History
Daro is an elven city built on the northern sea cliffs of Tala. Originally, Tala was only inhabited by humans, but the elves discovered its northern coast during the vierstone expeditions of the 2600s. Following the Great War, vierstone was greatly depleted. Nearly a quarter of the continent’s vierstone was destroyed in the volcanic eruption that began the war, and after the war’s end, the elves used vast quantities of vierstone to rebuild their cities and construct the magnetic Rale system linking the Great Cities of Faeran. In 2611, the elves began to lead both land and sea-bound expeditions to find new sources of vierstone, though the only vierstone ever found to date had been beneath each of the four Great Cities. Shortly after the sea voyages began, the elves found the northern coast of Tala, and nearly two years later, the glittering green of what became Quarry Bay drew them to the last remaining source of vierstone on Riure.
Many elves believe that the vierstone of Quarry Bay originated from the deposit beneath the Great City of Tura across the sea. Some hypothesize that the two continents of Faeran and Tala were once linked, separated over millennia by the Semestrial Sea, and that a portion of Tura’s vierstone was ripped away with Tala’s separation. If this is the case, the separation must have occurred before or shortly after the origin of the elves, as no records exist of Tura being linked to a larger land mass, and no known elves lived on the continent of Tala prior to Daro’s founding.
The city of Daro was built next to the newly found vierstone quarry so that the elves could mine the precious stone and send it back to Faeran. The Sea Gate was constructed to protect the cliffs surrounding the quarry from erosion (though vierstone itself does not erode), and to allow the elves access to the quarry during the violent sea storms of the winter. Daro began as a humble settlement of docks and basic dwellings, but as more elves flocked to the site as construction workers, miners, or out of sheer curiosity, the settlement quickly grew into a town and then a city inhabited by all four elven Kindoms. Within a decade, Daro had its own council structure, electing Dulon, a Morcani elf of some war renown with a strong background in engineering and infrastructure, to lead its future development.
The City
Daro is coined the ‘Fifth Great City’ of the elves, as it was built using skills and techniques far more advanced than the original four Great Cities and rivals them all in beauty and grandeur, if not in size. The city is built upon a rocky shoreline with vierstone melted into its foundations, and is comprised of three massive tiers that step down toward the sea. The city’s architecture relies upon a white stone mined from nearby cliffs, with metal and glass used for accents and supports.
Daro is retrofitted with Rale paths—sleek metal paths lined with magnetic rales that enable the elven ‘levit boards’ to hover and move in any direction, sometimes at great speeds. The city also makes ample use of magnetic platforms called ‘lifts’ that ferry elves up and down between the city’s tiers. Most of the city’s power is supplied by the Icemelt River that runs along Daro’s southern edge and vaults over the cliffs in a waterfall to the sea. When hydropower is not enough, the city employs back-up solar panels built into most residential roofs, though even with Daro’s brutal summer heat and largely sunny climate, power can become sparse in times of low rainfall, especially in the stormy winter when most sea storms break before reaching land.
The third and highest tier of the city houses most of Daro’s public buildings and squares. The Court of Daro and the Domes of Rhelyon are the political and social center of the city, playing host to most of Daro’s meetings, festivals, and business. The public Dining Hall, Performance Hall, arena, and Archives line the third tier’s northern edge, with more utilitarian buildings lining the southern edge (livestock, warehouses, processing facilities, power plants, and the house of healing).
The second (middle) tier of the city is the center of residential life and craftsmanship. The tier is split into numerous neighborhoods, with Master’s Street splitting the level. All taverns, workshops, and stores of the city are found on this tier, as well as the public bathhouse and greenhouses.
The first tier of Daro abuts the wharf and is home to the city’s market and storehouses. As a maritime city, Daro relies heavily upon its ships and trade, and dedicates its entire bottom tier to ship building, storage and selling of trade goods, and a thriving fishing industry.
Culture
Daro is unique among elven cities in that it is inhabited by all four Kindoms. The Turi and Fieri make up the largest portion of the population due to their proximity to the Semestrial Sea and the Turi’s penchant for ship building and sea faring. The Morcani make up the next largest portion, though their fierce loyalty to their own kind and tendency toward both prejudice and secrecy discouraged a larger migration. There are Remsgri in Daro, but they only make up about ten percent of the city’s population and tend to clump together in housing and work spaces. The Remsgri are a peaceable but secluded Kindom with strong family ties and a reluctance to leave the deep shadows of their home territory of Remsgraen Forest.
Regardless of Kindom, the elves of Daro as a whole heavily emphasize and value craftsmanship, skill, and beauty, and live largely leisurely lives. The Performance Hall and arena are well-used, with caesir tournaments, Sira performances, concerts, and festivals a nearly constant presence. Outdoor activities are heavily emphasized, as Daro enjoys a coastal climate with hot, dry summers and cool, mild winters.
