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== Location ==
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▲[[FILE:Urithiru on the map.png|thumb|Urithiru on the map of [[Roshar]]|right]]
Urithiru is located almost exactly in the middle of the Rosharan continent, in the mountains that comprise the border of [[Emul]] and [[Greater Hexi]].{{map ref|Roshar}} The tower sits on the east side of one of those mountains, leaning against two slopes.{{file ref|Urithiru.jpg|Urithiru sketch}}{{book ref|sa2|89}}
The plateau on which the tower is located is at a considerable altitude. The air is thin enough to make physical activity difficult. {{book ref|sa3|46}} The cliffs beneath it extend further than the eye can see.{{book ref|sa3|58}} This location is high enough that both [[highstorm]]s and the [[Everstorm]] pass beneath it, which makes it difficult for the tower's current occupants to obtain [[stormlight]].{{book ref|sa3|4}}
Historically, there was some disagreement as to whether or not Urithiru is accessible by means other than [[Oathgate]] travel or flight. Ancient chroniclers Varala and Sinbian both stated that it was impossible, but in [[Nohadon]]'s eighth parable from [[The Way of Kings (in-world)|''The Way of Kings'']], he claims that he walked from [[Abamabar]] to Urithiru (which he confirms in Dalinar's dream, saying that he did not use an Oathgate, only a guide, which he believes wasn't "cheating" in any way).{{epigraph ref|sa1|34}}{{book ref|sa3|103}} As is later revealed, there is an entrance at the bottom of the mountain which can be used to exit the tower on foot. {{book ref|sa3|
There is an unnamed village in the foothills of the mountain to the south of the tower, {{book ref|sa2|i|10}} but it is apparently not visible from the tower, as all Dalinar can see is clouds and rocks.{{book ref|sa3|86}} In addition, Urithiru sits relatively
== Appearance ==
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{{image|Urithiru3 by Jacobo Montoya.jpg|Front view of the tower|side=right|height=250px}}
Urithiru is as wide as a city and as tall as a small mountain.{{book ref|sa3|24}} It consists of 10 semi-circular levels, with each level being 18 stories tall, for a total of 180 floors.
The lower levels "meld" into the mountain on either side, but the center and the upper levels have a flat side on the stormward side. Rooms in this flat side have windows facing the [[Origin]]. {{book ref|sa3|4}} The glass windows miraculously survived thousands of years of abandonment utterly intact.{{book ref|sa3|8}}
The interior of Urithiru is filled with tunnels that twist about in strange curves, which Dalinar hypothesizes was done to fool invaders.{{book ref|sa3|8}} Navani's scholars have also found oddly shaped groups of rooms and murals of fanciful animals (including some that might be lions, though those do not exist on Roshar), along with gold and copper metals embedded in the walls, presumably fabrials that they have been unable to understand.{{book ref|sa3|44}}
The tower is
===Strata===
Each tunnel in Urithiru has distinctive patterns of strata.{{book ref|sa3|9}} Known strata colors include shades of brown, yellow, red, orange, and emerald green, though it would appear that only [[Surgebinder]]s are capable of perceiving the various colours.{{wob ref|10715}} The stone itself is smooth to the touch and hard enough that it can't be scratched with a knife.{{book ref|sa3|13}} Notably, the same strata patterns can be seen on the [[Kholinar]] windblades, indicating similar (perhaps shared) origin.{{book ref|sa3|61}}
Shallan theorizes that the strata might be veins, though she's unsure of what they would be carrying.{{book ref|sa3|25}}
* '''On the way to Dalinar's quarters''': "wide reddish strata alternating with smaller yellow ones"; "sloping slightly upward"{{book ref|sa3|8}}
* '''Shallan's quarters''': "bright circular patterns"{{book ref|sa3|13}}
* '''Room where Dalinar inspects the
* '''Sparring room''': "grey and black"{{book ref|sa3|16}}
* '''Sadeas' quarters, side room''': "muted pattern of strata"; "oranges and reds that blended together so evenly you could almost pretend the wall was all one hue"{{book ref|sa3|21}}
==== The Theater ====
A room resembling a theater can be found on the tower's third level, near the Breakaway. It's a large chamber with round walls and rows of stone benches facing a raised platform that served as a stage. This stage can be reached both by stairs from the audience and by a separate entrance. The corridor leading to it is narrow enough to be touched on both sides, and goes by several smaller chambers, possibly dressing rooms. Past the theater's back door (the one which would be, presumably, used by the audience), there is a circular room with large vertical slits in the walls, some of which face Breakaway, although neither it, nor the theater itself can be reached directly from the market. It is there that [[Shallan]] puts on a [[
==== The Gem Archive and Re-Shephir's Chamber ====
{{for|Urithiru gem archive}}
{{image|Midnight Mother 1.jpg|[[Shallan]] fighting [[Re-Shephir]] in her chamber|side=left|width=250px}}
The chamber in which the [[Unmade]] [[Re-Shephir]] hides until being banished by [[Shallan]] can be reached from the tower's ground floor, from a room where a large pit with a stone spiral staircase leads down several stories. Rust marks on the wall indicate that part of the stone once served as a secret door, though the hinges have long since decayed and Shallan has to cut her way in with a [[shardblade]].{{book ref|sa3|29}}
At the bottom of the staircase, a large archway of individually-placed stones — unusual in Urithiru — leads to a hallway, the ceiling of which has a large mosaic of the [[herald]]s. The walls are also covered in mosaics, depicting the ten [[spren]] of the [[Knights Radiant]].
Navani's scholars catalog and remove the debris, turning the area into a meeting hall for those working on uncovering the city's mysteries. Henceforth, it's there that the assemblies concerning the city's functionality and [[fabrial]]s are held.{{book ref|sa3|44}} As is later discovered, the tiles on the walls are actually drawers, holding the [[Urithiru gem archive]].{{book ref|sa3|53}}
At the end of the hallway is a bowl-shaped room. At its center stands a twenty-foot-tall column of gemstones, around which Re-Shephir coiled when discovered. The column is
On the far side of the room, a tunnel with carved stone steps leads even further below the tower. The passage runs through a long string of caverns, eventually leading to an exit in the foothills of the [[Tu Fallia]] mountains.{{book ref|sa3|53}} Re-Shephir uses this path to flee Urithiru after her confrontation with Shallan.{{book ref|sa3|30}}
== Mechanisms ==
Urithiru
Functioning fabrial systems include those for increased pressure{{epigraph ref|sa3|69}}, temperature{{book ref|sa3|53}}, and general conditions encouraging plant growth.{{epigraph ref|sa3|69}} Navani also theorizes that the air circulating through various shafts is powered by some sort of fabrial.{{epigraph ref|sa3|28}} In addition, the [[fabrial]] elevators connecting Urithiru's floors begin running when gemstones are inserted.{{book ref|sa3|8}} The gems in the [[Urithiru gem archive|gem archive]] which preserve recordings of human voices might also be considered fabrials.{{book ref|sa3|53}}
Non-functional fabrials include the plumbing and sewage systems, though pipes for these are present.{{book ref|sa3|104}} Taravangian theorizes that fabrial lights were used to increase plant growth and crop yields to make the tower self-sustaining.{{book ref|sa3|i|5}}
In a storage chamber near the top of the tower, the walls have veins of garnet, the gemstone classically associated with blood. Navani notes that the records in the gem archive “speak of this tower like a living thing. With a heart of emerald and ruby, and now these veins of garnet.”{{book ref|sa3|109}} These are perhaps related to the strange column of gems in the tower's lower levels, which Renarin calls a fabrial for "being a city."{{book ref|sa3|29}}
== History ==
Urithiru was constructed at some point early on during the [[Silver Kingdoms]] era.{{ref|text=[[Nohadon]], who lived before the Knights Radiant were founded, visited it, so it had to be fairly early on.}} Initially, many wished for it to be constructed in [[Alethela]]; however, it was eventually built elsewhere, in a place considered to be "closest to Honor".{{epigraph ref|sa1|35}} It's unclear whether it was created by [[Herald]]s, [[Surgebinder]]s or [[Shard]]s themselves.
Though it's unclear whether it was originally built for this purpose, Urithiru was the headquarters of the [[Knights Radiant]] orders, as well as the center of the [[Silver Kingdoms]], holding ten thrones, one for each king. Even following the temporary end of the cycle of [[Desolation]]s, it remained an important location as both the home of the Radiants and the [[Oathgate]] hub.{{epigraph ref|sa1|46}} During that time, Urithiru had a large population of not only Radiants, but also ordinary people - servants, traders, craftsmen and so on.{{epigraph ref|sa3|72}} At one point, the [[Unmade]] [[Re-Shephir]] invaded the tower, and was trapped and sealed by an unknown [[Order of Lightweavers|Lightweaver]].{{book ref|sa3|29}}
Eventually, the unknown systems that allowed people to inhabit Urithiru - most importantly, raising its temperature to allow people to live comfortably and grow foods - began to fail for unclear reasons.{{epigraph ref|sa3|69}} This forced the Knights Radiant to abandon the tower, leaving behind only the [[Urithiru gem archive|gem archive]] where they coded their last messages.{{epigraph ref|sa3|65}}{{epigraph ref|sa3|61}}
=== Era of Solitude ===
{{image|Lightweaver by Connor Chamberlain.jpg|[[Shallan]] and [[Pattern]] standing in front of Urithiru|side=right|width=350px}}
Some time after the tower was abandoned, [[Re-Shephir]] broke out of her confinement, but remained within the tower.{{book ref|sa3|29}}
== Culture ==
{{quote
|Most scholars consider it just a myth. The ardents refuse to speak of it, due to its association with the Radiants, and therefore with the first major failure of Vorinism.
|[[Jasnah]]{{book ref|sa1|45}}
}}
Though massively important in the past, prior to the coming of the [[Everstorm]] Urithiru was all but unknown to [[Vorinism|Vorins]] who didn't study the [[Knights Radiant]], with Shallan being unfamiliar even with its name.{{book ref|sa1|45}} This could be the result of the [[Hierocracy]] working to suppress all knowledge of Radiants, similar to how they discredited [[Surgebinding]].
The tower city's economy suffers from three main difficulties: a lack of labor, a lack of supplies, and a lack of infrastructure.
Following the healing of all [[parshmen]] during the first [[Everstorm]], the Alethi have suffered from the loss of their menial labor class that carried over as they relocated to Urithiru. To alleviate that, [[darkeyes]] of low [[nahn]], as well as soldiers and caravan workers, have been pressed into service doing tasks such as hauling water, to their dismay. In an effort to reduce labor tensions, Adolin encourages these men to form a water haulers' guild to bargain for wages. The lack of parshmen will no doubt result in increased consumer costs as slavery is replaced by
Since Urithiru's crop growing system is non-functional, the city depends on trade to provide supplies. At first, goods flowing into Urithiru through the Oathgates are mostly salvage from the warcamps abandoned during the flight from the [[Everstorm]], harvested by enterprising merchants backed by the [[highprince]]s.{{book ref|sa3|25}} Dalinar has considered trying to resettle the war camps, but the area has been quietly claimed by those highprinces who stayed behind. Though Sebarial has forests near the camps that could be used to supply the city, harvesting the lumber isn't economical without parshmen.{{book ref|sa3|104}} Emeralds for [[Soulcasting]] food are also in short supply, despite continued hunting for [[gemheart]]s on the [[Shattered Plains]].{{book ref|sa3|104}} Later, after King [[Taravangian]] joins the alliance, regular shipments begin to come from [[Jah Keved]].{{book ref|sa3|29}} Still, there is not enough trade to support the city, leading [[Bethab]] to speculate that without a deal with [[Azir]], Urithiru may not be able to support its current population.{{book ref|sa3|104}}
Another minor issue affecting Urithiru's early economy was the lack of [[stormlight]] to infuse [[spheres]]. The need for stormlight to power the Oathgates meant that in the period immediately following Urithiru's discovery, when the [[highstorm]]s disappeared, infused spheres were worth considerably more than face value. Now that the highstorms have returned, spheres can be re-infused by lowering them in large cages down into the storm.{{book ref|sa3|4}}
== Notable Residents ==
{{for|:Category:Residents of Urithiru|a full list see}}
* [[Dalinar Kholin]]
* [[Turinad Sebarial]]
== Trivia ==
{{image|Urithiru Scale.jpg|side=right|width=325px|A comparison of scale between Urithiru and large structures on earth.|attribute=art-modified}}
* The stones of Urithiru being unhallowed is part of [[Shinovar|Shin]] culture rather than something magical.{{wob ref|6508}}
* Brandon has confirmed that Urithiru is not a spaceship used to travel from [[Ashyn]] to Roshar.{{wob ref|8762}}
* The inspiration for the [[Breakaway]] was Korean [[wikipedia: Night market|night markets]], street bazaars that typically operate only at night.{{wob ref|8635}}
* Urithiru may provide passage to the cognitive realm.{{wob ref|12017}}
* [https://www.17thshard.com/forum/profile/8975-ccstat/ ccstat] and [https://www.17thshard.com/forum/profile/18320-jofwu/ jofwu] on the [[17thshard.com]] forums have analyzed the scale and size of the tower in posts which can be found [https://www.17thshard.com/forum/topic/61009-ob-dimensions-of-urithiru/ here] and [https://www.reddit.com/r/Stormlight_Archive/comments/b6t5lx/dimensions_of_urithiru/ here].
== Notes ==
{{Stormlight}}
[[category: Knights Radiant]]
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