Arnun-Ohx (Arr-noon Oh-x)
Known for:Arnun-Ohx, the Electrum City, on the western coast, on the unyielding rocky cliffs spat by the Chained Forge's rage and isolated by the titans Anathema and The Twins, is known as a shining testament to ingenuity of craft and architecture.
- Magical weaponry and artifice innovations
- Smelting experimental metal alloys
- Speleunking competitions
- Cliffdiving
- Teas and warm brews
- Mental health prioritization
Culture
Arnun-Ohx is a city that values people willing to put in hard work, but not mindlessly. They value people who are able to center themselves, find their peace of mind, and feel comfort in the work they are doing, not simply banging on a problem until it goes away. They do not take kindly to cheaters and scammers, as much of their trade is based in a sacred value of the work and its connection to the world after creation; to them, people who try to take advantage of others, rip them off, or steal commit a moral sin, not just an economic crime.Pasttimes
Ohxians are not all work and no play, however. Their location in Ostelliach affords them hot springs, beautiful cliff vistas to dive from, and complex cave systems ripe for exploring. They are known for fantastic hot brewed drinks and teas, as well as hypnotic dancing to drums made specially of Ohx Electrum that leave their audiences goosebumped and almost haunted.Demographics
Every settlement in Ostelliach is a melting pot of different people if for no other reason than that living in such a dramatically dangerous world often pushes people to migrate, to band together, to flee and rebuild. Arnun-Ohx is no exception to this. However, the city was founded by Orcish tribes nearly a thousand years ago and they were the first smiths to wield the ability to create Ohx Electrum. Thus, this city still feels in many ways as if it belongs to them, and Orcs are very common here.
From there, many different types of people come here, almost all crafters (though of course anyone can be a crafter, be it drow, dwarf, gnome, elf, or firbolg). Species best suited for hotter climates tend to gravitate to the area, including scaletypes like kobolds and dragonborn as well as tielfings and fire genasi.
Government
Government
wipMets'afi
Each building, upon being built, is given a unique name. This name, the intentions etched into the electrum, and the purpose of the building are carefully documented by a group known as the Mets'afi (Meh-ts Ah-fee, Building Chroniclers). This role is akin to a priest of a temple, sought after proving rigor in metalwork, artifice, and a respect for the material going into the craft. If a building deed changes hands or the purpose of the building (for example, a new business taking over an old), this is reported to the Mets'afi. Improper reporting is seen as sacriligous and incredibly reckless/selfish, as it is believed to be disrespecting the building itself, and thus, jeopardizing the intents inlayed in the electrum. To not respect a building enough to chronicle its life is seen as spitting in the face of its gifts, and it is believed the gifts will be rescinded, leading to curses, or perhaps even worse to a native Arnun-Ohxian, a cold empty lifeless shell of a building.Defences
Naturally defended by the Calliope Cut chasm, the mountains of The Twins, and the cliffs leading to the Hafti Ocean connection.
Industry & Trade
Metalmages
Arnun-Ohx had long been a stronghold for metalcraft, even since before The Breaking, when Orcish smiths wielded metal in strange and uncanny ways, creating specially-charged electrum (an alloy of gold and silver) called Ohx Electrum that was able to store and release arcane energy at controlled times. Even after The Breaking but before the connection to The Web was reestablished, Arnun-Ohx was one of the only places where tethers to magic stayed relatively stable: the Ohx Electrum maintained any charges filled before the cataclysm, and the most skilled of the crafters in the city could sometimes coax the magic from one item to another. (Of course, no one could use this magic, be it in a construct or wand, but the ability to do anything with magic during this time was unheard of elsewhere.) These crafters were and still are known as Metalmages. Though the Cities of Mercy and Wrath are generally known for their craftsmiths and exporting goods that include artificery, all in Ostelliach know that Arnun-Ohx is the true wellspring of metallic creativity. Any idea that sells well in the Cities almost invariably originated from Arnun-Ohx...or at least makes use of artificing principals or alloys invented there. These inventions include toys, incredible arsenals of magical weaponry, new lighter or sturdier alloys for armor, magically-enforced building materials (like those used in Jona's Wall), and technological advancements in scientific research (amplification, magnification etc.).Architecture
Each Building, A Conversation
Arnun-Ohx is not simply a city known for its metalsmithing. It is, in fact, a city intrinsically linked to its metalsmithing. Each building in the city is made, if not entirely than at least primarily, out of Ohx Electrum and imbued with magic in the process. However, this magic is not a specific spell or current meant to be used for an attack or even a defense. Each building is imbued with different intentions and wishes, a thousand dreams and hopes for things the building will bring: comfort, peace, happiness, warmth, even clean surfaces or good sunlight. These intentions come to pass through continued belief in them, which the people of Arnun-Ohx do through treating the buildings as sacred, respecting them deeply and continuing to believe in and take care of them like precious elders. It is believed that these intents can and will be rescinded if a building is not properly respected, such as improper documentation of its status (see below) or letting it fall into disrepair.Climate
Arnun-Ohx is located on the western coast of Ostelliach, where the Chained Forge's influence is felt in warm weather, varying from temperate winters to boiling summers. Snow is completly unheard of, and rain and other precipitation is less common, mostly only in early spring or late fall and creating a humidity that almost makes it not worth it.
A few rare times in history since The Breaking, there have been reports of boiling rain falling on the city due to eruptions from the Chained Forge supercharging the spray of Anathema, but this is mercifully scarce and the buildings of Arnun-Ohx are built to withstand the temperature.
Natural Resources
In the mountains above Arnun-Ohx, adamant can be mined from Mt. Aegis and from The Twins gold (left) and silver (right).
Hot springs and geysers produce a plethora of sulfurous clays and gasses for use in heating and alchemical reactions.
Founding Date
520 PB
Alternative Name(s)
The Electrum City, City of Creation, Smith's Goal
Type
City
Inhabitant Demonym
Ohxian (Oh-x-ee-an)
Related Materials