Clairus

Clairus (pron. CLARE'US) and the area surrounding it have been historically sought after due to their access to earthen metals, sparking countless conflicts. Many factions disputed their claims to the resource rich area for hundreds of years. Eventually, however, under threat of complete eradication from the Old Gods (particularly, the Voyager, who was known to roam the northern wastes) the disparate warring factions united under one banner.

Clairus is a very geographically unique city. On a continent so heavily based on the desert sands surrounding Tai'Un, it stands in the middle of the northernmost part of the contiennt, situated in a seemingly frozen wasteland. The land is flat, and save for a few shrubs, is lacking any plants.

Due to its position atmospherically, Clairus often experiences extremely long nights and extremely short days, or vice versa. Prolonged nights and days have been known to last for weeks in some instances, causing distress in travelers.

These factors in tandem might lead one to question how Clairus has come to be one of the most populous cities on the continent. However, there is a silver lining. Clairus' major boon comes in the dual mountains surrounding it, known as Aurya and Aikya respectively (from sun and moon in Finnish). Both of them provide gargantuan amounts of earthen metals such as iron, gold, copper, and silver. A significant portion of the cities infrastructure is centered around these mountains, with a nonzero amount of citizens even said to live within them.

The primary ethnic group by far in Clairus is that of dwarves. They do not seem to mind the extreme conditions, avoiding the worst of the cold by the comfortable warmth of the forge and evading the inconsistent days in the indifferent mines.

Besides dwarves, hearty races that don't mind the cold as much such as goliaths and dragonborn, make up the rest of the general population, besides a few disparate travelers and merchants.

Religiously, Clairus is largely dualistic, consolidated around Aphelia and Valgos. Aphelia edges out Valgos slightly, however, due to her association with the cold and defeat of the ancient Voyager.

Clairus is a very isolated society, and its economy is based almost entirely on resources found in Aurya and Aikya. Metals are mined within the mountain, hauled to the surface to be refined, then smithed in the massive forges near the mountain's gates.

Clairus is an incredibly pious society at large. They do not take well to outsiders, especially those who do not already worship Valgos or Aphelia, and are even known to charge them extra or outright refuse them in commercial dealings.

The government of Clairus is a form of theocracy, with a religious elder figure at the head.They are referred to simply as 'Elder' or 'Elder X', where X is their given name. The current elder, for example, is known as Elder Amulvin. They are seen as the direct representative of Clairus, commencing diplomatic dealings and directing the actions of the city at large. Other lesser positions of power are appointed to other acolytes, who manage specific areas and industries.