Places of the World: Caribdis

Caribdis is the jewel of the Far West, a ravishing urbanity built upon the cobaltic remnants of a city that existed long ago. Once occupied by the Crimson Brethren after their mythic crossing of the Long Wastes, the settlement grew and now attracts caravans from all places Western of the continent.

A traveler who happens to find their way to the urbanity will immediately be taken aback by the sheer height of the immense structure that is located in the very center of the urbanity. Along with the other buildings around it, its architecture is filled with jagged lines and sharp contours, which surely lend a violent elegance to the whole urbanity.  

It is currently ruled by the Weld of Seven, a council of the strongest, most powerful or most dangerous among the Red Orcish society. Their will is supreme and their decision is enforced with an iron fist over their subjects. It is said that if you finally become one of the seven, you will retain your position until you die (which by no means offers any comfort). Some also speak of a binding ritual that prevents them from directly harming one another, but any evidence about that is still very scarce.

Their main body of enforcement is aptly named the Numbers, masked agents that pursuit unfortunate outlaws in the shadows and that obey every order of the Weld without hesitation. Their masks are ritually painted with Orcish numbers; once one of them dies, another one takes their place, adding to the enigmatic nature of the organization. The Numbers are essential to the Weld, as terror is more necessary than not in the keeping in line of a race so hard to tame as the Orcs.

As a trading hub, it is placed in a very privileged position: situated between the counties of Lizardfolk in the South and the Human settlements up in the North, it is midway for everyone that lives to the West of the Long Wastes. For that reason, there is a considerable presence of those races living among the Red Orcs in Caribdis. They are restricted, however, to the trading districts, as their passage to the other districts is strictly forbidden.

Ever since the arrival of the White Eternal, a perpetual state of Winter that took over the continent a few months before, Caribdis has been taken under the power of the the most apt among those of the Order of Meshana, the Scarlet Witch. Constant rituals of evocation have maintained a spheric barrier that protects the urbanity from the harsh weather. However, its resources are starting to dwindle. It seems to be just a matter of time before Caribdis too succumbs to the rages of the white doom.

Apart from the digging of underground shelters and trading routes, it is not known how the Weld will manage to circumvent this climactic time bomb. There is no doubt that measures are being taken, but still, it remains to be seen.