Aurum Invicta

The Ancestral hall of **Aurum Invicta** was once the capital city of the Dwarven Imperium and it is considered to be one of the greatest cities the dwarves have ever crafted. The city was lost to the giants during the Troigh Leud, who use it now as their own capital of their kingdom of Wal-Rauvar. The dwarves however have sworn to never give up their claim on their homeland. Everyday they plan their glorious reconquest from the safety of their new capitol of Tyria Rupes.

## Description

The city lays deep in the heart of Magna Paulum, the tallest mountain of the Umamthakom Mountains, which are also known as the Ortus Mons by the dwarves themselves. The city lays at the end of the Golden pass, along which once golden statues of former dwarven Kaisers watched over travellers. Nowadays most of these statues have been either evacuated, looted, or scavenged and empty holes serve as vague reminders of where they once stood. The entrance to the city was originally guarded by two mechanical giant metal gates, which the dwarves could open and close at their leisure. At the final siege these two gates were melted by dragon fire however and now only a enormous piles of molten metal remains from which the giants have hewn into immovable great walls.

Inside the city may multi-story buildings can be seen dug out of the mountains rock on both the floors and the roofs, between these buildings a maze of streets sprawl which all lead to the central highway which goes through the centre of the city. In the centre of town a great colosseum stands into which the old royal palace has crashed. In this colosseum the dwarves would once fight exotic creatures and prisoners for glory. Victory in the colosseum in those days could mean the beginning of a successful political career for a dwarf. After the conquest of the giants this arena has been turned into a barrack and training ground where their soldiers train. The royal palace used to be a great reversed tower hanging from the ceiling directly over the centre of the colosseum. Here the most exotic luxuries, such as Dyes from Tyria Rupes, jewellery from Scorch Gate, spices from Serenissima Capitale and other good from across the Imperium would come together to please the kaiser. During the last days of the siege of Aurum Invicta in 367 AD the Kaiser evacuated his royal palace to make for the safety of one of the Imperial cities. However the dwarves were not just gonna give this great treasure to their enemies, and seven mining dwarves went to the top of the palace. Here they detached the palace from the rest of the roof and in a show of true dwarven patriotism they came crashing down with all of the palace on the mass of giants below.

The dwarfs dug out Magna Paulum in such a way that from the side opposite of the gate one could look at the sun rising over the surrounding mountains. This gives the entire city a golden hue at the break of dawn and allows the great city to be covered in natural sunlight for most of the day. On the other two walls a series of tunnels sprawl out which lead to the mines and other minor governmental and civilian facilities. Beneath the city two great veins of metals intersect, one of gold and one of iron, which have brought the inhabitants of Aurum Invicta great prosperity.

## Conquest of a Giant

After the fall of Aurum Invicta during the Troigh Leud by giants and dragons they city turned into a pile or rubble. Dwarves evacuated the town by the thousands, some before the siege others after sneaking out through hidden passageways. The dwarves strategically collapsed many tunnels within Aurum Invicta, making them impassable for the giants. However, the main hall and throne room were to large and valuable for the dwarves to bring down with them. After the conquest the rule of the giants came, they made Aurum Invicta into their new capital. Most of the inside of Aurum Invicta was left alone by the giants, apart from the earlier mentioned main hall, throne room and some other larger rooms near the main entrance. The throne room became the new seat of the king of giants. Outside of the mountain city of Aurum Invicta a new city arose, the giants constructed their buildings out of metal and stone found in Aurum Invicta.