Rondrak

As with Dolrar as a whole, almost all of the population consists of ursil with a minority of tamblin. Unlike other places in the nation, members of other races who want to fight against the yuan-ti sometimes make their way here.

Unlike other places in Dolrar, the population is simply too large for the sort of informal hierarchy that comes into play in the smaller communities. Smaller social circles have their pecking order, but overall people are less concerned about the worth of those they meet.   Like most Dolraran communities, Rondrak has very little in the way of formal government. The Unbroken who have undergone the Thirteen Ordeals can be said to rule, although in truth they never actually rule anything except in times of great need.

The city's place in the mountains makes it naturally difficult to attack. It also provides more than enough materials to construct a high wall. The terrain also makes use of siege weapons all but impossible. This terrain does have a downside in that it makes escape all but impossible, making Rondrak especially succeptible to being starved out.   The greatest defense of the settlement is, of course, the people. Considering the martial nature of the Dolraran culture and the physically imposing nature of the ursil, this is not a small obstacle. Almost all citizens of Rondrak are more than willing to take up arms in the defense of their capital, and they can do so very effectively.

As a full-sized city, the all industries necessary for survival have a place here. Any goods that can be produced within the city are, especially the weapons and armor used by the warriors. Anything else needed is sent by caravan from other Dolraran communities, particularly food.   The city serves as a cultural center for the ursil, particularly for the arts. What it is not is a center for trade. By and large the ursil are not merchants, and thus are not importing or exporting anything from their capital city.

The history of Rondrak dates back to before the Second Rising, but very few details were known of it from this time. It seemed to have been a small community, mostly of herders. During the Rising, some of the few survivors from the city of Dolrar found themselves here. The population left soon after to stay one step ahead of the mind flayers.   The town fell into ruin after that. It was insignificant enough that it was effectively forgotten while it was still a living community. Abandoned, it was forgotten right away. It nearly stayed that way, except for one chance discovery.   This discovery was at the hands of the warlord Cand Romerrac. He was looking for a new home for his defeated people and stumbled across the ruins. He found writings within that stated that ursil once lived there, and documented what happened to the city of Dolrar. He swore to rebuild Rondrak, and make his people great again.   Many hands make light work, and there were a great many ursil working to repair the ruin, and build new homes. In just a few short years, Rondrak was restored and then some. Within the next generation, settlers were even going out to spread ursil civilization.   This was the time the Third Rising struck. Armed with knowledge, the mind flayers believed the new nation to be weak. They couldn't have been more wrong. To economize their forces, the attack was relatively light. It was handily defeated. The Overbrain prepared an overwhelming attack, but fortunately, that attack never came.   The next threat came at the hands of a far different source. A force of snake-folk and human slaves massed before the walls. One of these creatures announced that those within Rondrak were now slaves of the yuan-ti and demanded surrender. The ursil only laughed at this demand.   These yuan-ti underestimated the bear-folk as so many had before them. They were quickly defeated, and the Dolrarans launched several counterattacks. The war with the Yuan-ti Empire had begun, and has shaped the ursil culture ever since.

The region in which Rondrak is built is rich in both stone and wood, and both are used in the construction of its buildings. The walls are typically created from carved stone while timber and wood shingles are used for the roofs.   From the outside, most of these buildings seem stark and austere. On the inside, however, they are often cozy with as much in the way of creature comforts as the resident can afford. A warm hearth is often the centerpiece of such a home.

The city of Rondrak is built on a specific mountain. The streets wind their way up to the very top, all the way to the Hall of the Unbroken. Only those who have undergone the Thirteen Ordeals are allowed in those hallowed halls, and it is said the view from the balcony is unbeatable.   As there is not a such a wide divide of prosperity, there are no real districts to speak of. Buisnesses tend to be scattered throughout the city, seemingly with very little thought. Because of these factors one part of the city tends to look like any other.