Usuario:Jofwu/Urithiru

{!{settlement |image=Urithiru.jpg |world=Roshar |universe=Cosmere |books=The Stormlight Archive }}

“ Urithiru was said to be the center of the Silver Kingdoms, a city that held ten thrones, one for each king. It was the most majestic, most amazing, most important city in all the world. ”

— Jasnah's opinion of Urithiru

Urithiru is a city on Roshar and, during the Silver Kingdoms Era, functioned as a central point for all the ten of the Silver Kingdoms and home of the Knights Radiant.

Geography

• located in the mountain range in central Roshar
• east of Emul, in close proximity to the Valley
• high in the mountains, built into the mountains
• cold climate, minimal plant life, above the highstorms.
• accessibility

Urithiru is located on the east side of a mountain.

The altitude is above most rain clouds and highstorms.

Due to the altitude and temperature, plant life is very limited.

There was some disagreement as to whether or not Urithiru was accessible by foot. Varala and Sinbian both claimed that it was inaccessible by foot but in Nohadon's eighth parable from The Way of Kings he claimed that he walked from Abamabar to Urithiru. It was confirmed in Dalinar's dream that he did not use an Oathgate, only a guide which was akin to "taking a ferry across a river." There is an entrance at the bottom of the mountain which the unmade Re-Shephir used to escape.

There is a village in the foothills of the mountain to the south of the tower. Szeth had gone by this village so many times that he mused that at some point they had started thinking of him as some sort of god, leaving out tributes of spheres for him to use for stormlight.

Architecture

• 10 tiers, 18 levels, dimensions/size
• description
• atrium w/ elevators
• basement
• surrounded by Oathgate platforms
• farmland/gardens
• fabrial (Sibling's role?)

Urithiru consists of 10 levels, with each level being 18 stories tall. Each level is wider going down and there are numerous balconies on the sides of the tower. The roofs of the lower, wider levels have gardens built into them. On the Stormward side of Urithiru there are large glass windows. Remarkably, this glass has stood for thousands of years and is still intact. Urithiru is surrounded by the ten plateaus of the Oathgates. The interior of Urithiru is filled with tunnels that twist about in strange curves, Dalinar hypothesized that this was to fool invaders. Each tunnel had distinctive patterns of strata, for instance, the corridor to Dalinar quarters had alternating red and yellow strips of strata that sloped upwards while the strata in the bathhouse where Vedekar Perel's body was found spiraled and corkscrewed. Known strata colors include shades of brown, yellow, red, and orange. The stone itself was smooth to the touch and hard enough that it could not be scratched with a knife.

Decor:

• "She could tell that this tower—its contents, every hallway—was a majestic wonder."
• "inspecting a faded painting on the wall. A fanciful picture, with animals from mythology. He recognized a few from children’s stories, like the enormous, minklike creature with the mane of hair that burst out around and behind its head." --paintings decorate the walls

Elevator:

• "Storms, this place was high. His ears had popped several times while riding to the top, using the fabrial lift that Navani had discovered. She spoke of counterweights and conjoined gemstones, sounding awed by the technology of the ancients."

Roof:

• Metal trap door in the ceiling.

Gardens:

• "Below, each ring of the tower expanded out a little farther than the one above it. Shallan is right, he thought. They’re gardens. Each outer ring is dedicated to planting food."

Balconies:

• none on the sheer face

Top Room:

• probably a landmark instead
• nearly the entire floor
• glass windows
• Ten short pillars ringed this room, with another at the center.

Landmarks

• atrium & elevators
• Breakaway (markets)
• roof & gallery of maps
• Oathgate platforms
• basement, library, gem library, gemstone column
• Kholin barracks?

History

Urithiru depicted as the center of the society

The Heraldic Epochs

• Founding
  • Reason for location
  • Means of construction
  • Chronology?
• Knights Radiant
• Role in society

It is known that many wished for it to be built in Alethela, but for unknown, apparently obvious, reasons, it was instead located west of Alethela in the place "nearest to Honor."

The orders of the Knights Radiant were centered here and it is said to have been the center of the Silver Kingdoms holding ten thrones, one for each king.

"Urithiru is where our orders are centered, but we live in cities all across Alethela."

Aside from the Knights Radiant, Urithiru also served to train commoners who showed promise as fighters.

The city was regarded as holy. For the Shin, the city and its Oathgates were their only connection to the outside world, as they believed its stones to be holy among the otherwise cursed stones of the Eastern world.

The Era of Solitude

• Role in society
• Sibling's withdrawal
• Abandonment
• Legend/legacy

At some point, only one member of the three Bondsmiths maintained residence in Urithiru. (ASSUMING THIS IS AFTER THE LAST DESOLATION)

There is evidence that relations between Urithiru and the outside world grew tense in the years leading up to the Recreance. Use of the Oathgates to travel between kingdoms was taxed, and Terxim noted that an increase of these tariffs to unreasonable levels was an indication of the Radiants' "true nature".

At the time of the Recreance the Oathgates in the 9 surviving cities were sealed.

Rediscovery

In the centuries that followed, knowledge Urithiru faded to myth and the location was lost. The Vorin Church in particular rejected the city's existence due to its connection with the "Lost Radiants", and during the Hierocracy such information was actively suppressed. Eventually the only records that remained were rare excerpts of translations and commentaries by classical scholars. Most maps that remained were contradictory, merely placing the city in nearby mountains or hills.

Several parties began searching for the ancient city towards the end of the Era of Solitude for various purposes, including Jasnah Kholin, the Ghostbloods, and the Sons of Honor. In her search for more information about, and protection from, the Desolations and the Voidbringers, Jasnah gathered every shred of information that she could find on the city. She likely investigated most of the Oathgates, as her notes indicated that they all appeared to be locked. She eventually came to believe that a path to Urithiru was located somewhere on the Shattered Plains. An assassin contracted by the Ghostbloods prevented Jasnah from reaching the Plains, however Shallan Davar, Jasnah's young ward, was able to piece together her mentor's notes, identify the purpose of the Oathgates, discern Stormseat's location, and activate the gate during the onset of the Everstorm.

The True Desolation

• Home for the Alethi
• Role in the Coalition
• Assault during the Battle of Thaylen Field

Alethi use chalk markings to map the tower. believe it will take months to explore fully.

Culture

• Significance in ancient society
• Legends
• Mostly Alethi
• Life without parshmen?
• Entertainment--Breakaway
• Economic position
• martial

The Shin belief that Urithiru is holy stone persists.

Politics

• Center of the Coalition
• Relationship with Alethkar

• Refounded Knights Radiant.... Here? Culture?

Notable Citizens

• Dalinar & Navani
• Alethi Queen & Highprinces?

How to handle this...?

Trivia

• Urithiru was the first place Szeth visited after being made Truthless.
• Szeth's description of Urithiru having one hundred levels appears to be a mistake or an underestimate.
• not a spaceship
• location reveal?
• exact height and comparison to real-world structures

Notes

{!{Complete}} {!{Stormlight}} {!{Cosmere}} [![Category: Magic]] [![Category: Fabrials]] [![Category: Structures]] [![Category: Knights Radiant]] [![Category: Notable Articles]]