Tilvin
Demographics
Tilvin has approximately 11'000 inhabitants, all of which are meadow elves. They are emigrants from Talan, most of them magic users and scientists. Those who emigrated from Talan to found Tilvin back in the Age of Blooming Trees were all rather whealthy to be able to afford moving to Tilvin and founding the project in the first place. Now, whealth doesn't play as much of a role, since connections to outside of the city only occur once a year.
Government
Tilvin is governed by the Coven of Mages, led by the Archmage. The Panel of Scientists is there too, but serves more of an advisory role.
Defences
The city wall is coated in Lucrine, a metal found in the Central Wilderness, which conducts magic and streamlines it. Before its discovery, the coating was made from platinum. Around the walls a stormfield is generated for extra protection from magical influences during Tilvin's voyages through the void.
Currently, ideas are being thrown around to study the Grey Barrens and their magic vaccuum to turn that into ammonition against magic, but the anti magic catapult only exists in theory so far.
140 guards are keeping peace and order inside the city.
Currently, ideas are being thrown around to study the Grey Barrens and their magic vaccuum to turn that into ammonition against magic, but the anti magic catapult only exists in theory so far.
140 guards are keeping peace and order inside the city.
Industry & Trade
Since the city travels through the Central Wilderness and through the Void between the realms, being self sustainable is incredibly important. There are no animals in the city, so meat is off the table, but there are Food Growers who grow plants and mushrooms from the Central Wilderness that are safe to eat. Other plants are easily corrupted by magic.
On the one day per year where Tilvin is stationary, the main imports for the city are wood, stone, fabrics and food they would not usually have access to.
The main export is knowledge, data and new insights into magic. They also sell everyday items infused with magical energy and materials from the Central Wilderness. Tilvin is the main collector of Lucrine, which it sells to the dwarves of Mirkhar.
On the one day per year where Tilvin is stationary, the main imports for the city are wood, stone, fabrics and food they would not usually have access to.
The main export is knowledge, data and new insights into magic. They also sell everyday items infused with magical energy and materials from the Central Wilderness. Tilvin is the main collector of Lucrine, which it sells to the dwarves of Mirkhar.
Infrastructure
The entire city is built on a platform that connects to the city walls so the whole thing is one object and gets transported together instead of seperately.
Districts
Stormgate:
The oldest district of the city after the Roaming Tower. It is named after the heavy storms generated there to protect the city from magical influences while travelling. It is mainly a living district but also hosts a few laboratories and cultural buildings such as a museum where new findings are published next to long established facts about magic and the Central Wilderness, a theatre and a music hall. Most notable, however are the Storm Turbines near the city gate.
Roaming Tower:
Roaming Tower is the government and administration complex. The Archmage and the Coven have their seat there, as well as the Panel of Scientists. This district isn't open to the public unless for pre-scheduled audiences. The Roaming Tower gets its name from the fact that the entire city moves between realms. It also contains the two parks Dark Grove and Forlorn Green.
Feysteps:
Named after the mythical creatures, Feysteps is a district that hosts many laboratories equipped for experiments of both magical and scientific nature. The name is supposed to express the hopes of finding new things and understanding magic more deeply.
Windsprawl:
The district is situated next to Stormgate and has taken over as the primary living district. It received its name because of the winds coming from Stormgate diffuse through the area.
Summer Way:
Summerway received its name because for one day and one night every summer solstice, Tilvin appears in the same spot as it was built. That day is the only chance for outsiders to visit the city and for residents of the city to leave. The only passable road leads through Summer Way, which is why the district is called that. It is full of shops, workshops and food cultivation laboratories. In essence, Summer Way ensures the survival of Tilvin.
The oldest district of the city after the Roaming Tower. It is named after the heavy storms generated there to protect the city from magical influences while travelling. It is mainly a living district but also hosts a few laboratories and cultural buildings such as a museum where new findings are published next to long established facts about magic and the Central Wilderness, a theatre and a music hall. Most notable, however are the Storm Turbines near the city gate.
Roaming Tower:
Roaming Tower is the government and administration complex. The Archmage and the Coven have their seat there, as well as the Panel of Scientists. This district isn't open to the public unless for pre-scheduled audiences. The Roaming Tower gets its name from the fact that the entire city moves between realms. It also contains the two parks Dark Grove and Forlorn Green.
Feysteps:
Named after the mythical creatures, Feysteps is a district that hosts many laboratories equipped for experiments of both magical and scientific nature. The name is supposed to express the hopes of finding new things and understanding magic more deeply.
Windsprawl:
The district is situated next to Stormgate and has taken over as the primary living district. It received its name because of the winds coming from Stormgate diffuse through the area.
Summer Way:
Summerway received its name because for one day and one night every summer solstice, Tilvin appears in the same spot as it was built. That day is the only chance for outsiders to visit the city and for residents of the city to leave. The only passable road leads through Summer Way, which is why the district is called that. It is full of shops, workshops and food cultivation laboratories. In essence, Summer Way ensures the survival of Tilvin.
Assets
There are many different laboratories where all kinds of magical and scientific experiments are conducted. From analysing blight to engineering curses and crafting new runes from the fabric of magic, the laboratories are the most valuable assets of the city.
There are also quite a few regular shops and businesses, such as barbers, booksellers, carpenters, masons and taverns.
There are also quite a few regular shops and businesses, such as barbers, booksellers, carpenters, masons and taverns.
Guilds and Factions
The most influential faction is of course the Coven. The Panel of Scientists is also important, but the Coven holds the most power in the city. It holds representatives from all 6 different departments of research, these are:
Void Exploration
Three (and a half) subdisciplines:
Voidcasting, Navigating, Voidseeing and Void Analysis.
Enviromancy
Four different subdisciplines:
Magical Zoology, Fungomancy, Chasm Herbology and Magical Meteorology.
Demonic Sciences
Two subdisciplines (but it's more like just one):
Demonscribing and Demonic Gambling (there is only one person doing that though)
Applied Magicks
Five subdisciplines (this is both basic and applied sciences in one):
Chaos Charming, Alchemy, Blight/Cursehealing, Engraving and Stormcalling.
Engineering
Four subdisciplines:
Curse Engineering, Charmmaking, Runecrafting and Energy Engineering.
Analytics
Two (and a half) subdisciplines:
Disaster Analysis, Blight Analysis and Void Analysis.
These departments are quite powerful as well. Artisan's guilds etc. exist as well, but they hold little power and are aware of it.
Void Exploration
Three (and a half) subdisciplines:
Voidcasting, Navigating, Voidseeing and Void Analysis.
Enviromancy
Four different subdisciplines:
Magical Zoology, Fungomancy, Chasm Herbology and Magical Meteorology.
Demonic Sciences
Two subdisciplines (but it's more like just one):
Demonscribing and Demonic Gambling (there is only one person doing that though)
Applied Magicks
Five subdisciplines (this is both basic and applied sciences in one):
Chaos Charming, Alchemy, Blight/Cursehealing, Engraving and Stormcalling.
Engineering
Four subdisciplines:
Curse Engineering, Charmmaking, Runecrafting and Energy Engineering.
Analytics
Two (and a half) subdisciplines:
Disaster Analysis, Blight Analysis and Void Analysis.
These departments are quite powerful as well. Artisan's guilds etc. exist as well, but they hold little power and are aware of it.
History
Tilvin was founded towards the end of the Age of Blooming Trees, shortly before the Magic Wars. It was the vision of Talani researcher Reeme Kwelfdad, who had always had a fascination with the Central Wilderness and wanted to explore it. It took a lot of money and people to back the project, with not only funds from Talan but also Karmiril School of Magics in Drifeyer, and in the end the research city was built. At the time Tilvin was just outside zone 2 but nowadays it is within that zone.
The city started out a lot smaller than it is now, with just over a thousand inhabitants. Over time bits and pieces were added to the city and during the magic wars it took up a lot of refugees from Talan, which led to it being completely revamped during that time to accommodate the now 11'000 people.
Tilvin wasn't intended to return to its original building spot because no one thought it was possible. But very quickly the researchers found out that there is a pattern to the space shifting and warping and once every year during the summer solstice everything is put back into its place. This and numerous other things was figured out by the researchers in Tilvin, which has helped advance the use of magic and the development of magical technology tremendously. One of their most promising departments is runecrafting, which tries to make new runes that require less training than the traditional four sets and are more stable and less dangerous to use than lose magic. The practice is still in its beginnings but if it is successful it could change the use of magic forever.
A curious side-effect of being in Tilvin for an extended period of time is that the inhabitants develop transluscent, slightly glowing or radiating skin and their eyes get a strange look to them. Some lose their hair, others' hair gets strangely bleached and translucent and yet others have altogether different siede-effects. Many outsiders find the researchers creepy.
The city started out a lot smaller than it is now, with just over a thousand inhabitants. Over time bits and pieces were added to the city and during the magic wars it took up a lot of refugees from Talan, which led to it being completely revamped during that time to accommodate the now 11'000 people.
Tilvin wasn't intended to return to its original building spot because no one thought it was possible. But very quickly the researchers found out that there is a pattern to the space shifting and warping and once every year during the summer solstice everything is put back into its place. This and numerous other things was figured out by the researchers in Tilvin, which has helped advance the use of magic and the development of magical technology tremendously. One of their most promising departments is runecrafting, which tries to make new runes that require less training than the traditional four sets and are more stable and less dangerous to use than lose magic. The practice is still in its beginnings but if it is successful it could change the use of magic forever.
A curious side-effect of being in Tilvin for an extended period of time is that the inhabitants develop transluscent, slightly glowing or radiating skin and their eyes get a strange look to them. Some lose their hair, others' hair gets strangely bleached and translucent and yet others have altogether different siede-effects. Many outsiders find the researchers creepy.
Points of interest
The number one point of interest is that Tilvin is a city that phase shifts between places and between the Void and the Earthly Realm. These journeys have left their marks on the buildings, as some of them have sustained damage from blight and others became strangely warped. The city also glows. Other than that, it's built for practical, scientific reasons and not to attract tourists, so there isn't much of note about the architecture or any special sights.
Tourism
Once a year when the city is stationary for a day, the city is open to visitors. It attracts mostly curious scientists and magic users, as well as merchants, but some ordinary people like visiting too.
This is also the only chance for inhabitants of Tilvin to move away from the city and return back to a normal life but that rarely ever happens.
This is also the only chance for inhabitants of Tilvin to move away from the city and return back to a normal life but that rarely ever happens.
Architecture
The architecture tends to be simple, compact and sturdy. The buildings aren't beautiful or richly adorned, because their practical function is more important. They also need to be able to withstand the strong influence of magic, heavy weather and plane shifting.
Geography
The geography around Tilvin is always shifting. For more details see Central Wilderness.
Natural Resources
Tilvin collects Lucrine and other material from the Central Wilderness, but being a shifting city it doesn't have any natural resources of its own.
Founding Date
6432 ABT, 5912 AR, 7285205 UTD
Alternative Name(s)
The Wandering City
Type
City
Population
11'000
Inhabitant Demonym
Tilvinian
Location under
Ruling/Owning Rank
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