Catheal
On the southern shores of Lac Grande De Cul, at the edge of the Til-Gathien forest lies Catheal. This city of arts, learning, and diversity is both the third jewel in Caith’loral Dynasty's crown and an offense to their rigid rule.
Catheal was founded in the chaos following the Collapse by settlers from lesser houses Sa’Lene and Val’Dakina. The families without standing discovered a rich plot on the river connecting Lac Grande De Cul with its southern sister. As the small fishing village turned into a town, word spread. Catheal grew fast before the Dynasty took serious notice, then faster still beyond the rule's grip.
Within a short century, Catheal became the third-largest in Til-Gathien, and the least restrictive. Much of this is due to decisions made by the city's founders. Brenner Ventain, a member of house Sa’Lene and renowned naturalist, promoted the arts and education to all who were inspired; not just those of standing. Teph Erris, a half-blood child of Val’Dakina, established the first Shadowhorn dwarf embassy on Dynasty land. By her death only seven decades later, Erris' trade deals earned her family more in coin and influence than the combined wealth of her estranged family in Evala.
Today Catheal is a bustling metropolis; the hub of elf culture and the most welcoming city in the Dynasty. While the population is mostly elf, visitors will find members of all races wander the street, intermixing in taverns, managing shops, and attending schools. Catheal boasts some of the continent's most prestigious institutions of learning, from the venerable Ventain Academy to the modern Quinn College of Arts and Music. Beyond travel and scholarship, Catheal continues its tradition of trade, though the loss of the Shadowhorn dwarf kingdom has encouraged these welcoming lakeside people to open their arms wider.
