Ashurius

> "In all of my days of walking on the Earth, I have never seen a city as beautiful as Ashurius. Well, maybe that's because it isn't a place I could walk too, being at the bottom of the Sea." *- Esarius, "The World Archivist"*
>
>

Ashurius, also known as the **Gem of the Expanse** is a large underwater city submerged underneath the Great Expanse. It is the home of the Sea Elves, where the King, King Olathel Luramira resides. It is an interesting mix of all the Seafolk races that use the Great Expanse as their network to connect their settlements. It acts as a hub for all of these cultures. It rarely makes contact with the above world however, much preferring the isolationist nature the city maintains.

### Demographics

**The Demographics of Ashurius are as follows:**

* Sea Elves and Water Genasi make up a majority of the population.
* Darfellan, Merfolk, Locathah and Triton make up the minority races of the city's population.

### Government

Ashurius is ran by the king, Olathel Luramira and his Cabinet of Sea Elven Clerics. The King has the sole authority to rule the city and those that defy his rule are sent with a strict and severe punishment. Olathel has also set up a Court to hear all the petty cases that come through, as it's a bustling city. As of late, crime has begun to run rampant in Ashurius, which the King and his Soldiers are trying to quell.

### Defences

Ashurius, due to it's unique position, is protected by a large net, deemed "The Dome", which protects the city from above. Harpoon guns are stationed around the perimeter of "The Dome" and are attached to it through rope. When threats approach, they shoot these harpoons, which fly through the air and end up ensnaring foes in a large net. This is also used in a much smaller scale to help hunt the nearby fish. These harpoons are also stationed around the walls to prevent attacks from all sides.

### Industry & Trade

Ashurius exports rare fish, which it trades to the surrounding areas and to Rulaiu (through the Portal to the Outer Sea). This is the main export, other than their pottery, which is unique due to the durability from the water pressure. Ashurius imports most of it's goods from Rulaiu, due to their connection to the Plane of Water. Ashurius imports it's weapons, armors, enchanted harpoons and their unique nets from Rulaiu. However, the arcanists within Ashurius are beginning to research these enchantments themselves.

### Infrastructure

Ashurius is a normal town, with the exception that it's underwater. This means that many things that would be located in a normal city like sewers, blacksmiths and watermills do not exist. Most traditional blacksmiths are instead craftsmen who thrive on making pottery and weapons in specific air bubbles within Ashurius.

### Assets

One thing that makes Ashurius especially special is that they can produce air pockets. These air pockets are use mainly inside the houses of the nobles (who allow it) as well as craftsmen who make the pottery. These bubbles are fragile, but they allow a unique element of the city, which makes it a water city with access to breathable air. Another big asset to the city is the **Portal to the Outer Sea**, which used to be a defunct portal to the Elemental Plane of Water, which the mages of Ashurius managed to jump start and reactivate many years ago. This gives Ashurius a unique playing card as it's one of the only places in Aedir which has a portal to the Plane of Water.

### Guilds and Factions

The following are noble families within Ashurius:

1. House Luramira: The House of the current King, Olathel Luramira. This house originally worked on the defenses of the city, but due to the shift and their rise to Kingship, the Luramira family now mainly works on the political side of the city, securing alliances and appeasing the other houses.
2. House Sum'yr: The House that has the least family members. This is due to a split within the Sum'yr family leading to a majority of them being exiled to Rulaiu. The Sum'yr family deal with the protection of the King and the city as a whole.
3. House Saracelle: The House of the current economic minister. The Saracelle house maintains the finances of the City and maintains trade with Rulaiu. Their manor stores the "Vault of Pearls" where most of the city's wealth can be found.
4. House Arkile: The House that is uniquely made up of Water Genasi. The Arkiles rose to prominence when the Portal to the Outer Sea activated again. This was the first family which fled to Ashurius. The Arkiles maintain relations with Rulaiu and are tasked with guarding the portal.
5. House Ianlynn: This House of Sea Elves was one of the first which founded the citadel. They, for long periods of the city's history held the seat of power. However, they were cast aside when their King died without an heir. Now, begrudgingly, the Ianlynn family maintains watch over the city's craftsmen and craftswomen.The following are important guilds within Ashurius:

1. Rugashi: A small thieves guild which was originally contained in Rulaiu, but has now expanded to Ashurius due to the portal among other factors. Many thieves have begun stealing the goods of both nobles and commoners alike. The King has recently caught wind of this new guild and is looking into apprehending them.The following are important factions within Ashurius:

### History

Originally, when the world was young, the Sea Elves were a migratory people, migrating on the bottom of the sea floor. Eventually, the Sea Elves found the **Trench of the Unknown** and decided they would settle here, in the ruins of another civilization unknown to them. For much of it's history, the city was ruled by the Ianlynn Family. However, around a hundred years or so, when the King died without an heir, a civil war erupted between the noble Houses and at the end, the Luramira family rose from the bubbles and were crowned the ruling dynasty of Ashurius. Then the Portal to the Outer Sea was opened (around 80 years ago), which, for an area that hadn't experienced much social change, rocked Ashurius. People began flowing in from the portal and Ashurius was changed since. Things have since slowed down, and now Ashurius is experiencing comfortable stability within their Trench.

### Architecture

The architecture of Ashurius is unique to the city's position. Located in the Trench of the Unknown, many of the houses are placed inside the ravine. The farther you go down into the trench, the bigger and more elaborate the manors and mansions of the nobles get. There are bridges and common areas within the empty space between the two sides to connect the ravine together. Many of the buildings are built in an Mediterranean theme, with the exception that there are not many windows within the houses. This is to prevent the air bubbles from seeping out into the Trench.

### Geography

Ashurius is protected on all sides, except up by the trench the city is settled in. Known as the **Trench of the Unknown** by those above water, the trench hosts ample protection, which the city boosts by it's own protective measures. The darkness of the Trench leads to the cultivation of seaweed and sea mushrooms, as well as a large amount of biodiversity in the terms of fish. The anglerfish in the area are seen as a luxury commodity to both the nobles of Ashurius and Rulaiu.

### Natural Resources

The main natural resource of Ashurius is fish. There are loads of fish that live in the city and around the trench, thanks to protection from bigger fish. The main cuisine of Ashurius is the anglerfish which live deep in the noble reaches of the Trench. While there are no natural ores located within the trench, there is a large collection of sea grass, sea weed and kelp which collect by the sides of the trench. The citizens of Ashurius use these to make their nets, crafting tools and many other fine goods unique to the city.