The Empire of Selyirin

A letter from a foreign Divination student to his mother, upon arriving in Selyirin.

My Dear Mommy,

The first thing I noticed about this empire, after passing through the customs gate, is that there is more magic here than you ever thought would be allowed in public. You know how, in Dunheim, people always frown at magic users? Calling them lazy, dishonorable, refusing them tables in Galas' Hall. In Selyirin, it is celebrated. On the ride to the museum, I saw children playing a game of catching dancing lights in orange shimmering bubbles. I saw a young woman summoning flowers out of nowhere to braid them into her mother’s hair, sitting on their front step next to a fountain with a trio of sculpted stone fish-which may sound normal at that, but these were moving in a way that made it look like they were swimming! There was a group of young men sparring in a field, wielding wooden swords that glowed in different colors and caused anyone hit to glow as well. The air here smells of lemon and olive, especially on the roads. The homes are built of white stone, often three stories high, with families stacked atop each other, and the wooden doors and window shutters are all painted in bright colors, often with murals of flowers or sea creatures. Plants and vines spill out of rooftop gardens, it looks like enough to feed a family all summer! I hope you'll share this with Aunt Elmira, she's always going on about how chaotic and cheerless the Empire must be. And the marketplace! There were vendors selling all sorts of novel curiosities. Talking animals, shimmering knives that toast bread as they cut it, music boxes with golden figurines that danced around the boxes and with each other as if they had minds of their own. They have strange food here, too, something called a "lentil" makes a delightful soup- and my stomach feels full, after having no bread. This might be a healthful excursion, as well as an educational one. I declined the barmaid's offer of baked banana EEL, as I've had my share of new experiences already! (I must return once I'm better acclimated, though, as I'll not know whether or not I enjoy the taste of...eel...unless I try it, no matter how unappealing it may seem. I am here to learn after all!)

Much love to Bettany and Squeakers!

Warm regards, your son, Thracius

Religion

The Celestial Library (see: The Religion of Selyirin)

Agriculture & Industry

The more rural towns are either mining (primarily copper and opal) or agriculture (hemp and grains, some produce- the majority of food production is done in families' rooftop gardens). Meaderies are recently becoming lucrative, along with apiaries. The largest cities house bardic colleges or wizarding schools (see: Education) and those produce a variety of magical goods for distribution throughout the Empire.

Trade & Transport

Trade has not been reopened with Mitheach. (Negotiations have persisted for over fifty years.) Intranational trade is done largely by courier and travelling merchants on the network of roads. The Schools and the Libraries are all connected through teleportation circles, but these are used for transport of information more often than goods.

Education

There are six wizarding schools in Selyirin, and two bardic colleges. All eight offer mail-in courses, with benchmark exams proctored at any School, College, Library, or IHOP.

Wizarding Schools:

The School of Evocation is located in Palopegai

The School of Divination is located in Braeones

The School of Enchantment is located in Mygdoni

The School of Conjuration is located in Dorylaion

The School of Illusion is located in Taurum

The School of Transmutation is located in Oricos

Bardic Colleges:

The College of Valor is located in Iuctas

The College of Lore is located in Faralaire

Government System

Monarchy, Absolute

Currency

Gold Standard as described in the Players' Handbook

Official State Religion

The Religion of Selyirin