The First City
Atlantis
Atlantis, The first city of Crudilex, is over five thousand years old. Its people, the sea-dwelling merfolk, are direct creations of the universe’s creator and are incredibly adaptable. Though in their current form they are specialized for deep-sea living, they have taken many shapes throughout their existence. Some even theorize that they are the root species of all humanoids. Though it would be impossible to prove. Their city is extremely well protected and lies a thousand miles from the nearest shore, Tiberius Reef, west of Dawnfire’s Cinderwall coast.
Battlemaps set in this location
Relief of all Things
A spiraling tower of marble rises high, its peak crowned by a sculpture depicting the first moments of the world. From that summit, the tower spirals downward like a nautilus shell, its surface carved with scenes that recount the entire history of the world. In the six thousand years since its creation, only the very top of the tower has been carved, the recorded events wrapping around just a few times. The vast majority of the pillar remains blank, waiting for history to unfold.
Zazul Reservoir
Surrounding the central castle lies an extremely deep reservoir of clean, fresh water. Shaped like an enormous cup, it remains open at the top to collect the frequent rains, yet fully sealed from the salty ocean that surrounds the city. The reservoir descends far below the palace, reaching into the lower sections of the Dorumvow districts. There, fresh water can be accessed through spigots and captured air pockets, allowing it to be drawn even from beneath the depths of the salt sea.
The reservoir is equipped with numerous sluice gates and water locks, granting precise control over the many canals that run throughout the city. These systems regulate the various engineering features powered by hydraulic pumps, and some are also tied to defensive mechanisms. In times of siege, torrents of water can be released to pour down the city walls, sweeping away attackers and preventing enemies from scaling them.
The Castle with Six Skies
Home to the Philosopher Lords, six immortal advisors of King Zazul, this palace is a grand, circular structure surrounded by arrow-shaped keeps, each facing a different direction. A massive balcony mansion crowns each of these keeps, serving as the eternal residence of the six advisors. They never leave their towers, dedicating their endless lives to refining their philosophies beyond all doubt.
None of the advisors may see or speak with one another. When King Zazul seeks guidance, he visits each Philosopher Lord in turn, receiving their unclouded and incorruptible counsel. Though their advice often conflicts—each rooted in the distinct morals and ethics of their particular philosophy—the king listens carefully before making his decision. However, when all six advisors agree, the king knows with certainty that his path is sound.
The Ivory Consulate
A grand republic hall where every living culture and every planarly significant community of Crudilex is granted a representative. These delegates gather to make decisions concerning global security and the overall direction of the world. The extremely rare unanimous vote of the Consulate holds greater authority than even king Zazul himself. Such a vote can reappoint, replace, overrule, or abolish any ruler’s power or edict, making it the highest governing force in existence.
Surface Embassy
Established eons ago when Atlantis ascended from the sea to join the world during the Age of Magic, the release of the city’s advanced magics dramatically reshaped Crudilex. This sudden surge of power caused chaotic and violent shifts in the balance of power, ultimately culminating in the war known as the Goloarcana Conflict. During this devastating war, Wakestone was wielded by all nations to fight proxy battles across the land with construct creatures.
Because of this, Atlantis approaches its relations with the outside world with great caution. The Surface Embassy was created to maintain friendship and dialogue while ensuring the city does not unleash dangerous powers again. Atlantis remains willing to engage with others but does so carefully, guarding against repeating its mistakes of the past.
The Canals
Intricate and complex, the waterways of Atlantis carry fresh water throughout the entire city. By using height and pressure, they power devices such as water clocks and fountains, filling the city with magnificent hydraulic displays while also providing a steady supply of drinkable water.
Orichalcum Citadel
A large brass structure, the Orichalcum Citadel serves as the primary thermal bathhouse of Atlantis. Marble floors are warmed by an intricate system of pipes, while steam rooms use wood-fired heated freshwater to create soothing heat. At the center of the Citadel stands a towering Obelisk of opal and orichalcum, inscribed with the ancient runes of Qwolar, a gift to the atlanteans from The Hallowed army and Palace of Immortals.
This Obelisk—like others found throughout the lands of Qwolar—is imbued with the power of immortality. Its magic preserves the waters of the baths, restoring vitality and renewing those who soak within.
Azlogad
The Azlogad are a subaquatic group of atlanteans who spend half the year living on the surface and the other half below the sea. The water levels of the central city shifting and creating constant churning surf and waterfalls in constant motion. Their world is completely utopian, shaped by centuries without warfare. Diplomacy and cooperation have become central to their way of life, woven deeply into upper atlantean culture. In contrast, the Dorumvow below adapt to life below, where they embrace martial traditions and prepare for conflict, dividing Atlantis into two distinct societies—one of peace above, and one of warriors below.
Essence Impluvium
These towering, building-sized containers hold refined, captured essence. The essence is gathered by Atlantian-made arcane anchors, which are attuned to the abundant Aquan Leyline that flows invisibly through and around Atlantis. Each container resembles a giant flower bulb, closed and ready to bloom. Above each one stands a Wakestone statue known as a Compluvium, adorned with intricate carved runes that draw essence from the leyline.
The magic drawn from these leylines is contained within the Essence Impluviums and distributed throughout the city, providing power to the many Awoken Stone structures and devices that operate across Atlantis.
Antikythera Calendar
A massive device powered by the rising and falling tides that flow through Atlantis and its canals, the Antikythera Calendar measures a worldwide rhythm that is so vast it is imperceptible on a mortal scale. It calculates the movement of the stars, the turning of eons, the birth and death of divine beings, and can mathematically speculate on large-scale global events by studying fluctuations in the flow of magic and essence through the leylines.
Arcane energy is an emotionally charged force; when enough living beings use it for violence or peace, these actions create measurable changes in the flow of essence that the Antikythera Calendar detects.
Other such devices exist in Crudilex, including one in the lands of Veriloh—a gift to the Tortle from the ancient Atlanteans. The leaders of Veriloh became so obsessed with using the calendar to predict the future that it shaped their culture and religious beliefs for thousands of years, continuing into modern times. Their entire society is organized around the Minders, who interpret the clock’s readings. The Ivory Consulate has since decreed that Atlantis shall never share this technology again.
The Ostramba Garden
The Ostramba is a creature resembling a jellyfish, but with a large bulb-like head that contains a pocket of breathable air. It fills and empties this pocket to propel itself underwater, or swim slowly while holding the pocket intact. This ability allows it to serve as a living submarine, transporting creatures safely within its air pocket beneath the surface.
The oceans of Crudilex and the Sunless Sea are as lively as the world above, filled with wonders waiting to be explored. However, not every creature can be as fortunate as the Atlanteans, who possess a natural ability to adapt to their environment. For this reason, the Ostramba has become an important domestic creature in Atlantis, helping move air-breathing beings between air pocket structures in the city’s submerged sections. The Ostramba Garden functions as a harbor and a nursery for these creatures. They are raised in pools and trained to respond to the commands of their guides.
The Sluice Gates
Between the Azlogad and Dorumvow sections of the Upper City stand two gigantic octopus statues carved from Wakestone. Their massive tentacles move slowly and deliberately, glowing with blue lines of essence. These sluice gates regulate water flow to the many hydraulically controlled devices throughout the lower city, opening and closing canals to direct water pressure where it is most needed.
The two statues have managed these waterways for so many thousands of years that most Atlanteans no longer fully understand where the water flows to or from. Instead, they trust the Wakestone itself to silently govern the system behind the scenes.
Prison of Keems
In the earliest ages, when creation was still young, beings from beyond the physical realms—creatures of pure thought—breached into the world. Forced to take shape, they twisted their alien logic into physical forms, manifesting as eldritch abominations. These entities plagued Crudilex for eons before their tears were sealed for good.
Keems is one such creature. A gnarled, jade-fleshed sea giant with three eyes and massive bat-like wings, Keems once assaulted Atlantis. By fortune and strength, the city’s defenders defeated it, sealing the creature within a shell of Wakestone where it has remained imprisoned ever since. Though Atlantis keeps careful watch over the Prison of Keems to ensure the creature’s influence is contained, troubling signs have begun to emerge. Some among the Dorumvow Atlanteans have started to secretly worship Keems, claiming to hear its voice in their dreams.
Dorumvow
Dorumvow is both the name of a region of the city and the culture of the Atlanteans who live there. Adapted to the dark depths, they have evolved bioluminescence and sturdy, crab-like features. These Atlanteans dwell in the deepest parts of the Sunless Sea, far below the city’s foundations.
In some areas, the lowest reaches of this subsurface district even brush against the edges of the Void itself. The Dorumvow who live in these extreme depths have adapted even further, transforming into monstrous forms to survive. These deepwellers slowly lose themselves to the crushing darkness below, their minds and bodies warping with the depths. Many grow bitter, seething at the utopian society above and loathing those who dwell in the higher reaches.
Over the centuries, the divide between those adapted to the surface and those below has deepened, the rift spreading ever further between the bright world above and the shadows beneath.
The Stone Waker
Stonewaking is an arcane art the blends sculpture with enchantment, granting one’s creations a conciseness. It was perfected by the Ironblood dwarves during the earliest days of the Goloarcana Conflict. It was later shared with their allies, the Atlanteans, who integrated it deeply into their culture. While the Ironbloods used the power for the crafting and creation of golems, the Atlanteans adapted it for more domestic purposes—shaping it into a tool for home, labor, and industry. In their hands, it became a way to awaken structures and statues just enough to serve as beasts of burden or even as pets. This power is essential for operating the canals and water-driven infrastructure that governs the Azlogad districts of the city. Atlantean Stone Waking marks the beginning of the art that would later evolve into humonulomancy.