Asthrithys
Asthrithys is the enigmatic city of the Astral Elves, who arrived in Astrium through a daring planar transposition experiment in 850AD. This once quiet coastal town was known as Wayshore before the experiment caused the city to swap places with the astral realm. The result of this experiment created a new, unstable region known as the Blurscape, where the boundaries between planes became thin and reality itself feels malleable. Since their arrival, the Astral Elves have struggled to adapt to Astrium’s material world, yet they’ve begun to reshape the former town of Wayshore into something uniquely their own—a city that blends the physical world with echoes of the astral plane.
Asthrithys is a city of wonder and danger, where the boundaries between planes blur and reality is ever-changing. Its architecture, culture, and resources reflect the Astral Elves' unique struggle to find their place in Astrium, balancing the magic of the astral plane with the material world's challenges.
Demographics
Astral Elves – 85%
Humans (survivors from Wayshore) – 10%
Other races (scholars, adventurers, planar travelers) – 5%
Government
Asthrithys is ruled by the Council of Astral Nexus, a group of seven Astral Elf elders who oversee the city’s governance, maintain its connection to the astral plane, and study the consequences of the planar experiment. The council is led by Velorith Lysana, the founder of the city and chief researcher in the field of planar science.
Defences
Asthrithys is defended by astral wards that protect the city from extraplanar incursions and magical threats. The city also relies on the Starblades, an elite group of Astral Elf warriors trained in both martial and magical combat, who use weapons imbued with planar energy to defend the city from threats.
Industry & Trade
The primary industries of Asthrithys are tied to planar research, magic, and astral artifacts. The Astral Elves have become known for producing powerful and exotic magical items, many of which are infused with planar energy from the Blurscape. Trade is slowly beginning to flourish as merchants from other regions of Astrium become curious about the strange goods available in Asthrithys, such as astral gemstones and arcane-infused relics.
Infrastructure
Asthrithys is a city in flux, where remnants of the former Wayshore merge with astral architecture. The city’s infrastructure is an odd mix of crumbling coastal buildings and ethereal astral spires that seem to phase in and out of existence. Astral conduits run beneath the city, channeling residual planar energy that powers parts of the city and facilitates magic. The elves have begun to rebuild the old docks and market squares, while also creating astral bridges that lead to new, strange parts of the city that seem to hover above the ground or appear only at certain times of the day.
Districts
- The Blur: The most unstable part of the city, where the Blurscape is most active. In this district, reality blurs and shifts, and the architecture is abstract and ever-changing. Only the most skilled and daring of Astral Elves live here, continuing experiments on the planar boundaries.
- Silver Shore: The coastal district that once belonged to Wayshore. Here, some of the human survivors continue their fishing and trade activities, while adapting to their new elven neighbors. This district is more grounded, though traces of the astral energy can still be felt in the air.
- The Nexus Heights: The elevated part of the city where the most prominent Astral Elf families reside, including the members of the Council of Astral Nexus. Elegant astral towers, carved from shimmering starlight-like materials, dominate this district.
- Wayward Market: The old marketplace of Wayshore, now revamped with strange goods from both the material and astral realms. Exotic astral plants, rare minerals, and strange artifacts from other planes can be found here.
Assets
- Celestial Armory: A blacksmith specializing in weapons and armor infused with planar energy, offering gear that seems to shift in and out of the material plane.
- Astral Emporium: A magic item shop where the items have been affected by the Blurscape, offering unpredictable but powerful enchantments.
- Lunar Loom: A tailor’s shop that sells garments made from shimmering astral silk, which adapts to the wearer’s mood or the phase of the moon.
- Nebula Apothecary: An apothecary that uses plants from both the material world and astral realms to create potent elixirs, some of which are known to alter perception or even the flow of time.
- Starbound Repository: A vast library housing tomes from both Astrium and the astral plane, dedicated to research in planar science and magic.
Guilds and Factions
- The Astral Seekers: A guild of researchers and mages dedicated to studying the Blurscape and the nature of planar boundaries. They are heavily involved in experimenting with planar magic and transposition.
- The Starblades: The city's military faction, responsible for protecting Asthrithys and patrolling the Blurscape. They are renowned for their ability to fight both material and extraplanar threats.
- The Planar Cartographers: A small group of scholars who map out the shifting territories of the Blurscape, trying to understand its constantly changing geography and discover new realms within its boundaries.
- The Blurwalkers: A shadowy faction of Astral Elves who venture deep into the Blurscape, seeking rare artifacts and knowledge at great personal risk. They often clash with the more conservative members of the city’s council.
Points of interest
- The Celestial Observatory: A towering astral spire used by the Astral Elves to study the stars and other planes. It is also a place of contemplation and meditation.
- The Astral Nexus: The council hall where the leaders of Asthrithys meet. It is built from shimmering, translucent material and pulses with faint energy, reflecting the city’s connection to the astral plane.
- The Shifting Gardens: A mystical garden filled with plants from both Astrium and the astral realm. The flora here shifts and changes with the phases of the moon and the flow of planar energy.
- Wayward Market: A vibrant market where merchants sell goods from both the material and astral planes. It is a prime destination for travelers seeking rare and powerful items.
Tourism
Asthrithys attracts scholars, adventurers, and planar researchers from across Astrium. The city’s Wayward Market is a prime destination for those seeking rare magical items and astral artifacts, while the Blurscape itself is a source of fascination and fear for those who wish to explore its strange, ever-shifting landscapes.
Celebration - Festival of the Astral Veil
Overview:
The Festival of the Astral Veil is an annual holiday celebrated in Asthrithys to commemorate the city’s transposition from the astral realm to Astrium. The holiday marks the anniversary of the planar experiment that swapped Wayshore with the Astral Elves' former home, and the festival is a time of reflection, celebration, and exploration of the mysterious Blurscape that surrounds the city.
Date:
22nd Veilshadow
Origin:
The festival was first celebrated a year after the planar transposition to honor the survival and adaptation of the Astral Elves in their new home. Archmage Velorith Ilnae, the leader of the experiment and founder of the city, declared the holiday to remind the people of their shared history, the risks they faced, and the mysterious wonders that came with their new existence in Astrium.
Traditions and Activities:
- The Veil-Lifting Ceremony: The festival begins with a grand ritual led by the Council of Astral Nexus, where they perform a symbolic lifting of the "veil" between planes. This ceremony takes place at the Celestial Observatory, where mages cast illusions that create shimmering, translucent veils of light across the city, mimicking the ethereal barrier between the astral plane and Astrium. As the ceremony progresses, these veils slowly fade, representing the gradual merging of the two worlds.
- Astral Dances: Throughout the day, astral dances are performed in the streets by skilled dancers, who wear garments made of astral silk that shimmer and shift with the movements of the dancers. The dances tell the story of the transposition, the Blurscape, and the Astral Elves' connection to both realms. These performances are accompanied by musicians who play instruments infused with planar magic, creating eerie, beautiful sounds that resonate through the air.
- Blurscape Pilgrimage: A key part of the festival is the Blurscape Pilgrimage, where adventurers, scholars, and the brave-hearted venture into the Blurscape under careful guidance. Specially trained Blurwalkers lead these groups on guided explorations of the shifting, unpredictable landscape to discover artifacts, rare resources, and secrets hidden within. This tradition symbolizes the Astral Elves' desire to understand and embrace the mysteries of the Blurscape.
- Starlight Feast: As night falls, the citizens gather for the Starlight Feast in the city’s central plaza. Tables are laid with dishes made from astral plants, seafood from the Silver Shore, and delicacies from both realms. The sky above Asthrithys often shimmers with astral light during the feast, reflecting the city’s unique connection to the astral plane. It’s a time of unity, where Astral Elves, humans, and other inhabitants of the city come together to celebrate their shared lives.
- Planar Transposition Reenactments: In the Wayward Market district, actors put on elaborate reenactments of the transposition, showing the dramatic moment when Wayshore and the Astral Elf city swapped places. These performances are filled with magical illusions, representing the chaos and awe of that fateful event.
- Astral Nexus Debate: A scholarly tradition during the festival is the Astral Nexus Debate, where planar scientists, mages, and scholars gather at the Starbound Repository to debate the nature of the Blurscape, the transposition, and the future of planar science in Asthrithys. This intellectual event is a major highlight for the city's academic community.
- Veil Lanterns: Lanterns made of enchanted astral silk are hung throughout the city. These lanterns glow faintly with starlight and represent the veil between the planes, swaying softly in the coastal breeze.
- Star Maps: Citizens create intricate star maps showing their visions of the astral plane, often decorated with shimmering, otherworldly patterns. These maps are exchanged as gifts or used as decorations during the festival.
- Astral Ribbons: Long, flowing ribbons of cloth are tied to trees, lampposts, and buildings. These ribbons represent the link between the material and astral worlds and are said to bring good fortune and clarity to those who touch them.
- The Celestial Observatory: The site of the Veil-Lifting Ceremony and a major hub for festival activities.
- Wayward Market: The center of the reenactments and bustling with visitors eager to purchase rare goods or attend the performances.
- The Shifting Gardens: A tranquil space where visitors can meditate or reflect during the festival, surrounded by astral flora that shifts in response to the festival’s magic.
- The Festival of the Astral Veil serves as a reminder of Asthrithys' unique origins and its ongoing journey of discovery. Through magic, music, and exploration, the people celebrate the blending of their astral heritage with their new lives in Astrium.
Architecture
The architecture of Asthrithys is unlike anything else in Astrium. Astral spires, translucent and glowing with a soft, silvery light, rise alongside the older, coastal buildings of Wayshore. The city has an ethereal, dreamlike quality, with structures that seem to phase in and out of visibility or float slightly above the ground. Buildings often appear fragmented or incomplete, as if pieces of them exist on different planes.
Geography
Asthrithys is located on the coastline where Wayshore once stood, with its cliffs overlooking the Blurscape—an unstable region where planar energy seeps into the material world. The ocean remains a key feature of the landscape, though it too has been affected by the Blurscape, with strange currents and glowing waves that reflect the astral sky.
Climate
The climate of Asthrithys is temperate but unpredictable due to the influence of the Blurscape. Weather patterns can shift suddenly, with clear skies turning to strange astral storms or light showers of shimmering rain. The air often has an otherworldly quality, with a faint luminescence at night.
Natural Resources
- Astral Gems: Rare and powerful gemstones that form within the Blurscape and are used in magical enchantments.
- Astral Plants: Ethereal flora from the Blurscape, used for both medicinal and magical purposes.
- Planar Artifacts: Objects from other planes that occasionally appear within the Blurscape, often with strange or unpredictable properties.
Founding Date
850AD
Founders
Type
Large town
Population
6,500
Location under
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