City
Territory 10,000 square miles
Population 8854 (Humans 20%, Half-Orcs 2%, Halflings 10%, Nezumi, 10%, Xeph 30%, Saurians 2%, Synads 20%, Elan 1%, Other 5%)
Ruler Elder Nakula Voori (Synad female)
History
Millenia ago, an elven youth, born to enslaved parents on the Plane of Shadow, decided to denounce the worship of the Umber Lords and any other higher being. He escaped his masters and withdrew into a desolate mountain range to begin a life of quiet contemplation. Not only did he renounce divine power, he also opposed the use of any kind of arcane energies. 200 years later he emerged a powerful psion, an equal to any Archmage or High Priest in the known multiverse. He gave himself the name Urzae and began travelling the Plane of Shadow, visiting dark cities and isolated villages alike with his message of peace, order and enlightenment. While he was hunted by the authorities, he gathered quite a large following of devoted disciples. He led them to a large crescent shaped island in a distant dark lake and began constructing an academy. Eventually the academy grew into a city with thousands of inhabitants, mostly disciples of Urzae and their families and friends. This city became known as Crescent Isle. Urzae sought to spread his message further throughout the Plane of Shadow, but most of his attempts were rebuffed.
When the territories that would become the Silent Lands were stolen from the Plane of Shadow, Urzae saw this as an opportunity to further his cause. He sent 12 of his most loyal disciples through a gate to the newly formed Silent Lands with the task of combating chaos and promoting order. The disciples arrived on an island off the western shore of the Silent Lands and immediately began recruiting among the local tribes. As their order grew, they began construction of a marvelous city made of glass and crystal, constructed through psionic means. In a few centuries, this city would grow to become Intai, City of Order.
During the creation of Intai, the 12 disciples constructed the Crystal Mirror, a psionic device meant to open a permanent connection between Intai and Crescent Isle. The connection failed, however, and the disciples found that they had no way to return home. Even worse, communication with Urzae grew ever more difficult, for reasons still unknown, and was eventually lost altogether.
The 12 disciples of Urzae were careful not to engage with the two dominant powers at that time, the Fomorian and Cyclopic Empires. They initially kept to the western shores of the Silent Lands and only after both giant empires fell, 5000 years ago, did they expand their evangelical efforts into the east. While the initial disciples of Urzae lived a long time, they too eventually died. For millennia the city has been led by an Elder who studies the scriptures of Urzae and interprets them to try and guide his of her people forward.
The followers of Urzae have not had an easy time performing their duty over the last 10.000 years. Most of the peoples of the Silent Lands ignore the city's preachers when they travel through the region. Similarly, missionaries are often regarded with suspicion or downright hostility. As such, the growth of Intai and Urzae's teachings has been slow. The current elder, Nakula Voori, has changed the city's practice of conversion significantly. Chaotic and evil individuals are now hunted down by trained bounty hunters and brought back to the city. There they are subjected to psionic treatments that rewrite their personalities, removing their evil and chaotic tendencies. This new practice is not without controversy, as many believe it to be a perversion of Urzae's teachings.
Architecture
Intai is truly a city of wonders. It is not as big as other cities in the Silent Lands such as Azul or Amon, but it is by far the most beautiful, Slender crystal towers rise high into the sky, connected through glass walkways. Buildings of dark green stone, cut from the island's bedrock, stand between these towers, each with a roof of multi-colored glass that refracts and reflects the sunlight in dazzling ways.
Culture
Maintaining order is incredibly important to the people of Intai. There are rules, regulations, and procedures for almost everything, although most are not written down as laws but regarded as customs. Penance and forgiveness are also equally important, so punishments for transgressions are usually not overly harsh. The use of arcane and divine magic is not allowed within the city limits, Similarly worship of any kind is also forbidden. The worst punishment in Intai is to be declared a "disruptor of the peace". Those who are bestowed this title are chained and transported to the isle of Bedlam, to the west of Intai. This island is notorious for its wild magic zones and unnaturally mutated creatures.
The original settlers of Intai were Synads and Xephs. It did not take long for other races to make their home in the new city. Intai is welcoming to all races. The disposition of the individual is more important than their heritage.
Another important aspect of life in Intai is meditation. Each day, at noon, the entire city seems to shut down as all inhabitants sit down for their daily meditation. This lasts for about an hour.
Religion
Urzae is depicted on almost every building. His teachings are required for all schoolchildren as well as those outsiders seeking to permanently settle down in Intai. Urzae is not worshiped, however. He is seen as a wise teacher who guides his followers to true enlightenment. It is also accepted that Urzae is probably deceased by now.
The existence of gods, spirits and other beings is not denied, but considered an unnecessary distraction. Order is considered the ultimate good, chaos the ultimate evil.
Death is accepted as the end of an individual, but not his life-force. His mind is thought to merge with the universe, while his life-force is re-used to create new living beings.
Army
Intai does not have a large standing army. The city has a sizeable contingent of psionic city guards who maintain order in the city when needed. The city's location on an island offers decent protection from invasion and Intai keeps a cordial relationship with its closest neighbors.
Relationships
Intai acts as a trade hub between Azul, The Great Work and Triag. Intai is not seen as a military threat, and their determined focus on order and lawfulness balances the inherent mistrust of their psionic abilities. As such, Intai has a good reputation with its immediate neighbors. In fact, Intai merchants and administrators are admired and trusted throughout the region for their attention to detail and adherence to the rules. An Intai contract is said to be ironclad.
Intai's internal opinion of its neighbors is not as rosy. The lawlessness and deceptions of Azul are a thorn in the eye of many of Intai's leaders. The industriousness of the people of The Great Work is admired, and although they respect that city's enforcement of its laws, the brutal and tyrannical way it does so is not appreciated. Intai also played a key role in the liberation of Triag from its archmage overlords, and although they still support the new freely elected government, they worry about the expansionist rhetoric coming from that city.
Intai does not have access to a Bloodgate on its home island. The closest gate available is located on Bedlam Isle. That island's unstable arcane nature makes using that gate exceptionally dangerous, however.
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