Gháshulg

Category	Cities
Continent	Brucrumus
Region	Grashakh
Owner	Orchish Empire
Population	95,000+
Founded	9 War March 1146
Map	Mirtheon

Gháshulg is an imposing, fortified metropolis situated atop the Amoral plateau. Surveying the northern horizon from the city's Zurghed-inspired ramparts, one is greeted by the serene expanse of the Boraresh lake.

Gháshulg sits at the northern extremity of the Bileddanul mountain range. Following the arduous Arduous March (1041 - 1096), the Orchish Empire sought to claim expansive tracts of Grashakh as their own. The rugged Bileddanul Mountains, however, proved a formidable obstacle. These peaks had been inhabited since the God Era by peoples who refused to relinquish their ancestral lands. The Githirmil, under their ageless Emperor, encircled the mountains with a network of forts and settlements, slowly encroaching upon the domain of Gimhak. When the fort builders reached Bileddanul's northern extremity, a survey party stumbled upon a strange, heavily warded structure of primordial origins. Near this enigmatic site, the Spire of Krak-Oth, the fortress of Gháshulg was constructed to facilitate study and prepare expeditions. As Gháshulg was brazenly erected within Gimhak territory, it endured repeated attacks.

The dwarves lie entrenched behind ancient mountain fortresses, established over a millennium ago. To assault such impregnable strongholds would prove prohibitively costly. Instead, we shall pursue a long-term strategy, amassing our forces and covering the lowlands with a network of forts and grand bastions. Once we have encircled the dwarves, we shall proceed with their extermination.

Zurghed, the Fograth Dragern of Grand Strategy, advocated for a "Push and Contain" approach. He emphasized the importance of aggressive expansion coupled with strategic containment to secure the realm's dominance.

In 1188, the Orchish Empire's capital was relocated from Kotharlarg to Gháshulg. This strategic decision positioned the capital at the heart of the expanding empire, in the region of Mirtheon. Additionally, the Ageless Emperor planned to transform the alien device at the citadel's core, the Spire of Krak-Oth, into his personal palace. This primordial-built structure towers over Gháshulg's tallest towers and serves as the barracks for the elite guard unit, the Gharbúlúm.

Gháshulg boasts numerous inner citadels that once functioned as the city's outer defenses. As the empire's population and prosperity expanded, these fortifications were gradually pushed outward. The towers and walls, rising 100' to 300' above the plateau, feature a blocky, imposing architecture. The walls themselves stand 50' to 80' tall and equally thick. Within them lie barracks and living quarters for the soldiers, as well as civilian residences in certain areas. Situated at an elevation of 13,000', the city is frequently enveloped in cloud cover for days on end. Visitors have described the city's interior as shadowy and confined, with aged walls, towers, and bridges now serving as public thoroughfares and living spaces.