Razenfaar

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Razenfaar

> It's called the "Plague City" for the noxious black fumes that pour from it day and night.
>
> Unknown

The term "plague city" was coined from the sickly smoke that lingers within and around the city, casting a toxic haze over the city at all times. The smoke rises in columns from dark buildings where machines of war and other, more nefarious things are created under the command of the mysterious people who dwell there. Unlike the parts of Archya that are closer to Eqynor, Razenfaar is located away from the sands of the Shifting Sea that dominate most of the eastern part of the continent, and instead sits on the shores of The Sea of Sultans, a large freshwater lake shared by many other cities of the region. Because of the toxic waste produced by Razenfaar that is dumped into the sea, this has lead many to refer to the sea as "The Sea of Slime".

There is a reverence and fear that takes hold when Razenfaar is mentioned, as talk of dark magics are common gossip amongst travelers who come from the city. It is said that the power that flows from the city can create light, and that the city is filled with these lights. It is fairly uncommon to find a torch, or other open flame in the city - which as fortune would have it, is a good thing - because it is said that the fumes from the green water that that permeate the city is flammable and has been known to ignite. Though many see the city and its polluted lands as a blight on Archya, there is no arguing that there is a power there that knows no limits.

Originally, the lands that would be settled by the people of Razenfaar were a rainforest, far beyond the desolate sands of the Shifting Sea. For many people of the founding tribe, it would be the first time they would set eyes on fertile lands after generations of wandering through the sands of Archya. They would go on to establish themselves along the Sea of Sultans and form a trade network that would span the entirety of the sea and the coast around it. Because of the fertility of the land and abundance of water, the people of the land would become very prosperous and go on to overtake the other kingdoms of Archya in population and power. But power corrupts, and when the rulers of Razenfaar saw all that was before them in the lands they claimed as their own, the wheels of industry began to turn and they began to seek ways to exploit the lands and shape them in order to suit their wants and needs.

As the rainforests fell and factories rose in their place, a council of leaders was called to discuss the future of the lands and the role they would play in the kingdom's future. It was then that a dark man named Malik, who was the advisor to the ruler of Razenfaar suggested the use of the Dark Artifact that had been entrusted to their tribe in the Time of Wandering as an engine to power their efforts. Having learned from the mistakes of Feroze Folley, he was beyond any doubt that the artifact could be made to serve their will if care would be taken to harness its power for their needs. Having studied the artifact, he knew that the power contained within represented a small portion of Apollyon's power and that a wise man who was wary of the artifacts desire to corrupt could turn it's corruption into a boon.

So Malik called upon the power contained within the artifact and it's energy began to flow into magical conduits that he had placed adjacent to it, as well as several devices that he had created in anticipation of this moment. To his delight, the devices sprang to life - gears began to turn, lights began to glow, and artificial limbs began to animate with new life. A sickly green glow illuminated his dark face as a new world filled with endless possibilities began painting itself in his mind and he knew in that moment that this would forever change the lands of Razenfaar and, one day, the world.

Once Malik had discovered this new found power, he knew that he had everything he needed to create an empire that could withstand the tests of time. All he needed to do now was remove any threats to his power. The sultan who ruled over Razenfaar like his fathers before him was oblivious to the scheming of his advisor, and when he awoke one night to a sharp pain in his back and the man he had entrusted with the Dark Artifact standing over him smiling, he couldn't have known that his passing would signal the dawn of a new era. The next day, as word of the Sultan's death spread, Malik revealed his dark inventions to the citizens of Razenfaar, who were awestruck at the power he wielded. Soon, they would all be blessed with the conveniences that these new inventions would bring - but they would learn the cost in the years that would follow.

Malik, with the help of a secret council he assembled would rise to power in the sultanate, which would soon be dissolved as the people regarded the royal family less and less as the true power in Razenfaar. So the skies turned black, the rivers green, and the trees brown - but none but a few seemed to notice as the buildings of Razenfaar were outfitted with magical lights that would glow like a second sun at night and pierce through the darkness. Tall buildings and fortifications were erected and pipes and conduits crisscrossed them, blocking out all memory of the blue sky that had once stood against the green shores and clear waters of the Sea of Sultans. Razenfaar now stands under the grip of the secret council who, under Malik's influence, declared themselves the leaders of Razenfaar to replace the Sultans who had come before. They are called the Circle of Sultans in mockery of the power they usurped and, because of the power imparted upon them by Malik, consider him a god from which the real power flows.

The other powers of Archya enjoy an uneasy truce with Razenfaar, as skirmishes of the past have demonstrated their technological superiority and savage brutality as a people. It is said amongst friends and foes alike, that there is no power in the world that can contest Razenfaar's, and with its countless smoke-spewing factories that churn out new machines of war every day, it is possible that soon they will be powerful enough to topple the world and reshape it with their dark designs.