Grantir

The multilayered city-state of Grantir was founded by the drangonari elves, creations of the god Angadar who rules arcane knowledge, deceit, and trickery. It is thought that this was the site where the race was created and immediately settled on the spot. Long ago, in its place was a small settlement of avariel elves that were thought to have come to the area some time during the Fairy War either by being created there, or by travel from a far off land. The role of the avariel elves in the Fairy War and the Great War is not immediately known, but there were never very many of them, and nowadays it is not even known which god or goddess they worshipped. Nevertheless, Angadar had a hatred for avariel elves that went back to his mortal days, and when he finally decided to settle on Avlis and succeeded in achieving godhood, they were his first target.

Legend holds that Angadar used his magic to corrupt the avariel at the site into a twisted form of what they once were, and thus the drangonari elves were born... "dra-" giving away their reptilian dragon roots, and "angona-" being a stylized version of their creator's name, Angadar. So Grantir was born.

Over time, the drangonari multiplied and solidified their hold on the site. They headed off attacks by angry avariel from the nearby settlement of Toostan, and attacks from the shaahesk that lived in the area. Ultimately these opposing powers were no match for them, and Grantir grew into a three-layered fortress city of grandeur. The ground layer contained streets and walls like many other cities on Avlis, but below it was a cavernous undercity of dark corridors and dimly lit streets carved into the damp rock. Above those layers, in the trees, was a section that reminds many of the elven cities in T'Nanshi, like the city of Le'Or T'Nanshi itself. Because they have wings and a keen sense of finding their way around in the dark, the drangonari were equally at home in all three layers.

In the days when Grantir was founded, Angadar possessed only two trusted comrades, who were mortals at that time. Stephanus was human by all appearances, and keenly intelligent. He also had a penchant for roguish matters and covert operations. By contrast, Angadar's other associate was a tall burly minotaur named Bobil. By all accounts, Bobil was Angadar's bodyguard, if one would dare say he needed one. Being dumb as a stone made Bobil fiercely loyal to Angadar, who saved his life on many occasions and proved his power to the minotaur on countless other occasions. With a word from Angadar, Bobil would rip a humanoid to shreds.

These two friends became the first rulers of Grantir, and remained so for a long time until they managed to ascend to demigod status through their gaining of followers. Angadar generally disliked rule, and preferred to let them handle the day to day politicing while he engaged in more worldly matters. Once they ascended and joined him in his realm in the Nine Hells to serve once again as his direct assistants, the trainees of Stephanus and Bobil as well as Angadar began to rule Grantir. This is not a clerical rule however. All three gods do have clerics, but the clerics are not in charge of Grantir in totality. The government is still considered a theocracy however because they all acknowledge the triumvirate of gods to be in charge, but when it comes to ruling the clerics play a relatively normal role.

Stephanus' followers who are not clerics tend to be drangonari rogues and Bobil's non-clerical followers tend to be drangonari warriors. Very few non-drangonari are found in Grantir. It is one of the least racially diverse cities on Avlis. Lizardmen are there in some number, but usually as battle captives or food. Humans and other races who make it there will usually only survive as long as they can wheel and deal to stay alive.

However, there are two races that are welcome in Grantir, so long as they do not cause trouble: minotaurs and lycanthropes. Though their numbers are not huge, they are the second largest population in the city.

Temples to Paragus the minotaur god as well as Xenon and Wilsash can be found there.

Grantir generally has a hostile relationship with its lizard folk neighbors. They used to also be at odds with the avariel until they hunted them into extinction, it is thought. Like many other nations of their ilk, they seek to extend beyond the borders of their city, which means they are constant in tension with Drotid. Grantir also is the keeper of Angadar's interests in the mortal world and has tendrils of power and influence throughout all other major parts of Avlis in his name.