Ebondel

Small City: Population 7,204 (48% ettinor, 17% letheni, 10% vesperkin, 10% human, 15% other)

History

The city of Ebondel stretches back to the very beginning of the Upheaval period. Following the Age of Darkness, the various tribes of Ettinor decided that though they had their differences, their mission to rid the world of monsters was more important. A central location between each major tribe's home city was decided upon, chosen for its highly defensible geography, meant to serve as a neutral meeting ground for every tribe to meet and share their knowledge of monster hunting. Within Ebondel, conflict is not permitted, a law which is respected by all Ettinor; as they know that any who break this sacred law will be swiftly put to death. It was not always this way, however, as early on several tribes would attempt to goad others into attacking them to provoke a response by the other tribes. Fortunately, time has smoothed out tribal relations when within city limits.

Later on in the Upheaval period, Ebondel was nearly wiped out when Letheni from Veldunorin ith Derunadel, who had established a colony on the northwestern coast in a settlement called Guruma, began expanding eastward. They captured smaller villages along the way, driving away the native Ettinor who did not have the numbers to fight back. Upon arriving outside Ebondel, the city's Soulbinders called forth an army of their ancestors, who drove back the invading force, who did not have the means to combat these spectral warriors. However, the invaders took a large number of Ettinor captive from the villages they had raided, and upon retreat to Guruma, flung their bodies over the walls at the Ettinor; their bodies with vulgar messages branded on them, including "EAT UP!", a message specifically mocking the Ettinor's cannibalistic traditions. Enraged, the Ettinor sacked the city and took nearly 1,000 soldiers captive. Their Soulbinders slaughtered the captive soldiers and then bound their spirits to their corpses; a practice known as Sari'negol. These soldiers were then buried in an undisclosed location to spend eternity alone in a dark hole. It is rumored that these soldiers are located somewhere beneath Ebondel, though the Ettinor have refused to comment. This event would come to be known as "Vadako Lai", or "the branding". This event is burned into the Ettinor's cultural memory, and has forever divided the Ettinor and the Letheni.

Nearly a century ago, when the Bakari appeared following a Wellspring eruption, many Ettinor living in the southern and western regions of Gothir fled to the northeast to escape Somvukolai, the name given to the anomaly by the Ettinor. Many within Ebondel mocked them initially for fleeing from battle; but when it was discovered that the Bakari could transform the Ettinor into more of their kind with a simple bite, that mocking rhetoric ended quickly. Ebondel became the last bastion against the Bakari scourge overtaking the continent. However, the Ettinor's number had been drastically reduced in the fight against the Bakari, and the difficult decision was made to seek help from the outside world. Knowing of the raw power of the Dwarves, the Ettinor sought their aid first, but they were denied. This has soured relations between the Ettinor and the Dwarves. Surprisingly, Am Massirin Farunalis was eager to help, and a call to arms spread across Arak, with a large force calling themselves the Vedathor Somuly being assembled to drive back the Bakari.

However, what began as a good-will assistance mission has slowly become an opportunity for expansion, with the Vedathor Somuly establishing themselves as an authoritative body of their own, separate from Am Massirin Farunalis. They have slowly taken over Guruma and Ebondel, disguising exploitation and annexation as altruism and unity. The Ettinor are not nearly as stupid as the Vedathor Somuly seems to believe they are, however, and have picked up on their true intentions. However, with so many of their people having migrated to the safety of Arak, and so many others having been turned or killed by the Bakari, they do not have the number to fight both the Bakari and the Vedathor Somuly; so they begrudgingly accept their assistance with the understanding that there will be another war to fight once the Bakari are gone.

Government

While the Ettinor of Ebondel have always recognized only the authority of the Toak ma Dodanoki, the group which archives the Ettinor's monster lore; since the arrival of Vedathor Somuly, they have slowly inserted themselves more and more into the city's politics, asserting their cultural values and laws despite pushback from the Ettinor. Because of the city's law of non-violence, no Ettinor would dare to oppose this by attacking the Vedathor Somuly. Many of the city's Ettinor are divided on the issue, with roughly half agreeing that this ancient tradition should not apply as it would not be a conflict between Ettinor, but expelling a potentially hostile force. But the other half clings to this tradition, asserting that any conflict whatsoever will set a precedent that they cannot return from that would cause the city to fall apart.

Economy

The most valuable assets in Ebondel are highly subjective. To the Ettinor, their greatest asset is their lore, contained within the halls of Etoka Konandar, gathered over countless generations. Any Ettinor in the city would give their life to defend the lore contained within. But to the Vedathor Somuly, the Acroniten below the city is of far more interest. Ebondel sits atop one of the largest Acroniten deposits ever discovered, and despite thousands of years of mining, there seems to be no end in sight; though extensive mining has opened several access points to the Deephollow, making some areas more hazardous to mine due to the presence of subterranean creatures.

The Etoka Konandar contains lore on not just monsters, but a great deal of information on weaponry and how to kill these creatures. There is a great deal of research done on developing new weapons here, and those weapons are very valuable to the Vedathor Somuly. The Ettinor produce weapons for the war against the Bakari in exchange for foreign goods that they could not otherwise obtain, as Gothir had no form of currency prior to the arrival of other cultures.

Notable Locations

• Ebonaki - This enormous tree at the center of Ebondel stands nearly 200 ft. tall. Its black bark, and orange leaves which give off a subtle minty smell make it a unique sight in Gothir. The tree has always been where it is, with many speculating as to its origin. The Ettinor view it as a gift from Estrea herself. The leaves of the tree are a powerful medicine, capable of healing nearly all poisons and diseases; but since the arrival of Vedathor Somuly, they have over-picked its leaves, leaving none for the Ettinor. This over-picking of its leaves appear to be slowly killing the tree somehow, as several branches have begun to fall, which have crushed buildings around the city. This has greatly angered the Ettinor.
• Etoka Konandar - No building in all of Aellorah, even in Reshyk, can rival the sheer amount of monster lore contained within these halls. Located under the city, accessible from a large limestone arch in the side of a mesa, twisting hallways lead downwards to long corridors with carved reliefs depicting the world's various monsters, as well as text written in the Ettinor language describing everything they have learned about these creatures and how to kill them. There is knowledge about what each and every part of the creature can be used for, and their applications in Ossak Botanoi, the Ettinor art of bone crafting. There are halls containing knowledge of every weapon that the Ettinor have invented and instructions for how to craft them. The walls are made of the highest quality polished granite available in Gothir to withstand the weathering of time. The Vedathor Somuly has requested access to these halls numerous times, but the Ettinor guard the halls night and day, allowing only the Toak ma Dodanoki, or "lore keepers", to enter. Those who require knowledge of monsters within the archive's catalog must petition for a meeting with the Toak ma Dodanoki, where they will be educated about everything there is to know of the creature they wish to hunt.
• Ebona Delaki - These mountains to the west of the city are its namesake. The mountains play a large role in the city, as the black dust which covers the mountains periodically blows off in dust storms. If these dust storms pass through the city, the inhabitants must quickly take cover, as breathing in the dust is extremely deadly. It is currently unknown whether the dust comes from a Wellspring anomaly or not, but scholars have determined that the dust sticks to surfaces, particularly ones that are damp or wet, and draws the moisture out of the surface it clings to. This can cause a person to rapidly wither and dry out. Attempting to drink water once it is in your lungs will only prolong your suffering, as only magic can remove it, and the dust expands to hundreds of times its size if fed enough water. After every dust storm, the Ettinor collect the dust that sticks to the western side of the mesas, using it to make potent dust bombs that they throw at enemies to weaponize its effects.

Culture

Ebondel is separated into a number of camps representing each tribe in residence, with large unique totems at the center of each camp depicting the monster which that tribe considers its "Toaliar", or "chosen creature", which is the creature that represents the way they hunt and live. The weapons a tribe uses, the clothing they wear, the food they eat, and the decorations they adorn their homes with are all chosen based on this creature and their appearance, temperament, and behavior. Each tribe has formal outfits whose design resembles their Toaliar that they wear to formal events and festivals, such as the Ossak ma Taomari, or "stories of bone"; an annual event during which the Ossak Nekoki return from hunts and report sightings of new creatures, tell the Toak ma Dodanoki of new monster lore, and display the bones they have collected from creatures they have hunted. They tell stories about their hunts, which are often exaggerated, and sing and dance around a large bonfire. There are often bounties put on new creatures with the first to kill a new monster being awarded with accolades, food, and weapons; though this tradition is becoming endangered, as new monsters are becoming harder and harder to come across.

Besides Etoka Konandar, the Ebonaki tree is of great cultural significance to the Ettinor. This ancient tree is astoundingly not a Wellspring anomaly; and its origins have confounded scholars for ages. The tree's black bark stands in stark contrast to its bright orange leaves; or at least, they used to. The Ebonaki is known for the healing properties of its leaves, which can cure most poisons, diseases, and ailments when eaten raw. These were used ritually by the Ettinor, gifting them to the most skilled hunters to keep them strong. However, after the Vedathor Somuly arrived and learned of the tree, its leaves began rapidly disappearing; an event initially feared to be the tree dying, but was later revealed to be outsiders stealing its leaves at night. Learning of this brought the Ettinor the closest they have come to declaring war on the Vedathor Somuly. Over the years, outsiders have nearly picked the tree clean, and this has seemingly had an extreme effect on the tree; its bark beginning to fade in color and branches beginning to fall. The Ettinor are concerned that the tree is dying, and have kept the tree under heavy guard night and day, openly stating that any who attempt to pick the few remaining leaves will be punished with Sari'negol. The Ettinor have consulted with their monster lore hoping to find a material suitable for rejuvenating the tree, and have even sent envoys to distant lands searching for druids who may be able to help.

The city is the birthplace of the monster hunting group known as the Ossak Nekoki, or "bone collectors". These warriors consider it their purpose to destroy all monsters in the world, and are known for using their bones in the crafting of armor, weapons, decoration, and even architecture. These bones are even used in a process called "grafting", which allows an Ettinor to insert these bones into their bodies, taking on aspects of the host creature's strengths. These warriors can be found all over the world searching for the most powerful monsters, and are obligated to assist whenever they hear rumors of a dangerous creature preying on the innocent. They decorate themselves with intricate armor made from the bones of their kills, and believe that wearing these bones imbues them with the creature's strength. Some wear so much bone that they can be mistaken for monsters themselves by those unfamiliar with them. They refuse to take payment for what they do, but accept donations of supplies such as food, water, and equipment.

Defenses

Ebondel is very well-protected from the southern regions of Gothir; one of the only reasons the Bakari have not overrun it years ago. There are two large mesas close together, between which the gate protecting the city from the south is located. On the southern side of these two mesas is a very deep ravine that is nearly a half a mile deep which spans hundreds of miles. The ravine has a river flowing through it that comes from the Ebona Delaki to the west, flowing towards the eastern jungles. These natural defenses have kept the Bakari from breaching the city for decades. The ravine can only be crossed by a bridge designed by an At Matica inventor which has a quick-release lever that can drop the bridge out from beneath any Bakari that may try to cross the bridge. One critical weakness of the Bakari is that they seem to have no concept of ranged combat, and thus archers are posted openly outside the gates on the north side of the ravine ready to rain death upon invaders.

The Ettinor's monster lore is their most important asset, and as such they devote a majority of their defense to the Etoka Konandar. The archive, which is located underneath the eastern mesa, is guarded by no less than 500 Ettinor at any given time. The archive's monster and weapon lore contributes greatly to the city's defense, and there are alarm gongs in guard posts all around the entrance to alert the rest of the Ettinor in the city in the event of an attack so that they can come to its defense. With about half of the city's population being Ettinor, most of which are trained warriors, there are many who are ready to defend against the Bakari should they breach the city's defenses.

Crime

Ancient tradition in Ebondel decrees that any and all conflict is prohibited within the city limits. The various tribes that congregate here have long fought over their differences, but Ebondel is a neutral territory in which conflict is punishable by death. Despite the harsh penalty, fights break out every few months due to goading by obnoxious rival Ettinor trying to provoke a reaction. Due to the importance of Etoka Konandar, intrusion by those uninvited is punishable by exile; and anyone foolish enough to deface or destroy any of the stone records within the archive will face the harshest penalty in Gothir; being subject to Sari'negol, in which they are executed, and a Soulbinder binds their spirit to their corpse, before burying them in a hole somewhere remote where they shall remain indefinitely, alone.

There is a clash for power between the native Ettinor and the Vedathor Somuly, with the latter pushing for more and more control over Ebondel and its surrounding territory, using the war against the Bakari as an excuse; claiming that they need more resources and control to fight them. The Ettinor have been mostly accommodating, as fighting the Bakari themselves risks them being bitten and turned into additional Bakari, but they have remained resolute in applying the same laws to the Vedathor Somuly as their own people. They have refused to let outsiders enter Etoka Konandar despite their pleading and bribing.