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=== Surn's Refuge ===
=== Surn's Refuge ===
[[File:Kar-Thal_Grand_Hall.jpg|thumb|The Grand Hall of Oras]]
[[File:Kar-Thal_Grand_Hall.jpg|thumb|The Grand Hall of Oras]]
[[Surn's Refuge]] is a district focused on contemplation and public ceremony  A cavernous sanctuary filled with mineral chimes and natural spires. The city's most sacred public rituals take place here.
[[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 ===
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=== Tarsu-un ===
=== 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. Known for its practical dialect and unadorned architecture.
[[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 ===
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=== '''Tarrakul Arhun''' ("The Rooted Temple") ===
=== '''Tarrakul Arhun''' ("The Rooted Temple") ===
[[Tarrakul Arhun]] is a sanctuary built around a massive column of uncarved stone, considered a raw conduit of Oras’s essence. Silent ceremonies are conducted in its shadow, with worshipers pressing their foreheads to the stone to receive visions.
[[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''' ===
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=== '''The Lithic Gate''' ===
=== '''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
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 governed by a distinct rhythm—slow and deliberate. As the seat of the [[Council of Kar-Thal]], and indeed directly ruled by the council, the city embodies the most formal and conservative expression of Duranthi values. Every civic process, from decision-making to public labor, is measured by ritual intervals and guided by ancestral precedent.
|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.


Civic identity is shaped not only by district and role, but often by geological heritage. Those with denser or more ancient stone formations are viewed—formally or not—as closer to the city’s foundational purpose."
Ceremonial roles in Kar-Thal are deeply institutionalized. Stonewardens and Lorewardens maintain the city’s sacred routines.


Kar-Thal is divided into districts, each tied to a particular function and lineage. Civic identity is shaped not by family, but by district allegiance, often passed through apprenticeships, work guilds, or stone-oaths. The city’s most prestigious districts are home to elder-chambers, judges, and archive-keepers, while districts like the Veins serve as centers for commerce and daily life.
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.


Ceremonial roles in Kar-Thal are deeply institutionalized. Stonewardens and Lorewardens maintain the city’s sacred routines.
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.
Citizens of Kar-Thal observe [[Veshariin]] (''Harmonic Days''), when public life slows to a standstill and citizens descend into meditation chambers to attune themselves with subterranean vibrations. These moments of stillness are said to maintain spiritual balance and civic unity.
|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.
Artisans within Kar-Thal craft not for beauty, but for endurance and memory.
|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.
 
Above all, Kar-Thal is a city where time is measured by stone. Its people live embedded in their city’s material memory—literally carved into its halls—and believe that to dwell in Kar-Thal is to be shaped by it in return.
|Spiritual Significance=The city is situated atop a powerful node of Oras’s essence. Earth Spirits are frequently encountered within its caverns and halls, often taking part in civic rituals. Duranthi believe Kar-Thal to be one of the few remaining places where the voice of Oras can be heard directly through stone and echo. Though Oras remains the core presence, 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. The Earthheart Forge and the Veins host markets where both mundane and spiritual goods are exchanged.
|Defense and Military=Kar-Thal is naturally fortified by the Citadel Mountains. In addition, its defenders—the Stonewardens—are elite warriors some capable of reshaping terrain during battle. The city’s layered structure and deep caverns make it nearly impregnable to direct assault. Defense is focused on endurance and repelling threats through terrain manipulation rather than conventional warfare.
|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. Additionally, friction with certain rogue Minthari mining guilds poses a cultural and ecological risk to the surrounding mountain sanctity.
|Representation in Media==== '''Art and Visual Depictions''' ===
|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.  
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.  
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