Alorath The City of Ashes

Iron and Glass Ward The Iron and Glass Ward is located on the west end of the city. This area of the city is where the forges, smiths and glasscutters of the city reside. Their most famous work being glass an export that is as profitable as timber. The sector doesn't produce much smoke because the heat is steam power a rare new technology which when steam has gone through several magical vents that turn it into heat however they aren't practical because so much fuel is needed to boil the water that it isn't practical and the vents and pipes that covert the smoke to heat are very expensive. Alorath solves both these problems by using a combination of fire elementals and hellfire as fuel and engaging in constant trade to keep the gold flowing so that they can repair and maintain the upkeep of these great machines. This however comes at a price. There are only a handful of factories that use hellfire but those that do have what is called a Hellfire Core and they need to feed it, souls, every week to not have the flame sputtering and one has to give it souls every 24 hours to keep it functioning at full capacity. When at maximum power it is ten times more powerful than using elementals. However, if some of the hellfire would escape it could cause a chain reaction that would reduce the city to ash. The factories that use hellfire are almost always cults of some kind collecting souls for the hellfire to feed on. The other factories are much safer. Here they use trapped elementals inside to boil the water. This comes with the risk that the elemental might escape and break havoc in the city. Hundreds of elementals are trapped in this fashion and people wonder how all of them got there. The truth is that Annabell made a pact with Vernald in return she would support him in his conflict.
The Flame Ward  This is the second-largest ward in the city. This is also where two of the cities factions are located as well as their headquarters of the glass carver guild. Despite this, it is by far the coldest district as it is home to a large population of yeaties that have found some way to sneak into the city.
The Carver Ward  This is the creepiest ward of them all. It is known for its disturbing imagery of flames tearing through a city, darkness falling and statues of hooded figures and pillars of shadow. The reason all these carvings are here are deeply mysterious as they have been here since the demon invasion. The story goes that the mortal slaves of the demons all went mad in the city and started to carve pictures into buildings, while this in its self was not strange as many slaves of the demons went mad. This however connects to a much older poem about the City of Ashes that tells the story of the fall of the Sunborn Empire. The poem goes that after the Frost Wights had destroyed the empire they found the Sunborn Vault and with it many storage artefacts that changed them turning them into different monsters. The blade that held the mind of one of the wights was shattered and the wight inside was given a new body. The poem continues that he became a terror on the Winter Land called the Carver however was eventually sealed at the palace where his armies were defeated then he was slain by Geralt. Now many schoolers have debated whether might be Alorath or the other city where he was defeated and that was Aril Le-Tharda.
Firebringer Ward This is the ward where the Palace of Ash is located. Which is where the line of Firebringers have ruled. The city of Alorath has around 12 noble houses each has an estate in this area along with a manor house. Unknown however to Annabell a secret cult of devil worshipers is growing in the city.
The Docks The Docks are one of the busiest parts of the city. It is where those how have money come to buy goods and to have a good time. However, it is not all fun and games as the Sleepers are gaining power. Under the guise of working with the Prince of Beggers the organization known as the Sleepers have set up a smuggling ring that has been bringing many types of drugs slowly making the city addicted to Dream Leaves and other substances while the dreamer is never seen or detected.
The Slums  The Slums are the largest ward and so have many problems the main one being the Druids of Lo-Kathe how keep summoning dangerous monsters in an old mansion near the lake of Whispers. The Slums themselves have many issues with criminal violence and Dream Leaves.

Government

This is the capital of the Flame Clan, their seat of power and so here Annabell Firebringer rules from with her council of 4 advisors being the main government.

Defences

A wall of stone surrounds the city with watchtowers every 100 feet. Inside the city, there is a second wall which is smaller but still there.  The garrison in the city has around 800 veterans along with 3200 guards that keep an eye on the city. These can also call upon the 80 mages that can cast spells above the 3rd circle. Many say that the City of Claws has more magical knowledge but the City of Ashes has more mages.

Industry & Trade

The main industry of the city is lumber since the city is located in the middle of a forest and most lumber comes from Alorath though not all. The second largest industry are three in one with those being fishing, medicine and soldiers. The trade in Alorath is okay it could be better without the war rageing on. There is no Shadow Market as it was destroyed during the Pheonix fire however there is still a Black Market.

Assets

This is a city full of flames and magic as there live many evokers in the city along with merchants how bring trade from the southern parts of the world however due to the war going on and the location of Alorath not much trade comes to this city except from the Frostwalkers Clan. All normal equipment can be bought here and some magic items have found their way into the city however they are not bought with coin.

Guilds and Factions

There are only three organizations with a lot of influence in the city the first is the Healing Fire and organization of clerics, mages and medics how heal the wounded and bring endless fire to everyone using a single spell. They have also managed to create a version of the continual flame spell that doesn't require those expensive material components and gives off heat the same as normal fire would this does have a few negative consequences for one the fire can be smothered and it goes out after a month for every time the spell is cast at a higher circle the duration increases by one month. The Healing Fire is run by Annabell Firebringer. The second organization is a network of mages throughout the Winter Land and beyond that exchange news. Almost every mage in the Winter Land is in this network except those of the Frostshields and Fanged One's clans. Also, dark mages avoid this network. Their leader (at least in Isildur) is Magnus Firedancers the betrothed of Annabell Firebringer and extremely powerful when it comes to rituals and fire magic. The final organization are known as the Sleepers they are a crime syndicate that operate under the cities king or prince of Beggers how is under the thumb of the one equally pulling the strings a figure known as the Dreamer. The Sleepers are smuggling drugs such as dream leaves and other substances.

History

Alorath was one of the Sunborns Empire largest cities and one of the most influential in the entire empire. When the Sunborn Empire fell one of the three frost wights was destroyed here however his mind was saved using magic and placed in a sword which then became imbued with powerful magic however the sword was lost. After that, the city was left in ruins and only after the Fall of the Gods was the city made habitable again by a powerful member of the spiral labyrinth sworn to the Elder Evils. He again built the city but was killed shortly after the beginning of the Fall of the Eldar Evils. Finally, the Flame Clan was founded after this with the line of Firebringers ruling. They have twice been driven out of the city once by demons and once by Odera.

Tourism

Most common to come here travelling on land due to the war but some brave the waves.

Architecture

Alorath has both beautiful and frightening architecture. The outer city is made of wood on the outskirts and transitions to stone the further toward the centre one gets replacing thatched roofs with tiled ones. The Slums are still rickety structures and cold stone buildings even with the lamps to provide illumination through winter nights. When you enter the docks there are mostly stone first floors with wood the rest interspersed with markets squares and warehouses and shipyards. In the middle city, there are only stone buildings and beautiful glass windows along with several carvings, statues and artworks that decorate the city. The clock tower of Fire and the Cathedral to the Healing Flame can be found here. The smith and glass ward to the west have more of a factory look to them however they don't produce smoke due to the fire elementals that create the heat. Finally, the inner city where the true nickname of the city comes to light. The cities buildings are still made from stone but now they have more disturbing carvings. Flames tearing through the city, darkness rising to swallow the world and seas of blood. Some buildings are carved with statues of cloaked figures and pillars of shadow. This imagery is mostly in the Carver Ward. In the Firebringer Ward, there are large mansions and stone towers with carvings of fire and flame and statues made of stone. However, the streets are the most interesting because they are made of ash and bone covered by a layer of unbreakable glass. The legend goes that this is the ash of Aloraths enemies.

Geography

Alorath sits in a clearing in the middle of the Forest of Ice and Winter. Here the city has stood for centuries with one hill rising over the landscape with many parks on it.

Natural Resources

The area is full of lumber along with stone and iron from the mountains. In the Forrest, there are also ruins and the seas have good fishing.

Alternative Name(s)

The City of Ashes

Type

Capital

Population

15000

Owner/Ruler

Annabell Firebringer

Characters in Location

• Annabell Firebringer