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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, includingsuch as the massive Aon Rao formed by the Elantrian Metropolitan Area formed, 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, promptingwhich 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|e|c|1}}

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;. theThe stones themselves started to rotcrumble. Since the Elantrians could no longer heal and could notnor 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 wasworld would be a phrase, unique to each person, that they would repeat over and over again as if in a dazetrance. TheThese Elantrians came to be known as the [[Hoed]].{{ref|b|e|c|4}}

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 toin the city.{{ref|b|e|c|13}} Aanden and his followers took residence in the University, and usedusing the bindings of its books as a food source. Shaor, who was in reality a petulant and capricious child, was worshiped by her followers, who had degenerated into a sub-human society, as a result of the wig that gave the impression of her retaining her hair when all other Elantrians had lost theirs. Shaor's base of power was the bank.{{ref|b|e|c|4}}{{ref|b|e|c|22}}

Around this time Raoden, along with [[Galladon]] and Karata, discovered that someat least one of the Hoed arewas an Elantrians from before the fall. TheyThis areshocks shockedthem, because itall wasoriginal Elantrians were believed theyto hadhave allbeen diedkilled in the chaos following the Reod. One of theseThis Hoed leads them to a hidden library containing books on AonDor, among other subjects, as well as a passage to [[the Lake]], where Elantrians went to die. In this library Raoden gainedwas able to gain= an understanding of certain aspects of the fall. The slime, for example, was a result of the decomposingdecomposition of a micro-organism that had thrived on the light given off by the city,. whenWhen it grew dark the organisms died. He also discovered the tie between AonDor and the geography of Arelon, and was able to "fix" AonDor by the addition of the Chasm line to the Aons.

During the events of the Invasion of Arelon by [[Dakhor]] monks, Raoden iswas critically injured and becomes one of the Hoed. Galladon and Karata, following a promise they had made to Raoden, brought him to the Lake in order to ease his suffering. On the way heRaoden subconsciously noticed that Elantris was itself was a broken Aon. After refusing the peace offered by the Lake, he added the Chasm line to the Elantrian Metropolitan District while avoiding capture by Dakhorthe monks,enemy. Karata died protecting him. Once the Chasm line was added, Elantris, and the Elantrians were restored to their pre-Reod state.

Following Raoden's coronation, Elantris was re-instated as the Arelish capital.

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|e|c|4}} It served as the meeting place for the council, elected by the Elantrian elders, that ruled over the city and the lands under its control.{{ref|b|e|c|13}}

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 but ,as a result, the library was the only part of Elantris not to be covered in the ever-present slime.{{ref|b|e|c|25}}

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|e|c|25}}

The hidden library also held a secret passage to [[Thethe Lake]].{{ref|b|e|c|25}}

Elantris' bank is located in the market district which, before the Reod, was a gathering place for merchants across Opelon.{{ref|b|e|c|4}}

The City of Elantris has a strong link with the practice of AonDor. Not only are its inhabitants, the Elantrians, the only known practitioners of the art, but the city itself is powered by it. In turn, the city acts as a focus, amplifying the strength of AonDor greatly in its vicinity.

The Elantrians are those who have experiencedgone 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.

===The Shaod===

In AonDor, Aon Rao acts as a power amplifier, increasing the strength of Aon equations that incorporate it. The Elantrian Metropolitan District is a massive Aon Rao that targets that greatly increases the strength of Aons drawn by the Elantrians in close proximity to it.