Illwurn
A soldier lowers his sword and gestures to the massive doors that stand before you. Three massive gears sit, attached securely to its front. Very slowly, they begin to turn, gaining speed with each passing second. When they all align, the sound of a massive bell reverberates, and the two doors slowly swing open. Before you is an array of colors ranging from bright blues to whites. They weave together in a way that proudly shows off the raw magic contained in Illwurn.
At the center of the city, your eye is drawn to a monument with a large, blue gem that lies at the center. Though it's clearly uncut and should have been trimmed of imperfections, it glistens and glows with a purity unlike any you've seen before. It's translucent, and you can see within it sparks of what looks like electricity flitting around inside, uncontrolled, untamed, and wild.
Demographics
Originally, dwarves were the sole inhabiters of this settlement, yet The Silence created a massive influx of races from all across Prostesa, many of which the Lithians were pleased to welcome. This diversity among races has created a variety of cultures, some born from unlikely unions.
The Kingdom of Lithia owes its enormous army and disciplined soldiers to the hobgoblins, one of which works directly under Illwurn's current king. As a result, Lithia has a bolstered military unmatched by even that of Cadenseus. Hobgoblins battle alongside their dwarven allies in war, so the races are quite close. The soldiers that die in war are typically sent to Glinmire much like Cadenseus.
Dragonborn are typically scribes and are known for making spell scrolls to help the dili live easier lives. They're commonly high-class citizens with only a few being middle-class. Though they can be a bit surly towards those who don't understand the workings of magic, they're reliable and a valued addition to Illwurn.
Government
Illwurn is normally controlled by a king that oversees the town's economy, living quality, and military. However, as the king has recently been out of commission, one of the hobgoblins, known as Fenrir, has been granted all of the powers of the current king so that Illwurn may continue to be stable. As a result, a few changes have gone through.
- The military of Illwurn has been bolstered so that Lithia may defend itself against Ka'Rak and Ka'Rak's forces.
- Everyone must be taught to cast at least one cantrip when they are able to read and write. This is so the act of learning magic comes easy to them. As for Dilus, they are taught to draw magic into scrolls to make use of spells for personal use.
- Under no circumstances should necromancy of any kind be brought near Illwurn. Doing so will have you tried in court.
As a result of Fenrir's policies, Illwurn has become both a place of safety from The Silence and a home where practically everyone, even those who aren't magically adept, can cast some form of spell. Fenrir considers it a testament to the spirit of the Illians and their defiance of The Silence.
Defences
The main defense of Illwurn is the Dream Mythal. It's unknown why the casters of Lithia so long ago created it, but the mythal serves as one of Lithia's biggest accomplishments, and a massive jump in a renaissance of magic. The sectors of Illwurn are surrounded by walls made out of rhupite-infused stone. With the strong effects of rhupite flowing through the stone, the walls are designed to deflect magical attacks from threats that would seek to destroy them. Surrounding Illwurn is a massive moat, and the only way in is a bridge designed to raise and lower itself.
Industry & Trade
Within each sector are people designed to keep to a specific task. In the lowest sector, you have innkeepers, chimney-sweepers, and everything in-between. In the second sector lies the army of Lithia and majority of the mages that choose to fight alongside other soldiers. In the highest sector are the philosophers, scribes, and librarians of Illwurn. The most powerful mages exist here, and they spend a good bit of their time teaching beginners how to utilize The Weave.
Infrastructure
One of the biggest structures in Illwurn is the Jewel of Phantasm. The marble of Arc'Zen was shaped into a massive hand that clutches an enormous piece of what the Illians call "Rhupite." This rhupite emanates massive waves of magic energy, giving mages the ability to increase their threshold of spell-casting. Under no circumstances is anybody allowed to tamper with it.
Illwurn is divided into three sectors layered on top of one another, connected to each other by massive bridges, artificial rivers, and sewers. Small boats will frequently run along these magic rivers, capable of traveling even upstream with ease thanks to the Jewel of Phantasm. At the center of these three sectors is The Great Spire where the King of Lithia would reside. It is currently inhabited by Fenrir.
A massive road stretches from Illwurn to the rest of Lithia, and it's frequently used as a marching route for armies and a trade route for merchants. The people of Illwurn rely heavily on this road for structure and order, for anyone who walks along it can find their way back to Illwurn should they get lost.
In the first sector of Illwurn lies the main entrance to the city and the first entrance to The Great Spire. The first sector is often where the majority of homes exist, though they are commonly inhabited by those of middle or low class, mostly the latter. In the second sector is the second entrance to The Great Spire and the barracks for Lithia's army. Those that work here have a low tolerance for nonsense and dedicate almost all of their time to sparring, eating, and practicing magic spells. In the third sector, the very top of Illwurn, is the home of Illwurn's most powerful mages and a library where scrolls and history books on Prostesa are kept. Though it's nowhere as big as the Ei Vaniya library of Ustenstead and nowhere as extensive in history, where it excels is the magic spells the books that lie within it can teach.
The Garden of Leonhardt
Occasionally, citizens of Illwurn are brought underground through a staircase in the first sector of Illwurn. At the end of the staircase is a realm that defies the laws of reality. Though it's underground, the realm resembles an open meadow. It has a day and night cycle opposite of Illwurn's, and the area is filled with dozens of deep blue flowers that sway in the wind. At the center is an enormous tree whose roots spread throughout the world. If you choose to go beyond the meadow, you're greeted to a massive cliff edge that drops off into an ocean. Directly under the tree, on a delicately crafted throne, is the first King of Lithia, Baldrek Leonhardt I, who sleeps in a never-ending dream.
Assets
As the pinnacle of magical accomplishment, Illwurn boasts magic shops around every corner, and surprisingly, there are almost always cheap kinds available. Because everyone is allowed to use magic, merchants are able to sell what they please, though cursed items are typically bought to keep in collections rather than to be used. There are sales for dili that wish to practice magic, and these sales almost always consist of cheap magic items or rather expensive scrolls. There is one specific carriage that travels throughout Illwurn, doubling as a magic shop. It's known as the Illusionary Gem and headed by a young half-elf named Annabelle Whiterose.
The biggest tavern in Illwurn belongs to The Sudrilarks, one of the few strongest connections to the original royal family of Illwurn, the Leonhardts. It has the largest array of rooms, but the prices may be steeper for those who have never lived in Illwurn before. It's currently owned by Errilak Sudrilark, a dwarf known for being extremely rowdy and competitive. Children get discounts, and Errilak's spouse is known for making deals on food at the end of the week.
Guilds and Factions
Those that work with Fenrir or used to work with the King of Lithia are known as The Ayarinn. They are the protectors of order, peace, and righteousness in Illwurn. They believe that fighting for a cause is the best way to prove a point, and they will valiantly protect those who wish to turn the world for the better. This guild is frequented by paladins and clerics that are lead by Ayatuu, Goddess of Stars, Unity, and Reincarnation. Those of this faction believe that when they die their soul will be given new flesh so that they may wander to continue protecting the land.
Though nobody has been able to pin down their location, for they have no designated hall where they gather, there are those that worship Zodmal, God of Death, Judgement, and Retribution. They're typically solemn, honest, and rather gloomy. They hate The Ayarinn with a passion, though it's unknown where their anger comes from. They are some of the most fearsome enemies you could create, for the magic they wield is untamed and destructive. They've figured out the inner workings of rhupite and freely wield this as a tool against those they deem guilty. These people are called Those of The Clear Gavel.
History
A long time ago, shortly after the time of Ustenstead's creation, two kingdoms ruled peacefully. This was the Kingdom of Lithia and the Kingdom of Vera. King Baldrek Leonhardt I and King Julian Eastoft III considered each other spirit brothers. They'd meet at the Lithian Isles once a year to exchange advice, tell stories, and celebrate their friendship. Their relatives were always invited, and their cheer could be felt for miles. However, not all was well between these two, as Julian's wife, Maybelle, despised Baldrek. She saw him as oafish, obnoxious, and a terrible leader. This perception of this dwarf spawned from greed, as Maybelle wanted the kingdom of Illwurn for herself.
Baldrek was aware of Maybelle's dislike of him, but he continued day after day to hopefully sway her mind. Nothing he could have done would have saved him from the day the tarrasque arrived. Everything in its path was ripped and torn to shreds, devoured, killed, and ruined to the point of no repair. Baldrek had somehow managed to survive the initial onslaught of the tarrasque, for during battle, he was knocked into Vigor Sea. Found by a member of the Mori-Mori family, he was nursed back to health, but nothing could be done for his amnesia. Despite this disability, Leonhardt knew he was needed upon first sight of the tarrasque just on the horizon, and so he made his trek back to Lithia.
Baldrek Leonhardt I saw the terror the tarrasque struck into the hearts of his people, and he threw himself onto the path of the tarrasque. Those that were near at the time described the power that flowed from their king as near blinding, as a white energy covered his entire being and that of the tarrasque's as well. When all was said and done, both the tarrasque and Baldrek collapsed, though Leonhardt still lived in the end. Nothing was normal from that point on. Baldrek was then stuck in a state of violence and depression, destroying all around him before collapsing and falling asleep once more. The mages of Lithia took it upon themselves to seal Baldrek away and lock him in a sleep that would never end. In the end, it was Leonhardt's wish to save his people, and it was a wish that could never be changed.
Since the loss of their king, the Lithians have hated the people of Ustenstead with a passion, and they tend to refuse to associate with Ustans under any circumstance.
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