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Aloria possesses many major population centers as it is a diverse spread of races, some living together while other live apart. Each of these Cities is unique, with its own small touches that make them all their own whether it be the Pearl Cities of the Songaskian Masaya, the Elven cities built in the ruins of their former Empire or walled Ailor settlements, defended by castles and grey walls. Below is a list of the Major Cities of Aloria.
Corontium Major Cities
City of Regalia
The City of Regalia, also known as the City of Light or the Holy City, is the capital of the Regalian Empire. Its foundation goes back centuries by the Ailor but possibly millennia before that by other races or civilizations. What is known is that at least 300 years before Cataclysm, Ailor settled on a long-abandoned Elven fortification which had slowly sunk beneath the earth. From there, it grew and was named the capital of the Regalian Kingdom and its Kings ruled from it. Following the Five Family Rebellion, it remained the capital of the new Regalian Empire and in the three centuries after this, has continued to grow and expand its infrastructure. Only in recent times has the walled city been openly attacked although, with such a vast population, many would-be conquerors have found it hard to lock down the entire city. In recent years, several major landmarks lay in ruins as do many traditional features of the city due to war or supposed accidents and some wonder what the city’s future will look like. The city is heavy divided, by wealth, race and culture across its sprawl. An extensive riverfront area serves as dockyards and ports for the dozens of ships in and out of the capital on a daily basis. Nearby, mercantile districts handle commercial and financial matters while the large Central District contains the vast amount of housing and the Regalian Park. Other notable districts include the Noble District, an area filled with the Nobility and the wealthy and the Poor District, a densely packed sector of small homes and birthplace of the Scraptowner culture. High walls surround all parts of the city while a colossal aqueduct built in the reign of Leomar II gives water to million plus people that live within these walls.
Axford
Axford is the capital of Anglia and the greatest stronghold of House Kade as well as one of the only major population centers in the rural nation. It was originally a simple town sometime before the Cataclysm but with the arrival of the future Kades to the region, began to boom. While unknown to many today, the Kades were a crime family and soon gained the loyalty of the whole town and surrounding farmers. These jagged edges smoothed out with time, especially after the Five Family Rebellion as they were named the Chancellors of the Empire. Since that time, Axford has continued to slowly grow, whether it be from natural growth or new administrative staff being forced to move to accommodate the powerful Kade line. The city as it stands today quietly, built on the central Anglian plains and situated on both banks of the Axell River. On the south bank stands the sturdy Ceomar and Atheneum Castles guarding the city’s open southern side as well as civilians before Bertold’s Monastery sits alone surrounded by the fields. Opposite the bank from it, but far more urban, is Saint Vladimir’s Cathedral, built in honor of Vladimir’s successful reign as Chancellor. Inside the city walls themselves sit the Princely Residence, a structure for visiting dignitaries and nobility who have business in the Kade Citadel, set against the river and looming tall over the largely one-story civilian houses around it. Westgate Castle stands nearby, a fortification at the West Gate, one of the main areas of entry into the city while towering above clusters of craftsmen and artisans is Liliane’s Column, dedicated in honor of the Kade matriarch who was killed by Slizzar following the Chrysant War. The final structure of note is Thedmir’s Monastery or, The Thousand Blade Monastery, where politicians may retire to and leave their swords to decorate the structure as a sign of relinquished power.
City of Calemberg
Considered the second capital of the Regalian Empire for its similarly ancient history, the City of Calemberg has been a major military and religious center for decades, a fact that shows no signs of changing in the foreseeable future. The city has even murkier origins than the City of Regalia, with the consensus stating the city to have originally functioned as a minor Wirtemcaller fortress. Over time, it developed and grew, exploding under the rule of the Cadar family, who moved from the west of the Regalia Archipelago. Eventually, House Cadar was absorbed by House Typhonus, who currently rule over the city with a firm hand and have greatly expanded its position into the heart of all three Calem regions. The city is built on the edge of the Inner Calemberg Wald and has thick walls encircling its outskirts. Inside, it is second to only Regalia in the number of Ailor living there, having a tiny minority of other races contained within the Sectors that are determined by interior defensive walls. It’s most obvious feature is the gigantic Calemberger Dom, the largest Unionist Cathedral in history, and is larger than the Regalian Cathedral in the capital city. Calemberg also has the highest concentration of Unionist worship centers per square mile in the Empire, that being three. The city is also noted for its military heritage, many military officials have made the city and its defensive walls their home and frequent military parades turn each Sector into a party for a day or two. These military parades commemorate military victories great and small, featuring some group of Calemberg Church Guards or Jaëgeren supported by members of the School of Drixon and Calemberg War Orchestras. The city has only ever fallen once, and Calembergers swiftly remind people that this was under the extreme circumstances of the Regalian Civil Strife.
Alberta
Alberta is the core of Pays Sud, Girobalda, and as some would argue: the whole southern Regalian Archipelago. It was originally an outpost founded by Pays Sud which was eventually part of the land purchase from the Lordship of Girobalda at the time. From there, the Ithanian Gem Boom greatly expanded the city with the sudden economic boost, and despite the Boom now being long gone, the beauty of that era remains alive in the craftsmen and craftsmanship of the city. Alberta is built along the coastline in the shadow of the northernmost peak of the Couer Montagnes in the small “Baie d'Alberton” or “Bay of Alberton” which takes its name from one of the major businessmen that helped start the Gem Boom. The city has a vast waterfront, but only a few major mooring areas while the minor ones are for private pleasure craft. The rest is beach and scenic territory; land untouched by the city for its beauty. There are no specific housing districts or divisions of the city, but the oldest buildings can be found in the center of town. Many gem carvers and clothing makers have set up shop in the surrounding area, producing a vibrant air to the city when walking around. The buildings themselves are a strange combination of Ithanian and Daendroque ideals due to the dry climate, with flourishes of simple flower patterns on the outside of the often two or three story homes. The other notable feature of the city is the Gem Monument, standing at the supposed exact center of town. Guarded by four full time and well-paid men at all hours, it supposedly features a sample of every gemstone known to Aloria and commemorates the success of the Gem Boom. The statue also has fine cloth tied to key areas of it, which flutter slightly in the sea breeze.
Vieux-Provence
Vieux-Provence is the capital of Brissiaud and a settlement long tied to House Ravenstad, remaining a key port in the west of the Archipelago. House Ravenstad gained rights to the city following their participation in the Second Hecarian Conflict, building it up from scratch on the land provided by Emperor Henri I. From there, the city rose in tandem with the providence of its leaders, and it grew into the administrative center of the region. In the past few years, the sexual relationship between the family’s ex-patriarch and Cedromar I even further prodded the city into the spotlight though following the man’s supposed death in 305 AC, this focus decreased. However, even today the city remains at the heart of all regional trade and the Ravenstad tenure over their land. The city is set on the northeastern coast of Brissiaud next to the Bos de Brisse forest. Its walls and major structures are of Anglian design, stout and thick-walled with few windows. Major Ravenstad monuments are scattered throughout the city, such as Machellon Castle which guards the western route into the city and Chärlz House, an estate used by the Ravenstads for decades. The rest of Vieux-Provence is filled with examples of Leutz-Vixe architecture which is also similar to Anglian design. Small warehouses by the dock hold silks manufactured by the Changeant Silkworm, a high adaptable creature which provides the material for famed Ravenstad tailored clothing. A unique aspect is its method of water removal as Brissiaud as commonly lashed with rain. The entire city exists on a downward incline, with water passages, tilted awnings and other features helping channel the water out into the sea through the Mouth of Richarr, an open-mouthed if not worn depiction of the former patriarch set over the shifting waves.
El Puerto Azul
The scenic port of El Puerto Azul stands as the entry point of many to Solacia, also known as the Sun Isles. Before the Cataclysm, it was originally a simple jetty and a few buildings under the control of an Altalar nobleman who vacationed there frequently. Following his withdrawal, his slaves united and took over the area as their own. Gradually, their jetty grew into a dock for fishing boats and eventually, small cargo vessels as contact was slowly restored to the outside world. The town has grown since then and besides from its role within the Solacian image, is a major supply point for Ithanian, Daendroque and Regalian cargo vessels plying the surrounding waters. The city is small, and some even debate calling it a city, but it is certainly busy and sprawling. The eastern side of the city is commercially inclined, featuring the main port, many craftsmen, their shops and merchant offices. The western half, on the other hand, was pleasure inclined, with a wide open beach and rentable homes, or rooms in hostels looked out on it. There are also excellent taverns, and restaurants geared towards tourists. The final area of the city is the beginning of the vineyards and holds many of the administration areas as well as the Governor’s Villa in a loosely walled compound on the city’s southern side. This compound also holds the only church in the whole city and shows how grey the Solacians are from a religious standpoint. The city is mainly one level buildings with basements, with a two-story buildings only existing in the largest structures and usually only by the coast. The city also has a fair amount of nature, major roads holding tropical trees in the middle or along the sides.
Daen Major Cities
City of Arvost
The City of Arvost is an old city with a vibrant, if not lower-class culture now thriving behind its walls. It was originally a simple Elven installation from the days of their Empire, designed to watch over nearby slaves working on the island’s mines. After the Cataclysm struck, the Altalar military personnel were few and so surrendered to the slaves. They were ultimately key to birthing the city as they helped the slaves gather and grow beneath the outpost’s walls. Following the vicious attacks carried out by aristocratic Altalar forces in 103 AC, the first tetrarchy of Arvost immediately erected more defensive walls around their city, including space for future growth. Since that time, the city has only continued to grow and now live right up against their ancient defensive walls. The city’s layout is roughly divided into four main Quarters named after the cardinal points of a compass with the Central District serving as the administration hub. The notable features of the other areas is a harbor in the West Quarter and cultural areas in the Eastern Quarter like the Grand Theatre, where many Arvostian playwrights birth dramatic masterpieces. No Quarter is particularly wealthier than the other, though the four Cardinal residences kept in each Quarter and the Central District are well kept and better constructed than many of the other building in the city. The city itself is ruled by Quarter Masters, each controlling one quarter, who form the main representatives of a city council that pseudo-serves as supporting government for the four Cardinals. The city is known for its fighting pits, and theatrical performances but another interesting feature are the “nests” that bulge out of the city walls. They are much less well-defended shantytowns who have built themselves up around the gates of entry to the city, even forming their own walls but of piled stones.
City of Daenshore
The City of Daenshore has had a turbulent history since its foundation, but with more emphasis in recent years due to social upheaval and questionable leadership. The city began as nothing more than a hidden cluster of escaped slave tents and shacks, just bordering the water in the jungles of Daendroc. Ultimately, their settlement was the first to successfully break away from the local then super-princedom of Bastierra and became a bastion of resistance. They only climbed up from there, helping others break away and forming the heartland of Daendroque culture in their towns and Daenshore itself. It joined the Regalian Empire in 217 AC, but there were immediate problems which have been carried into the modern day. The Regalian leadership of the city was tone deaf to the local opinions and expertise of the Daen people, which lead to shortages of supplies and thus, rises in crime. Following the Chrysant War, work issues were also a major problem as loggers depleted the forests around the port. Subsequently, many had to travel to Caslin or Bastierra for work, breeding a generation of young men, lacking proper father figures, who turned to crime. In recent years, the city has fallen into civil war, first following the Anahera Dictatorship as the pro and anti-Regalia factions battled, and now, in the post-Bone Horror Crisis landscape of their continent. The once prestigious port has similarly fallen on hard times as trade suffers from Regalia, shifting their focus to neighboring Caslin as the new administrative hub of their Daendroc states. Some order has been restored but it is very limited. While much of the city was once pristine, a beautiful example of Daendroque architecture and design principles, many outlying areas are in ruins while structures deeper into the city are in bad need of repair. The city is now only notable for its prestigious press houses, which craft books that hundreds read every day.
Hallonq
Hallonq was once considered a dark reflection of the City of Daenshore but given recent events, is now fairly equal in dark aspects to its sister city. Hallonq was founded shortly after the City of Daenshore, as oppressed peoples from Bastierra set up a settlement in the ruins of an Altalar fortress abandoned before the Cataclysm. They soon became a bastion of idealism, aggressively spreading ideals to free all slaves from Altalar control. They soon became a problem for Daenshore and the other Daen states as Hallonq would not stop its streak of individualism. After Bastierra fell, Hallonq soon found a new enemy in Regalia, who it saw as inheriting the mantle of oppressor from the Elven Empire. When a governor was sent to take charge of the city, he was quickly assassinated and soon, the urban center was a mess of gang warfare. Finally, General Rubén Vicario seized firm control for Regalia in 289 AC, and for a decade, it seemed that all was well. Unfortunately, it was after this period that his corruption became known to Regalian officials as instead of attempting to break the gangs over his knee, he had wrapped an arm around them instead. This deal worked for Regalia, however, as they now received their first taxes from the city in decades and Rubén had some powerful friends. But, the Bone Horror Crisis severely depleted the city’s population, leaving one remaining gang to seize control. The Asaltadors now rule over the city unopposed and have been made aware of Regalia’s growing intolerance towards disobedience after the Burning of the North. The city’s two notable features are one, its great but ruinous stoneworks from the time of the Elven Empire and two, the heavy amount of gang and illegal activity that took place there over the past decade. Many honest Daendroque bitterly complain that this city is the seed of the Daendroque criminal identity.
Ssil
Ssil serves as the most prestigious of the three Varran city-states, with wealth and culture to back up this position. It was founded after Ssfremma, or the Great Freedom which occurred after the Cataclysm and in 29 AC, the Varran found a collection of abandoned Altalar citadels. Ssil was the first of these founded, and it grew over the next century into a formidable bastion against Altalar attacks seeking to break the newly found independence these Varran possessed. But it never worked, as the narrow strip of land leading up to the city was incredibly difficult to traverse while the sea was guarded by native Varran Corsair ships, who could also attack land forcing proceeding up what is now called “The Ssil Corridor.” Following the Regalian annexation of the mainly-Ailor Caslin, which was the closest state for all three Varran cities, they brokered a firm treaty of unity which Regalia knew was foolish to try. Instead, they only asked that the cities nomically pay homage to Regalia which they have done ever since. With the formation of the Crown Alliance, they were courted into joining it, and now many Varran Corsairs serve alongside the Imperial Navy. The city of Ssil itself is a grand place, fully integrating the Elven ruins, with a deep and wide harbor which holds vibrant marketplaces of good accumulated from piracy and trade as well as many taverns. Further, into the city, colorful squares of craftsmen hold more local goods and stretches of Satoor-styled fabric present multiple shaded areas for relaxation. Then the crown jewel of the city is the temple which looks out on the whole walled city. Essentially a palace temple, it is the residence of the ruling Dahrin priestess, her daughters and whatever Corsair Warlord in currently mating with the priestess. It also holds the largest statue of Baskarr which has been prayed to for over 200 years.
La Portée du Paradis
La Portée du Paradis or “Havenreach” is the core of all Ithanian trade and a major Ithanian city despite not being the national capital. The city was once a gentle fishing village, established sometime in 100 AC to benefit from migratory Red Fairfin Fish populations. By 200 however, economic growth in the Regalian Empire resulted in the town developing into a small city, supporting merchant trade across Ithania via its prime position at the center of La Rivière du Prospérité or “Prosperity River.” The Regalian Pessimism was a setback to its growth, but it showed remarkable resilience to the economic downturn before steaming ahead after the Chrysant War. In the brief cultural upheaval to face their nation, La Portée was unaffected and similarly was only attacked lightly by Bone Horrors in the Bone Horror Crisis. Today, the city is a gleaming gem in the heart of Ithanian territory, set on the water and surrounded by picturesque fields on the l’Ile du Paradis (Island of Paradise). It possesses short walls that are mainly decorative and serve as a popular pleasure walk for young lovers given the view it grants of the city and the surrounding landscape. La Portée’s port takes up two whole sides of the city, with a glorious waterfront of low-lying warehouses, restaurants, and stores alongside hostels. Deeper into the city, taller structures contain much of the population, and the city center is built around a victory arch erected in honor of the Chrysant War. The Mayoral Manor is the administrative heart of the region which also holds many culturally relevant artifacts such as the crate of the first case of wine traded in the city and the bust of its first Mayor.
Grae Rie
Grae Rie is the capital of the Elven nation of Ríë Rivaëlla and with the rise of the Inheritor States of Rie, has swelled into a major capital of the entire political union. Grae Rie has an ancient history, going back to the apex of the Elven Empire when Rie stretched across miles of pristine white stone. Grae was originally a simple subdivision at the edge of the city, barely holding 1% of the population within its territory. Following the Cataclysm and subsequent Orc Invasion that culminated in the destruction of much of the grand city, Grae was flooded with refugees and soon adapted to its new role as their protector. Priests and priestesses preached the evils of all foreigners, turning the state away from the coastline thus reinforcing Grae Rie as their national capital. Today, the city has taken on new life with the formation of the Inheritor States of Rie as their theological capital. The city itself is vast, with thousands of Nelfin inside in all castes of society as well as several other races like the Al-Allar and Varran serving them all. The city possesses both new and ancient walls, one coming from the time of Rie and the other from building projects to increase the city’s defensive position. Inside the city, upper and lower walkways separate the rich populations from the poor in an engineering marvel left over from the time of Rie. These walkways do meet in major areas, however, such as at the Emperor’s Room, the replica of the Imperial Chambers inside the Ivory Tower, or at the Agorana, a vast marketplace where hundreds of slaves and middle class members of the city come together to buy and sell their wares. All of this peaks into the Arcane Towers, a series of Alto-Alta towers where magic study and research takes place.
Essalonia Major Cities
Pomeroy
Pomeroy is one of the smallest cities in Aloria, but possesses one major unique feature: It is built around and in a series of Seraph ruins deeply focused on by scholars of the Regalian Government. The city itself was once one of many small towns formed by the expansion of the New Ceardian Colonies in Essalonia. Its founder, John Pomeroy, settled on the good land in 271 AC, not noting much of what he thought were Elven ruins nearby. Eventually, he sought to knock the ruins down as he cared little for historical significance. What happened next is vague as the Regalian Empire has intervened and redacted many of the records. By 275 AC, John was dead, and his son was in control of the town with the full backing of the Scholar’s Court who cordoned off a swath of what Regalia propagated were just Elven ruins while in reality, they are Seraph. To support the various academics living and researching in the region, the town’s population doubled over the next five years and continued to steadily grow until the Bone Horror Crisis. Here too, something odd happened, but still, a good part of the town’s native population died along with some of the researchers. The city has now rebounded and begins to grow once more. It sits on a flat plain surrounded by farmland and several major routes in and out of the city. Recently, a series of low, non-bearing walls have begun construction to defend the town. Inside these slowly forming walls, the city is fairly ordinary but it has a number of museums and small archival buildings where academics work and display their findings to others. The most notable find so far has been a small worn female figure for a pendant called the Grey Woman. For the locals, they enjoy the fertile and flat land more than the artifacts but still appreciate what the sites have done for their economy.
Ashanna
Ashanna stands as a major southern port in Essalonia; one vital to Regalia operations in the East over the past decade. It was the only port in the former Sariyd Empire’s colony of Califaera for several decades and saw great development following the Great Storm. When Harron began to threaten hostilities after it was founded, the city was walled to defend itself, eventually coming in handy when the two nations came to blows. This constant warfare has rarely reached the city, but the First Songaskian War brought them into heated warfare. The Imperial Navy ultimately saved the city, pushing the Masaya’s forces back. The Bone Horror Crisis only minimally affected the city as their walls, long since rebuilt, were enough to withstand the Bone Horrors, especially since they were aided by their mechanical weapons and Soul mages. In the Second Songaskian War, they beat back Harron firmly, and their capital remained safe. Since then the city has continued to grow. It is built into a natural deep harbor in a low-lying area of the regional cliffs. These cliffs now help determine social status, as the wealthy and the upper class of the city reside near the top of the cliff, by newly rebuilt defensive walls, while those of the lower and middle class fill the land divot, middle, and waterfront of the city. The harbor itself is guarded by sea walls and a defensible lighthouse tower at the harbor’s mouth. The city’s architecture is characteristically Qadir, with Bronze and Copper embellishments as well as clockwork symbols everywhere. The city is most notable for its artwork and machines, made with the many valuable gemstones mined from nearby mines which are then shipped out through the port or used by craftsmen in exquisite creations.
Farah’deen Major Cities
Mooriye
Mooriye is essentially a city-state, standing alone surrounded by arid deserts and cracked earth, the region being hit particularly hard during the Great Storm. Mooriye was the only city to survive and soon received all the regional refugees. The great walled structure has single remained isolated and xenophobic, resisting attack from the Masaya several times in its long history while also rebutting most Regalian attempts to ally themselves with them. The city is dominated one colossal Hadritya, which houses the priesthood and their families, to the north and links to high walls that have defended the city for several generations. The Bronze Door, named for its great decorative scenes made of Bronze, is the only way in or out of the city and is fiercely controlled by the priests of Esrah Alwattah who decide who to let in and who to turn away. Inside of the city, the terrain varies in height as to the dwellings. Some are large communal structures where a family each owns a small room attached to a central space for eating or recreation while some possess their small abodes of several adjoined rooms. Plant and animal life is limited in the city, animals supposedly constantly in danger of being eaten by the starving while all but the smallest of plants find it difficult to thrive in such an environment. The priests are the only ones who live in secure comfort, but some are also incredibly hard workers, spending hours inspecting and ensuring the mechanical marvels that keep the city self-sustainable remain as they do. Others, however, abuse their position for personal gain yet due to the city’s unity, open accusations are impossible lest a whole section of Mooriye is dragged into chaos. This has resulted in a careful spying culture with networks of commoner informants aiding priests in the politics of temple life.
Korbamakora
Korbamakora is said to be the epitome of every Songaskian’s dream, a vast walled fortress to the worship of the sun gleaming in the sand. When it was founded is debated by the Qadir and the Songaskians, but to the sun-worshippers, it supposedly took three generations of labor to finish building the capital but since then, its position at the heart of the Farah’deen deserts remains untouched by conflict. Only very recently, when the young Massya Musamansa Koné was overthrown by his uncle did civil war erupt in the capital as supporters for both sides fought viciously. Ultimately, his uncle seized the city but during the Songaskian Civil War, abandoned the city to his nephew and ultimately gave up all claims on it for his slice of a kingdom in the east of the continent. Now, the young Massya rebuilds and cleans the streets of those he was forced to execute on his return, ensuring the glory of Korbamakora stands. The city is a concentric ringed city, with an Outer District of Wolor Songaskians and other lower class living outside the First Wall, middle class Qadir and Songaskians living in the Central District separated by the Second Wall before the Third Wall divides the Palace of the Massya from the abodes of the upper class. The city gleams in the afternoon, as hundreds of Gold-topped roofs and Sun Temples reflect the light of the sun and in the case of the temples, sometimes down onto heretics to burn them alive or for religious ceremonies. The Palace also gleams, but not just with Gold but Silver and a dozen forms of precious stone that stud it's great roofs. Inside, the Massya conducts stately affairs in a spacious, powerful environment. A nearby structure, the Harem House, holds women and men of supposedly every race waiting to serve at the Massya's pleasure in whatever way he desires. The Palace is also where foreign emissaries stay in order to ensure they understand the true glory of the Masaya and its leader.
Hadaria Major Cities
Barazzt
Barazzt is the former capital of Allossa and the current capital of Hal Pormonth, standing alone as the only major Allar city untouched by Regalian looting and bombardment during the Chrysant War. It was founded after the Sendrassian Civil War and was crafted from the ruins of a minor Elven mountain outpost. The city served as the seat to Digmaan Vorrokhar for years, the Sapphires and other veins of minerals found inside their territory enriching their rule. When the Chrysant War began, the city immediately retreated in on itself and became a bastion of defence. Regalian artillery could not bombard it at the time, and any assault was deemed suicidal, as the defenders could pour projectiles onto the troops coming up the mountain pathways. Ultimately, the city surrendered when its Digmaan learned they were completely surrounded. While an Ailor governor briefly ruled the city, the actions of the Soor-Rassa-Allar soon allowed the Digmaan to return to former duties, and so Digmaan Zzol Vis Vorrokhar took his place as one of the first recognized Allar nobles of Regalia. Since then, the city has remained quiet, very few events occurring inside its walls aside from issues caused by outsiders. Barazzt is perched on a mountain ridge one and a half miles above sea level, with small clusters of terraced fields flanking the immediate entry points to the city. Inside, the marvels of the Essa Empire survive, carvings of aquatic life inlaid with precious materials, Allar alchemy towers occasionally billowing smoke due to chemical reactions, all leading up a central road to the Digragga, or Digmaan’s House. Set at the highest point in the city, the compound holds the Cro-Allar and Es-Allar of the city in lavish quarters, and it once held the Slizzar too, however many have been executed, and their Nessrassian temple laid empty.
Tohn Valeer
Tohn Valeer, if it were considered a city in its hay day, would rival Rie as the largest in Aloria. But, it was not, and instead, the Tohn Valeer was constructed as a network of chambers corridors beneath the feet of major Meriac settlements. When the Fourth Void Invasion came, the Tohn Valeer’s occupants entered it to slumber, intending to survive the Invasion and emerge unharmed to rule the world once more. Unfortunately, Voidlings and Void-infected creatures learned of the bunkers and attempted to breach them but only succeeded for the most part in corrupting the sleeping beings’ stasis. In 280 AC, more than 2000 years later, they finally awoke, but their memories were changed as was their form, the Void corruption mixing with dead insects in the stasis cocoons to product the insectoid Circci and loyal Vissi lapdogs. They then began their civilization in the hallways of their past, reaching the surface in 289 AC where they then attacked the Essa Empire, a threat to their Great Purpose. The species has since been transformed into the Maraya, a race closer to their Meriac form and they now seek influence in the world, while still zealously guarding their great Tohn Valeer. The great tunnel complex is filled with Communes and Unions of Maraya living their lives, especially now that pregnancy is possible for their race. Some live in the chambers provided by Tohn Valeer while others exist in tunnels dug out from the time of now-dead Vissi. All such settlements have been accentuated through trade with the outside as well as recovering rubble from the surface of former Allar cities. The most notable part of the city complex would be its wall art, dating back to the time of the Meriac civilization but which only the Maraya have seen and lived to speak of. They jealously guard their territory, especially the deeper areas of Tohn Valeer where it is rumored still more members of their race slumber.
North Belt Major Cities
Kongehjem
Kongehjem stands as the iconic picture of a Velheim city, as well as the most populated center in the whole North Belt as the capital of Nordskag. It originally began as a simple fishing village in 150 AC, but when members of the Skagger Horde from Regalia fled to it in 172 AC, they greatly expanded the small town, adding walls and hundreds of new homes. The city has rarely been attacked since then, only twice by neighboring Hvitskag and once by Regalia. The Bone Horror Crisis hit the city hard, but ultimately the defenders of the city held out long enough until another magical event made the creatures killable and Regalian reinforcements arrived. With a new King on the throne, and one far more Regalianized than his predecessors, the city looks to be modernized in the near future unless there is great protest from the population or other parties. The city is constructed around a natural bay, sheltering it from the strong sea winds. It holds a vast waterfront as well as the largest fishing market in Aloria, the smell wafting up into the rest of the city frequently. The majority of the city is simple Velheim in construction, with simple wooden beams forming the tight-packed houses that fill the sloping walls of the bay. At the city’s highest point sits Kongeslot, the royal castle from which the Krumme dynasty now rules. The structure is rather imposing, with fortified battlements and leering gargoyles hewn from dark granite and fashioned upon a large rock arch upon the cliff face. Although boasting an expansive view over the sea and city below, there have been fears that someday in the future, the building will tumble down into the waves as natural erosion on the rock arch takes its toll.
Far East Major Cities
Daishima
Daishima is the only major settlement in Yang-Tzu, outclassing every other as the heart of governance and religion for the Ch’ien-Ji race. The city has almost mythological origins, the Loong Dragons supposedly showing the Empress of Shen-Xi the site where her people would be safe. In reality, the site was probably settled where it was because it took advantage of the flat ground of Dai-Dai, the name of the large island that holds the city. After its founding, and several decades of warfare with the Shen-Ji, who eventually became Huon-Ji, the city also became notable as the supposed site where Shen-Loong created the stars and began the formation of the Fen-Shu, or Great Barrier, that protects the islands from the Shen-Xi empire to this day. The city was formalized as the capital from this point onward, ruled now by the Cheng-Yao-He Empress and her council. The city has remained untouched ever since. Daishima is built around a small natural bay where the oldest buildings in the city can be found, and it is also the area of foreign trade with the city. Stretching out for another mile down the rocky coastline are the customary semi-floating homes of the Ch’ien-Ji, of which many are fishermen plying a nearby river and the ocean. The core of the city, found between these two areas and set back from the water, is the Imperial District which is named as such for possessing the path to the Shen-Loong Dragon Temple, the Empress’s Palace, and other important cultural areas. The Temple is a magnificent structure, perched to overlook the waterfront and most of the Imperial District in the center of the city. The Palace is similarly opulent, with many speaking highly of the beautiful Starlight Court where the Empress holds court. The room is almost entirely enclosed, with a pond floor and simple wooden walkways leading to the throne area while overhead, the curved black ceiling is studded with Quartz, Gold, Solacrux and a dozen other materials that together, craft a shining depiction of the heavens.
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