Cruachánáil (kɾˠuəˈxɑːnˠɑːlʲ)
"There is no place in Oileán Fiáin that I like less to visit than Cruachánáil. Fortunately, I have little reason to ever go there." - Cianán Líathdhuine, Ard-Rí of Oileán Fiáin
Cruachánáil is the capital of Eirin, and the oldest city on the island of Oileán Fiáin. It is often overshadowed by the nearby city of Baile Ríoch, seat of the Ard-Rí, but it has a rich and important history all its own. It is built on the shores of Lough Rí, the largest lake on the island.
The most ancient feature of the city is the Barrow-Maze. It is a huge circular mound of earth and stone that predates the city itself, and has been on this location since before the Fir Fáinne ever came to the island. It is honeycombed with hundreds of labyrinthine passages that extend far beneath the earth, and traveling within the Barrow-Maze without a guide is a quick way to be lost forever. Legends speak of chambers deep beneath the mound that contain treasures from ancient times, but few treasure hunters are brave enough to dare the Maze, and those who are do not return. Historians claim that the Barrow-Maze was once the site of human sacrifice to a dark god of the Fir Bolg who was defeated and cast down by the gods of the Fir Fáinne.
In ancient times, the mound stood alone in the plain, but for the last millennia it has had a companion - the strange and bizarre Dún Wentā. Dún Wentā is a vast and meandering castle that was built directly into the Barrow-Maze by the sorceress Celestina. The castle was built to be a confusing and disorienting place, with corridors and stairways that make no sense. It is rumoured to have well over five hundred rooms, although some of them are so small that only children can squeeze inside them. It's oddities have only been added to and expanded on by the current inhabitants, the Shadow Court of the Fae. The Shadow Court is comprised of exiles from the Seelie Court who still hope to eventually return to Queen Áine's favor. They linger within the confines of Dún Wentā awaiting a summons that may never come, and entertaining themselves in whatever way they can.
The rest of the city has grown up in the shadow of this strange pairing of ancient castle and even more ancient mound. The Rí of Eirin keeps his court in a newer castle on the far side of the city from Dún Wentā and the Barrow-Maze, and chooses to pretend the old places do not exist. This is an attitude copied by many of the citizens, and they advise it to their children and to visitors. People vanish when the visit castle and mound, and little can be done to rescue them. This, combined with the richer opportunities in Baile Ríoch, has kept Cruachánáil a small town compared to other capitals of Oileán Fiáin. It is a place that changes little with the times - the youngest buildings are centuries old, and visitors report that it has an air of stagnation about it.
Geographic Details
Location: Oileán Fiáin, Northeastern RegionLatitude: 52.33 degrees North
Longitude: 60.53 degrees East
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