Location: Endworld Spine, 200 kilometres east of the land of Szekesh, mount
Porthe.
Area: 186 km sq
Population: 4,200 (3,000 gnomes, 1,200 giants) Languages: Gnomish (Hillik
dialect), Giantish (Rondane dialect) Coinage: Zorki (sp) (Porteui) ; Mynt (ep) (Cirrinembis)
Government Type: Monarchy (giants), clan-structured monarchy (gnomes)
Industries: Unknown (giants), geothermic, engineering, agriculture -potatoes,
wheat- (gnomes)
Important Figures: Akseel (storm giant king), Jebeck (gnomish king)
Flora and Fauna: Musk and lichens are the only plants to grow apart from the
region cultivated artificially by the gnomes. The fauna in the region is sparse.
Description: The city of Porteui is located at the top of a mountain of the
Endworld Spine. The city is built mainly at the side of the higher peaks of the
mountain, and every house is connected to each other through bridges, a great
example of the engineering abilities of the gnomes who live here. Porteui is
home to 3,000 mountain gnomes, whose main activities are high-tech agriculture
and engineering studies. They have built thermic machines who artificially
provide the warmth needed by the plants to survive and thrive. However, the
drawback of the machines is to create a thermic instability that results in the
permanent clouds who stay over the city. So the gnomes had to build also
machines who provide artificial illumination to the city. The engineering
studies have allowed the gnomes to reach all these wondrous achievements, and
moreover also to allow a group of cloud giants to live above the clouds, in the
city of Cirrinembis.
Built on the clouds, Cirrinembis is settled by 1,200 giants (mainly cloud giants,
but also some storm giant). An island of earth, covered by musk and lichens, but
no other vegetation, floats on the clouds, like if they were a sort of sea. This
is due to the "artificial" nature of the clouds, who are semi-solid
and dense, and thus allow this incredible occurrence, unique in Mystara (but for
those who know Mystaran gnomes, and thus Serraine and Earthshaker, this should
not be a surprise!). The giants are ruled by Akseel, a storm giant king assisted
by a counsel of priests of Hymir, the Father of Giants.
Relationships between the two groups border the zero. As long as the gnomes
provide the city its cloud base, nothing will happen, as the gnomes are not
overly curious about the giants, considering the past history of Porteui.
History: The Hillik gnomish clan arrived in the area around 365 AC. The Hillik
clan was interested in geothermic and thermodynamics. They had made significant
theoretical improvements and wanted to try the fortune in a well-suited area.
They found it here and settled under the leadership of Zork Fireburner, who was
following the Path of the Paragon. Zork's skills allowed the gnomes to build the
machineries that led to the achievements in the illumination, cloud producing
and farming that are typical of Porteui. Then, in 536, soon after the end of the
main work, Zork disappeared.
In 546 AC, a band of cloud giants arrived from the northern Endless Spine,
announcing to the gnomes that the land over the clouds ("Cir rì nebis")
was their. They claimed that Garl, the Immortal Protector of Gnomes, and Hymir,
Father of Giants, had agreed to build a new land for the giants, and that Garl
had sent Zork to lead the gnomes here to prepare it for them. The giants were
fleeing from Rondane [see Atlas of Hyborea], and told the gnomes that, if they
had refused, they would fight for their right. An avatar of Garl arrived in
Porteui, while the giants waited outside the city in a guise very similar to
that of a siege. He spoke to the gnomes telling them to listen to what the
giants said, because it was true. Excited by the presence of an avatar of their
patron, the gnomes were eager to comply with his request, especially since no
gnome knew what use they could make of the land over the clouds. After a day of
celebrations, to which the avatar attended personally, the gnomes sent envoys to
the giants, telling them to take possession of what would become known as
Cirrinembis.