Qola

Early in the Age of Triumph, Qola was a sprawling metropolis and trade center at the northern edge of the Desolation of Ditimaya and was known as the City of Welcomes. Late in the age, however, it was home to less than 1,000 humanoids and was dubbed the Abandoned City. The change was mostly due to the infamous Hole at its center and the resulting evacuation. The Hole was born of a magical battle between a Dinzer Eye and a Dorethellian Sahir. The Dinzer, Shirick the Door, a danaavrakt, lost control of his power and created a "blip" at the center of the city. The blip slowly grew into what became known as "the Hole." Interestingly, Shirick was also responsible for Dreadfields.

Qola became a ghost city. Nearly all of its buildings were abandoned and fell apart due to neglect and the harsh conditions of the Desolation of Ditimaya that surrounded it on all sides. Sand, briny mire water, animals, and rubbish came to cover the ground, inside and out. Sand creepers, a yellow-green vine, grew everywhere, making some areas almost completely impassable. The few natural Qolans who stayed in the city were quiet, cold, and unfriendly.

Because of the strange effect the Hole had on the atmosphere, the sky directly above Qola rapidly changed colors during both the day and night. One moment, the sky would be brilliant blue, the next light green, and then suddenly muddy red as if the sun was setting. At night, stripes of green, blue, and violet streaked the black sky. Clouds would swirl clockwise above the Hole, almost as if going down some unseen drain.

Beasts wouldn't come within one mile of Qola, perhaps due to the low humming sound the Hole made.

Geography
The landscape of Qola was dominated by two features: the Hole and the Statue of Jerar.

The Hole
The Hole was centered near the middle of the city and defied measurement as its size was not static. Due to its strange properties, the Hole's composition was difficult to ascertain. An unidentified eye-witness described the Hole thus:"'What you see before you defies all description. Certainly, it is a hole—a very large hole, in fact. That much is true. But it is not a pit or a chasm or an abyss. It is only a hole. Gently, the sand at its edges moves towards it, tumbles over the perfectly round edge, then vanishes into nothing. The Hole, as it continues to grow, erases more and more of Qola. There are hints that buildings once stood where it is, but they were either demolished or fell completely into the hole. And like the bits of sand, they, too, were erased. It does not seem innately chaotic or destructive, as that would indicate it had consciousness or a sense of self. Instead, it just is and isn't at once.'"

The Statue of Jerar
The statue of Jerar was a 400-foot tall limestone idol resembling a cloaked mage and was built to praise Qola's original founder. Its right hand held Jerar's walking stick while its left hand was open and held towards the sky to signify a welcome to travelers. The statue stood on top of a 50-foot tall, 80-foot wide pedestal. There was a single flight of steps rising from the park surrounding the statue to the top of the pedestal and the walkway around the statue's feet.

Government
After the creation of the Hole, the last actions of the existing government were to evacuate Qola's citizens. Late in the age, those still living in the area were more interested in survival, salvaging anything of worth or staving off madness than they were in maintaining a bureaucracy.

Places of Interest
Once Qola fell into ruin, there were few places to interest a traveler. Beyond the Hole and the Statue of Jerar, there was just a small number of places to note:

New Qola
At the south end of the city was a maze of shanties called New Qola. The shantytown's inhabitants were a blend of evacuated Qolans, sightseers, Hole-worshippers, and scientists. The area was rambunctious and lawless with mugging and murder not uncommon.

Qola Zoo
What it lacked in size, the Qola Zoo made up for in wonder. It carried an unusual collection of animals from all over Omeria, some friendly, others dangerous, all exciting. Before the Hole could consume the zoo, arrangements were made for it to be carefully evacuated and the animals transported over the Spine to Knotside.

The Terrific Lion
For a time, the Terrific Lion was the most popular tavern in Qola. Minstrels, performers, and exotic dancers traveled from all points of Omeria to perform on the lion's famous stage. Even after the Hole appeared, its popularity remained, especially among those who wanted to see the dreaded Hole in person. Eventually, the curiosity turned to horror, and Qola's name became synonymous with dread. The Lion finally shut its doors and its owners moved to Ugash.

West Tuttahem Garden
The westernmost part of the city was once its wealthiest section, West Tuttahem Garden. After the evacuation, however, the empty multistory buildings were broken into, looted, and vandalized. The Garden's cobblestone roads became covered with sand, with only a few stones surfacing here or there. Wrecked carts, broken barrels, and even the occasional horse or red striped thornfoot skeleton were a testament to a quick evacuation, chaos, and rioting.