Darus

Description
"It was beautiful. There were all of these domed ruins, broken towers, and ancient courtyards everywhere. The Dar had cleaned up perhaps a third of them, and renovated them into homes, storefronts, and even gardens. Yet, there were hundreds of ruins left yet unexplored. The Dar folk themselves think little of the buildings, saying they were there when the Dar got there, and that was enough. None the less, I think about the beautiful blue pottery that sat upon every dinner table in every hut, and I shudder to think about how much more of it must be below the city…" - Kestrel D Wine, of Aurora

The Hidden city is the official "homeland" of the Dar. Although they are a friendly race, the Dar no longer allow strangers into Darus (Hightown); they are restrained to the "Lowtown". Any non-Dar must have a Dar vouch for the individual, and fill out extensive paperwork "registering" the newcomer. If the stranger were to commit any crime while in Hightown, they'd both be charged with the crime. So far, only good friends of the Dar have been so welcomed. (Faeyan are always welcomed as full citizens of Darus, and require no such paperwork.)

Hightown is the raised plateau on the edge of a lake fed by a great river. Lowtown is at the base of the waterfalls, and has fewer ancient buildings. Several odd pyramids and other domed buildings still stand in the misty Lowtown.