Darak-Kel
| Darak-Kel | |
|---|---|
 | |
| City | Kar-Thal |
| Function | Governance and Ritual |
| Notable Locations | Grand Hall of Oras • Kel-Vorun • Tharakul |
Darak-Kel is the political and ceremonial heart of Kar-Thal. Anchored around the sacred Great Hall of Oras, it serves as the core site of governance, oath-taking, and ancestral continuity.
Function
The district functions as the locus of civic decision-making, ritual pronouncement, and stewardship. Within its halls, the Council of Stone deliberates beneath ancestral effigies.
History
Founded at the inception of Kar-Thal, Darak-Kel has remained unchanged in form and function for centuries. Darak-Kel resists alteration as a deliberate act of continuity. It has borne witness to every major oath, law, and proclamation since the city's founding and served as the ceremonial axis of the Duranthi.
Notable Locations
- Grand Hall of Oras: The central chamber where the Council of Stone convenes. Its basalt columns are tuned to amplify spoken words, allowing declarations to reverberate across the chamber.
- Kel-Vorun: A secluded chamber used for the sealing of ancestral pacts and oaths. Designed to capture and repeat vows whispered into its walls.
- Tharakul: A series of terraced platforms carved into the bedrock, used for public pronouncements and ritual ascents during times of civic renewal.
Cultural Practices
Access to Darak-Kel is tightly controlled. While the inner sanctum is restricted to officials, citizens may gather in outer halls to listen to announcements of council proceedings.
Bibliography
- Stone as Witness: The Ritual Architecture of Kar-Thal by Lorewarden Evasul
- Chronicle of the Echo Seat (Ashlar Vaults, Record Layer II)
- Resonance and Rule: The Rituals of Darak-Kel by Lorewarden Vem Taarak