Cyndarel

Overview

Cyndarel is a city in central Valrindor, near Morindel and Melandor. Raphael's faction subjugates it and uses it as Rahmavir's frontline against central Valrindor.

During the siege of Cyndarel, Garrik locks the city down: the regent is absent, a foreign airship of the same type that attacked Kaldaryn is present, and Raphael and other strong magical signatures are inside.

Geography & Layout

Cyndarel lies in central Valrindor amid nearby hills, Cyndarel Lake, a river, and highlands. The city is overlooked by hills carpeted with purple and violet flowers, with the lake spreading nearby and a large river flowing down from the highlands into it.

The surrounding countryside includes green slopes, distant forest, and open terrain wide enough for armies, skyships, and large-scale magical combat. Azarion's hurricane later spreads from Cyndarel across central Valrindor.

Design & Architecture

Cyndarel has a distinctive appearance. Large oak trees with orange leaves form natural arches over its cobblestone roads, and the roads themselves include pale green, blue, and gray stones. Its buildings are light blue, with rounded blue roofs, broad overhangs, and white wooden pillars.

The city includes market squares near the city center and a tallest structure where the regent rules. During the siege of Cyndarel, massive golden and deep blue barriers cover the city, followed by Aldar's darkness veil and storms.

Society & Culture

Cyndarel has a calm outward life before the Garrik-led siege of Cyndarel, with civilians continuing daily routines even after Raphael's side subjugates the city. Some residents are allowed to leave during the siege of Cyndarel. The city's most powerful local mages are unaccounted for during Garrik's siege of Cyndarel.

Because Cyndarel contributes mages to Kaldaryn's army and Garrik already knows the city, he prioritizes it after Rahmavir-aligned forces take control.

Government & Power

Cyndarel has a regent who rules from the city's tallest structure. The regent is absent when Garrik investigates the city.

During the Battle for Cyndarel, Rahmavir-aligned forces control Cyndarel. Raphael, Zorath, and the Rahmavir-aligned faction use it as a fortified position behind immense shield generators, skyships, and barriers. Garrik's forces surround the city and target only Cyndarel's defenses because civilians and city structures remain inside.

Landmarks and Defensive Features

Cyndarel Lake, which lies beside or below the city and reflects the foreign airship before the siege of Cyndarel; Aldar's storms later spread over its waters, and Raphael later freezes it into a glassy battlefield before Aldar's fire melts and splits the ice near the shoreline.
The tallest structure where the regent rules.
Market squares near the city center.
Orange-leaved oak arches over the streets.
Blue and green cobblestone roads.
Light-blue buildings with rounded roofs, large overhangs, and white wooden pillars.
Hills, forests, flowers, and a river in the surrounding landscape.
Massive shield barriers and Aldar's darkness veil during the siege of Cyndarel.

History

Before Raphael's side takes Cyndarel, Garrik stations more military forces around smaller cities near Morindel, including Cyndarel and Melandor.

After Rahmavir-aligned forces take Cyndarel, Garrik enters the city with Khoradyn and Zhang in neutral clothing. The regent is absent, Raphael and a second immensely powerful signature are inside, and a foreign airship of the same type previously used against Kaldaryn is present. Garrik then mobilizes around the city, beginning the siege of Cyndarel that becomes a stalemate.

Raphael's side turtles inside Cyndarel behind immense shield generators and magical barriers. Garrik's forces test the defenses with meteors and cosmic beams aimed at the barriers. Aldar then reaches Cyndarel and recreates a smaller cycle-like darkness veil around the city with his spiral shard, trapping Raphael's faction inside and threatening memory loss or worse for anyone who tries to pass through.

The Battle for Cyndarel escalates beyond the city itself. Raphael, Aldar, Gabriel, Azarion, Khoradyn, Zhang, Garrik's allies, and Raphael's faction fight in and around Cyndarel. Aldar's darkness storms spread over the lake and hills. Azarion's hurricane-shard spell then grows out of control, pulling in the darkness over Cyndarel and devastating much of central Valrindor.

After the Battle for Cyndarel, Garrik sends scouts to check Cyndarel and search for Raphael's heart. The Battle for Cyndarel leaves Khoradyn and Zhang lost, Cyndarel damaged, and much of central Valrindor devastated by the uncontrolled hurricane.

Secrets and Mysteries

Raphael uses Cyndarel as a fortified trap under Rahmavir-aligned control, and Aldar then surrounds Raphael's faction with a darkness veil modeled on the Xalmyrran cycles. The Battle for Cyndarel leads to Raphael's apparent death, the loss of Khoradyn and Zhang, Alistair's theft of Raphael's heart and Aldar's shard, and Azarion's uncontrolled hurricane across central Valrindor.