Dar Qat

Dar Qat, Bastion of the Unity

The crystal jewel of Riedra lies on the west coast of Xen’drik, defying the chaos of the continent beyond. The bastion of Dar Qat is the hand of the Unity, supporting the interests of both the Inspired lords and their Quori masters. The outward goal of the city is to secure rare materials needed for Sarlona’s infrastructure. The true goal of the city is to explore Xen’drik’s history, for the quori are ravenous to uncover the truth behind the last Turning of the Age.

Their grand goal to prevent the next Turning may hinge on finding the Moonbreaker and the remnants of their ancient selves. Bringing these remnants back is another story altogether. Dar Qat is the oldest colony in Xen’drik, and led to the eventual founding of Stormreach due to pirates preying on Riedran ships. The city itself is a perfect nightmare. Its sinuous towers glitter in the sunlight, appearing as though carved from a single piece of flawless quartz. Multicolored orbs of sentira shine psionic light on ordered streets, conveying feelings of joy and duty to the people below.

Towering behind the city is a colossal ovoid monolith known as a hanbalani altas. Beneath the smooth surface, this massive psionic reservoir broadcasts the mandated dreams of the Inspired to those in a vast radius. Each hanbalan is a hallmark of Riedran control. With political relations now established in Stormreach, the Inspired no longer fear losing their treasures to Khorvaire’s pirates, and can focus on expanding their foothold. This may be the first hanbalan, but it will not be the last.

The leader of the city is Lord Ralastar, who guides exploratory efforts with the help of 11 other Inspired. A total of 700 Chosen vessels conduct the administration of the city, allowing an army of quori to take control in the event of a critical discovery or attack. Ralastar’s duties are aided by Lord Katanavash, the acting ambassador to Stormreach. Beneath their blessed masters, a large population of Riedran humans perform their daily duties as laborers, hunters, and craftsfolk. This includes itinerant sailors from Dar Jin and several thousand armed soldiers who protect the city from attack, guard the Chosen, and accompany them on expeditions into the continent.

Alongside the majority human population of Dar Qat are an underclass of goliaths brought over from Riedra. The oppressive caste system of the Unity is maintained in the city, and the goliaths are indoctrinated from birth into believing they are inferior to the humans. This is ruthlessly reinforced by the psychic effects of the hanbalani altas, and the tenets of the Path of Inspiration. The goliaths perform the most intensive and dangerous work in the city by mining and hauling deep crystal.

They are ultimately treated as disposable and hold no power in the city. Even worse, they truly believe that this is the natural state of things. For those on the Path of Inspiration, work is worship, and life an act of devotion to the il-altas spirits. A small group of goliaths understand that their heritage lies in Xen’drik, and work to resist Riedran oppression.

Size: Small City (50,000-100,000 people)

Population: Human, with Inspired leaders and a goliath underclass.

Government: The Inspired Lord Ralastar, at the head of 11 other Inspired Lords and roughly 700 Chosen Vessels. Age: Roughly 600 years

Purpose: Exploration of Quori history, deep crystal mining, and resource exploitation.

Organizations: The Unity of Riedra controls Dar Qat utterly, devoting the city to its purpose. As such, the organizations within the city are branches of the Riedran government, including the Iron Gate, Industrious Forge, and Healing Hand. Below them all, the partisan goliaths of the Kaladrik work to earn their freedom.