Torterrus
Torterrus is a Regigalian Human city, found in The Blood Fields region of Regigalis. Torterrus is the capital of the Human presence on Regigalis, and is the center of Regigalian diplomacy, magical research, and resistance. The city is famously home to The Conclave of the Axebeak, a council of arcanists and warlords. Built like a massive fortress, Torterrus is both a bulwark and a beacon to its people, with its powerful walls fused with runes of warding, and ballistae enchanted to strike incorporeal targets guard every parapet, to ensure the protection of its inhabitants from both monsters and local Elven hostilities.
Demographics
In Torterrus, every citizen is taught to view themselves as part of a greater line of service and sacrifice. Families keep “Legacy Stones”, engraved tablets chronicling the deeds of each generation, from war heroes to scholars to artisans. These are displayed in communal vaults known as The Reliquaria, beneath every district. Citizens are expected to surpass their ancestors, which fosters immense ambition, but also brutal pressure. Failure or stagnation brings shame to one’s entire bloodline, and some even seek death in war to avoid disgrace.
History
When Regigalian Humans first landed on the continent, they were treated as trespassers, if not outright plaguebearers. The High Elves viewed them as primitive echoes of the Most-Favoured, remembering ancient stories of horror and divine wrath. Early human villages were torched by Elven “Wardens of Purity,” who viewed their presence as an infection. In response, Humans rebuilt further inland and under cover. A generation later, humans attempted formal negotiations. High Elven courts responded with aloof decrees, granting “temporary habitation rights” with strings attached; usually taxes, magical surveillance, or cultural “tests” that humans were meant to fail.
The first major diplomatic incident came when Human mages demanded equal recognition of magical scholarship. The High Elven Council laughed off the petition, declaring human magic "derivative and unstable". This humiliation united several Human communities, leading to the foundation of Torterrus. As Torterrus grew into a formidable fortress, the High Elves launched a coordinated attack to dissolve what they claimed was an "unauthorized martial presence". Led by nine noble houses, they besieged Torterrus for 40 days, in an event known as The Siege of Nine Spears. Humans held them off using alchemy, guerrilla tactics, and elemental storm rituals; a new human innovation that stunned the Elves. In addition, a rogue Wood Elf druidic sect aided the humans secretly, disgusted with the High Elven cruelty.
Under pressure from both internal dissent and rising human strength, the High Elves offered a formal truce, in which, Torterrus would be allowed sovereign city-state status. In exchange, humans could not expand north of the River without Elven approval and a joint magical accord allowed for neutral arbitration by merfolk and scholars. This pact formed the basis for Torterrus’s autonomy, enshrined in magically bound treaty-letters signed with blood from both races’ rulers.
High Elven Courts still view Humans with veiled contempt. They acknowledge Torterrus but speak of it like one might speak of a tolerated wild animal; useful, impressive, but never truly civilized. Counter to this, Regigalian humans no longer seek acceptance. They build for themselves, rivaling Elven beauty with raw, jagged brilliance; Golem-guarded halls, sky-bridges of firelight, and cathedrals where spells sing to the stars. Torterrus Today stands as a symbol of independence, where Human identity was crystallized, not in peace, but in defiance.
Architecture
Stone colonnades, public forums, and carved reliefs of historical battles dominate the cityscape of Torterrus. The city feels eternal and monumental but cold, stern, and always watching.
Type
City
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