Cathedra

Cathedra is a settlement on Udarich and the seat of power for the Church of Gorthag. The city sits in a large clearing within Singor Forest. Most of the city is contained within the church honoring Gorthag, the Earth Father's Cathedral and the Arena.

Layout and Landmarks

There are two major sections of Cathedra. A round arena occupies most of the clearing. On the north face of the arena is the Earth Father's Cathedral itself. On the outside, the cathedral appears fairly small. This is because most of it is actually dug into the earth below. There are a few houses for farmers and others built around the Arena wall. Most of the clerics live in the cathedral itself. Much of the cathedral is made up of natural cave systems carved out and connected. In some cases where this was not possible, the cave networks are connected by magic portals.
This church has been the center of the Church of Gorthag's power since Gorthag and the other gods left the world after the Element Wars. The church's spire only extends into the air about 100ft but the cathedral depths descend at least a mile below the surface. It's from this cathedral that the church's Archbishop oversees worship of the earth god. The cathedral has stood for several thousand years and, alongside Valadris, is one of the few places on Udarich significantly old writings, art, and records can be found.

Arena

There is no better way to show one's devotion to Gorthag than fighting and the Arena at Cathedra is a pilgrimage site for almost all that battle in his name. A large wall serves as the edge of the arena and seating for its audience.
Tourneys are held regularly and fighting itself has been transformed into a holy art. The presiding Archbishop usually rewards the tourney victor with a blessing from Gorthag. Those who fight with exceptional grace or brutallity are also granted boons. Fighting to the death is typically prohibited, exceptions including criminals or those who are given the right to die honorably on the field of battle.

Library of Ages

Perhaps the oldest collection of writings and art on Udarich, the Library of Ages is positioned in one of the deepest parts of the Earth Father's Cathedral. Many librarian clerics staff the collection, but chief among them is the Iron Archivist. They monitor the conditions of the collection and permissions of those who visit the Library.
The collection includes writings both fiction and non-fiction alongside statues, historical records, paintings, and archives. Most of these are accessible to the public. Works deemed too sensitive for the public are kept in secret collections, deeper in the library. These are accessible only to clerics of sufficient rank. The collection holding the most secretive items, the Forbidden Archive, is unknown to most and requires direct permission from the Archbishop for access.

Archbishop's Cloister

The chambers for the church's archbishop. Several rooms make up the Archbishop's Cloister including an office, a small chapel, and a set of private quarters. The entire cloister is lavishly furnished and iconography depicting all six gods, particularly Gorthag. The chapel contains a shrine to Gorthag. Legend has it that the shrine contains a hidden entrance to Gorthag's own chambers and that the entrance will only open at the right time with the Archbishop's Seal as the key.

Terran Market

Merchants, farmers, and clerics gather at the Terran Market to sell their goods. The market

Earth Faithful Quarters

This area houses the bunks for the Earth Faithful, the church's fighting clerics.

History

Historical texts state that the Earth Father's Cathedral was the castle of Gorthag, God of Earth, while he walked the world with mortals.

Era of Archbishop Talis

Following the Gods' departure, the Church of Gorthag made his former palace the site of his worship. The church was led by a former Disciple of Gorthag named Talis who guided it during this time of significant change. Though the church existed beforehand, records before the @Elem are limited.

Era of Archbishop Darvus

Archbishop Darvus ascended to the role in 3024. Early in his rule, Darvus was a stern leader who believed Gorthag's memory wanted the church to move in a direction of austere strength. He mellowed as time went on as he realized that granting boons to to devout clerics resulted in a stronger crop of fighters.
In 3203, Archbishop Darvus sent several representatives to a summit from King Hespiro on the flying ship Raziel. When the Raziel crashed and Hespiro moved to conquer Udarich, Darvus condemned his goal to unite the continent and end its tumultuous history. Darvus assured his followers that Udarich's tribal wars honored Gorthag's memory and were a form of worship. He led an army of the Earth Faithful against Hespiro and managed to halt his conquest for a time at the Stalwart Bridge boardering the church lands and the former Ribahrn Territory. When Hespiro started to break the line, Darvus issued a retreat back Cathedra and sent high-ranking clerics, such as Zorvin, to recruit across churchlands and neighboring territories.
Despite the wards and defenses, Hespiro was able to approach Cathedra without alerting the city thanks to the efforts of The Big HELP. This gave Hespiro the chance to take the city without much bloodshed. Father Darvus was defeated and imprisoned within the Earth Father's Cathedral.