abus-emporium

[abus-emporium]

One day, I got this idea of a city founded in the middle of a mountain chain, on the shores of a lake, as a refuge for the world's wizards and other magicians, a haven of knowledge and study away from war, restriction and oppression. So I drew a lake, then the city around it, then I sprinkled some interesting locations, then I remade it in Inkscape, and voilà.

Here's a list of the points of interest, and a bit of lore to go with them:

• the spires:

the council's spire is where the city's governing body meets

the oracle's spire is where the oracle resides, trains their successor, and can be asked to tell the future

the veiling spire is, arguably, the most important of the three, it generates the veil. The veil has two roles: to ensure the city's safety (acting as a barrier that stops people getting in), and to maintain the reliability of magic within the city. Saying that magic is reliable means three things: that it is powerful (you can do almost anything you want with it), that it is stable (the veil cancels out any irregularities), and that it is certain (the veil ensures that magic is spread evenly throughout the city, and acts as a sort of magic battery to tap into if need be)

• the academies: There are three of them in the city, they each offer their own specialized curricula in addition to a common, more general, syllabus. These institutions are where the next generations are educated in the arcane arts, so that they may perpetuate its mastery.

• the great library: Possibly the largest library in the world. Over the years it has gathered an immense amount of knowledge on virtually all topics. If you want some information about anything, start there.

• the guilds: The guilds are unions of merchants and craftspeople who congregate to discuss their trades, prices, practices to encourage or discourage. They also act as specialised institutes to learn specific crafts. They are the center of production and innovation of magical objects.

• Aisling's pantheon: When caretaker Aisling arrived in the city she was dismayed to see that there was no place of worship for the religious to gather in. So she decided to found the pantheon, so that everyone could have a place for their religion.

• the portal: As the city is hard to access, due to both the mountains and the veil, everyone use the portal to come into the city. The portal plaza is heavily surveilled, and before being allowed to leave the plaza one is questioned and searched.

• the grand antiquary: A museum and repository of artifacts, magical and mundane, powerful and ceremonial, both new and old, they are stored there when they are not being actively used or studied.

• the justiciar institute: Justiciars, who help dispense justice, are taught and trained here, they need to master eloquence and investigation so as to be able to plead both defense and accusation during trial. The justiciars are wholly separate from the city garrison.

• the high court: Where justice is conducted, a tribunal of three judges examines all cases. There Justiciars serve as advocates for the accused as well as accusers, on behalf of the city or of a citizen.

• Ariel's hospice: A place for recovery and treatment for all matters of injuries, diseases, ailments, or disorders. More than the center of health for the city, it is also the place where health professionals study and train.

• the granary: Where most, if not all, food is stored and produced. Often magically conjured or duplicated the abundant supply allows the granary to hand out both fresh produce and cooked meals. They also care for the blue forest.

• Stolas' botanical gardens: Full of exotic, magical, and all around interesting plants, this is the place for herbology, botany, and apothecary. They help the granary care for the blue forest.

• the blue forest: Nested in the heart of the city, the blue forest is a link to the feywild. Many feyfolk live there, it is a place of leisure, study, practice of magic, and it serves as a large public garden for all sorts of magical and mundane plants. Some say that the forest was a gift from the first fey inhabitants of the city, a permanent bit of the feywild in our world.

• Astaroth observatory: Situated at the summit of White Peak, the observatory is the best place to conduct astronomy. Thanks to its elevation and remoteness from the lights of the city below, it offers an unprennable view on both the city and the stars.

• Siobhan Fountain: Created by sorceress Siobhan at the founding of the city, it is imbued by powerful magic. Drop something valuable in and maybe, just maybe, you'll be granted a boon.