Ardenbul is a ruined city “up north” in the territory of Ardisvala, built atop a cliff at the source of the river Arden. It was the symbol of the Arctoconforte Empire and of the Argontian Golden Age; its fall marked that age’s end.
| Type | Place |
| Spanish entry | Ardenbul |
Names
- Arrisbalas, the oldest, said to have returned since the fall.
- Ardenbul, “the most elvish name in the territory of Ardisvala”, the Mithric name of the Golden Age.
- Ardisvala (Ardísbala in Archontian, Ardénbul locally), the present name of the territory.
Description
The city stands on a cliff above lands firmly rooted in the empire. Down the cliff falls the waterfall where the river Arden (“river of Ardenbul”) is born. Beneath lie many interior levels, opened because the site was mined: it was “like Moria”.
History
The magical battle between the Sortians and the Theosophists devastated the surface: “the city is all blown apart”, “much of the city is leveled”. The excavations survived; the mines and lower levels are what is explored today. With the fall, the empire withdrew from the territory.
A dragon once spoke of “the guardian from when they used to take us to Ardenbul”.
Conflicting accounts
- One account says Ardenbul was founded 1,200 years ago; another, that the empire withdrew from it 1,200 years ago after the magical war.
- One account orders the names Arrisbalas → Ardenbul → Ardisvala; another treats Ardenbul as Mithric and Ardisvala as Archontian, without firm chronology.
Open questions
- Materials, cliff height, city size, extent and depth of the mines, and what was mined are not recorded.
- Whether the dragon meant transport, pilgrimage or deportation is unknown.
- Who occupies the ruins today, and how the guardian relates to them, is unknown.