To the south, beyond the realm of knights and peasantry, cold winds and colder demeanor men, lies the self-titled, Magnanimous Free City of Kruithia, the Golden Coin of Eln, the Six-Pronged Saviour, and other titles too long for most northerners to memorize. It is the largest city of men, consisting of dozens walled sections which rise high into the clouds. It stands suspended across a deep running moat which wraps around the city like a ring. To the lower districts, sewage runs freely in the streets, and cramped conditions force people deep into the dimly lit alleyways of the inner rock. To the bottom, the Pit, a fighting arena where prisoners are made to bleed for the amusement and example of the rich and poor.
To the upper tiers of the grand city, open air terraces and vast green gardens litter the skyline, with some private estates having their own little forests. Gold-domed palaces reach high above the filth of the city, reflecting light as a coin being inspected for quality.
Kruithia is ruled by six oligarchs, each a head of a noble clan of Kruithia, hence the six-pronged coin. They chose six, so that no decision could be made with a fifty-fifty divide, a majority would always rule in Kruithia, no matter what.
Krutithia also holds the largest bank in the world, The Shimmering Star, named for the treasure rumored to be hidden deep within the vaults and thick iron doors of the bank. The Shimmering Star was an artifact from the first days of man, a gift from the gods themselves, a meteor composed of pure light. None know if this treasure exists, for the bankers are not ones to divulge their accounts.
The Sword to Unite 