Iseshys
Crown Jewel of Ivadour
This city while crafted to be something magical but I sometimes wish we could go home. I've never smelled the sea air but those who came before me described it. How grass and trees looked. Here it is monotoned, shiny, and bleak almost. I am grateful to be alive but at what cost?Being seen as the crown jewel of the Ivadour Dynasty, Iseshys was handcrafted by the greatest artisans of the Falkovians over the centuries. Blocks not only crafted by tool and hand but by magical means as well. Described as being something magical that even Falkovian should witness before passing on to the Book Binder's Hearth. On top of this fact, it holds the regions most prestigious magic school named after their only Eidolon, Facara. If that wasn't enough to entice one to go visit the capital it is also host to the Ocovian Race Track and the Trival Hot Springs. Where the annual running of the Calliope and then afterward a dip in the heated waters of the hot springs.
Important Locations
Facara's Library
- Location Type: College
- Alternative Names: Bookbinder's Hearth
- Purpose: Teaching about the Schools of Magic, it is an open enrollment.
- History: One of the first established buildings in the Ivadour Dynasty, only younger than the Palace by a few months. It quickly grew as the people flocked to hear any an all teaching they could. While the growth of the ground has halted it has not changed from being a place that any are welcome to come and learn from. Most of the Ivadour Dynasty rulers having gone to the hallowed halls of the Bookbinder's Hearth. Any mage who is anyone to talk about either came from this school or claims they did. Titled after their only Eidolon for her connection to knowledge and magic, it is in her honor or well image they crafted this building and its purpose.
- Description: The grounds are expansive and well kept, and even the oldest building is hard to tell apart from the rest least you know what you are looking for. Tall spires with crystal glass mosaics, a rainbow of colors on doors, titles, and lush coverings of the grounds. Ever corner minus the dorm rooms are ornate and decorated with tails of the Falkovians, the teachings of Facara, and the long line of the Rulers of the Vlard Highlands. While various rooms for learning, testing, and showing off a mage's magical prowess. With the Archmagister's room being rumored to change at a whim of the current Archmage.
Royal Palace
- Location Type: Palace
- Alternative Names: Crystal Staircase. Snow Palace.
- Purpose: The Falkovian Leader's home as well as the place where the Council meets.
- History: Starting as the first permanent built home in Iseshys. Starting small and then growing over the years, changing as the times called. Growing from a simple house to the grand grounds it is today, having housed every leader the Falkovian's have ever had.
- Description: One of the more splendorous sights in the crown jewel of a city. Stained glass mosaic windows depicting past leaders, great Calliopes, and images of the Eidolon Facara. Scattered throughout the palace are various sun-rooms with these grand glass mosaics. While the throne room is simple yet elegant and the thrown being rather simple itself it seems a stark contrast to the artistically done palace. The back of the twin thrones about four feet high with the head of a Stag and Doe carved into them near the top. Behind them large windows, clear as fresh pure ice and showing the beautiful cityscape.
Ocovian Race Track
- Location Type: Recreation, gambling, and entertainment.
- Alternative Names: Clammer Lanes
- Purpose: To provide entertainment and house the prestigious Calliope breeders club.
- History: A centuries-old race track that has been used for a grand annual race as well as smaller races throughout the year. It is known to the first track ever built by the Falkovians as they began taming and training their Calliope. First starting as a way to pass time and help the people relax as they adjusted to the life in the Vlard Highgrounds. Over the years it has been remodeled and rebuilt to accommodate more and more people along with keeping the appearance of grandness.
- Description: An expansive and well kept grounds, with an oval-shaped track. The Premium seating sits on the finish line while the rest of the seating is spread around the turns and the opposite side of the finish line. While most views from the seating aren't horrible some seats are worse than others. A large robust winner circle that faces the finish line seats.
Trival Hot Springs
- Location Type: Recreation
- Alternative Names: The Springs
- Purpose: Relaxation, social gatherings, intimate settings, and even business meetings.
- History: Origins as a place where Falkovians would go for washing themselves and their things. Soon this turned into ways to relax after a long work day. Tired muscles could relax in the hot mineral-rich waters while people could still socialize. Turning from nothing to benches to sectioned off areas. Now it is a permanent fixture in the Falkovian way of life.
- Description: One of the largest hot springs area within the Vlard Highlands, its been transformed enough to serve as a resort and relaxation area. While there are areas for more prestigious Falkovians and those tend to have a sort of wait staff and private areas while the more common area is larger public pools of water and no wait staff but more of public amenities. There are also private areas where you can fit 2-12 sometimes more for meetings, business dealings, and intimate dates.
Council of Mystics' Chambers
- Location Type: Chamber inside of the Palace.
- Alternative Names: N/A
- Purpose: Where the Council meets either with the current ruler or on their own to discuss Falkovian matters.
- History: Starting as a dinner table in a stone house that met when needed, it was slow to go into something permanent. Where it started with a few close friends giving their advice on things that could, should, or would be done for the Falkovian people. Developing into a needed system that most leaders would come to rely on for larger decisions for the Falkovian. Later on, experts were called in, like such as a high ranked member of the Clammer of Calliope when dealing with Calliope related issues. As such a sixth seat was added to Council of Mystics' Chambers just for this expert.
- Description: Boasting a large U shaped table with two seats for the current ruler(s) at the center of it. While there are only five Mystics retained there is a sixth seat and it is reserved for someone either petitioning to take over a place on the council or someone who is considered an expert in a certain field pertaining to the discussions. It could also be used for a liaison from the other kingdoms of Eiria once the Falkovians rediscover they are no longer the last race alive. The council's main job is to help the king/queen in decisions over laws, rank, title changes, etc. Giving their opinion and often debating about the matter at hand, though it can turn to days and weeks of stalemates but what is a few days or weeks to a being who lives for a thousand years?
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- The Book Memoirs of a Lost Soul, that is held under lock and key, isn't even written in or the actual book. Thought to be a fake and that leaks of excerpts are partly real or fabrications of the Facara's Libray, where it is held, as well as Council of Mystics. It is said the book holds a way to escape or a way to end the storm and free the people.
- The usable pools of water at the Trival Hot Springs shrinks almost yearly, cited as maintence but the rumor is the pools pulled from public use are either super heated or frozen over. But the public has really little to no idea about if the rumors are true.
Wooo ok so the very first sentences here. You mention they craft by hand and magic and that the result is magical. I feel you had a specific effect you were going for to prepare the reader for the article. I could be wrkng there but if you did id consider adding a nice (...) elipsis to emphasize the dramatic pause. That's how k read it at least. I like your use of bullets in this article as well. Describing each place with billets adds emphasis. So my question here is where are the people? This is a place of splendor and magic right? What are the people like and the cultures. Religion? Adding a quote from random citizens or a prominent character could liven it up. It's a good article and I think adding some info about those who populate it would be very rewarding. The races give a peak but I still don't feel I know much about the demographics present here. My other questikn regards magic. It says it's open enrollment. is magic for everyone and can just anyone learn? Or is this just theory and not practice. Feel free to share any articles that show the answers and I'll read on em :)
*when you copy paste from a nearly 4 year old doc and go... 'This is fine.'* But yes.. that "descriptive" first few lines are poop, now that I am reading it. I will likely be going through and redoing that whole thing. You know. I built this with a certain thought of how I would go through my world not how other people would. I should definitely link to the people who live here. I really didn't think about that when I was working through this. Though that all being said, at the current date only the Falkovians live here. They haven't had visitors yet. The college itself is technically open to any that apply. Meaning if anyone outside of their kingdom applied to learn from the college they would be allowed to go just like anyone else of the kingdom.
it happens man. its a good article. Dont let it get you down. i hope i helped out!
You have and I thank you for this.