Cities and Towns of Orrakar

The canyons and mesas of Orrakar are home to two distinct peoples: the Drahari, who dwell in the sheer cliffs and scavenge the canyon floor, and the Kutharen, who inhabit the high mesas, cultivating windborne farms and insect colonies. Their settlements reflect their respective ways of life, built to endure the slow but relentless erosion that defines Orrakar.

Major Cities

Kazvarak ("The Vault of the Wind")

• Location: Western arm of the north, built into the eastern cliff walls of the Scarspire Range.*

Kazvarak is the largest Drahari settlement, carved into the canyon walls and connected by rope bridges and pulleys. Wind tunnels amplify sound, allowing for long-distance communication through stone-drumming and echoes. It is the center of Drahari trade and home to the Echo Keepers, historians who record events using vibrational patterns etched into stone.

Thravan ("The Woven Sky")

• Location: The massive mesa between Canyon A and Canyon B.*

Thravan is the cultural and political heart of the Kutharen, a vast hanging city suspended between towering mesa spires. Wind-lattice towers redirect airflow for pollination and climate control. It serves as the primary agricultural hub and a neutral ground for trade between the Kutharen and Drahari.

Vurthan Shaft ("The Crumbling Market")

• Location: Canyon B, deep within the canyon floor near the southern end of the great mesa.*

Vurthan Shaft is a shifting network of market tunnels, constantly collapsing and being rebuilt. It is a neutral trade ground specializing in salvaged artifacts and rare minerals, known for its "Whispered Markets," where negotiations occur through silent gestures and rhythmic tapping.

Korrhavas ("The Unfinished City")

• Location: L-shaped northern canyon, perched on a crumbling sheer drop near the landbridge mesa.*

Korrhavas is a city in constant collapse and renewal, where entire districts are abandoned as erosion takes its toll. It serves as a hub for scavengers and artifact seekers, with many believing an ancient buried city lies beneath its foundations.

Towns

Vash’tul ("The Sky’s Maw")

• Location: A narrow mesa ridgeline between Canyon B and Canyon C.*

Vash’tul is a precarious settlement, accessible only to skilled climbers and gliders. The settlement features "whisper gardens," where wind currents are manipulated to produce harmonic tones for storytelling and meditation. It serves as an eastern watchpoint and a center for Kutharen windlore.

Kavzar's Rest ("The Broken Perch")

• Location: A solitary mesa in the northern L-Canyon (Canyon C).*

Kavzar's Rest is a half-abandoned settlement, where one side of the mesa has collapsed into the canyon below. It serves as a haven for exiles, producing fermented honey-wine used in Kutharen spirit-dreaming rituals.

Sul-Vekkar ("The Edge of the Abyss")

• Location: Eastern cliffs of the Endless Rift.*

Sul-Vekkar is a Drahari town built along the unstable rim of the Endless Rift. Due to the shifting cliffs, buildings are constructed on platforms anchored into the rock. The settlement is a center for scavengers and deep-rift exploration.

Dhul-Takar ("The Sunken Refuge")

• Location: A secluded valley east of the main canyon system.*

Dhul-Takar is one of the oldest Drahari settlements, built in a rare sheltered valley where seasonal rivers provide limited agriculture. Its isolation has led to a distinct dialect and cultural traditions different from other Drahari communities.

Kyreth-Vaal ("The Wind-Harvesters")

• Location: A mesa plateau southeast of Thravan.*

Kyreth-Vaal is a Kutharen settlement specializing in wind harvesting, where massive nets and tunnels are used to capture insects, seeds, and fine dust from the air. It supplies essential resources to the mesa cities.

Villages, Outposts, and Camps

Drahari Villages/Outposts/Camps (13 total)

• Zarakul Hollow – A cave-dwelling settlement deep within a canyon ravine, known for its subterranean fungus farms.
• Murnak’s Watch – A cliffside outpost guarding a dangerous rockfall-prone passage.
• Veskath’s Descent – A scavenger village near the Endless Rift, where deep exploration teams are based.
• Harvek’s Roost – A canyon ledge outpost monitoring seasonal flash floods.
• Rahl-Keth – A partially abandoned village where the canyon walls hum with wind-driven resonance.
• Jurrakar Landing – A temporary camp used for ferrying goods between Kazvarak and Sul-Vekkar.
• Tollak’s Steps – A settlement built along natural rock terraces leading into a floodplain.
• Yulthak Shade – A Drahari refuge hidden beneath an overhanging cliff, offering shade in the scorching heat.
• Grathun’s Ledge – A precarious village built along a narrow canyon shelf.
• Havok Spur – A seasonal waystation used by Drahari nomads traveling between trade routes.
• Orru’s Respite – A deep-ravine outpost where canyon-dwelling fauna are tamed for transport.
• Tirn-Vas – A historical excavation site turned into a small settlement, rumored to be built atop a lost city.
• Kelzak’s Grave – A settlement believed to be haunted, built near an ancient collapsed structure.

Kutharen Villages/Outposts/Camps (6 total)

• Veyran’s Nest – A village built on a large, wind-carved mesa spire, accessible only by gliding.
• Kaervok’s Loom – A settlement that produces fine canyon silk, suspended between two rock pillars.
• Zul-Thaar – A seasonal Kutharen camp used for tending to pollination towers.
• Orshak’s Breath – A wind-research outpost where Kutharen shamans study wind currents.
• Shar-Velth – A cliffside gathering place used for Kutharen air-ceremonies.
• Mirrak’s Rest – A nomadic village that follows seasonal nectar blooms across the mesas.