the city is adorned with paraphernalia and decorations ascribing to the Eternal River; temples are built into the uppercity ruins dedicated to the Gods of the Eternal River. The followers refer to the Eternal River in speech, with phrases such as "the River's Flow" commonplace.
Arcadian Artifacts
The Initiative's presence breathed new life into the search for Arcadian treasures. The uppercity ruins were remarkably untouched and plentiful; structures could contain any manner of old artifacts, ranging from utensils and pottery to old tomes and strange devices. Overseen by the Tenders of the Eternal River, much of the city's populace engage in trade of Arcadian artifacts as an alternative to gold, mostly to the foreign visitors of the city. Traders could exchange artifacts with one another; to Caradhinans, these are artifacts of worship and respect, whereas to outsiders they are subjects of either study or commercial opportunities.
Uppercity Pyramids
Caradhina is split into two parts - Old Caradhina, Arcadian ruins consisting of an uppercity and an undercity, and New Caradhina, built by the first settlers atop the Old Caradhinan uppercity. Most of these uppercity structures consist of houses, libraries, and plazas, but the large pyramids are an exception. Believed by adherents of the Eternal River to be seats of power in Old Caradhina, these pyramid structures dwarf the cityscape and is perhaps the sight one most likely associates with Caradhina. Despite their popularity among foreign visitors, these pyramid structures have no visible entrances found thus far. The Tenders outlaw any attempts to break in the pyramid for now, and exile those who violate this rule.
The Undercity
While Old Caradhina is visible via its uppercity, it is thought that the city's true extent lie in its undercity. Accessible via some entryways scattered across the uppercity, the undercity is a mysterious and treacherous location that many in the city fears to this day. For the longest time, this fear is mostly tied to belief and superstition. However, their fears were realized when the Initiative were permitted to enter the undercity and faced dangers lurking in every corner. The Tenders are currently debating whether exploration into the undercity should be allowed, and many are torn by some of the prospective successes the Initiative had returned with. For now, exploration is only allowed for individuals vetted personally by the Initiative and the Tenders.
Public Agenda
The Tenders of the Eternal River strive to maintain worship of their belief while improving the quality of life and welfare of their people. They are making efforts with the Initiative to accomplish this by permitting initial explorations into the surface levels of the undercity and collaborating with outside actors - including the likes of Mediana and Crystallis - to secure a steady supply of investments (Gold, food, water, materials). However, many in the city are beginning to feel frustrated by the overtures made with these foreign actors, citing that the city is beginning to lose its way and stray further from their old adage of fearing the Arcadian ruins.
Type
Geopolitical, City-state
Government System
Meritocracy
Power Structure
Semi-autonomous area
Currency
Gold, Arcadian Artifacts
Legislative Body
Passage of the Eternal River, New Caradhina Initiative
Controlled Territories
