Ringed City

*"You know, they say if you like it, you should put a ring on it; I do not think you should do that for Ringed City, because I did not like it, it hurt."*

*-Nicolas Gregigan, upon leaving the Ringed City*

## Ringed City

Light shines through the steeple of Our Lady of the Dark Soul Church

### Notable Features

The Dark Soul, The Dreg Heap, Ring Knights

### Inhabitants

Ringites: a cultural group made up of people from all around the world

The **Ringed City** was an independent city-state located at the border between Gruganda and Eastman. It was an influential and populated civilization for several thousand memes, contributing greatly to the society and culture of Under-The-Dome. However, by the middle fifth age, it had been completely eclipsed by its rivals in New Eden and Gruganda, and by the time of the Racism War, the city was nearly completely abandoned.

## Early History

The most distinctive feature of the Ringed City is the Dark Soul, an artifact of incredible energy and power. Legends tell that the Supreme Elementals built the Ringed City and created the order of the Ring Knights during the Third Age to protect the dark soul from Bad Things and Spooky Creatures that would seek to use its powers for ill. More secular explanations say that the discovery of the Dark Soul led people to come together and protect it organcally. No one knows for sure, except for Alex Trebeck.

The Dark Soul was said to be inexorably linked to both the power of Stands and the energy of the Eternal Flame. Those who interacted with the Dark Soul or its distortion field, the Dreg Heap, would sometimes have visions of the Flame.

## Fourth Age History

The fourth age was a time of terror and mass death for most, but the Ringed City was protected from much of the destruction. The power of the Dark Soul was able to warp reality around it, creating the Dreg Heap, through which the Fourth Agers could not pass. In addition, the skill and power of the Ring Knights were enough to keep the roads to the city safe. This is because they were trained by their monks in the art of the Stand.

This lead to a golden age of prosperity for the Ringed City, with Norwegians, Grugandans, and even Zombingerendian refugees finding their way to the city. Since the Ringed City was one of the only places with safe travel guaranteed, the city became very rich. Vast churches and temples to the syncretized religion of the Ringites were erected. The dialogue between the differing peoples that made up the Ringed City led to many interesting discussions and works of art, and Ringite treatises made up the basis of philosophy in the last land all the way through the sixth age. Ringite books were also the main source of historical knowledge about the periods before the Fifth Age, and information about the workings of the universe.

## Fifth Age History

A confluence of factors lead to the fall of the Ringed City in the Fifth Age.

#### Racial Tensions

When the fourth age ended, many of the creatures that had once terrorized the people of Under-The-Dome were freed by the meme singularity, becoming independently thinking beings. These creatures were collectively known as the Monsters. The Ringed City's pluralistic culture led them to let them into the city, but due to the philosophy of "once with the dark lord, always with the dark lord," they were marginalized. Tensions between humans and monsters ran high and divided the city, causing economic stress, until finally the Ring Council exiled all the monsters. Ironically, the Monster Outpost would outlive the Ringed City as a permanent settlement.

#### Conflict With Neighboring Regions

Jeffgoldblum Praetorianis, founder of the Grugandan Nation, always thought that the Ringed City was a rightful part of his country, since the Ringed City is geographically located in North Gruganda. This view was carried on by his entire lineage, leading to animosity and hostility between the nations. This culminated during the Weeaboo wars, when the Grugandans accused the Ringites of being Weeb sympathizers, since Dark Souls is a Japanese Video Game. R. Jude MacReady imposed a blockade of the Ringed City, which caused an economic depression that forced many out of the city to leave and seek new opportunities.

#### Wrath of the Lynch King

The Lynch King knew that the Ringed City and the power of the Dark Soul would pose a threat to his conquest. Through his research of the area, he was able to learn how to acquire a stand, and sent in his agents to encourage monster discrimination. His agents were able to corrupt much of the Ring Council and the Ring Knights, allowing him to sack the city during the Racism War, and the Lynch King ordered every citizen to be killed, including his double agents. Miraculously, many citizens survived by taking refuge in the labrynthine churches of the City. By the later period of the Racism War, all that remained of the Ringed City was a burned field and a complex of churches, tidily kept by the Ring Monks and their thankful adherents. It could be said that these religious radicals lived in a kind of dream-world, wherein they still had visions of their grandiose past; but underneath that thin veneer, the truth of the end times was clear. Yknow kinda like the acutal ringed city

#### Nicolas's Visit

During the events of Return of the King of New Eden, Nicolas Gregigan was sent to the Dreg Heap by a punch from Quan Chi that warped reality. After experiencing a vision of the Eternal Flame and speaking to the residents of the Monster Outpost, he spoke to a Ringite Monk who warned him of the Lynch King's influence. Nicolas commented that he liked churches, but disliked religion because he was a communist. After battling Stomach Prince Spencer, Nicolas again met with the Ringite Monk. Impressed by the Last King's abilities, he showed him that he had a latent stand power. Thanking the monk, Nicolas caught up with Fanta, who had sensed that Nicolas was there and used his road roller to get him.

During the Apocalypse, the Ringed City sunk into the ocean, never to be seen again.