View source for Kar-Thal

{{Settlements in the Sanctuary Vale Infobox
|Name=[[Kar-Thul]]
|Image=[[File:Kar-Thal_Gate.jpg|center|frameless]]
|Type=Capital City
|Location=Citadel Mountains, Central Terasil
|Realm=Terasil
|Region=Sanctuary Vale
|Subregion=Citadel Mountains
|Inhabitants=[[Duranthi]]
|Significance=Ancient capital and spiritual heart of Terasil
|Controlled by=Council of Kar-Thal
}}
{{Settlements in the Sanctuary Vale Sections
|Introduction=Kar-Thal is the ancient capital and spiritual heart of [[Terasil]]. Located in the Sanctuary Vale and carved into the [[Citadel Mountains]], it is the largest and oldest city in Terasil and serves as the center of Duranthi civilization. Among the Duranthi, the density of one's stone-skin is most recognized here, and often associated with ancestral proximity to [[Oras]].
|Geography=Kar-Thal is located deep within the Citadel Mountains, a rugged and sacred range that shelters the remnants of the original primordial realm. The city itself is vertically structured, with tiered districts built into the contours of the mountain.
|History=Founded soon after Duranthi arrived in the [[Sanctuary Vale]], Kar-Thal emerged as the first permanent settlement in the Terasil. It has served as a continuous center of governance, tradition, and spiritual practice since the earliest days of modern Terasil.
|Districts==== Darak-Kel ===
[[Darak-Kel]] is the political and ceremonial heart of Kar-Thal. Built around the [[Grand Hall of Oras]], it houses the chambers of the Council of Kar-Thal. Public access is limited; citizens gather in outer halls to hear announcements of council proceedings.

=== The Veins ===
[[Veins|The Veins]] are a residential and market district. A living web of tunnels and grotto-homes, where daily commerce and family life unfold. 

=== Kel-Siruun ===
[[Kel-Siruun]] hosts the Archives and Stonecraft Guilds. A tiered arc of carved vaults surrounding the '''[[Ashlar Vaults]]'''. Home to [[Lorewarden|Lorewardens]] and artisans. Every wall here is etched with law-stones, genealogical records, and geological treatises. Entrance to inner archives requires express permission of the Lorewardens. 

=== Surn's Refuge ===
[[File:Kar-Thal_Grand_Hall.jpg|thumb|The Grand Hall of Oras]]
[[Surn's Refuge]] is a district focused on public ceremony.  A cavernous sanctuary filled with chimes made of minerals and natural spires. The city's public rituals and events take place here.

=== The Stonesteps ===
The [[Stonesteps]] are the place for trials and Initiations. A dangerous spiraling stair carved from obsidian-glass along a vertical chasm wall. Used for trials of endurance and rites of passage. Only those seeking to join the ranks of Stonewardens are permitted to ascend.

=== Tarsu-un ===
[[Tarsu-un]] is the district with quarry access and miner guilds. This district lies closest to the city’s outer quarry networks and is inhabited by stonecutters and Minthari tunnelers. The dwellings here are more utilitarian.

=== Stone's Hold ===
[[Stone’s Hold|Stone's Hold]] is a defensive stronghold and logistics hub.  Located around the '''Lithic Gate''', this fortified district houses the city’s [[Stonewarden]] barracks, storehouses, and defense infrastructure. 

=== Varen-Kelun ===
[[Varen-Kelun]] houses the diplomatic and external relations  A relatively newer addition to Kar-Thal, Varen-Kelun was built to house visitors, traders, and emissaries from beyond Terasil.
|Notable Locations==== The Gates of Origin ===
The [[Gates of Origin]] are the sole known entrance to inner Terasil and the Basiton of Oras, thought to be the home of Oras himself. This sacred land had been sealed off by Orasians centuries before the city was built, after the Orasians left the Vale following the end of the Erosion Wars 

=== '''The Grand Hall of Oras''' ===
The [[Grand Hall of Oras]] is the central chamber of governance and ritual. Its basalt columns and echoing stone acoustics are said to resonate with the voice of Oras himself. Here, the Council of Kar-Thal deliberates under the watch of ancient statues carved from the mountain's heart.

=== '''Tarrakul Arhun''' ("The Rooted Temple") ===
[[Tarrakul Arhun]] is a sanctuary built around a massive column of uncarved stone, considered a conduit of Oras’s essence. 

=== '''The Ashlar Vaults''' ===
The [[Ashlar Vaults]] is a tiered archive of knowledge and law, composed of memory-stones and carved tablets. The Vaults are maintained by the Lorewardens, who chisel updated records and guard ancient civic decrees dating back to the city's founding.

=== '''Hall of Binding Echoes''' ===
The [[Hall of Binding Echoes]] is a secluded chamber where oaths are sworn and ancestral pacts sealed. The acoustics preserve and repeat vows whispered into the stone, allowing them to echo across generations.

=== '''The Lithic Gate''' ===
The [[Lithic Gate]] is a  fortified threshold into Kar-Thal, constructed from interlocking slabs without mortar. The gate’s architecture is designed to shift subtly with seismic vibrations, rendering it unbreachable. Guarded by Earthbound Sentinels
|Culture and Society=Life in Kar-Thal is slow and deliberate. As the seat of the [[Council of Kar-Thal]], and ruled by the council itself, the city embodies the most formal and conservative expression of Duranthi values. Every civic process, from decision-making to public labor is guided by ancestral precedent.

Ceremonial roles in Kar-Thal are deeply institutionalized. Stonewardens and Lorewardens maintain the city’s sacred routines.

Citizens of Kar-Thal observe [[Veshariin]] (''Harmonic Days''), when public life slows to a standstill and many citizens descend into meditation chambers commune with the subterranean vibrations of the earth itself. These moments of stillness are said to maintain spiritual balance and civic unity.

Artisans in the Kar-Thal tradition craft for the longetivity of the art itself.
|Spiritual Significance=The city is situated on the border of the Domain of Oras and as such Earth Spirits are frequently encountered within its caverns and halls. Duranthi believe Kar-Thal to be one of the few remaining places where the voice of Oras can be heard directly through the stone. Though Oras remains the core presence of the city, the [[Ascendant Spirit]] [[Varunel]] is also invoked in archival and legislative rites, representing continuity and recorded truth.
|Economy=Kar-Thal’s economy centers on stonecraft, mineral trade, and earth-imbued artifacts. While not aggressively expansionist, it maintains deep trade ties with [[Minthari]] Settlements.
|Defense and Military=Kar-Thal is naturally fortified by the Citadel Mountains. In addition, the Stonewardens are warriors capable of reshaping terrain during battle. The city’s layered structure and deep caverns make it nearly impregnable to direct assault.
|Dangers and Threats=While isolated and well-protected, Kar-Thal faces threats from deep-earth disturbances. Seismic tremors, though rare, are sometimes seen as warnings from Oras.
|Representation in Media==== '''Art and Visual Depictions''' ===
Kar-Thal is frequently portrayed in Duranthi art, though rarely in full or literal form. Instead, artists emphasize the city’s underlying geometry, mass, and silence. Resonance painters, stone-dust muralists, and sculptors often represent Kar-Thal through abstract forms—layered arches, weight-bearing columns, and partial echoes of walls and halls. 

Artists from other cultures often portray Kar-Thal with more literal detail: towering subterranean gates, vast chasm-plazas, and monolithic guardians. These depictions typically emphasize scale and mystery over ritual accuracy, blending reverence with distant speculation. 

=== '''Literature and Inscription''' ===
Kar-Thal figures prominently in Duranthi civic verse and ancestral inscription. It is described not as a place, but as an experience of being shaped by stone. Short form stone-verses are commonly found on resonance posts across Terasil, many of which begin with invocations of Kar-Thal as the seated breath or “the listening vault.”

Civic records and historical chronicles, such as those preserved in the [[Ashlar Vaults]], often reference the city as the anchor of law and spiritual continuity.

=== '''Music''' ===
Kar-Thal’s internal architecture has deeply influenced Duranthi harmonic tradition. Tonal rituals performed within its chambers.

These compositions rely on slow, breath-aligned tones and chamber reverberations, forming an auditory map of civic rhythm and ancestral presence. Outsiders attempting to recreate these patterns often miss the spatial depth, yet still produce adaptations that echo the city's sonic identity.
}}
[[Category:Council of Kar-Thal Holdings]][[category:Major Cities]][[Category:Citadel Mountains]]