Solania

Overview

Perched along the shimmering coast of the Gulf of Evanesce and surrounded by the rolling green sprawl of The Solanian Timberplains, Solania stands tall as Mordonia’s most powerful kingdom and largest walled city. Its alabaster ramparts and spired towers gleam in the morning sun, visible for miles across sea and plain alike. But behind its radiant exterior lies a realm of complexity, order, opportunity—and quiet unrest.
Solania is both crown jewel and iron bastion: a massive city-state where laws are firm, coin flows freely, and magic is treated with reverence and caution. Its strict regulation of arcane practices has long set it apart from Al-Zandhar, its desert counterpart and political rival, and the city’s long-standing policies on magic remain a source of debate within its walls. While the nobility and guard enforce these restrictions with unshakable certainty, the commonfolk’s views are mixed—some praising the order it brings, others resenting the control.
Governance falls to Princess Lythalia, a once-beloved monarch now navigating the burdens of rule in her adulthood. Known in her youth for her open hand and gentle heart, recent years have seen a gradual, chilling shift in her demeanor. Whispers in the alleys speak of sleepless nights, secret meetings, and decisions made with calculated precision. Whether this is maturity or manipulation depends on who you ask.
As Mordonia’s central hub of commerce, Solania attracts merchants, adventurers, nobles, and criminals alike. Ships arrive daily at its coastal docks, bringing both wealth and intrigue, while caravans pass through its gates laden with goods and secrets. Solania is where reputations are made—or buried.

Points of Interest

The Incandescent Square

At the center of the city, The Incandescent Square serves as Solania’s ceremonial heart. Broad marble steps lead to a vast square centered around a great statue of the city's founding monarch, while an enormous fountain carved in the likeness of the goddess of order bubbles at the plaza’s center. Crowds gather here for festivals, announcements, or public trials—sometimes all three in the same week. It is here that Princess Lythalia herself addresses the people from the Ivory Balcony above the Solara Citadel.

Solara Citadel

A towering structure of reinforced limestone and silvery steel, Solara Citadel is both royal residence and administrative seat of the kingdom. Behind its stoic facade, bureaucrats, guards, and diplomats navigate the machinery of state under the ever-watchful eyes of the Solanian Orderguard, the elite enforcement branch sworn to both crown and code. Rumors persist of a hidden chamber beneath the Keep—a room where the Princess meets with her “special advisors,” far from the public eye.

The House of Still Waters

An imposing gothic church near the city’s eastern quarter, the Cathedral has recently grown in influence, its sermons swelling with talk of divine judgment and mortal obedience. Though Solania has long been secular in function, the faithful now fill pews once empty, driven by rising fear and dissatisfaction. The Sisters and Brothers of Accord, led by the Priestess Patricia, has become increasingly political in tone, calling for tighter control of magic and deeper moral "cleansing."

The Drunken Cutlass

Tucked into the lower wharf district, where the sea breeze mingles with smoke and salt, sits The Drunken Cutlass—a raucous, sprawling tavern known for cheap drinks, loud music, and an unshakable reputation. To the average visitor, it's just another den of vice where sailors brawl, adventurers gamble, and performers drown out the chaos. But to those in the know, the Drunken Cutlass is far more than a watering hole—it's the unofficial headquarters of Boss Stampede, the most powerful figure in Solania’s criminal underworld.
A massive, gold-ringed Loxodon with a cigar always in trunk, Stampede runs the Cutlass with the efficiency of a merchant prince and the ruthlessness of a warlord. His presence is rarely seen but always felt, and every staff member—from the flirtatious waitresses to the muscle-bound bouncers—answers directly to him. Beneath the tavern lies a complex web of tunnels, vaults, and secret meeting rooms where deals are made, debts enforced, and dissent quietly erased.

The Binding Ledger

Located just off the market ward, the Binding Ledger is Solania’s only legal arcane academy, where certified magic tutors instruct under the Crown’s watchful supervision. Any use of unlicensed magic is a punishable offense, and the Ledger ensures casters are registered, trained, and observed. The school’s headmaster, Ivrus Pell, walks a tightrope between arcane passion and political obligation, often forced to deny powerful talents access due to bureaucratic restriction. Still, many brilliant minds have emerged from its halls—some more obedient than others.

The Sevenspice Market

Solania’s largest open-air market, the Sevenspice stretches across three major avenues and is a whirlwind of color, scent, and noise. Named for the legendary seven rare spices once traded here, the market now sells everything from enchanted trinkets and fresh bread to black-market information and monster parts. Merchants from every nation haggle under the sun, while pickpockets and informants weave among the crowd. Beneath the market lies a half-hidden tunnel system used by smugglers and rebels alike.

The Tidefall Docks

Lining the southern coast, the Tidefall Docks are Solania’s gate to the sea. Massive cranes, fishmongers, and merchant ships crowd the bustling piers, where officials inspect cargo and issue permits. Despite the strict oversight, the docks are riddled with backchannels—quiet places where contraband can disappear or secrets change hands. The Dockmaster's Guild oversees operations here, led by a shrewd woman named Salt-Vera, known for her eye for value and her refusal to be bought.

The Sprig and Spoon Apothecary

A riot of smells and color, the Sprig and Spoon Apothecary is a beloved oddity in the artisan quarter. Run by the half-elven siblings Tavrin and Nyla Vells, the shop offers everything from reliable healing potions to wildly experimental brews that may—or may not—work as advertised. Tavrin is bookish and methodical, while Nyla trusts her instincts and chaos, resulting in a shelf of labeled potions and another marked simply: “Test Subjects.” Despite the occasional puff of smoke or accidental invisibility, the Vells are respected for their ingenuity. Rumors suggest they dabble in planar alchemy and trade rare ingredients under the table. Adventurers come for potions—but stay for the unpredictable charm of the Vells’ concoctions and their motto: "Results may vary, but rarely disappoint."

Inkroot & Co. Bookstore

Hidden behind ivy-covered brick, Inkroot & Co. is a quiet maze of ancient tomes and forgotten wisdom. Its owner, the unsmiling Boram Misk, is a walking index who seems to know exactly what book you’re after—even before you do. Though the shop officially trades in history, lore, and magic theory, many believe Boram’s private shelves hold outlawed texts and arcane secrets long buried by the Crown. Scholars and spellcasters frequent the store, drawn by its stillness and Boram’s unnerving ability to find impossible knowledge. Whether he was truly exiled from the Binding Ledger or simply knows too much, most agree: if knowledge is power, Inkroot is a quiet fortress.

Whispers Exchange

Disguised as a trading post, Whispers Exchange is Solania’s premier destination for discreet dealings. The elegant and elusive Siala the Pale runs it with iron discretion, offering fair prices for stolen heirlooms, forbidden relics, and whispered secrets. Her rules are simple: no names, no violence, and no repeat visits without cause. Behind velvet curtains lies The Listening Room, where high-stakes trades and quiet threats are exchanged in hushed tones. The guard turns a blind eye, either out of fear or favor, and it’s said Siala knows every scheme in Solania before it happens—because nothing moves through the city’s underworld without passing her lips first.