Crucible
Crucible is an insurmountably ancient city that has been occupied by men and elves alike dating back nearly 6,000 years, layers and layers built upon each other throughout the ages. Today, it is divided by three imposing walls and broken into 15 distinct districts, each a small city in their own right, with their own history and layout. While an exact census is impossible to know, the city currently easily houses 500,000 people.
Common knowledge claims that it started out as an Antecean settlement that was seized by the Elves after the fall of Antecea before being reclaimed by men many centuries ago. The Elves claim it was originally an elven city that was conquered by the Anteceans. What is known is that the first settlement was built around the Tree of Life: a Foci-imbued white oak that to this day blooms at the center of the Palace of Chronicles. It's also quite clear that Antecea was not the first to settle here. Despite their best efforts to build over whatever had been here previously, there is clear evidence that the first settlements predated Antecea by at least a millennia.
In Antecea's day, the city was known as Castelium and was the Empire's beloved "Jewel of the North." It was a haven in what was otherwise considered a "difficult" region and was largely responsible for civilization's push into Horizon.
When Antecea collapsed, the elves came for the city, evicting any who still lingered and renamed it Lar'Nimloth. And as the Antecean's built over and expanded on the original settlement, so too did the elves build upon Antecea's old works, growing the city to even further heights. The elves held the city for several centuries, during which time a glimmer of their old domain shone on Archaios, but that all changed when their lands to the south fell to the Second Abyssal War followed by the ambitions of men.
For Lar'Nimloth, a warlord called Tron Renaren had set the city in his sights. He had made a name for himself in using duplicity and deceit to outmaneuver the elves and conquer their lands with minimal casualties on both sides. The same held true when it came time to conquer Lar'Nimloth. Renaren amassed his army at the gates and made as if they were preparing for a lengthy siege. So pre-occupied were the elves with developing a counterattack that they failed to notice the small group that had infiltrated their palace by way of the underground tunnels the elves had mistakenly believed to be a secret known only to them. The infiltrators held the nobility of the city hostage, threatening to throw the entire city into disarray by killing the leadership. Ultimately, the elves surrendered without a fight and retreated back to the hidden city of Mir'Heled in the Oran Mountains.
Under Renaren, the city grew even more into the massive cosmopolitan complex it is today. It was at this time that the central palace, now constructed of Antecean, elven, and modern architecture was given its name of the Palace of Chronicles. From this palace, Renaren's line ruled for several generations, until finally the line was ousted when a trusted advisor to the current King staged a coup de tat; aided by the newly formed House of Phantoms.
From there, many lines ruled over the city, expanding and retracting its influence as time went on. The current King is a man by the name of Rulan Snowthorne. His la-ze-faire attitude towards ruling has made him unpopular with many of the city's denizens, who feel his lack of control has directly influenced the rise of organized crime and higher poverty. Because of this, a warlord called Dorian Havik claiming to be the heir of Renaren has gained much support in recent times.
Despite the unrest, Crucible has stood in one form or another for millennia, and it will continue to do so long after its current rulers have returned to the earth.
In 1208, Crucible experienced something it hadn't since the days of Renaren; a full-on invasion. On the day of Snowthorne's coronation, an entire army comprised of orcs, goblins, and giants led by a goliath warlord called Warbringer smashed through the outer wall of North Crucible. The city's army was caught completely unaware, with most soldiers working guard duty in the inner city for the coronation.
Until that day, sightings of giants was so rare that most believed them to be little more than a myth or perhaps a long-extinct race. The numbers they attacked with shattered that reality.
The giants pushed through the outer city and broke through the mid-walls and were only stopped when Dorian Havik, until recently just another nobody mercenary trying to make his way in the city, rallied a militia comprised of fellow mercenaries, travelling adventurers, and desperate people trying to defend their home. Havik successfully repelled the giants when he seemingly killed Warbringer. The invading army swiftly retreated through the massive hole in the wall they made.
Havik himself was lauded as a hero, as his defense was very public. Snowthorne, however, needed a scape-goat to shift blame from poor planning and likely information leaks to the enemy. He instead blamed non-human races and those that lived in the outer cities for "allowing" the giants in and not being loyal to the crown.
What followed was a dramatic increase of the disparity between social classes, with the poor being all but forced to live in the slums of the outer cities. What's more, non-humans were more or less banned from entering the inner city, as only people with official passes were allowed to come and go (and passes were almost never given to non-humans).
Havik was a vocal opponent of these new restrictions. This came to a head when he led a revolt against Snowthorne's regime. He and his followers fought Snowthorne to a standstill, and only withdrew when Snowthorne started sending people after Havik's family.
Havik left the city, but vowed to return with an army. Those that followed him called themselves the "Dragon's Fangs" as a tribute to both Havik's ferocity in battle as well as the potent magic he draws strength from. They proved to be a thorn in Crucible's side for many years but were lacking that crucial last piece to truly overcome Snowthorne's grip on the city. That is until 1217 when, seeking aid in combatting the undead hordes plaguing Horizon, an adventuring party who had established themselves well within Crucible agreed to aid Havik in overthrowing the despot king. Together, they snuck into a feast celebrating Snowthorne's coronation anniversary and challenged him for the crown. In a pitched battle involving the Phantom Knight of the House of Phantoms himself, Snowthorne yielded, allowing Dorian to take up the crown.
In the year since, King Havik has proved a populist ruler who has done surprisingly well managing the nobility that once had strong ties with Snowthorne. There have been some concerns over what deals he has made to achieve this tenuous peace, but for now, there has been a noticeable upshift in the quality of life for all who live within Crucible's walls. Whether or not he will prove to be a truly great king will have to stand up to the test of time.
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