Volitaris
The Collision
The event from which the start of the 1st age, the age of division, was the collision of a large asteriod with the centre of the continent now known as frakturia. This collision radically changed the continent; splitting it into four parts as four large cracks are formed, at places 1000ft deep and 500ft wide, and leaving a large crater in the middle of Frakturia. This crater filled with water over time became Lake Volitare upon which Volitaris was built.
Both the four ravines known as the Rifts and lake Volitare seem to ooze some sort of magical energy till this very day which is still being researched. Most notably there is significant anti-gravitational effects around lake Volitare causing floating rivers and canals that spiral upwards before cascading down in a series of waterfalls, along with numerous islands, lifted up into the sky by the magic diffusing the area.
[h1The Long Night]During the Long Night, there were only a handful of places on the entire continent of Frakturia not obliterated by the Blood War. The most notable of these was the burgeoning city of Volitaris where the Demon and Devil hordes did not seem to be able to approach. As such many peoples fled to the developing city from all around and then after the construction of the Hope For Dawn, this ship was used to rescue survivors from around the continent and bring them to the safe lands around Volitaris.
As such the city was forced into becoming a melting pot of all the cultures on the continent and rapidly grew in size and influence. After the man who would become The first Dragon Emperor successfully led the Crew of the Hope For Dawn in a mission to end the Long Night, the good will towards this leader of Volitaris, the lack of other foreign powers and their lead in the rebuilding of the continent lead to an unprecedented era of Volitarian Hegemony.
The Imperial Capital
The Volitarian Empire at this time worked to reclaim the entirety of the Continent that had fallen into ruin and was overrun with the monsterous remnants of the blood war. At the end of this process the Empire stretched across all of the mainland of frakturia up to the () mountains in the North excepting the fortress city of Nidus and the land in the shadow of the World Tree in Silvanus.
The years that would follow would be known as the golden age of Volitaris where the city and the empire grew at an incredible rate being the centre of all learning, trade, military power and containing much of the continents surviving population it progressed in every facit. Much of the incredible architecture of the city, such as the Imperial Palace, the Gate of Many Paths and the Grand Myscantheam Sophia was built during this time period.
As the old kingdoms were rebuilt and new rulers put in place some began to chafe under the rule of Volitaris. This along with misrule and expansionism from the descendants of the Dragon Emperor led to a series of wars and and succession crises that led to the loss of the Hope for Dawn and a gradual loss of Volitarian dominance on the continent. Some 2000 years later, while still the undisputed greatest power on the continent, Volitaris' grip on the reins of power is weaker than it has ever been before
The Floating City
The city of Volitaris is made up of 3 main "districts". The Gate District stretches from the Cascade Docks, where the Starfall Falls connects Lake Volitare to the Wet Rift that itself connects Volitaris to the ocean, and encircles lake Volitare. The Cascade Docks are among the busiest on the continent and are the main and cheapest route for most goods flowing in and out of the city. In the times of the First Dragon Emperor a great water elevator was constructed here on both sides of the falls that diverts water from the falls to gradually fill up a locke lifting or gently lowering ships that are trying to enter Lake Volitare itself (which most passenger ships or shipments don't bother with instead unloading at the docks). This has been replicated into a number of pulleys and chutes that are used to bring people and goods up to the surface level easier. Before a ship can reach the Cascade Docks they must pass through the Gate of Many Paths. This colossal archway with two massive silver gilded doors, reaching right to the top of the rift, with a statue of a smiling woman atop it, symbolises the many cultures and peoples that make up Volitare and how all types are welcome in the capital. The Statue atop is off the Goddess Euria, Lady of the Wind and guider of paths. She is often seen as the patron of adventurers and travellers and is one of the 3 founding gods of Volitaris. However the doors can be closed effectively shutting off the whole of the rift and protecting the dock. This has only been done twice in the 2000 years since the Long Night.
The rest of the Gate district is built around the edges of the lake or on the base of the lake itself on the many stilts and gangwalks that stretch out onto the water. The Gate district is where the majority of the population of Volitaris lives. The closer to the lake the older the buildings as the city has grown out from the lake. A number of walls have been built surrounding what was the outskirts of the city at any given time.
There is also a number of settlements built on the water itself, including floating pleasure gardens for the rich and a number of houses built on pontoons. These houses, tend to be for petty aristocrats and business owners whose families come from the gate district. There is also the Volitarian Naval headquarters, a large marble fort, built up from the bottom of the lake dead in it's center. From here the Volitarian navy projects it's power down the Wet Rift, Saol na Bhan, and into the southern seas to protect the city's main traderoutes to the far reaches of the continent.
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