The Cities of Tenglan

The picture shows the unique glass constructions of Giral City - even more outlandish than Tenglan's capital, Imperias City.
There are hundreds of towns and villages within Tenglan, but only 9 Dukess controlled districts. These districts have a substantial population to justify being called a city (A population of at least 100,000 people). Below are the 9 most influential cities in Tenglan. Ordered from most Northerly to most Southerly.
In truth, the cities of Sky, Tost and Ekri have less than 100,000 population, but in the Queen's attempts to treat all Dukess equally, she allowed nearby regional towns to be included in the population calculations of the smaller cities, thus promoting these three "towns" to city status. Even the Queen's own imperias city has a Dukkess, but it is a joke, considering her majesty makes all the decisions for the capital. Since Parallax disappeared and his Dukess position rescinded, nobody knows who holds this new position.
(Parallax was only given this position in the first place to justify the ridiculous amount of essence the Queen paid for his highly dubious services.)

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Tenglan's Major Cities:

1. Sky (Most Northerly City)
2. Claymore (North)
3. Drinden (Central / North)
4. Imperias (Central)
5. Giral (Central)
6. Pralis (Central / South)
7. Tost (Central / South
8. Ekri (South)
9. Gete (Most Southernly City)

Sky (Most Northern of a Dukess-controlled City)

The local name of the people: The Skyish
City Slogan: “Family first” (Sky locals often say this as a greeting or as a short toast.)
In summary: It is a grey, dull city made colourful by the locals' bright clothes and face paints to express clan allegiance.
Climate: Mountainous region backdrop, cold weather with infrequent snowfalls that can last several days. The cooling effects of the Lord's barrier are felt, which keeps the snow settled longer than usual.

Buildings and City: Single to two-floor grey stone rural buildings and houses, narrow, unpaved streets, and houses close together.
Fashion: Colourful Tatrin natural and Tatrin Textured. Many wear face paint or colourful face tattoos to express their allegiance to whatever clan they are proud to be a member of.

People’s attitudes: The Skyish are Diligent, no-nonsense folk with a get-on-with-it attitude that abhors timewasters. They believe in speaking their minds without worrying about offending others. They wake early and get home long before the bell tolls the arrival of the night stalkers. This allows them plenty of time to secure their homes. Despite a fierce loyalty to their loved ones and friends, they are not hospitable people to outsiders and will stare accusingly at the rare Riktus that visit the city, some going as far as to shout “freak.” Although, in the latter case, they are likely securely locked behind their concrete houses.
The Night Stalkers:

Sky's Night cycle is dominated by scruffy hooded Night Stalkers that work in groups, with the leader carrying a long sword and his minions using any other dangerous implement they can get their hands on. They prowl the night, trying to break into poorer homes that don't possess a solid iron door or families that didn't have time to board up their windows. The victims they choose depends on the respect they have for their leader. A powerful leader can convince his gang to attack high-value yet more dangerous targets.
| Sky | Claymore | Drinden | Imperias | Giral | Pralis | Tost | Ekri | Gete |

Claymore City (North)

The Local name of the people: The Claymorians
City Slogan: “Earn, spend and enjoy” – Shortened to “Spend and enjoy” (Shopkeepers love to greet the locals and tourists with this phrase as they enter their shop)
In summary: It is a predominantly stone-based city where people wear slightly less colourful clothes than the other cities, but this is partially compensated for by the big and bold hats they wear to collect as much essence as possible.
Climate: Claymore City is a cold, rainy city that occasionally experiences snowfall and sometimes exceptionally bright sunlit days. They also share a subtle cooling effect from the barrier.

Buildings and City: Frequent grey-stone/concrete buildings with subtle yellow and green hues. Several of the most impressive buildings are castles that are still in perfect condition over 700 years after being built. They have paved wide streets and many open square areas for congregating. The Claymorians believe in enjoying life and spend much of their essence on the many food options the multi-cultural restaurants offer that line the famous squares.
Fashion: The most stylish Claymorians wear large-rimmed hats. Their clothes are less vibrant and shiny than those of other cities, focusing on the more functional options of Tatrin Natural and dark Tatrin Textured clothes. They are too practical to waste time painting their faces, getting tattoos or spending money on expensive clothing, which could be spent on eating fine food.

People’s attitudes: They are pragmatic and not worried about how others perceive them. Like the Skyish, they believe in being direct with people and not getting easily offended. But unlike their Northern neighbours, they have no problems with outsiders entering their city (including the Riktus) as long as they contribute to the city's welfare and are not shy about spending their time and essence coin in the shops. The local workers also expect a fair tip for their exceptional service.
The Night Stalkers:

Claymore's Night stalkers roam together in large groups with long wooden sticks and makeshift rakes. They hide in the trees as the protective light of the Lord's barrier fades and then pounce into the streets just as the final bell tolls. This strategy allows them to catch unsuspecting tourists and late revellers who partied too late. They are untrained and poorly equipped criminals that avoid Aura powered civilians.
| Sky | Claymore | Drinden | Imperias | Giral | Pralis | Tost | Ekri | Gete |

Drinden City (North / Central)

The local name of the people: The Drindonians
City slogan: “Embrace the storm” (The locals say this to each other when facing a hardship and want to remain positive.)
In summary: Drinden City is a breezy coastal city but never too cold for the thick Tatrin natural clothes favoured in the North; instead, the people prefer the more fashionable silky options of Tatrin Plus and the thinner leather options for Tatrin Textured.
Climate: A city famous for its sudden bursts of winds that sweep through the town, blowing the Lord’s essence down the tight alleyways and feeding the locals' clothes.

Buildings and City: Narrow streets with tight alleyways and colourful, hand-painted concrete buildings. Wizard Glass structures have started gaining popularity throughout the city, especially along the coast, to give phenomenal sea views.
Fashion: The sheeny, smooth look of Tatrin Plus is very popular in the city, and with the windy conditions, Tatrin textured, with its leather-like protection, also offers a great practical option to keep the locals warm and the clothes undamaged from the salty sea air. Well-manicured moustaches are common on the wealthier males, and tight-fitting ornate corsets are common on the affluent females. Like Claymore, many of the male jackets often have big, bold buttons or intricate hand-sowed designs into the Tatrin fabric.

People’s attitudes: They are relaxed, down-to-earth, hospitable when needed but not overly so and happy to help lost tourists find their way around the city - no matter their race.
The Night Stalkers:

Drinden's Night Cycle is dominated by large gangs of men who scour the streets and alleyways, looking for easy victims. They wear hardened leather armour, and most carry sharp implements between their fists or hidden machetes within their jackets. Due to their high numbers, they will challenge most targets, even Aura-powered ones. But like most bullies, they will retreat if they face fierce resistance.
| Sky | Claymore | Drinden | Imperias | Giral | Pralis | Tost | Ekri | Gete |

Imperias City (Centre)

Click this link to visit the Imperias City home

The local name of the people: Imperians
City slogan: “Seize the Light” (The Imperians have a rich culture in the city and like to say this as a reminder to enjoy life at all times)
In summary: Imperias City is the most influential and populated city in Tenglan, with the most advanced technology and the latest wizard glass structures, and it is home to Battle Balt—the most popular sport in all Lendor. The Queen lives here with most of her trusted cabinet. Her dealings with the other cities are through the Dukess of each municipality.
Climate: A temperate environment unaffected by the barrier, neither too hot nor too cold all year round.

Buildings and City: Famous for its Canal and Wizard-glass spherical buildings. It is a bright, vibrant, cosmopolitan city with tight, enclosed old concrete buildings in the Old Quarter and modern rectangular structures in the newly developed modern quarters. It also holds the most significant Battle Balt Tremena’s in all Lendor.
Fashion: Most people within the walls of Imperias city are wealthy enough to afford the essence to buy the latest fashions like Tatrin Premium. This is, by far, the most popular style worn by both males and females. Another popular style is bare-chested (for the men) with a bright Tatrin premium waistcoat. This has arisen from the popularity of Battle Balt and the revealing costumes they wear.
Colourful face tattoos and face paint are also common amongst the middle class, and even scar parlours have surfaced, giving realistic-looking fake scars to all wannabe male balters.

People’s attitudes: Imperias City is a cosmopolitan city, with various colours and creeds from all over Tenglan living there. Even Riktus and Fein often enjoy visiting the city or getting temporary work with a good essence wage. Some Imperias are friendly to outsiders, while others can be coarse. Imperias City has all sorts of, and it is tough to generalise its inhabitants. As always with big cities, it can be difficult for newcomers to penetrate new social groups, for once friends have been made, they don’t often accept newbies to join them.
With such a variety of partners available, it is common for Imperians to not commit and play the dating game for as long as possible, only settling down later in life or not at all.
The Night Stalkers:

Imperias Cities Night Cycle is dominated by criminals that work alone or small gangs of 3 who stalk Imperias's alleyways using conventional blades to steal Essence coins. They use masks provided by the Dark Church, whose metal construction also offers great protection against face attacks. Imperias City is full of Auraless and Aura-powered beings, so the Night Stalkers often watch their prey first before acting. Only once the individual is determined to be low risk will they pounce on the unsuspecting victim.
| Sky | Claymore | Drinden | Imperias | Giral | Pralis | Tost | Ekri | Gete |

Giral (Centre)

The local name of the people: The Girali
City Slogan: “More than Imperias.” (The Girali hate being seen as an inferior Imperias City, so they placed this slogan on posters all around the city.)
In summary: Giral is a city heavily influenced by Imperias City and its culture. The locals say “more than Imperias” as a wink to the influence of Imperial City but also showing it’s got its own identity. The Imperians, however, call Giral City “Little Imperias.” And its people, the “Gimperians”, as a joke to their lower influence and status within Tenglan.
Climate: Another temperate city but on average warmer than Imperias City but with more rainfall, influencing fashion and cultural habits.

Buildings and City: Many structures have adopted the Wizard glass structures made famous in Imperias City, but Giral has made the designs more outlandish, with extravagant structures and monuments. Giral is also popular with students due to all the colleges and universities based there that are cheaper than Imperias City.
Fashion: Giral Fashion is often several months behind the latest trends of Imperias City, with Tatrin Premium designs being the most popular style.

People’s attitudes: The Girali get upset when people compare them to Imperias City. For this reason, the Girali make a point of trying to be friendlier than their bigger brother. Shop staff love to offer help, coming up to customers as soon as they enter the shop. New stylish buildings in the entertainment district have recently been completed to house the latest theatre and musical productions in an attempt by the Giral Dukess to give it a cultural identity that surpasses even Imperias City.
The Night Stalkers:

Giral's Night Cycle is dominated by gangs of around five men who prefer face paint to masks and take great pride in showing off their newly earned scars. These Stalkers wear dark, modern Tatrin leathers, prowling the canal's edges looking for easy victims but will attack more dangerous targets if they get desperate.
| Sky | Claymore | Drinden | Imperias | Giral | Pralis | Tost | Ekri | Gete |

Pralis (South / Central):

The local name of the people: Pralisi
City Slogan: “Strip and enjoy.” (The Pralisi are proud of their lack of inhibitions and their Party city status. This phrase is used before a Pralisi is about to do something reckless - which is a regular occurrence!)
In summary: Pralis is a coastal city with a hand-built narrow canal system where people love to party and one of only two Tenglan cities where the locals party deep into the night. A risk the locals think worth taking, and why Pralis City has the highest crime rates, with Night Stalkers lining the streets waiting to take advantage of lost drunk party revellers. For this reason, the Pralisi stick together in groups and never go out alone – even during the day.
Climate: The highest level of rainfall within Tenglan. Either the city is basked in bright sunshine or raining all day. Even during the rain, the air is still warm, which makes for a pleasant, warm shower when naked in the rain, which the Pralisi often do and heavily influences their city motto.

Buildings and City: Compared to Giral, the buildings are less impressive, favouring a more functional stone approach. Some Wizard glass structures exist, but this is more with the wealthy Pralisi wanting to live in the most luxurious conditions. Commercial buildings adopt a square pragmatic design but with colourful exteriors. The most fortified buildings are the nightclubs and bars to keep the night revellers safe and secure from the opportunistic night thugs. It is not uncommon for the Pralisi to party throughout the night, so they leave the club in the relative safety of the day.

Fashion: Being a wet coastal city, the wind and rain can pick up and make wearing large hats an uncomfortable experience. The Pralisi prefer smaller hats with large upturned brims that match their day’s suit.
People’s attitudes: Being a laidback party city, Tenglan's inhabitants enjoy all its vices. This can make them seem offish or superficial as they prefer partying to getting to know people. But if you can penetrate their social groups, you will have a wonderful time. (If, of course, you enjoy partying through the night and sleeping during the day.
The Night Stalkers:

Night Stalkers of Pralisi wait in the wide streets and canal areas for the inevitable drunk revellers to stumble into view. Hardened Pralisi partygoers often stay in groups, carrying weapons for safety. For this reason, the Pralisi Night Stalkers are the most armoured and dangerous Night Stalkers in all of Tenglan and the only ones who attack other night gangs to steal their expensive weapons and armour. They are also comfortable attacking high-value Aura-powered targets but are not crazy enough to take on a Sorce practitioner.
| Sky | Claymore | Drinden | Imperias | Giral | Pralis | Tost | Ekri | Gete |

Tost (South / Central):

The local name of the people: The Tosti
City Slogan: They don’t have a slogan; instead, they have a hand signal. Which involves closing their fist and then kissing the top of their hand as they present their kissed hand to you. This shows great respect to the recipient and, if done passionately, can even represent love to the person. Contrary to this, if the person completes the action rapidly, it shows great disrespect meaning “Go fuck yourself.”
In summary: The people who live in Tosti love their city and take great pride in everything they do. They believe they have the tastiest food, the most enjoyable weather, the most fashionable people and the most exciting culture. Unfortunately, most of Tenglan finds the Tosti people arrogant and sensitive to criticism. Tosti is a beautiful city for tourists, but staying for extended periods will lead to many disagreements with the argumentative locals. Locals that can take slight even if you don’t sit correctly next to them.
Climate: Warm to hot all year round with several periods of heavy rainfall followed by long periods of sunshine. Dust storms often whip up around the city and blend with the The Lord's Essence and then store on the clothes and hats of its locals. Essence Collecting Machines in Tost have to be specially designed to be able to syphon away the dust to keep only the essence.

Buildings and City: Tosti’s are proud of everything they do, except their architecture. Their facilities do not have the beauty of the central glass structures or the majesty of the Gete or Ekri. It is practical and safe but not inspiring. Recently, as a response, the town council have paid contractors to go around and paint their stone structures into something more appealing. It has made a marginal difference at best.
Fashion: As with all the southernmost cities of Tost, Gete and Ekri, colourful Tatrin Plus is the most common style, but due to the dust storms and Lord's essence whipping all over the place, the clothes quickly lose their vibrancy. Tost differs from its other southern neighbours because they like to use all sorts of accessories. Pendants, bracelets, scarves and feathers in their hats. Anything unique that they can value to their clothes, they will do. For this reason, many shops in Tost are small family-run businesses specialising in intricate jewellery.

People’s attitudes: They are cautious not to offend people. The locals take great disrespect if you criticise them or their city. They are very welcoming and always seek your opinion on whether you had a great time, but will get angry if you don’t respond positively. They are not direct with their feelings and cannot express their dissatisfaction with others: the opposites of the Skyish. They love haggling over prices, with the shopkeepers getting disappointed if you accept the first price they offer.
A famous phrase in other cities goes: “Don’t be Tosti”, meaning don’t be so sensitive to what you hear.
The Night Stalkers:

Tost's Night Cycle has larger groups of five to six criminals roaming the streets, with the leaders often wearing ornate masks and using long spears whilst their minions go maskless, carrying bladed weapons. They are often from poor backgrounds without martial training, so they only target easy prey.
| Sky | Claymore | Drinden | Imperias | Giral | Pralis | Tost | Ekri | Gete |

Ekri (South):

The local name of the people: The Ekrisi
City Slogan: “Do it, don’t talk about it.” (The Ekrisi are no-nonsense Southern People who only promote themselves if they feel they deserve it.)
In summary: Although technically not an actual coastal city, it is close enough to smell the fresh sea air and benefit from the coastal views and trade routes for which port cities are famed. The town feels half-finished as buildings and essential structures have massive open areas between them – as though the architects had no idea what to do with the space and just left it empty for future use.
Climate: A comfortable sea breeze cools the otherwise stifling heat and humidity.

Buildings and City: Wide open spaces with loads of room to construct more buildings. Unusual structures are dotted around the desert-based city, seemingly only having an aesthetic purpose. The functional buildings have a colourful, bland, or uniquely weird appearance. They were also one of the early adopters of Wizard glass structures before they abruptly stopped, leaving random glass-based structures dotted around the city. In keeping with the city's haphazard nature, some wealthier areas have paved walking areas, whilst the poorer areas have been left untouched, forcing the locals to sweep away the excess sand every morning.
Fashion: The Ekrisi like either the shiniest or the least shiny versions of Tatrin Plus and nothing in the middle for their stylish clothes. This gives a similar look to Tatrin Premium but with all the heat-dissipating benefits that Tatrin Plus offers. They can often look garish with their mixed colours covering them from head to toe, with no colours seemingly matching but still looking impressive.

People’s attitudes: Like the buildings, the people are either friendly and happy to speak to all newcomers or incredibly rude, with no time to waste on the confused tourists who can't seem to find their way around the haphazard city. They are carefree people who do what they want, never justifying their actions to anyone. Everything is done at their pace and not the speed of others. They are also famous for never complaining. They get on with the next task, never needing to grumble about the world's injustices.
The Night Stalkers:

Ekri's Night Cycle criminals are well-armed and well-trained, roaming the streets of the desert in small 4-man packs. The Ekrisi don't even try to resist them since very few have the skills to match these night warriors. Anybody who walks the night streets of Ekri is a target, so all stay within their homes once the final bell of daylight tolls.
| Sky | Claymore | Drinden | Imperias | Giral | Pralis | Tost | Ekri | Gete |

Gete (Furthest South):

The local name of the people: The Getesi
City Slogan: Like the Tosti, they don’t have a motto. The locals constantly say one word: “Stay,” with wide open arms and big smiles. They hope you will then trust them to host you however they want.
In summary: It is the largest and most influential Southern City with the most impressive buildings and fanciest designer hats.
Climate: The hottest city in Tenglan. It is sweltering hot at most times, and it is often difficult to stay outside for too long without suffering nasty sunburn. (Unless you are one of the die-hard locals conditioned to the heat). Rain is rare but an absolute Lord’s delight when it comes. The gathering sand accumulates fast in the city, requiring many workers to sweep away the excess twice daily.

Buildings and City: Some of the best architects of South Tenglan live in Gete, which can be seen by their beautiful, elaborate stone, wood and glass constructions. They have even introduced Wizard Glass into their design methodologies, creating stunning structures that gain the benefits of both glass and concrete.
Fashion: The locals only use Tatrin Plus fabric for its benefits in hot climates and its anti-sweat properties. Many tourists visit Gete and regret wearing anything that isn’t locally produced. Only the brave or incredibly stupid would wear Tatrin Premium in this energy-sapping heat. They prefer the less vibrant and shiny Tatrin Plus options; their hats are not the most colourful, preferring grand size over design.

People’s attitudes: The Getesi are very welcoming as long as they know you are not staying permanently. They make the most wonderful hosts to Tourists and visiting friends, always eager to tell a story and offer their rooms or food. But you must be willing to accept everything they offer you. They take it personally if you refuse what they give you or ask for an alternative.
This is a great disrespect to a Getesi, and they will make it clear you are no longer welcome. Gete, being the closest city to the Eristry forest, also loves receiving the many Fein that visit them yearly. They are perhaps more wary of the Riktus beasts that horrify the locals with the muscular, sweaty skin they display to the conservative Getesi.
The Night Stalkers:

Gete's Night stalkers don't wear masks, preferring to show their scarred faces to their victims. They are also physical specimens that don't use weapons, enjoying the feel of broken bones and blood on their fists and elbows. They will attack any target they find walking the streets without gauging their strength. For this reason, many Gete night stalkers often perish in violent fights to the death versus Aura-powered beings.
| Sky | Claymore | Drinden | Imperias | Giral | Pralis | Tost | Ekri | Gete |

Written by Ricardo Butler

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