Overview
Halvarim is the capital of Rahmavir, a lake-and-river city where Rahmavir's chosen leaders, soldiers, traders, foreign visitors, and origin-magic students converge. The city contains the hall of chosen, hosts Raphael's summit after his revival, and sends Rahmavir forces, skyships, and weapon variants into Raphael's push toward Zarephon, the source, Rimvold, and Cyndarel.
Rahmavir's authority remains distributed among tribes, city leaders, and halls of chosen. Chosen leaders from Rahmavir cities beyond Halvarim travel to the capital for coalition meetings. Zorath and Ravira are leading chosen of Halvarim, and Raphael returns to the city to summon allies, meet Rahmavir leaders, and prepare the summit.
Geography and Cityscape
Halvarim stands where a river widens into a massive lake. The city spreads across inland terrain, follows the river, and extends onto the lake itself. Travelers approaching from the coast pass river traffic, coastal villages, cliffs, farms, broad roads, and smaller Rahmavir settlements before reaching the capital.
The city mixes light timber structures on the water with blocky dark-stone towers rising from the lakebed. By the later Halvarim summit, taller, blockier construction dominates the skyline, dark residential complexes rise from the shallows, and the port below the hall of chosen is busier than before. Halvarim's ports handle tradeships, fishing boats, Serekhai trader ships with yellow sails, and Rahmavir skyships; one skyship dock outside the city can hold a small fleet.
Halvarim lies in northeastern Valrindor. A map obtained there includes nations such as Myrravel, Rhazekar, and Lumeria. Serekhai lies far north of Rahmavir and maintains trade ties close enough for Maric and Nero to use a Serekhai mercenary cover.
City Sites
- Hall of chosen, the guarded political center set on a high plateau above the city.
- Origin school, an outskirts school with thick stone-brick walls, large towers, deep red banners, and a nearby park.
- Industrial weapons district, where workshops produce cylindrical spellblasters in different sizes.
- Lakeport, river docks, and skyship docks used by traders, fishers, soldiers, and delegations.
- A stone statue depicting a mighty Rahmavir chosen.
Society and Power
Halvarim is open and cosmopolitan. Rahmavir has a secluded reputation. Its streets include merchants, traders, citizens wearing regal robes, loose pants, and tunics, and foreign visitors able to blend in if they suppress their essence. Citizens speak openly about the source and its promised power.
Rahmavir's anti-magic armored soldiers are visible throughout the city and around its political sites. Soldiers carry spellblasters, and scaled-up versions of the weapons are later produced in Halvarim for battlefield testing.
Origin magic is taught at Halvarim's origin school. Children and young adults train there in essence-less magic. The practice can kill, cripple, or cause students to explode. Students receive warnings about the risks and train by choice.
History
Before Raphael's later coalition forms, Halvarim is already Rahmavir's capital. Chosen in Rahmavir cities beyond Halvarim still need to contact the capital before making decisions about the source, and scattered city leaders defer to Halvarim on source matters.
Maric and Nero infiltrate Halvarim during their investigation of Raphael and Rahmavir. They travel inland by river, live near the port, study the city's trade, spellblaster industry, origin school, and hall of chosen, and meet Zorath, Ravira, and Raphael under a Serekhai cover. After a fatal origin-magic explosion at the school, Zorath and Ravira take them from Halvarim toward Zarephon and the source.
Halvarim later hosts the summit Raphael prepares after his return. Chosen leaders and representatives from Rahmavir cities beyond Halvarim gather there with Eliona, Azarion, Ralvon, Kjeldan, Zorath, Ravira, and Torukhan of Serekhai. At the summit, Raphael and Rahmavir's leaders warn that the returned Order is a world-level threat and that the source is a breach or tear to another world.
Alistair meets Raphael privately in Halvarim and begins planning a Rahmavir headquarters from that period. After Raphael's summit, Halvarim remains a source of forces, skyships, and new weapon variants for Raphael's movement through Zarephon, the source, Rimvold, and Cyndarel. Ralvon returns north to send Halvarim's forces, and after the storm near Therendros, Gabriel orders Rahmavir skyships to assist with a plan for survivors to return to Halvarim.