Orodreth
Location: East Valanthus, somewhere in the Veined Lakes
Description: Orodreth is arrayed as simply as possible when considering the uncompromising difficulties of constructing an entire city upon a swamp of ever changing, ever sinking and re-emerging land masses. A network of islands vaguely drifting amid the swamps of the Veined Lakes play host to Orodreth, supporting its ancient structures timorously at best. The architecture of the city is entirely unique and considered brilliant by those who have been able to find it amid the stinking cesspools of the Lakes. Each structure is composed of blocks of resilient stone, their bases as wide as the isles that support them allow and narrowing with each level until its terminus. The overall composition is something like a pyramid, but blocky and uneven. Elven stonecraft, after all, cannot hope to rival that of the Dwarves. Even still, the pyramids of Orodreth were devised not as aesthetic flares, like most Elven cities, but rather as ingenious adaptations to the swamp. Each layer of the pyramids can easily be expanded upon, and thus as the structures begin to sink into the deadly deep murk of the swamp, each layer is expanded upon meeting ground-level. Some believe that Orodreth is among the oldest of all Elven cities upon Valanthus and by the same note, the largest when considering the impossible complex of catacombs that have already sunk into the earth.
Districts and Divisions: More like islets and islands. Few have been to Orodreth and fewer still can even find it amid the Lakes, yet in its ancient glory it is quite well constructed. Rather than separating the vital functions of the city and scattering them from one another in that perfectionist, beauty-restricted Elven way, each islet of Orodreth is in fact a self contained city.
There are nine islands in Orodreth and each of them contains a barracks, a small schooling house, residential structures, and even their own libraries. In such a way, should any horror befall the city itself (as often happens amid the forsaken swamps of Valanthus) some small part of it must surely go on, ticking away the memories of time as layer by layer the sub-cities sink into the swamp. It is the hope that in this strategy, Orodreth will never truly fall. To this day, it has not.
History: Orodreth's origin is blurred and vague. It is said that the swamps of Valanthus, known as the Veined Lakes, originated after a battle between Dragina tribes that scarred and pocked the earth, infecting Dio's precious bosom with the taint of violent, powerful magic. Aidon, loving sister, sought to soothe the wound upon Volkain's isle and Dio's very flesh by suffusing the place there with her own magical waters. Amid the chaos of this interchange, however, something must indeed have gone horribly awry. Earth, Air and Water each conflict and yet compliment each other and thus the merger of their forces is at best a gambit of chaos. What emerged from this particular game of Godly gambling was an ever-changing swamp whose isles drifted among rivers and lakes that squirmed and changed, seeking to settle in one spot but ever being denied the privilege.
Mind the history of the Lakes, for they are similar to that of Orodreth itself. Originally Orodreth was settled by Dragina but not from any particular tribe. Rather it was a coalition swore an oath amongst one another as the Peacewalkers. These few Dragina segregated themselves from all of the other tribes, choosing instead to live out their lives in harmonic peace, hidden away from the constant bickering and warring of their insatiable kin. It is unfortunate that the truth within the blood of the Dragina, unlike that of the other races, cannot be ignored. The blood of the Dragon burns and though these few contented themselves with seeking enlightenment, they soon began to turn upon one another, vying for dominance in a micro-chasm of the great nine tribes themselves. It was soon that each of them resumed their tribal names, broke their oaths and began to build cities upon nine separate isles. Despite the shattered tradition they had hoped to upkeep, they still wished to remain hidden from Fou Lu at large and so remained within the swamps.
Perhaps it was destiny that the Draginan powers who settled Orodreth turned their might to war, if invisible war, and by the end of a few miserable generations... Every single Dragina who had come to Orodreth seeking peace lay rotting in death amid the swamp. In some distant way, perhaps that is peace, the only peace the Draginan race shall ever know.
In the years following the Dragina's disappearance from the swamp, a few others have searched among its depths, seeking out thrills or creatures to slay, or rumors of treasures hidden upon the forsaken islands. Though there certainly is treasure, most definitely creatures of all sorts and a without a doubt a certain amount of thrill, none of have found anything worth terribly a lot of mention... That is until the Age of Divine Wars. When Volkain created the Elves he asked Thanatos for his wisdom and Thanatos told Volkain simply, "Division is the mightiest promise of success, for should one fall, two shall rise up and succeed... One must surely hope!"
Volkain took this advice to heart and over generations carefully guided two factions of Elves. The first became the Elven Empire, inspired warriors of Volkain, settling cities such as Otorno En Fanyare and Aerandir Sirfalas while the second became the Hidden Ones. The Hidden Ones would one day find Orodreth and settle it, living in the old ruined Dragina city and learning of its architectural marvels, then duplicating them. They would not leave the swamps, ever, for it is the Hidden Ones who serve as the Last of the Elves, perhaps ever before the Elves would have needed to be called lonely.
Population: Very small. The exact number is unknown but each and every citizen of Orodreth is Elven.
Kingdom/Empire: Orodreth belongs officially to the Elven Empire, though few but the Emperor himself know that the ancient city even exists.
Army: The army of Orodreth is in each and every one of those who settle it. Because of Orodreth's location and long, disparaging history it has never actually been put to war. There have been a few skirmishes to take place around the Veined Lakes, but often they are short and Orodreth has never been called upon to defend the Elven Empire. Perhaps this is because Volkain has willed it, or perhaps it is because few believe the Hidden Ones are even capable of fighting. This is not the case. At least amid the swamps of their origin there are few fiercer foes. The Hidden Ones are different from the Elves that thrive upon open air and blue skies and vast, green leafed trees. They are a stronger breed; iron hard and ice cool just as the swamp is neither of those and both. They move like ghosts amid their ancestral home, their promised land of Volkain. Just as well. It is doubtful any army would ever succeed in an attack against Orodreth, or have a care to.
