The jewel of the Perlin Sea is Karheggen, Capital city to the kingdom of Karth.
This port city was built atop of a huge plateau of dark granite that ran up to the lake, and over generations the surrounding earth was moved away leaving a sheer rock cliff, at least ten meters high at the lowest point and with its back guarded by the lake waters itself. On top of that a fortified citadel was built in the northern quadrants of the plateau, with black rock quarried from the Phalanx Mountains, creating a monolithic monument to the kingdom’s glory. In time, people settled the rest of the plateau, and slowly build up a city, excavating tunnels and shafts on the rock, and creating a dense networks of tunnels, shafts, and platform elevators that now house a city of almost a hundred thousand people strong, creating what is now the center of the kingdom’s economy and culture.
You can find residences, shops, school, theaters, even temples within the massive tunnels that run on several levels, serviced by an intricate ventilation system that naturally catches the south wind from the sea and funnels it inside the guts of the city, and an equally intrincate system of closed pipes and sewers, making the inside of the city surprisingly clean and continuosly provided with fresh air and water. On the surface of the rock, centers of commerce have been built around the massive airship port, the largest of which is the Golden Market, by far the most interesting even if its not the largest of the kingdom. Exotic goods from all around Aurora are exchanged here, and (allegedly) even from Under the Ashes.
The surface sports several open public amphiteaters, so Artists and entertainers come from all round the kingdom to try and make their fortunes on Karheggen, and a mark of pride among the troubadours is the royal silver mulberry leaf that is bestowed upon those performers that manage to wrench a standing ovation from the very demanding crowds of Karheggen.
Right under the Golden Market, (not by coincidence) lies the Guild of Prospectors, with one staircase leading from a surface reception to the main hall, the members of the guild keep their sleeping quarters facing the lake, with the best rooms haveing a nice view of the forested shoreline, and keeping close to the supplies, armory and hidden exits on the other levels of the complex.
About an hour on foot from the Golden Market lies the Karheggen Sea Port. It used to be just a small marina encircling a bay, but as the city grew they started excavating into the walls, and the city was transformed by earth Arcanists from the very bedrock to the upper levels. Wooden planks became bridges, bridges became platforms, and theese streets grew and encroached over the port, becoming an enormous arched overhang that now limits the height of ship’s riggings entering the port. The sailors, noting the similarity to said part of bird’s anatomy now call it “the guzzle”, and it is mostly used by barges that unload the merchandise from the sailing ships that wait around in the bay.
Because of the sheer height of the city, complex aqueducts and sewer systems are needed to supply the higher levels with freshwater and sewers, and since these tunnels are avoided by the general population they are used by smugglers and outlaws, even if the ground-level entrances of those tunnels are barred by heavy cast iron grating, you will be able to find a discreet entrance to the city if you know the proper names to ask for. Vermin and lowlives occasionally break into the tunnels, so city guard detachments, generally those who have attracted the displeasure of their commanding officers, regularly patrols the aqueducts. Sewers are another matter, leaving the security of those to the Prospectors.
Despite being almost entirely carved out of a huge monolith of black granite the city it is called the jewel of the lake for a reason. The gleaming buildings can be seen for miles, as every surface level roof is richly decorated with bronzed tiles. Engravings, murals and colorful tapestries adorn the walls of private estates and public buildings, Golden butresses adorn the residences of the royal and the very rich, popping out of the black stone like molten gold flowing from the cracks. And the Karthian tradition of keeping small fire elementals as pets in crystal enclosures illuminates the city in a miryad of colors that make Karheggen nights a delight to the eyes, even when just walking around. These elementals can fetch outrageous prices, depending on the color and strength of its flames, and together make sure that even at night, the city stays vibrant, and beautiful.
Auroran Islands 