Light of Argyria
The Light of Argyria is a massive lighthouse and landmark in the city of Argyria on the northern Sunscald coast. Constructed in the ninth century and continually expanded upon since, the Light is the largest lighthouse and one of the tallest buildings in the Sunscald and has become a symbol of the city's wealth and prestige. The lighthouse is perhaps best known for its colour-changing flame, which is often 'set' to mark special occasions or sometimes emergencies.
The Light was constructed beginning in 876, to replace a previous lighthouse that had partially crumbled into the sea. Construction of this new lighthouse coincided with a significant rise in Argyria's power and prominence - following the razing of Nearmaidas by the infamous 'King of Raiders' Leth Bloodaxe, Argyria gradually usurped its position as the most prominent trading port in the northern Sunscald, further necessitating a large lighthouse to guide ships to the city's natural harbour. The initial lighthouse took eight years to complete, and was far larger than the one it replaced. The Light was refurbished and expanded several times after its initial construction, until it reached its current impressive size.
The Light of Argyria is perhaps most renowned for its so-called 'colour-changing flame', although this name may be misleading as the flame does not change its colours by itself. Instead, the city of Argyria employs a 'fire-painter' whose job it is to prepare and administer special chemical mixtures to the fire when it requires changing. Different mixtures, which have been traditionally prepared for centuries, may produce a variety of different colours which have acquired their own meanings. A typical colouration is purple, which signifies a celebration - especially one likely to attract foreign visitors. While the colour purple is commonly associated with wealth and extravagance in the Sunscald, an association Argyria undoubtedly exploits with the Light, the mixture required to 'paint' the light purple is actually quite cheap and simple to produce. Blue, the colour most closely associated with Argyria, requires a much more complicated and expensive mixture, and is consequently used much more sparingly for very special occasions, as well as the city's Founding Day. The Light isn't purely for festivities, however - it also acts as somewhat of an alarm, as a green fire is used to signify an emergency in the city, both to alert the population and to warn nearby ships to keep their distance. The fact that green is commonly associated with Argyria's rival city of Medaris is probably a coincidence.
Comments