A city-state built beneath massive waterfalls in the Seyiy region of the Elder Wilds—the only significant settlement in the region outside L'Coth D'hari.
Overview
Urzula clings to cliff faces and occupies caves behind curtains of falling water. The city exists in perpetual mist, the roar of waterfalls a constant backdrop to daily life. Climbers hang from ropes along the cliffside, harvesting the rare plants that grow only in this unique microclimate—medicinal mosses, exotic herbs, bioluminescent fungi.
Access is difficult by design. The only approaches are dangerous climbing routes or navigation of the treacherous rivers that drain from Seyiy's heights. This isolation has kept Urzula independent and relatively safe from the dangers of the Elder Wilds.
The Titan Ruins
Beneath modern Urzula lie the remains of an ancient titan city—one of the few titan settlements documented in Aboyinzu. The current inhabitants occasionally find artifacts, strange inscriptions, and chambers of unknown purpose in the depths below their homes.
The ruins have never been fully explored. The depths are dangerous—unstable, partially flooded, and occasionally disgorging creatures or energies that the Urzulans have learned to contain rather than investigate. They are more interested in surviving the present than excavating the past.
Government & Peoples
Government Type: Council (elected representatives from major guilds)
Primary Inhabitants: Humans, with small populations of other races
Population: Approximately 3,000 permanent residents
Stability: Stable
The city is governed by a council drawn from its major guilds—the Climbers' Guild, the Herbalists' Collective, the Traders' Circle, and the Guardians (who maintain the city's defenses and contain threats from the depths).
Economy
Size: Very Small
Tech: Developed (sophisticated rope-work, climbing gear, and preservation techniques)
Primary Exports: Rare medicinal plants, bioluminescent compounds, waterfall-grown herbs
Primary Imports: Metal goods, grain, textiles, weapons
Urzula's economy depends entirely on what grows in the mist. Their medicinal exports command high prices from distant markets, but the difficulty of reaching the city limits trade volume.
Relations
- L'Coth D'hari: Cautious respect. The Gamori occasionally trade at Urzula's edges but view the Seyiy region as their hunting grounds. Territorial disputes occur.
- Dalizi Confederation: Primary trading partners. Dalizi merchants are the most common outsiders in Urzula.
- The Wider World: Urzula is known but rarely visited. Its exports travel far, but its location deters casual contact.
Dangers
The Archfalls lie to the south—a maze of waterfalls, ancient stonework, and death. Water hags, pterodactyls, brain-eating amoebae, and treacherous terrain make the southern approaches nearly impassable.
The depths below the city harbor unknown threats from the titan ruins. Occasionally something emerges that requires the Guardians' attention.
The jungle surrounding Urzula contains the standard dangers of the Elder Wilds—though the apes rarely venture this far south into Seyiy.
See: Elder Wilds - Urzula