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|books=[[Elantris]]
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{{quote|Elantris was beautiful, once. It was called the city of the gods: a place of power, radiance, and magic. Visitors say that the very stones glowed with an inner light, and that the city contained wondrous arcane marvels. At night, Elantris shone like a great silvery fire, visible even from a great distance.| [[Elantris/Summary#Prologue|Elantris Prologue]]{{ref|b|
The '''City of Elantris''' is a city in [[Arelon]] on the continent of [[Opelon]] on [[Sel]]. Prior to the [[Reod]] and following the [[Invasion of Arelon]] it served as the Capital of Arelon. It is surrounded by four Gate Cities in each of the cardinal directions, of which [[Kae]] is one. It is accounted as one of the most beautiful cities on Sel, particularly by sculptors, who heaped countless praises on the city's sculptures.{{ref|b|
== History ==
=== The Reod ===
{{quote|Every surface--from the walls of the buildings to the numerous cracks in the cobblestones--was coated with a patina of grime. The slick, oily substance had a equalizing effect on Elantris's colors, blending them all into a single, depressing hue--a color that mixed the pessimism of black with polluted greens and browns of sewage.| [[Elantris/Summary#Chapter 1|Elantris Chapter One]]{{ref|b|
Ten years prior to the events of the novel [[Elantris]] a large earthquake occurred in the south of Arelon causing a significant crack in the ground, later refered to as the [[Chasm]]. This caused an event that came to be called the Reod from [[Aon#Reo| Aon Reo]], which means punishment and retribution. The Chasm signified a large enough change in the geography of Arelon that the Aons used across Elantris, such as the massive Aon Rao formed by the Elantrian Metropolitan Area, became incomplete. Elantris, and the Elantrians that called it home, "fell" because of this. The city, which had glowed with an inner light, grew dark and a greasy slime started to cover every surface. The Elantrians themselves were likewise diminished. Their silvery skin turned grey and was covered in dark splotches and their brilliant white hair began to fall out among other, less readily apparent, changes such as their hearts ceasing to beat and their wounds refusing to heal. The strongest and most powerful Elantrians were also placed under extreme pressure from [[the Dor]], which ached for release, leaving them effectively immobilized through cyclical "attacks".
The fall of Elantris had a profound effect on the rest of Arelon as well. The Elantrains and their use of AonDor had served as the lynchpin of the Arelish economy for centuries. Their ability to create large amounts of food, cheaply, had supported massive urban populations. It's sudden absence, along with several other factors, caused a destabilization of Arelish society, which prompted an uprising against their former leaders. The majority of the Elantrians were killed by their former servants. [[Iadon]], formerly a successful merchant, came to power and eventually became King. He moved most of the population to [[Arelish Plantations|plantations]], leaving Kae, the new capital, as the only occupied Gate City. Elantris itself was placed under quarantine; those taken by the Shaod were forced to relocate to the city and no one was permitted to leave. The only food that entered the city was a small pouch given to each Elantrian as they entered, which was part of the funereal practices of [[Shu-Korath]].{{ref|b|
Inside Elantris conditions continued to deteriorate. Elantris had been constructed using AonDor, and without the Dor sustaining it, the city began to rot and decay. The stones themselves started to crumble. Since the Elantrians could no longer heal nor die from their wounds or starvation, the pain they felt from each injury eventually grew to the point where it drove them mad, forcing them to retreat deep inside themselves. Afterwards their only interaction with the outside world would be a phrase, unique to each person, that they would repeat over and over again as if in a trance. These Elantrians came to be known as the [[Hoed]].{{ref|b|
Some Elantrians who had not yet succumbed and become Hoed formed gangs which would steal the funeral offerings of food from new entrants to the city in an effort to satiate their ravenous hunger. At a point ten years following the Reod there were three gangs, led by [[Karata]], [[Aanden]], and [[Shaor]]. Karata's gang resided in the Royal Palace and cared for the children residing in the city.{{ref|b|
=== New Elantris ===
Ten years after the Reod, [[Raoden]], the Crown Prince of Arelon, was taken by the Shaod and secretly exiled to Elantris. Under the pseudonym "Spirit" he acquired a number of followers while attempting to improve conditions in the City. He and his followers settled in the area around what had once been a Korathi church, and cleaned every surface, even the streets, of the ever-present slime.{{ref|b|
The resettlement was supported in part by the [[Widow's Trial]] of [[Sarene]], Raoden's "widow", which supplied the city with much needed food and supplies. Due to her initial distrust of "Spirit" she attempted to thwart his plans by obeying the letter but not the spirit of his requests. This forced the Elantrians to be creative with the materials and contributed to the unique culture of New Elantris, such as the garish clothing prompted by Sarene's choice of fabric colors.
== Landmarks ==
=== Royal Palace ===
Located at the exact center of Elantris, the palace is one of the largest buildings in the city, large enough to retain its magnificence even during the city's time of decay. It has five wings with domes topped with spires. The center spire, the only one to remain standing at the time of Raoden's arrival, has steps winding around it that allowed those who climbed it to have an unparallelled view of the surrounding city.{{ref|b|
The palace served as the base of operations for Karata's gang.{{ref|b|
=== University ===
The university borders on the palace. It consists of five or six long buildings, with open spaces between them.{{ref|b|
The university served as the base of operations for Aanden's gang. He utilized the university's extensive library as a food source for his followers.{{ref|b|
=== Hidden Library ===
The hidden library is located below an Elantrian meetinghouse. Its entrance is marked by an [[Aon#Tae| Aon Tae]], which, when pressed, opened the entryway. Although it is marked by an Aon, the door itself works through a system of gears and is devoid of any magical effects. It is considered a holy place by the Elantrians and AonDor was forbidden there. The reasons why are unknown ,as a result, the library was the only part of Elantris not to be covered in the ever-present slime.{{ref|b|
In addition to the extensive collection of books, both on AonDor and other subjects, the library held numerous murals depicting scenes important to the Elantrians. One of the murals, in a place of importance, is of an Elantrian facing a "mirror-like blue oval", believed to represent [[The Lake]]. The mural is actually sideways, as the Elantrian is actually falling towards the oval. On the other side of the oval is a white sphere of unknown meaning.{{ref|b|
During the Invasion of Arelon, the hidden library was where the [[Seon Ashe]] took the Elantrian children for safe-keeping.{{ref|b|thoe}}
The hidden library also held a secret passage to the Lake.{{ref|b|
=== Bank ===
Elantris' bank is located in the market district which, before the Reod, was a gathering place for merchants across Opelon.{{ref|b|
The bank served as the base of operations for Shaor's gang.{{ref|b|
=== Korathi Church ===
The Elantrians built the Korathi church as a sign of friendship to the people of Teod, the center of Shu-Korath. It is said to be "the most beautiful of its kind." The fact that the Elantrians, themselves viewed as gods before the Reod, allowed another religion to have a place of worship in their city is somewhat surprising to most.{{ref|b|
The Korathi Church served as the center and main meeting place of the New Elantris settlement.
=== Elantrians ===
{{quote|Yet, as magnificent as Elantris was, its inhabitants were more so. Their hair a brilliant white, their skin an almost metallic silver, the Elantrians seemed to shive like the city itself. Legends claim that they were immortal, or at least nearly so. Their bodies healed quickly, and they were blessed with great strength, insight, and speed. They could perform magics with a bare wave of he hand... They were divinities. <br>And anyone could become one.| [[Elantris/Summary#Prologue|Elantris Prologue]]{{ref|b|
The Elantrians are those who have gone through the Shaod and can afterwards practice AonDor. The Elantrians were the rulers of Elantris and Arelon prior to the Reod. They are marked by their pure white hair and silver skin.
;Notable Elantrians:
=== The Shaod ===
{{quote|The Shaod, it was called. The Transformation. It struck randomly--usually at night, during the mysterious hours when life slowed to rest. The Shaod could take beggar, craftsman, nobleman, or warrior. | [[Elantris/Summary#Prologue|Elantris Prologue]]{{ref|b|
The Shaod is the process by which ordinary people become Elantrians. The only restrictions are that the individual must be of Aonic descent and be within area of the Elantris effect. [[Aon#Mea|Aon Mea]] describes the area in which the Shaod can occur.{{ref|?|428|63|What is the X in Aon Mea?}}
=== Minor Uses ===
Most rooms within Elantris have metal plates inscribed with [[Aon#Ashe|Aon Ashe]] that provide illumination.{{ref|b|
== Trivia ==
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