Tlayapan

"All the streets have openings in places so that the water may pass from one canal to another. Over all these openings, and some of them are very wide, there are bridges... There are, in all districts of this great city, many temples or houses for their idols. They are all very beautiful buildings...Amongst these temples there is one, the principal one, whose great size and magnificence no human tongue could describe, for it is so large that within the precincts, which are surrounded by very high wall, a town of some five hundred inhabitants could easily be built..." Hernan Terromolinos

The City of Tlayapan, considered by many to the one of the most magnificent cities of Karash, is a jewel within the jewel that is Axtalan: Made close to the Rainbow Lake, the city is so ancient, that there are recorded stories from after the Dragonfire, and so grand, that there are expanses of the jungle itself within the city, as parks exists in other places.
Stories by travelers say the streets are built with jade blocks, buildings made of gold, temples made of gigantic pearls, and its nobility dressed in the finest silk and powdered in flecks of gold. These, however, while outlandish exaggerations, do provide some context on just how rich and powerful was (and in a way, still is) the people living in Axtalan in general.
To the majority of travelers, the entrance through Tlayapan may be either by sky-ship, or by boat through the Yaitskaal River, either way they will be greeted by the Northern Serpent wall, a massive stone wall with several bas-reliefs of feathered serpents, all flying and curling in the heavens. And the entrance will be blocked by the portcullis of stone. There is also the lavishly called 'Heavenly Cloud' Sky-port, tended by local mages, local staff, and artificers from The Academy , whom they keep track of incoming and outgoing sky-ships, and keep the machines working.

Demographics

The Majority are humans and halflings, but there is a sizable Lizardfolk population (especially living in the jungles outside the walls), a few Dragonborn, and Greenborn Elves, and the city does employ a pack of Tabaxi scout-merchants, known as the Faraway Eyes.

Government

Like most of the city-states of Axtalan, Tlayapan has an inherited Monarchy, with the King (or, in this case, a Queen) at the head of the Government. Below the Queen is an advisor, and several wise individuals which act as a council, and below those is the numerous court administrators and courtiers, particularly of the Priest and Warrior castes.

Defences

The Bridges and markets have Several Towers in which to observe any potential riots, and the Wall of Serpents surrounds the city. The militia also serves as the towns guard, to keep watch, but they do have a standing warrior-caste of nobles in any case

Industry & Trade

Today, much of the trade of Tlayapan relies on the artistry of the jade-workers. But several fishermen and farmers gather to the main market and trade goods, especially with people from lands up north, who pay incredible amounts of money for things like cacao, tobacco, and vanilla.
Those who have an interest of the Arcane, there is a Wizard's Guild who has its base in the city, known only as the School of the Illuminated Sign, whom they teach their arts to those whom they find worthy.

Infrastructure

The City is connected with a series of canals of water, which feed different parts of the city, as well as small farming plots of land called Chinampas; there are several houses of healing performed by the local clergy, and schools for the children both for the upper, and lower classes. Many of the markets have mechanical cranes and pulleys able to take some of the good from merchant boats that cross the channels.
The streets close to the Temples, and the noble areas have certain places that light up with magical light that resemble fireflies.

Guilds and Factions

While The Academy has made a place for themselves (especially with the Sky-Port), they have found that Artificer magic (at leas the one that uses Thaumaturge-Steam ) seems unattractive to the locals, as the practice of the old ways of doing magic is well ingrained within their society. However, the wizards and warlock of the academy, as well as number of sages and physicians, seem to be doing just fine, especially with their relationship with the clergy of the Star-Serpents , and the School of the Illuminated Sign.

History

According to history, Tlayapan was built before the Dragonfire, its original purpose and temples unknown, but some scholars believe it was to the glory of the Elders in the Dark; whatever those ancient desires were, they have been lost to the winds, however, as now the city holds more temples to the Star Serpents, as well as some of temples of the The Tetrarchy of Faith.
Tlayapan was hit hard when the cults of the Serpents below began to show their influence on the nobility, many of the new temples were drenched in the blood of sacrifices of Humans, Halfings, Tabaxi and even Dragonborn. It was during the insurrection of the priests of the feathered dragon Ulkan that the cults of the Serpents below were driven out of Axtalan, into the seas, and after that, the city began to rebuild itself, going back to the old ways of honoring the Great Serpents of the Stars, though the empire would never be whole again.
In these years, Axtalan was in relative isolation, even to the point that they only knew about the War of Winter's Fire via exiled Greenborn Elves that passed through the Wiitskaal Mountains. The City eventually began to send out messengers and scouts up north, including the Faraway Eyes, to watch upon the changes of the world.
Today, while it is difficult to reach Axtalan via Sky-Ships, or almost impossible in the sea (thanks in part to the Fae Coast and the Fae Grasslands of Ikele), trade caravans from the Wiitskaal Mountains make daily journeys into the markets and bazaars of the Tlayapan and beyond, bringing in wares of the North, and getting spices from City states of Axtalan.

Architecture

The City is well known for its orderly grid and wide canals, traversed daily by boats of all shapes and sizes, sometimes even the occasional ship form the The Crimson Lands makes its way to the main channel; many chinampas and small forested lands are mixed with the geometrical stone statues and buildings of the city, and plenty of birds of multicolor feathers fly above the blue sky. The growl and roars of dinosaur mounts and the haggle of merchants can be seen in the many urban squares of the city, demarcated with the serpentine-looking feathered dragon statues that adorn much of the streets.
The City is divided with several concentric squares, each one representing a caste and a trade and the closer one gets to the center, the buildings become less adorned but more important: The first is the Jaguar Section, though it is one of the poorest neighborhoods, it is also the military quarter, so there is a staunch different in the barren houses and the military barracks all painted with blue, white and red, with depictions of Jaguars and warriors fighting strange monsters and serpent-folk; the second section if the Raptor Quarter, made up by the butchers, animal handlers, cobblers, physicians and alchemists, and its buildings are painted red, green, and black, with murals depicting animal life of all sorts; then comes the Monkey Quarter, made up by merchants of other sorts, metal-workers, and gem cutters, here is also where the nobility lies (as well as the Heavenly-Cloud Sky-Port), and the buildings have murals and reliefs of an idyllic everyday life; the next one is the Hummingbird Quarter, the area of the priests, sages, storytellers and mages, there are few murals, but those that do, are usually small affairs of birds; finally, there is the Couatl Section, with the Palace of the city-king, the Temple of the Star-Serpents, and a single mural, depicting the great feathered-dragon Ulkan).

Geography

Tlayapan is located at mouth of the Rainbow Lake, and so it has an abundance of water and wildlife.

Alternative Name(s)

The City of the Sun

Type

Large city

Population

9500 within the city, 4585 peasants outside the city walls, 3512 peasants in outlying villages loyal to the King

Location under

Axtalan