Settlements and Sites of the Four City-States #210

Settlements and Sites of the Four City-States #210 

July 29th, 2023 

• Number: 210 

• Name:  Deep Dive on a Site of Interest: Ulono Atu – The Curse of the Choking Pall 

• Location:  Central Wastelands west of the Ulu Maug range 

• Population (approx.): none inside, 450 in New Ulono Atu outside 

• Brief: The City of Air was a wondrous construction of multi-layered structures connected by walkways and suspended bridges, supporting the Cathedral of Lagi rising above the center of the district. As the Curses spread across Ulono Atu, the Air priests and Windmages spread wards and protective spells about the borders of the district, but little did they realize the greatest threat was right beneath their feet. The ground rumbled and shook, cracks spreading across roads, paths and gardens alike. Faint red flickers could be seen in the depths for a moment before great burgundy and warm gray clouds, resistant to winds and spells, poured out of the earth to engulf the city. The choking sickly blinding gases chased all that were able, escorted the surviving clerics and wizards, to the border of the district and beyond.  

• Grumem, 38, Half-Orc, is a Magician who works for the City of Air to help bring back pockets of usable space in the city. He is very tall, has a scraggly black beard, intelligent black eyes, and short, curly black hair. He wears tiny silver earrings with the infinity symbol that shows his philosophy: life goes on. Grumem wears long robes covered in runes which represent his Half-Orc heritage. 

• Grumem is part of a group of mages attempting to retrieve books, scrolls and other relics from the libraries and vaults in the City of Air. The mages enter the city together and form a ring around part of a building. Then, using an age-old ritual, create a pocket of air that protects the librarians from the ash and heat that continues to coat the district. As one of the magicians, Grumem is subject to the atmosphere as the ritual is conducted. The church prefers using magic users that are naturally tough, as they don't require as many spells or devices for protection. 

• Grumem lives with his brother in an inn in New Ulono Atu, a village founded outside the City of Air. The city pays the rent for his room, which is sized just right for a Half-Orc. Grumem's brother, Notur, 42, is a local guard. The two of them spend most of their evenings drinking at the inn. On the weekends, they explore the local area and have joined a local fight club. 

• Geography: The City of Air occupies the northwest district of Ulono Atu. The centuries of the Curse have left the buildings and surfaces coated in layers of dirt and ash. The heat caused weaker buildings to burn or collapse. Nothing lives within the Curse except small areas where Lagi's spellcasters have managed to create permanent domes of breathable air. Realizing that perhaps they were luckier than the other districts, several years after the collapse, priests of Lagi returned and established a village, New Ulono Atu, along the encircling avenue. Most of the population worships Lagi or none of the Six, but followers of the other five Gods are returning to the area in greater numbers, passing through the village before their business takes them to the other districts.