Cthol Mishrak

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Cthol Mishrak is fictional city described in the works of David Eddings in his Belgariad and Malloreon series, as well as Belgarath the Sorcerer.

Cthol Mishrak is situated in a basin, in a marshy area in extreme North-Western Mallorea close to the coast and the land bridge to Gar og Nadrak. It was built by the Angarak God Torak directly after his defeat in the War of the Gods, and housed an enormous iron tower, in which Torak resided and attempted to achieve control over the Orb of Aldur.

Cthol Mishrak is translated as the City of Endless Night, and was described accurately, as Torak used his power to blanket the city and its surroundings in a never-moving cloud-bank, preventing the sun from ever shining. The city rapidly became infested with night-loving fungus and other parasite plants, to the detriment of any other vegetative life. The cloud-bank remained, even when Torak was away from the city or bound in slumber, and would only be broken on the God's death.

The city was inviolate, until Belgarath led four Alorn warriors - Cherek Bear-Shoulders, Algar Fleet-Foot, Dras Bull-Neck and Riva Iron-Grip right to the Iron Tower in which the maimed God lived. There, Riva Iron-Grip became the first Guardian of the Orb when he took the stone from its cage in Torak's chambers.

The five retreated across the frozen Sea of the East, destroying the pursuing Angaraks with the power of the Orb. Upon their return to Alorn territory, the Prophecy prompted Belgarath to begin the break-up of Aloria into the four modern nations, under each of the warriors that had successfully retaken the Orb.

A similar situation developed at Cthol Mishrak. Infuriated at the loss of the Orb, Torak destroyed his tower and caused significant damage to the city. He then began the biggest migration of peoples since the cracking of the world. To prevent future incursions, he ordered the inhabitants of Cthol Mishrak to also attempt the crossing to the western continent. The social stratification of Torak's city had passed him by. Governance of the city was carried out by the Disciple Ctuchik and his priesthood, the Grolims. Beneath them were the Murgo's, the Old Angarak word for Warrior, and the Nadrak's, the Angarak word for Merchant, or Townsman. Beneath all were the Thulls, the working class of Cthol Mishrak. To the Angarak God, however, they seemed to be of different tribes, and so he caused considerable damage when he divided their society. Nonetheless, the Angarak migration secured a large amount of territory, forming three nations - Gar og Nadrak, Cthol Murgos, and Thulldom, which seems to have no actual government or administration, instead taking orders from all other Angaraks, especially the Grolim priesthood.

Torak, in Mallorea, made his preparations for War, only to have his forces decimated and himself reduced to a coma-like state at the Battle of Vo Mimbre. Rescued by Zedar the Apostate, he would eventually be returned to Cthol Mishrak to await the coming of the Godslayer. In a titanic duel, which further damaged the now badly-decayed City of Endless Night, Torak was slain by Belgarion. Without the power of the maimed God, the cloud-bank that had shrouded the city for centuries finally dissipated.

Following these cataclysmic events, Cthol Mishrak was all but abandoned. Its only inhabitant, as such, is Zedar, still trapped alive beneath the city in living rock, following his own duel with Belgarath. The city is clearly no threat, as Zakath, Emperor of Mallorea remarks to Belgarion in The Mallorean that he has had his people search the area for Zedar. This would not have been possible prior to Torak's demise, due to the God's power, the garrison force of considerably advanced Grolim sorcerers, the vicious Hounds of Torak, and the various other, unmentionable creations of Torak's will.