Crystal Bay
"Crystal Bay has meant many different things to many different people throughout the course of its existence, depending if you asked the original settlers, merchants, artisans, or nobles. The city has changed much since it's founding, but it's always been an integral part to Bralor." - Samira Bronzebluff
Infrastructure
The most notable parts of the city are the harbor, it's the oldest one in the kingdom, and Stargazer ledge, a illusionary theater that projects its magic over the bay.
Guilds and Factions
The city biggest guild in the city is the Artisans Guild, thanks to the popularity of Stargazer ledge the city has managed to build a sustainable economy based on tourism and naval trade. Artist are needed to for the storyboarding of great plays, tinkers to upkeep and design new an interesting devices to assist in the illusions, and textile designers to ensure the performers have only the best. This talent also gets put to work ensuring only the best merchandise is found after any play is concluded.
History
When Crystal bay was first settled it was little more the a hunter gather village, gaining its name from the way the sun reflected off the water. The settlement was founded due to Highsummit needing to expand and gather more resources, it acted as base camp for fishing, logging, and later a waypoint into the mountains to the east. eastward expansion proved to be hazardous because at this time the Wildlands extended much further then they currently are in the present day. After the Wildlands had been pushed back more settlements began to take hold and traffic began to bypass the little village, and it would become a minor footnote in history. This fate was averted when the explorer and sailor, Anderl Carrington, took note that the terrain provided natural cover for ships and the island in the middle would be perfect for drydocking. He would go on to make the harbor and commission ships to explorer and bring word of potential trade routes, making contact with the kingdom of Scouria and the Oshon Coalition, this led to rapid growth. over the centuries more trade would occur in the city, but as the wealth grew so did the corruption, this was before the The Barthmont Accords so the nobility didn't have the amount of oversight it does now. Backdoor deals to secure prestigious and lucrative positions became more common, inflated dock fees and unofficial tariffs on goods became common place, the government turned a blind eye because they got their cut. All this changed after the Barthmont accords were signed, corruption rooted out, positions lost, guilds established to oversee proper handling of commerce.
As time passed other cities such Lagoon Port and Pearl Keep were established, severely cutting into the economy of Crystal Bay, and it entered another decline. In 2177 the Bridgeford family took a chance and gambled a large portion of their wealth on a great construction project, a theater unique to the city. This theater would use specially made crystal monuments to amplify illusion magic, similar to the stone monuments used to mark Non Natural borders. The theater was originally intended to show plays over the bay, the Bridgefords knew nothing of crystal growth or refinement so they employed the Highwind Artisan family, together they set to work. After almost a year of fine tuning the crystals and ensuring they were placed properly the Crystal Bay theater was unveiled, it's novelty proved to be a hit and it propelled the Bridgeford family into a stronger position of wealth and influence. The Highwinds were also elevated into a more influential status and eventually achieved the status of Nobility.
As time passed other cities such Lagoon Port and Pearl Keep were established, severely cutting into the economy of Crystal Bay, and it entered another decline. In 2177 the Bridgeford family took a chance and gambled a large portion of their wealth on a great construction project, a theater unique to the city. This theater would use specially made crystal monuments to amplify illusion magic, similar to the stone monuments used to mark Non Natural borders. The theater was originally intended to show plays over the bay, the Bridgefords knew nothing of crystal growth or refinement so they employed the Highwind Artisan family, together they set to work. After almost a year of fine tuning the crystals and ensuring they were placed properly the Crystal Bay theater was unveiled, it's novelty proved to be a hit and it propelled the Bridgeford family into a stronger position of wealth and influence. The Highwinds were also elevated into a more influential status and eventually achieved the status of Nobility.
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