> [!success] Integrated > This lore drop has been processed and integrated into the vault. > See: [[City - Gold City]], [[Landmark - Arag'Mar (Gold Peak)]] ***LOCATION OR STRUCTURE - Arag'Mar / Gold City - An ancient seat of power...*** Arag’Mar is the highest peak in Edaria, historically known in the common tongue as the Mountain of Blessings, or the Gold Peak. This mountain was once the centre of power on the continent, fought over and settled by a multitude of cultures and races over the early ages of Gryth. Gold City, located at the base of the mountain, is a site whose historical importance cannot be overstated. It was the epicentre of The Ascension, during which the Eldari dynasty of Sun Elves claimed all Edaria as their dominion, granted to them through the power of Milith and Elvarion, the elven deities of the Moon and Sun respectively. This act, which marked the end of the Age of Kings and kickstarted a violent new age marked by war and conquest, forever changed the perception of the High Elves amongst many races. Humans, who bore the largest brunt of the Eldari Empires bloodthirsty extermination and subjugation campaigns, eventually overthrew and destroyed the Eldari bloodline, claiming Arag’Mar and the Gold City as the centre of all human civilization. Since then, the mountains influence and power have diminished somewhat, and stories of its riches and monumental status are often told in the past tense. The mountain itself is almost 5000 metres tall, towering over the surrounding farmlands and fields. It is somewhat of a geographical oddity, being so massive and yet completely disconnected from either the Andaganges or Brown Mountain ranges. The mountain contained at one point the greatest concentration of rare metals in the known world, with extremely lucrative dwarven mines extracting a previously unheard-of level of riches. These great treasures enriched central Edaria to the point of economic supremacy, and the mountain played host to visits from foreign dignitaries, worship by local towns and villages, and was a favoured site for young adventurers ready to fill their pockets. Under the Eldari Empire, the mountains mine were expanded into truly enormous networks of intense extraction and refinement, using dwarven slaves from the Stone tribe lines. It was around fifty years before the breakout of the Sunrise Wars that the mountain began to show its first signs of depletion, as mining records show a negative overall yield on the previous years haul. This has prompted many modern historians to theorise that even without the spark of violent uprising, the lavish Eldari Empire would have collapsed under its own economic weight. In the Free Age following the deposing of the Eldari Emperor, much of the world was mapped and brought into the politically advanced world of Edaria, due to steady increases in scientific and magical excursion equipment. The deep jungles of Q’Shar and the mist covered valleys of Ganath were finally penetrated, and with that came the discovery of many new sources of gold and rare metals. By the end of this age, Arag’Mar was just one of many, rather than being alone in its own league, and it continued to yield heavily diminishing levels of metals and treasures. Its importance dwindled further with the establishment of new continental political centres, that drew much of the focus from Edaria and scattered it across an ever-growing world. Gryth had changed, and the peak of Arag’Mar was no longer considered with the same awesome power as in earlier times. Gold City also suffered during this age, falling further and further from its former glory. The city became surrounded by large slums, crime and poverty were rife, and the surrounding farmlands became more independent and less interested in paying tribute to the once great capital. A failed attempt to restore the Eldari dynasty within the city and the awakening of dark powers during the so-called ‘Rituals of Madness’ caused the city’s reputation to plummet, and foreign traders and dignitaries began to relocate south to the tri-capitals of Scavania. The final two nails in the coffin of Arag’Mar’s legacy came during the Age of Discovery. The first was the discovery of three peaks higher than Arag’Mar, officially demoting the golden mountain to only the fourth highest peak on Gryth. All three of these peaks were found in the harsh and mysterious land of Sckyemount in Western Ganath. The highest of these peaks was over 8000 metres tall, dwarfing the lone Edarian peak quite handily. This smaller stature assigned to Arag’Mar removed much of the foreign interest historically surrounding the area, and the Gold City became another city among many that shrank away from the larger pages of history. The second nail in the coffin was the rise of the trading companies that now litter the oceans of Gryth. These companies, which rely heavily on fast ocean trade between continents, were almost completely unable to access the mountain, without lengthy overground travel. Port cities became hub centres for trade and economy, spurred on by Scavania's flourishing economy. Without easy access to the ocean, the knowledge of the interior of continents became much less important to traders, and then eventually to the wider public. The mountain still stands to this day, draped in dark history and with an uncertain future. To those in Eddaland, the newly reformed country in which the mountain is located, it is still a sight to behold, but beyond the country’s borders interest in its riches have certainly waned. ![[Pasted image 20260114000602.png]]