Abens, the Beautiful

Of fair and splendid sea
Not one realm compares
To the beauty of Abens
To you, my heart is free

— Eliria Lons, "Poems of my Youth"

Although I try to keep an unbiased approach in my writings, I must admit somewhat of a bias towards Abens, as it is the city of which I call home. We are not called "The Beautiful" for nothing; with our sparkling canals and penchant towards both knowledge and the arts, our city really is a haven for the creative and wise. At the risk of sounding too forward, I will permit myself to indulge one opinion of mine: I do hope the other civilizations of the Sea can join us in our cultural endeavours, as it would be nice to see them focus on philosophy or the arts for a change rather then war or other barbarities. Truth be told, however, if they did turn over a new leaf and start to think more nobly for a change, they would never be able to best us, for we are the rightful rulers of the intellectual grounds, and will forever be.
Abens is a peaceful city, located on the edge of the Whitecrest River, which itself is known for its rapids near its source before tapering out to a shallow, wetland crested river-way. Our city is located on the edge of the waterway, allowing it to flow in-between buildings and blocks in specially engineered canals. This method provides a lovely means to get around by which of small boats and enchanted shoes which allow one to walk over the shallow waters. In the wintertime, these waterways freeze over, allowing those inclined to skate along the roads to their destinations, or some other method common in the city for traversing frozen ice without so much as a slip.
Abens is quite wealthy in comparison to other cities, due to graciously helping rebuild Aphios and Velencei after their previous most dreadful conflict, which consequences still resonate through the land. Supplementary income is also generated by exporting goods not found anywhere else; indeed, Abens is primarily a merchant city economically over all else, exporting not just physical goods but less material ones, such as our scholars and artists, many of which find work in art halls across the land or even in the Astronomical Society in Tosna, if they are more spiritually inclined. The patron goddess of our fair city is Sune, the goddess of love, beauty and kindness. Who else would embody our qualities, such as our love for the natural world and our faithful dedication to helping those in need?

Alternative Name(s)

The Beautiful

Type

Large city

Inhabitant Demonym

Abenians

Location under

The Aeliph Sea

Characters in Location

• Serosin Bluefield