Solaris
This is the huge and glorious capital of the Sh'areen Caliphate. at its centre stands the Sunreach Palace with its majestic golden spires. The central Golden district is surrounded by a tall wall and outside that lies the Sky District, home to the nobles and influential. The next walled-off section is the Airid District when one might fight the more prestigious shops, homes and establishments. Less prestigious is the Sand District which also marks the traditional edge of the city. But outside of the walls surrounding Sand are several smaller districts, each large enough to be considered a city in its own right.
Demographics
While humans are the most common race inhabiting the city, there are members of almost any other race found somewhere amongst the large crowds. Elves and halflings are especially well represented, closely followed by dwarves and gnomes.
| 40% | Humans |
| 20% | Elves |
| 20% | Halflings |
| 5% | Dwarves |
| 5% | Gnomes |
| 10% | Others |
Government
Each district, except the Sunreach, has its own Magistrate who oversees all practical matters. The magistrate of one district must always obey the one of a more central district. The magistrates take their orders from the Grand Vizier of the Sunreach itself, ensuring that their efforts are coordinated with the Caliphate at large as well as other matters related to the city.
The Protectors of the Sun police the entire city and the more central districts have them on nearly every street at any given time. Each district has its own headquarters, built into the wall surrounding it. The Sky District houses Castle Solaris, the largest garrison and weapons depot available to the Protectors, but every wall is intended to be able to withstand an extraordinary assault on its own.
Industry & Trade
It might not seem possible for Solaris to do much trade considering its geographical position, but it is situated on top of an extremely powerful magical nexus. This allows it to produce some truly miraculous wonders, and it also sustains several large teleportation circles. While a few other locations can support similar connections, there are a few, spread out over the world, that can host one. There are those who claim that there might even be trading with other planes. If that is true, one can hope that those are upper planes.
Besides luxuries, the main exports of Solaris are gems and precious metals that are mind throughout the caliphate.
Infrastructure
The three innermost districts all have coaches readily available to help anyone travel throughout the city. These are subsidised by the Caliphate as long as their taxes are cheap enough. Thus a trip, depending on how far, for one coach full of people costs no more than one gold. There are similar services further out, but they might be more expensive for long distances and aren't as heavily regulated.
Each district has a distinct architecture. The Golden district's buildings are all tall and slender, seemingly stretching up towards the sun. There are plenty of green areas, both on the ground and on balconies between the buildings. The Tomb of the Pyramid is the final resting place for those who have made a considerable difference in the world.
The Sky district has had time to keep only the truly astonishing buildings from its past. Every street, every wall and every location here has a history long enough that there could be tour guides about them. Sometimes there are. The most prestigious institutions that aren't actually part of the government in one way or another are located here, such as the Blue Citadel, home of the Academia Arcanum. This building goes well with the very gothic styles of heavy stones and tall arches that dominate the district's look.
The Airid district's buildings are in gorgeous materials and built with delicate techniques. Those living here have had a more significant interest in showing off their more modern sensibilities than those living in the Sky district, and thus structures here are less imposing. Most things are very stylized but showing off the wealth of those living here. The streets are wide, and there are many small public spaces, often with statues, monuments or some greenery. Most of the houses here are made from white marble or white stone materials.
The Sand district is a bit more motley, especially since it has had so much inspiration from various parts of the world that it doesn't even have a unified Sh'reen style. That said, it is profoundly shaped by the position of being in the middle of the Sa'ar Desert and with a population not able to afford transport of materials the way those living in inner districts have. This area is also where most of the city's trade via roads happens, and thus even the merchants of the Arid district will come here to make their deals.
Each out city is more like any typical city of the Caliphate but attached to Solaris for the sake of resources and water. They aren't governed by any Qel'tath but instead have their Magistrate that obeys the Magistrate of the Airid district. In other ways, they aren't all that different from the other cities around.
Maps
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Solaris
The capitol of the Sh'areen Caliphate
Type
Capital
Population
1 000 000
Inhabitant Demonym
Solarin
Included Locations
Characters in Location
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