Berenok
Berenok, or Bärenoch in the old Duskan tongue, is a refuge for the oppressed, persecuted, and disenfranchised of Rhaddin's Rest, as well as those fleeing the theocratic, authoritarian rule of the Agrian League and their Astarum masters. Originally established by a rebel vitian of the Astarum, Agarem, the city has since become largely self-sufficient thanks in no small part to the Tarelan Pact.
Also called the Undercity due to being housed in a large underground cavern with an immense and complex network of interconnected tunnels and chambers below, it is one of only a handful of places in Rhaddin's Rest that is beyond the sight and influence of the stars of the Astarum.
History
The Crimson Star, Agarem, was a member of the inner council of the Astarum who grew disillusioned with the constant religious conflict that plagued Rhaddin's Rest due to the expansionist policies of the Agrian League. As a powerful empath, he was more privy to the pain and suffering of the people than were his peers in the Astarum, who were bent on securing their dominion over all of Rhaddin's Rest. This caused him to take up the cause of the Duskan people, who were being driven from their ancestral lands in the north of the realm in a campaign of extermination prosecuted by the Agrian League.
It was with Agarem's blessing that Berenok was able to be constructed while escaping the notice of the other members of the Astarum. As more and more Duskan territory was conquered by the League, the population of Berenok grew. Refugees from other fronts began arriving by the day as well, led to Berenok by the Crimson Star's light. As the amount of refugees quickly outstripped the capacity of the central cavern, earthworks began, leading to the development of a complex network of interconnected chambers and tunnels beneath the city.
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