Overview
Aurivallis is a city in Thalcoris, located in northern Xolterra. It is Xoh'Metztli's worship center, the home of Meliora, and a city of divine and resonance mages.
Xoh'Metztli controls the Tenari from Aurivallis. Its priests and priestesses travel across Thalcoris, its songs carry resonance magic, and its ruler Meliora is the moon shard's mortal wielder until Cassian kills her and destroys the goddess's essence.
Geography & Layout
Aurivallis lies beyond Tequaltor, reached by a single road that winds north through dense jungle and ascends toward the city. The journey takes about a day at walking pace. The road passes through lush wilds and opens into the valley.
The city itself sits between peaks in a crescent-shaped valley. Its lush valleys remain intact after the end of the mind control.
Design & Architecture
Aurivallis has silver structures, silver halls, crisp architecture, and silvery-blue temple spires that catch moonlight.
The city includes paved pathways, a large library, archives, and the Temple of Resonance.
Temple of Resonance
The Temple of Resonance is Aurivallis's temple-government complex and the residence of the moon shard wielder before liberation. During Cassian's visit, city government matters take place there, and Meliora rules from its upper rooms under Xoh'Metztli's control.
The temple has a guarded entrance, official rooms, pristine stairs, and an isolated summit dome with the wielder's chamber. Cassian reaches Meliora there, returns at night, kills her, and destroys Xoh'Metztli's essence before it can escape.
Society & Culture
Aurivallis is home to powerful divine and resonance mages.
The city's public life before liberation is controlled. Songs and voices move through the streets, priests and priestesses wear silver-blue robes, and citizens often move in synchronized patterns under Xoh'Metztli's control. Before liberation, Arinella manages people by keeping an overview of citizens.
After Cassian destroys Xoh'Metztli, the mind control ends. Mahina and the rest of the city begin living with their own personalities. The silver halls and lush valleys remain physically untouched.
Government & Power
Aurivallis retains its own government within Thalcoris. It remains one of Thalcoris's free Tenari city-states. Tequaltor keeps contact with Aurivallis, and the cities interact lightly in day-to-day affairs. Aurivallis accepts Tazarin as emperor.
Before liberation, Meliora rules Aurivallis from the Temple of Resonance as the moon shard wielder. Her closest advisors are the echoes, including Arinella as the Echo of Harmony. In practice, Xoh'Metztli controls Meliora and uses the city through her, so the city government operates under the goddess's mind control.
After liberation, Aurivallis remains inhabited and active. Arinella returns to Aurivallis, and the city's divine and resonance mages agree to send some of their ranks to Thalassai.
Features & Locations
- Temple of Resonance, the moon-centered temple where the moon shard wielder lives and where Jin kills a previous moon shard wielder.
- Aurivallis's library and archive, where Mahina works, where Xandor's founding records are kept, and where Draven leaves the Wanderer's book.
- The single road from Tequaltor through the jungle and up into the valley.
- Silver halls, paved streets, and silvery-blue temple spires.
- The priestesses' and priests' public routes between Aurivallis, Tequaltor, and other parts of Thalcoris.
History
Aurivallis was founded by Xandor roughly five millennia before Cassian's visit. The city's ancient history gives Xandor the Morvayne lineage and a refugee flight through a portal after the destruction of his home.
Before Cassian's visit, Xoh'Metztli binds Aurivallis and Tenari across Thalcoris with resonance-driven mental control. Earlier attempts to end Xoh'Metztli's control fail because she survives the death of a moon shard wielder and chooses another vessel. Thalena kills a wielder, and Draven Skyforge kills another in the Temple of Resonance. Xoh'Metztli eventually takes Meliora as her vessel.
Cassian travels to Aurivallis after the priestesses' songs, the city's divine mages, and Meliora's dream-message lead him there. He frees Arinella from Xoh'Metztli's immediate control and investigates the library. Meliora is Xoh'Metztli's vessel by then, so killing the goddess also requires killing Meliora.
Cassian returns to the Temple of Resonance, kills Meliora, and destroys Xoh'Metztli's essence before it can escape. The spell over Aurivallis breaks immediately, leaving the city's people in agony as their minds are freed. Later, Arinella returns to Aurivallis and negotiates for its divine and resonance mages to join Thalassai's ranks.
Related
- Arinella
- Cassian
- Divine magic
- Jin Leiyun
- Mahina
- Meliora
- Moon Priestesses
- Resonance magic
- Tequaltor
- Thalassai
- Thalcoris
- Xandor (Founder)
- Xoh'Metztli
- Xolterra