Vedenar

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Vedenar
Vedenar city map.jpg
Ruled by King Taravangian
Nation Jah Keved
World Roshar
Universe Cosmere

Vedenar, one of the great cities of the world, was now little more than a heap of rubble and ash.

— Taravangian[1]

Vedenar is the capital city of Jah Keved on Roshar.[2]

Geography and LayoutEdit

Vedenar lies on the southern edge of Jah Keved, on the cliffs facing Tarat Sea. The sound of the waves crashing against the stone can be heard across the entire city.[3] To the west of Vedenar flows an unnamed river stemming from the Horneater Peaks, while to the north lay the vast fields that feed its populace.[4][3] Vedenar's ancient center is laid out in the shape of a hexagon, with its main thoroughfares forming a rotationally symmetrical pattern that was likely created through cymatics.[2][5] It's likely that the city has grown beyond that since the Heraldic Epochs.

Vedenar is known for its lush atmosphere and many amazing gardens. Most of the city is overgrown with greenery, with rare plants jumbled together wherever there's any space for them to grow. The most magnificent gardens sit atop vast, plate-like terraces that jut out above the city.[3]

Unfortunately, following the Veden civil war, swathes of the city have been destroyed.[1] Many buildings and terrace gardens have been reduced to heaps of rubble by siege equipment, while others have burned down to cinders.[3] The destruction is uneven -- many Veden live in houses that remain well-preserved even as the neighboring buildings lay razed to the ground. Even months after the war's conclusion, the smell of smoke still lingers in the air.[6]

Notable LocationsEdit

The Oathgate
The ancient Valhav Oathgate is located in Vedenar. Prior to the True Desolation, the dais housed one of the city's gardens, but the vegetation has been cleared away once the Oathgate was reactivated. There are two paths atop the gate, a long ramp and a set of stairs.[3]
The Royal Palace
The Royal Palace had once been the seat of the royal power in Jah Keved. It was utterly destroyed during the civil war, to the point where it's now barely recognizable.[3]
The Docks
The grand docks at the city's coast, sheltered by an enormous natural ridge, had in the past served as the main way for the locals to access the sea. Though the ridge still stands, the docks themselves were burned down by one of the factions during the civil war. For now, the city can only be reached from the sea by small boats rowing to the shore.[1]
The Stormshelters
The city has numerous stormshelters to protects its populace during highstorms. In the present, the Veden soldiers who survived the war are stationed there.[3]
Devotary of Sincerity
The Vorin Devotary of Sincerity is somewhere in the city; however, it's uncertain where precisely it is located.[7]

HistoryEdit

Vedenar is one of the Dawncities, the oldest settlements in all of Roshar.[2] Back during the Heraldic Epochs, it lay in the Silver Kingdom of Valhav, and, having an Oathgate, was presumably its capital.[8] Shortly before the Recreance, it was known as Veden City.[9]

In the late Era of Solitude, Vedenar was well-known worldwide as one of the greatest cities on the planet.[3] However, the Diagram sought to destabilize the country so as to give Taravangian an opening to take it over.[10] For this reason, they sent Szeth to Vedenar to assassinate king Hanavanar, his son and the highprinces, plunging Jah Keved into civil war.[11][12]

The forces led by highprince Valam took over Vedenar.[13] The other highprinces soon followed after him, and the city fell into a months-long siege later termed the Battle of Vedenar.[1] The siege was excessively brutal, owing to the Veden soldiers being pushed forward by the Thrill into combat past all reason. Many forces continued fighting even after suffering over fifty percent losses.[3] In one battle, one of the armies pushed another off the city's cliffs and onto the ridge that protected the port from the highstorms.[1]

The civil war eventually wound down, with Valam emerging victorious. However, he was extremely ill, and it was at this time that Taravangian arrived, bringing medical supplies and food. As he had a claim to the throne through his mother, Valam passed the crown onto him before ordering his own son, Redin, to kill him.[1]

After being crowned, Taravangian set out to improve the living conditions in Vedenar. The bodies of the fallen were collected and burned down in the fields outside the walls.[6] The soldiers were folded under Taravangian's command and moved into the stormshelters within the city.[3] After Dalinar reached out to the king, Malata opened the local Oathgate, reconnecting Vedenar with Urithiru.[14] Some of the Alethi troops were stationed there to aid in defending and rebuilding the city.[15]

It was while visiting Vedenar that Dalinar was pronounced a heretic and excommunicated from the Vorin church.[3] Later, after it was revealed that rather than Vedenar, the Voidbringers sought to attack Thaylen City, some of the Alethi battalions there were withdrawn, but a number remained in case of a surprise attack.[16]

PoliticsEdit

As the capital of Jah Keved, Vedenar is the most important city in the whole country. The Veden government, as well as the king and his family, live there.[11] The highprinces spend a lot of their time in Vedenar rather than in their own lands.[17] Various lesser nobles, such as Lin Davar, also visit it quite often.[18] Redin works from there as an investigator for highprince Valam.[19]

The city is also important as a transport hub. When active, its Oathgate allows it access to ten other locations across Roshar, including Urithiru.[14] It's also an important sea port connecting the country with other states along the shore.[20] Its large size and good connections make it a perfect place to disappear in.[21]

Whoever controls Vedenar, controls Jah Keved -- it is for this reason that during the civil war, all the Veden highprinces brought their armies here. The Battle of Vedenar was the most bloody conflict of the civil war largely becase every faction knew the city's value.[1]

NotesEdit

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