Although the High Men have earned a reputation as an aristocratic society, perhaps even snobbish at times, the city of Erudin poses little threat to most outsiders unless wrongfully provoked. However, Erudin is a peaceful city of goodly denizens that detest evil and they will strike down any of the dark persuasion on sight.

The merchants of the city sell many goods, and since the High Men are scholars of unmatched repute and talent, many arcane scrolls and components may be bought here that the other cities of Norrath are lacking.

Erudin can be reached from the mainland by boat from the human city of Qeynos. This boat makes a brief stop in Erud's Crossing before arriving at Erudin itself. Traveling from Erudin to Qeynos requires a shuttle ride from the Erudin docks to the main boat which never stops itself in Erudin, rather, it is anchored a bit out at sea for a brief minute.

Inland Erudin is bordered by the vast Toxxulia Forest. Passing through this forest leads to Paineel, and there is an unused dock that leads to the island of the Kerrans. There are also Druid and Wizard portals in the forest itself.

Surrounding Areas

Erudin has a small, but active, port with regular ships leaving for Erud's Crossing and Qeynos beyond that. The city itself sits on the coast, and is bordered on the inland side by the vast, dark Toxxulia Forest. Just off the shore lies the island of the Kerrans, and the city of the Heretics, Paineel, lies somewhere in the forest.

Local Color

Places

The city of Erudin is notable for its practicality, and there are buildings for what the citizens need and little else within. Of note, the city is practically built around the great hall of learning, the Erudin Library, the greatest collection of knowledge in the world of good races. Its only rival is rumored to be in the Dark Elf city of Neriak far to the east.

People

The city of Erudin is a very calm and quiet place, designed for the silent reflection and learning of its inhabitants. There are several prominent locals in the various guilds, and these Erudites, in many cases, represent the most knowledgable in all of Norrath in their various fields of study.

History

Disgusted with the dissipation and ill manners of most of their fellow Humans, a group of men and women led by the Great Erud abandoned their home of Antonica and sailed across the sea to the island of Odus, which was at the time inhabited solely by a race of sentient cat-people called Kerrans. On this island, Erud founded a city based upon the pursuit of pure knowledge: academic, philosophical, and arcane. He alone is credited with devising the entire system of law and social order that exists in Erudin today, well over a thousand years later.

It is said by some that Quellious blessed her faithful Erudites by darkening their skin against the powerful island sun and enlarging their brains to make their quest for knowledge easier. Others attribute the brain development to Quellious and the more practical skin coloration to Prexus. Others claim the Erudites always looked the way they do, and that they were always a distinctly separate race from the Humans. Erud's records are oddly silent on this matter.

The Erudites and the Kerrans managed to live in reasonable peace until the traitor Miragul began experimenting with dark and powerful magics. Horrified by the pain and suffering his studies caused, the High Council condemned Miragul and forbade the study which had come to be known as necromancy. Miragul and his followers broke away from Erudin and a bloody civil war began, ending with massive destruction and the accidental relocation of an entire tribe of Kerrans to the moon of Luclin. Since then, Erudin and the Heretic city of Paineel have kept a brooding stalemate from opposite sides of Odus, each plotting the eventual destruction or overthrow of the other.

The Age of Enlightenment