Orgrith Cave
Orgrith Cave is a cave in Damasca which is used to hold the graduation trial for Valinhall Travelers.[1]
Geography
Orgrith Cave sits at the Southeastern corner of Latari Forest. The surrounding area, up to about a mile from the cave, is barren, with shriveled trees, blackened grass, and sandy terrain. In this area, there are spikes of rock several dozens of feet tall protruding from the ground. These spikes are numerous but thin out around the entrance of the cave.
The cave opening is a tall, wide and irregular dome. Within the cave, the caverns shift between deadly forms that resemble Tartarus, Naraka, or Ornheim. Within the cave, an enormous cavern is supported by hundreds of thick stone columns.
In one form, the columns are covered with huge glowing green mushrooms and the ceiling and walls are covered in glowing blue moss. Chunks of crystal hang from the ceiling and pillars which give off a violet light. The combined lights give an otherworldly glow to the cavern. Within the cavern there are a variety of monsters made of or covered with rock, including huge insects, crabs, worms, and eels that swim through the stone, among other unknown creatures.[2]
History
Shortly after the arrival of Damascans, Orgrith Cave was used by a group of Travelers as refuge, as they were shunned and treated as bad luck at the time. This group included Ornheim, Tartarus, and Narakan Travelers and may have included a small number of Lirial Travelers. The Travelers were discovered and attacked after a few months. To defend themselves, the Travelers began calling on extreme powers which changed the cave to be more like a Territory[3] over the course of an extended battle.[2] By the end, the attackers did not succeed in invading the cave, but the Travelers also never made it out.[3]
Many years later, Valin used the cave as a graduation ceremony for Dragon Army requiring each member to survive 7 days alone in the cave. It was highly dangerous, and Denner barely made it out alive.[1]
Years later, a bit after Simon's training began in the House, Denner and Kai made him go through the same trial, although Kai secretly kept close to Simon to keep him alive.[2] Outside the cave, he encountered the Agnos family outside the cave and sought to rescue Andra and Lycus Agnos, who had wandered inside.}[2]
