Avalon
Following the destruction of the Kosmaera, the Illidians knew it was only a matter of time before the universe collapsed back into the Wyld. For the first time in their existence, all nine clans came together for a singular effort; to build a lifeboat that would see them to the next iteration.
While the heralds worked to learn the mechanics behind restarting the universe, the rest began construction of a massive space-faring city-ship that could cross the stars and survive the tumult of creation. Construction of the city took the Illidians tens of thousands of years, living on board the ship as they constructed it.
Avalon can transition out of phase with the Mataeria, protecting it from invasion and the destructive forces of reality. The city can slide into a pocket of Mataeria where entropy is mostly eliminated, allowing the ship to pass through time unscathed by degredation. The ship comes out of this protective bubble once every ten thousand years or so in order to recharge its power supplies by consuming the energy from a star.
Points of Interest
Most of the city is comprised of villas for housing the Illidians. When the city was first built, it was sized to accomodate millions of Illidians, however, today, there are only a few tens of thousands of them alive, scattered over the five Priom Worlds and Avalon.
The Celestial Gardens
In the center of the city are large, sprawling gardens filled with strange plants from the Illidian homeworld. When first cultivated, early in the The Fourth Universe, the gardens were a gift from the nine clans to the Heralds for the prefect home they crafted into the Mataeria.
The central focus of this garden is an original, uncut, still living piece of raw Starstone. It lives within a protective field, which prevents it from spreading outside its cage. It is among the last few pieces of raw, living starstone since the destruction of the Illidian homeworld.
Spire of the Mother Stone
Overlooking the Celestial Gardens is the tallest tower within the city. Atop this tower is a chamber where the Mother Stone resides. This imbued star stone glows with a blue light and tests all who pass near it with the Trials of the Starstone. Part living creature, part technology, the Heralds woke the Mother Stone to aid Illidians on their path to understanding The Celestial Song.
The Mother Stone sits atop a specially crafted dais which keeps it aloft. Surrounding the stone is a protective energy field to prevent anyone from accidently drawing too close to the stone and being subjected to the trials. This field is deactiviated when Illidian youth come to take their trial on pilgimage.
Periodically, the Heralds will take cuttings from the Mother Stone and send them out to worlds touched by their biological creations. The stones become a test; a beacon for when the fruit of the species they created is ripe for harvest. The Illidians know that one day their food source may dwinde beyond their control, and so they stockpile Noz Cohayim within Avalon.
The chamber of the Mother Stone has three entrances and six wall panels. The light of the stone passes through the thin walls, illuminating depictions of six events through Illidian history.
Creation
The first image is the swirling clouds of the wyld surrounding a small city, beating against it like harsh waves. Within the mysts, faint figures of the Kosmaera can be made out, surrounding the city like evil looming and waiting.
Independence
The second image depicts three individuals, one clad in black and two in white, standing atop a hill. All around them symbols depict the three tenents of the celestial song. The mysts seem to shy away from them, and the Kosmaera appear wounded with darkness leaking from their bodies.
Sanctuary
The third image shows the nine clans working together to build the city of Avalon. This massive, intricate piece shows thousands of figures working together on a complex project. Hidden throughout the piece are the symbology of the nine clans, along with the symbols for the Celestial Song.
Rebirth
This pianting shows a massive burst of light among a black background, with the three heralds standing before it, using the song to birth a new universe and new iteration of the mataeria.
Home
This piece depicts the creation of a world, perfection in Illidian eyes with a violet star and crimson fields across the land. It shows the nine clans living in harmony as they work the land and build new cities.
Destruction
The final image shows the destruction of the Illidian homeworld and the clans warring among themselves. It stands as a reminder that their own survival rests on the edge of a blade.
Bio-Engineering
Once the apex of biotechnology and genetic engineering, these labs are currently non functional. Thousands of genetic species were born in this lab and scattered out among the stars. Today, however, the dark labs and silent machines stand watch to massive chambers of stasis pods, filled with Illidians who were taken by Siyuut during The Second Universe. These massive chambers sit eerily silent as the machines keep thousands of Illidians alive that might one day rejoin their race.
Cohayim Storage
When a world is harvested, the life force is collected and distilled into massive tanks in the underbelly of the city. This stockpile has been building for eons, and is meant to carry Illidians through any difficulty that may arise. Rations from this stockpile are given out to each remaining clan as dictated by the heralds according to how many members of the clan have passed the Trials.