Ol Gholon

## History

After Kord's rebellion, Ghol's thirst for adventuring led him back to the mysterious north he discovered during his campaigns against the giants. He and his followers settled in the ruins of a city that once belonged to an ancient forgotten empire utilizing its mysterious walls to afford the residents early safety in a mostly hostile north.

In the war, Ghol saw his and the vanguard’s responsibility as a force that secured the safety of the rest of the army. They hunkered down the giants with their shield-wall until Kord and the main could strike on the flank. Ghol extended this responsibility to his regency of the north, with his people, to this day, serving as the jagged barrier between the East Carn Mountains and the Kingdom of Ior.

Over time, the people of Ol Gholon were able to establish supremacy over the region, pushing hostile Orc tribes north of the East Carn Mountains.

## Geography

### Cityscape

Ol Gholon sits upon the ruins of an ancient site on an elevated hill in the Gholon Plateau. The center of the city, known as the Old Town, is perched atop Ghol's Throne, a mound that is roughly 450 ft tall.

#### Miracle of Wyota

An ancient and mysterious stone aqueduct structure, called The Miracle of Wyota, provides fresh running water from the mountains miles to the east of the city. Water from the aqueduct gathers in the Old Town Aquifer in the old city and waterfalls down into a larger aquifer, the Wyota Aquifer, down below. This is the city's only access to fresh water.

#### The Walls of Ol Gholon

A key advantage to the ancient site upon which the city was founded are its black basalt walls that run the perimeter of the city proper. The walls are made up of pillarlike structures, which are also fractured horizontally into "biscuits". The horizontal fracture resulted in a bottom face that is convex, while the upper face of the lower segment is concave, producing what are called "ball and socket" joints. Although the "biscuits" appear to be individual stones layered upon each other to form the walls and guard towers, the entire defensive structure is made up of a single continuous rock.

Much speculation exists about how the walls were formed, especially since the founding of the city predates Elven knowledge. Earlier theories speculated that the walls were carved out of a hollowed out mountain, however no trace of tool work has been found and experts have determined that the smoothness of the top walls were to perfect to be made by kith hands. The mysterious origins of the walls, along with their ability to amplify certain magic, has attracted expert abjurers, conjurer, and evokers from across the kingdoms of Rho and Ior, making Ol Gholon a prominent center for the study of Geolomancy.

Today's experts prominently back one of two theories. Some speculate that the walls were grown through magic means while others speculate that they were brought into existence through a planer convergence with The Furnaces located on the Fountains of Creation which was then cooled by the Frostbite Coast's significantly cooler climate. Experts have had trouble replicating aspects of either theory.

The walls are roughly 12 feet deep and 30 feet tall, with a 6 foot walkway running along the top. Watchtowers are placed within line of sight distance and are equipped with scorpions. The city's Southern Gate is made up of 100 yard walkway checkpoint that passes through the thickest section of the wall. Large 18 ft tall stone doors are located on either side of the checkpoint and a guard station is situated near the southern end of the checkpoint. A portcullis sits right after the checkpoint and can be triggered from the walls or from further down the checkpoint. The stone doors are operated by a system of chain drawn pulleys.

### Areas

#### Ghol's Garden

This fortification is the only part of the city to sit outside of the original ancient walls. The addition was added by King Brahqin as a way to honor his predecessor King Ghol and to establish an area to house and train the bulk of the kingdom's army.

The area still serves a similar function even after the unification of the four kingdoms during King Ghol III's reign. The district contains officer quarters, the army stables, a training field, and solider barracks. Unlike the ancient black walls, the garden is fortified by a 12 foot stone wall with guard towers that mirror the design of the old city wall towers. Most of the buildings in this district are designed from the same white stone, allowing for an extra layer of defense.

The north gate bridge, running along the River Wyota, separates the city from the district. The bridge splits in the middle with the guard towers on each side responsible for raising it for either defense or to allow boats to enter the city.

The main road cutting through the district is called the Northern March. It splits west forming the Trader's Path and north forming Beacon's Path. A military supervised checkpoint is stationed at the edge of the district, before the road splits, where those coming and leaving the city are required to register.

#### Ghol's Throne

##### Duke's Perch

The duke's estate is perched at the top of the mound, overlooking Old Town. The large, four story, L shaped stone structure has been recently reconstructed to fit Duke Bloes' specification. This undertaking largely removed the pavilions used to house dignitaries and Gholon state officials, making such residencies a part of the main structure.

##### Old Town

This district is the home to most of the city elite, including the surviving five founding noble families that sit on the city council (Bloes, Bride, Pavlov, Pewter, and Rootlander). A number of the estates located here are also reserved for officials who hold important guild seats or military ranks. These include residencies for the Grovekeeper, Keeper of the Coin, Commander of the Guard, Guild Masters for the Tailoring Guild and the Smith Guild, and the Master Stitcher. Since these positions rotate based off of meritocracy, control of these estates changes hands roughly every decade. When such positions are held by those who are already residents of the Old Town, tradition generally dictates the use of the estate going to lower ranked officials or towards charitable causes. A number of prominent merchants, academics, and adventurers have also made the district their home and place of business.

The Old Town district also contains the City Council offices. The City Council consists of representatives of the five noble houses, 10 councilors elected by the City Core, the Master of the Tailoring guild, the Keeper of the Coin, the Grovekeeper, Master of the Smith guild, Commander of the Guard, the Head Abjurer, and the Master Stitcher, allowing for all aspects of Ol Gholonian society to be represented.

The Petrov-Pewter Academy, founded by the first Head Abjurer Anastasia Petrov and patroned by the Pewter family, is located on an island in the Old Town Aquifer. Although the study of Abjuration has been the key focus of the academy, the school has greatly expanded its focus to accommodate the scholars who have migrated to the city. Elmair Sateen, a Marinnian noble, has served as the Head Abjurer for three decades.

#### City Core

##### Forge District

Although Ol Gholon has always been a net importer of metals, the city's strong connection to its military institution has cultivated a strong smithing industry. Metals are largely imported via the Wyota River from West Gholon or from mines located near Beacon. The district also specializes in brick production that is used for most of the construction within the city. Clay is also imported into the city via the Wyota River. The Forge Masters Union has recently appointed Flint Softbottom as their Forge Master.

##### Soul Forger's Hospice

Managed by the Master Stitcher, the Soul Forger's Hospice provides free medical care for all city residents and visitors and serves as a medical research institution and an academy for training members of the Soul Forge Order. The Order receives patronage from residents of Old Town, stemming from the city's belief that it is only ever as strong as its least fortunate. Members of the Order wear white robes with gold trim. Recent graduates of the order are required to spend three years traveling the realm while providing care to those in need. Practiced members are employed by noble families across all of Ior, with proceeds from this service going to further help support the order, especially in regards to expanding its presence in the realm. The Order stands as one of the most honored groups in Gholon society, only equal to the Knights of Beacon and the Grovewriters. The current Master Stitcher is Irene Pavlov, the twin sister of Count Pytor Pavlov.

##### Tanner Row

Animal husbandry serves as the most predominant agricultural specialization among rural Gholian peasants. Tanner Row serves as the Kingdom's hub for the production of finished leather and wool goods.

##### Hayplatz

The Hayplatz district is a large open air market. Merchants from the Forge District and the Tanner Row sell their domestic goods here. Stalls that sell other general goods are located here as well. Businesses inside the Hayplatz ring largely consist of carts and stalls. A ring of brick and mortar businesses surround the open air market. These businesses are largely owned by successful cart and stall merchants who have been able to scale up or merchants providing specialty goods. Ziqasain The Bountiful’s Shop of Extra-Wordly Wonders is located in this district.

##### The Baths District

The Baths district contains a number of enchanted hot spring baths and Inn accommodations for visitors. Establishments in this district accommodate residents and travelers of all classes. Elanor Bigsby's Bath-time Extravaganza is by far the most famous and bourgeoisie accommodation in this district. The Soul Forger's guild manages a bathhouse for impoverished residents in this district.

##### The Royal Mint

Ol Gholon's Royal Mint handles administrative accounting, banking services, and taxation for the kingdom and city.

#### The Dryad's Grove

This unusual library was donated to Duke Bride III during King Iordanos XIV's reign by King Rhotat of Rho as a sign of friendship between the two realms. Unlike Iorian libraries, this one is not housed inside of a building but rather inside of a forest located on an island in the Wyota Aquifer. All books in this expansive library are required to be printed on paper made from wood grown in the library and painted with ink drawn from special sap that is produced in the forest. An Order of Grovewriters handles the transcription of books as well as the composition of tomes of historical record. This order is overseen by Grovemaster Count Graysin Rootlander who joined this druid Order later in life after an illustrious military career.

Service within the order is for life and in most cases afterlife. Membership therefore is fairly exclusive, keeping to those willing to make this sacrifice. Natural death serves as an initiation step within the order, with members eventually transcending from a kith existence to one as a dryad. This state attunes the former member with the forest, and thereby with every book within the library. This allows them to serve as perfect librarians, given their remarkable ability to remember all volumes and content stored within the library.