Elturel

Elturel was a city-state lying between the Chionthar River and the Trackless Sea within the Bymill Hills. In the mid–second century of 3rd, it was a center for agriculture due to the lush surrounding farmlands and one of the last arcane safe havens in the Empire due to its libraries on some arcane and plane reasearch.
It was renowned for its elite mounted defenders, the Hellriders and a magical sphere floating over the city, referred to as the companion or "Helen's Gift". After the year 142 of 3rd, this shining orb hung directly over the center of the city, never setting or ceising to shine. Responsible for this blessing was Elturel's High Observer Thavius Kreeg - he thanked Mother Helen - one of The Mothers. This second sun produced no heat but its light illuminated the city day and night, as bright as the natural sun and burned undead of all kinds. Creatures of darkness could not even bear to look at the city and kept their distance. It could be seen from virtually anywhere within Elturel and its surrounding regions, though it faded with further distance.

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Pre Calamity:

Elturel's modern history is tied with that of its famous Hellriders, though there are different accounts of their founding. In all, it was said that a company of Riders had once ridden into the Hells themselves—namely Avernus, the first layer—and from this story, the Hellriders were named.
The earliest known version told that it was to rescue one of their own, such was their great loyalty to each other. A later version said that they rode through a gate to hunt down and slay devils that had been harassing the good people of Elturel. A third account expanded on this. Fiends roamed the Fields north and west of Elturel, stripping fields bare, slaying livestock, burning houses, and dragging folk away to an unknown yet horrible doom. As people lived in fear, Elturel's cavalry fought the fiends, riding wherever they must and enduring great casualties, but the fiends kept appearing in greater number.
The High Rider of Elturel implored the people to pray to the mothers for help. Surprisingly, help came—the rogue angel Zariel (desiring to destroy devils and demons and to have a mortal army to fight for her in the Blood War) came to Elturel the next day, declaring she'd found the portal to the hells in the Fields west of Elturel through which the devils were pouring, and that she would lead the cavalry through to defeat them where they mustered. She rallied and trained an army of thousands, among them Yael, Haruman, Olanthius, and Jander Sunstar. When she thought them ready, in the Year of 124 PrC (Pre-Calamity), Zariel, riding her golden mastodon Lulu, led them out of the city, with the cheers and good wishes of the Elturians behind them, and embarked on the Ride, a glorious mounted charge through the gate into Avernus. Only a very few returned, sealing the portal behind them.
(Grief-stricken, they told that Zariel and her army had been defeated, but they were all glorified as the Hellriders.)

History - Post Calamity:

By the late 130s the High Rider himself was discovered to be a vampire, with a vast network of vampire spawn, charmed minions, and undead allies he gathered in secret in his office as head of the Hellriders. Now exposed, the undead infested Elturel, and whatever victories the now split Hellriders won during the days, they lost sorely in the nights. It was said the Elturians prayed to the mothers each night just for the dawn to come sooner. Then, one night so devastating it felt like the end, it did. A second sun appeared in the sky, turning night to day, and blasting the vampire lord and his spawn to ashes while the remaining undead cowered from its light. Elturel was swiftly liberated from their dead grip.A priest of Helen, Thavius Kreeg, took the credit and was acclaimed as the savior of Elturel, and few would doubt his goodness or his intent. For only he knew the true origin of the mysterious second sun that had shown above the city ever since.

Founding Date

748 of 2nd

Type

City

Population

82.000

Location under

Bymill Hills

Owner/Ruler

Thavius Kreeg

Owning Organization

Hellriders