Prifddinas

Prifddinas is the greatest city of the elves, located just north of Isafdar, and the capital of Tirannwn. Prifddinas is a word in the Welsh language which means "Capital City" and is pronounced 'Priv-thinass' (double d in Welsh being similarly to th). It is the oldest surviving settlement in Gielinor, being created in the First Age. Access to the city is currently barred to Human and Elf alike, with the guards stating that no one enters until the "brigands" are gone.

While the city cannot currently be accessed by players, it will become partially accessible to players who have completed Within the Light in July/August 2014 if it wins the first Dragonstone poll. Prifddinas is one of the few places that is displayed on the World Map but is inaccessible.

In the Jagex released a player submission where the Wise Old Man has a plan to get into the elven city.

Initial Settlement
Prifddinas was built by the elves when they were led into Gielinor through the World Gate in the First Age by their crystalline goddess, Seren and Guthix, the god of balance.

The elves settled in Tirannwn, a large wooded area west of modern-day Kandarin. Tirannwn itself is isolated from the rest of Gielinor, thanks to the Galarpos Mountains. The elves built the city with the Elf crystal given to them by Seren, which could be shaped through crystal singing. The elves themselves were divided into eight clans, which peacefully coexisted in Prifddinas. Each was given their own segment of the city, where they were given a small tower found by near the city wall. In the middle was built the Tower of Voices, where they could communicate with Seren herself.

Seren's Departure
Following the God Wars of the Third Age, Seren was forced to leave Gielinor in accordance with the Edicts of Guthix. Instead of doing so, she decided to explode into crystals so that she could remain with her followers. After doing so, the elves only way of communicating with her was through the tower of voices.

Elven Expansion
When the Fourth Age came, many of the elves travelled east, exploring the lands that are now Kandarin, Misthalin, and Asgarnia. Protected by the Cadarn Clan and led by the elven king Baxtorian, they founded many settlements. They also formed ties with the humans and gnomes in the area, although they did have difficulties with Bandos followers such as the goblins and ogres to the south. Before long they had peacefully gained control of nearly all of Kandarin and Feldip Hills.

Civil War
During the absence of the powerful Cadarn Clan, however, the Iorwerth Clan betrayed the other clans and easily took occupied Prifddinas. When conflict forced the elves beyond Arandar to return to Tirannwn, they found the city taken. All attempts to reclaim Prifddinas failed, leaving them stranded in Isafdar, where they still fight today.

In Within the Light it is revealed that the entire city has reverted to a tiny crystal.

Geography and description
When talking to the city guards, one option is to ask about why the elves are guarding a plain field, and they will respond that they will guard the spot where Prifddinas once stood. As a result, the only viewable parts of the city are its walls and outer pathways.

Prifddinas is formed almost entirely from Elven Crystal, a substance that can be shaped by Crystal Singing. The crystal is powerful and durable, forming the city's walls and structures. There are three known entrances to the city; a large gate on the south and east sides, facing Isafdar and Arandar respectively, the eastern entrance with a hole where mourners come out and walk to the Arandar gate, and a smaller one on the north side. It is believed that there is a tunnel underneath Prifddinas, leading to the under-city, however it is extremely unstable and blocked off by rocks. The north-west part of the city is believed to be a seaport, although whom the elves would trade with is unknown. There is another gate leading out into a small, unguarded path - this is inaccessible to players.

Current In-game Appearance
A glitch known as the noclip glitch allowed players to get past barriers in the game, and the gates to Prifddinas were no exception. Players exploring it found that the surface terrain is mostly plain with a couple of trees, and an area not made by Jagex yet. Currently, rabbits, pawyas and grenwalls may be seen by using remote view with a summoned macaw outside the gates.

After the release of Within the Light, a hole appeared outside of Prifddinas' Eastern gate. It is impossible to climbdown it, but mourners walk out of it - towards the Arandar gate. This is believed to have formed due to the collapsed underground passage to the under-city.

Development history

 * During the January 2011 RuneFest meet, Mod Mark stated that the release of the Elven City was far off in the distance, confirming that it would not be released in 2011.
 * At Runefest 2011, it was confirmed Prifddinas would be released along with the yet to be subtitled Mourning's Ends Part III.
 * The head of the design team, Mod Mark, states that they want to make Prifddinas very impressive and make the crystal look great, thus it won't be released until 2014 at the earliest.
 * By the end of 2013 it was announced that Prifddinas will compete with Invention for a scheduled release in July/August of 2014 in the in-game poll. The poll was released on 13 January 2014, along with Mod Osborne's Q&A on the forum. In the Q&A it was revealed that to access or even see the city, players will have to complete the Within the Light quest and that there will be story content explaining the current state of the city. Some time later the next part of the city will be released with new grandmaster quest. It was also confirmed the city will be a high-level hub and will introduce Crystal Singing as a new training method for skills like Crafting and Construction. Moreover it was said, that Seren will not be involved in any of these releases and will receive separate content and that Jagex intends to create a second Grand Exchange in the city, if possible.

Trivia

 * When the player talks with the elven guard, he tells you that you are not allowed in. The player then asks why, and the guard says it is closed until the "brigands" are gone. The player will then remark on why he is guarding a field, which shows that humans have little knowledge about Prifddinas.
 * There are a few NPCs inside the crystal walls of Prifddinas. On the southern entrance, there is a level 2 rabbit that can be easily seen without an orb of oculus.
 * A hidden update revealed the entire world map, showing something that looks like a cut road at the north of Prifddinas.
 * The release priority of Prifddinas is the subject of the first Dragonstone tier Power to the Players poll in 2014, competing against the Invention skill for a July/August 2014 release, with the losing option being released later.
 * Prifddinas is a word in the Welsh language which means "Capital City".