Carnac

Carnac, the city of the centaurs, is located deep in the Ha’ashtari Waste. The city lies in a river gorge called the Rift. The Rift had once been a gigantic cavern, with an underground river running through it. At some time in the distant past, there was a great upheaval in the planet’s crust, and a portion of the cavern roof collapsed, forming the canyon. A large mesa rises from the floor of the Rift, its top worn flat by the passing centuries. The river still flows, now called the Stark. It emerges from the mouth of a massive cave at the far end of the Rift and meanders through the canyon until it reaches the mesa, where it splits into two channels, completely encircling the plateau. Once past the mesa, the channels merge again, and the Stark continues its journey into a cave mouth at the opposite end.
Scattered trees cover the valley floor, with an understory of grass and tough shrubs. Any flat ground near the river has been tilled for crops. Thermal activity heats the lower valley, which makes it considerably warmer than the frigid plains above. Patches of mist often occur, formed by the clash of temperatures.
The city of Carnac was constructed on the mesa’s summit, its builders taking advantage of the natural defenses. The city was built of great blocks of reddish sandstone, carved from the surrounding cliffs. A massive wall encircles the summit of the plateau, thick enough for several riders to pass abreast, with squat stone towers spaced evenly along the wall. The city itself, a great mass of monolithic structures, crowds within the protecting walls.
On the downstream end of the mesa, sediments left behind by the river form a large point of land. A lesser wall bounds this area, with a massive gate at the very end. A ramp leads from the lower gate to the mesa summit and the main gate of the city. Two wooden bridges provide access from either side of the river.
The surrounding cliffs are vertical near the summit, with rocky slopes covering the lower elevations, littered with debris fallen from the cliffs above. The hardy vegetation of the Waste has claimed portions of the slopes, brownish green patches dotting the rock fields. The upper cliffs are broken here and there, allowing a descent to the valley. On the opposite side of the Rift, a stone roadway ascends to the plains above.
Carnac is also home to the Academy, a great research and learning center operated by the centaurs and their scholars and students. The centaurs rule the city, although it practically runs itself. The closest thing to a government is the Academy. People are sent to Carnac from all over the world, to be students at the Academy. Royalty usually have a personal tutor. The other students attend classes at the Academy. The libraries and laboratories of Carnac are vast. On rare occasions, a centaur will leave the city on a special assignment, or to teach someone who cannot come to Carnac. The centaurs use those excursions as opportunities to gather more knowledge about the world, and to reclaim artifacts and relics. The museums are full of things they brought back. The centaurs also have agents everywhere, looking for old knowledge or objects of interest.
Poor families also send their children to the city and these children are raised to serve for a time in Carnac’s military or as servants. They are fed and sheltered, trained and educated, in a fashion far beyond the meager means of their own parents. When they reach adulthood, they can leave or choose to stay. Many stay, as Carnac is beautiful and peaceful. The parents can also visit when they want.