Although it is now the bustling and ever-growing capital of the region, Svartrau’s beginnings are much more humble. As the first settlement in the valley, it was just a collection of cottages, built on a hill for protection. Initially it was known simply as "Svar" – the origins of this name are not known, although some historians claim that the first settlers in Vale Sangora were in fact Danes and the word comes from their language (but there is no clear proof to this theory). What we do know is that the name "Svartrau" was already established in AD 795, when the famous Svartrau Cathedral was erected.
The city owes its growth to the large silver deposits mined all over the valley. The ruling noble family, the Boarescus, used the precious metal to make Svartrau into a real metropolis, one in which peoples of different origins work and live alongside each other. Bohemians, Germans, Jews, Slavs, Tatars – everyone is welcome in Svartrau, as long as they want to work and follow the local laws.
Svartrau is a remarkable place – it has to be, considering the fact that the surrounding mountains make it virtually cut off from the rest of the world. Despite that natural obstacle, the amount of people travelling to either do business or settle inside the capital of Vale Sangora grows each year.
