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 rule 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.
Drahari settlements
Kazvarak ("The Vault of the Wind")
Location: *Canyon A (Western arm of the N), built into the eastern cliff walls of the Scarspire Range.*
Description:
- A sprawling cliffside pueblo, with rope bridges and pulleys connecting homes suspended within the rock.
- Features vast wind tunnels that amplify sound, allowing for long-distance communication through stone-drumming and echoes.
Role:
- The largest trading hub for the Drahari, specializing in salvaged materials and wind-carved relics.
- Home to the Echo Keepers, historians who record events through vibrational patterns etched into stone.
- Serves as a watchpoint for rockslides and intrusions from the Scarspire Range.
Vurthan Shaft ("The Crumbling Market")
Location: *Canyon B (Eastern arm of the N), deep within the canyon floor near the southern end of the great mesa.*
Description:
- A shifting network of market tunnels carved into the canyon walls, constantly collapsing and being rebuilt.
- The market’s entrances are secret, ensuring that outsiders never know its exact location.
Role:
- A neutral ground where the Drahari trade with the Kutharen and outside merchants.
- Specializes in reclaimed artifacts, canyon-forged tools, and rare minerals from eroded stone.
- Known for its "Whispered Markets," where negotiations are conducted entirely through silent gestures and rhythmic tapping.
Korrhavas ("The Unfinished City")
Location: *Canyon C (L-shaped northern canyon), perched on a crumbling sheer drop near the landbridge mesa.*
Description:
- A city that is always collapsing, always being rebuilt, with entire districts abandoned as erosion takes its toll.
- Houses are carved into the cliff face, connected by rope scaffolds and winding switchback trails.
Role:
- A sanctuary for scavengers and artifact seekers, who believe the canyon depths hold ancient knowledge.
- A hub for Drahari artisans, crafting wind-hardened leather armor, stone jewelry, and sculpted tools.
- Some believe that an ancient buried city lies beneath Korrhavas, but those who dig too deep often vanish.
Kutharen settlements
Thravan ("The Woven Sky")
Location: *The massive mesa between Canyon A & Canyon B.*
Description:
- A vast hanging city suspended between mesa spires, with woven bridges and netted walkways connecting structures high above the canyon rim.
- Features wind-lattice towers, used to redirect airflow for pollination and climate control.
Role:
- The cultural and political heart of the Kutharen, home to elders, air-farmers, and shamans.
- The primary agricultural hub, producing honeyed nectar, silk fibers, and canyon fruit.
- A neutral ground for trade between the Kutharen and Drahari, where strict rules of peace are enforced.
Vash’tul ("The Sky’s Maw")
Location: *A narrow mesa ridgeline between Canyon B & Canyon C.*
Description:
- A precarious settlement built atop a jagged, wind-battered ridgeline, accessible only to the most skilled climbers and gliders.
- Features "whisper gardens," where wind currents are manipulated to produce harmonic tones, used for storytelling and spiritual meditation.
Role:
- The last outpost before the landbridge leading east, acting as a watchpoint over incoming trade routes.
- Produces high-altitude medicinal plants and rare pollens.
- A center for Kutharen windlore, where shamans interpret the song of the air.
Korvosk ("The Broken Perch")
Location: *A solitary mesa in the northern L-Canyon (Canyon C).*
Description:
- A half-abandoned settlement, where one side of the mesa has already collapsed into the canyon below.
- Houses massive wind traps that collect insects, seeds, and drifting debris.
Role:
- A haven for exiles, wandering traders, and Kutharen who reject tradition.
- Produces a rare fermented honey-wine, known for its mild hallucinogenic properties.
- A site of pilgrimage for spirit-dreamers, who believe the winds here carry visions from Varethor himself.