Dalgalanyor

Dalgalanyor is a fictional ancient coastal city described in the lore of the Valendir culture. It is depicted as a hub of maritime trade and cultural exchange located on the eastern shore of the Valen Sea, at the mouth of a sheltered crescent bay. The city’s strategic harbor connected inland polities with island communities and distant trading networks.

Etymology

The name is usually traced to the Valen words dalga, meaning "wave," and nyor, meaning "light" or "illumination," though variations appear in later inscriptions.

History

In chronicles, Dalgalanyor is said to have risen in the late Bronze Age as a trading outpost and administrative center. It reportedly reached its peak between the 12th and 9th centuries BCE, with a waterfront quarter, kiln-dried pottery production, and metalworking. The decline is attributed to a combination of earthquakes, changing trade routes, and invasions, with the site eventually abandoned in the early Iron Age.

Culture and society

Accounts describe a mixed urban society with artisans, merchants, and a priestly class devoted to sea and wind deities. Public rituals emphasized safe passage and favorable tides. Distinctive pottery decorated with wave motifs and seal stones attested to its material culture.

Economy

The local economy depended on salt works, ceramics, beadwork, and long-distance trade in metals, timber, and amber. Trade networks are inferred from amphora finds and distribution patterns.

Archaeology and sources

Modern references to Dalgalanyor arise from inscriptions and material remnants attributed to the Dalendir and Valenic spheres in fictional corpora. In-world scholars discuss excavation sites at the Tidecombe promontory and the Port of Light.