Kharakhara art

Here's some art for Elyden, made from some art I was able to licence that I felt fit perfectly with the feel I wanted for the city of Kharakhara.

History                                                                                                                                                        

This antediluvian metropolis lies in the interior of the Kharkharadontid wastes in the middle of the continent of Sammaea, around 15O from the font of all Atramental activity in Elyden: the Black Fountain.

     It is amongst one of the first recorded cities built without the aid of a Demiurge, and is mentioned in the Mythologia Elyden, leading scholars to believe its origins date back some 15,000 - 20,000-years, though it is unlikely to have existed in a continuous iteration for all this time. 

     Its original incarnation was founded by a plagi nation within a few generations of their forced scattering by the Demiurge Talantehut, following the defeat and imprisonment of Rachanael by his sister Allaishada. They were vulnerable without Rachanael’s aegis, and the city grew slowly as they fought against the chaotic nature of the Atramenta, which until then had been held at bay by the simple existence of thir Demiurge leader. 

     At the heart of the city were great shapers who struggled day and night to control the corrupting influence of the Atramenta and the Black Fountain.  

Today, the city is half buried in the dust of Kharkharadontis, its stone edifices diligently tended to by obsidian-skinned engineers and shapers. Though rotting and decaying, much like the world around it, the city of Kharakhara remains as the last true refuge of the plagi race, which suffered greatly in the wake of their abandonment by their father Rachanael, who forsook them, replacing them with humans, who were more numerous and whose worship offered greater sustenance to him. Following his imprisonment, the plagi grew bitter, vowing to never again rely on outside aid to survive their homeland.  

     As one might expect from a city in the heart of Kharkharadontis, life in Kharakhara is harsh, though the plagi have adapted to life in the wasted deserts over the millennia. To outsiders, the city is a personification of their bitterness - it is severe, existing despite the land around it, rather than because of it. 

     Protruding from the unforgiving wastes of Kharkharadontis like a malignant sore, it is beset constantly by the depravations and corruption of the Atramenta, leading to its people being resolute survivors, as distrusting of foreigners as they are the land around them. Indeed, the plagi that live here bear an unconditional hatred of humans, which they perceive as usurpers and weaklings, having stolen the affection of Rachanael. But most of all, they carry an undying resentment of Rachanael himself, who they have never forgiven for abandoning them in favour of humans in his quest for power. They go out of their way to attack pilgrims from the Korachani empire, which pass near to their city on their way south to the Sepulchral Palace, where the body of the Demiurge is held in stasis.

     The people of Kharakhara have highly ritualised lives, and most parts of their days are structured and adhered to. The sick are sacrificed so as not to be a burden on their families, and deceased family members are buried in crypts beneath family dwellings, and their spirits are invoked by shamen to guard the living, who carry their name and honour.  

The city is structured under a strict hierarchy and caste system. The lowest echelons are made up of slaves - the weak, diseased, and Atramentally-afflicted. In many cases the city is ruled by the strong, and those who cannot defend themselves from the press-gangers and slavers are doomed to become servants and workers to the powerful.

     Above them are the many Atramentists who toil ceaselessly in defending the city from the Atramenta and corrupted beasts that haunt their homeland. Though their work is hard and largely unrecognised by the city, they are essential in its upkeep and without them it would crumble to dust in a matter of generations. Shamen, too, are common, and act as counsellors and guides to the common classes, offering glimpses into what the future may hold. 

     The ruler of Kharakhara is traditionaly a powerful Atramentist who sits at the head of a council of seven, which are all elected by the wealthy and powerful from amongst the most influential institutions across the city. 

     The city is also known for its trackers, who are amongst the most proficient at navigating the Atramental wastes. Similarly, they are adept at identifying areas where Atramental corruption is least severe, and can also predict with accuracy when Atramental fluxes may happen, which is integral to the defence of the city and its inhabitants.

Landmarks                                                                                                                                               

Beacon of Egynkhozz: major landmark in the city, this beacon of Atramental energy is controlled and maintained by a cadre of expert penumbrists. It serves as a navigational tool to travellers and can be seen from miles around, discounting adverse weather. It also acts as a siphon to the worst of Atramental forces in the area, protecting the plagi of Kharakhara from physical corruption. It is similar to the siphon engines of the Inner Sea, but is far more sophisticated.

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