Places To See Before You Die

The following is an exerpt from the travel guide: *"Places to See Before you Die",* written by the influential Erdannian writer H. K. Sykes. It was written in 20.70, and marketed primarily towards wealthy Erdannians.

### Places to See in Tyrrus

#### Varawyn; The Mechanical City

*Any resident of the Empire should find time to visit the wondrous city of Varawyn! The entire city is a monument to Erdannian innovation, and a true masterpiece of architecture! With buildings stacked atop buildings, all linked with interconnecting bridges and the miraculous "cable-ways", allowing residents to travel from one side of the city to the other in an instant! And that's not all, there are plans to build a great "Tower of Progress" at the centre of the city, with shifting floors and a rotating peak. It was still under construction when I visited, but knowing those industrious Varawynners, it will soon be complete.*

*If you get tired of all the concrete and machinery, why not visit Varawyn's splendid gardens? Located at the edge of the city, these are a series of huge greenhouses, allowing for plants to grow magnificently year-round! Among the gardens are exotic specimens, beautiful plants from Hirokir and Shavhan, which you could see nowhere else in Tyrrus!*

#### New Haven; The City of Magic

*If you wish to travel beyond the borders of our Empire, the first place I recommend is New Haven. Nowhere else in the world could you witness a city partially built upon giant floating rocks! The city is absolutely picturesque, built with stylish architecture and filled with colour. If you're lucky, you may even get to witness a dragon visiting the city! These magnificent beasts often land in the outskirts, and the submissive New Havenites quickly scramble to grant them tributes of livestock or shining trinkets.*

*One major landmark you should be sure to visit is the Cathedral of Zythia. The cathedral is built to emulate those grand ancient temples of Old Haven, despite being less than a century old itself, and the intricate carvings and statues truly represent the strange devotion of these people.*

*If you do visit New Haven, be careful to avoid the area known as "The Rift", that great pit in the centre of the city. The ruling mages of the city have shoved all of the poorest citizens into this chasm, and the result is a crime-ridden hellhole.*

#### The Rivenwald Cities; The Jewels of Whytehold

*It can be easy to be intimidated by the overbearing presence of Whytehold in the east of our fair Tyrrus. But while the peace lasts between our nations, it is definitely worth taking a trip into that strange kingdom, especially for those of you interested in history! Taking a trip into the Kingdom of Whytehold is like stepping back in time, and where better to start than the beautiful Rivenwald Cities! A quick trip through Bordellyon, Gildenstadt, and Karlassonne will take roughly a week, and you can top off the trip by heading to Whytehold itself.*

*Bordellyon is the first city on our trip through the Rivenwald. It may be a small city, but almost all the buildings there date back to the fourteenth century! Just going to your hotel will feel like striding through the halls of ancient kings. Be sure to visit some of the many courtyards and parks scattered around the city. The most prominent structure here is the Prince's Palace, a castle built for both function and form, though I don't think they're letting anyone inside.*

*Gildenstadt is supposedly the economical hub of the Kingdom, and you can tell its wealth from the golden plating on the roofs of all the government buildings in the city. There are a few things to do in Gildenstadt; visit the Grand Bridge, take a trip in a riverboat down the Strom, visit the huge Bank, but don't stick around too long, the people of the city seem quite paranoid of outsiders.*

*And finally, the final stop on our trip through the Rivenwald; the great city of Karlassonne. Supposedly originally founded in the fourth century, Karlassonne is absolutely filled with culture and history, statues on every corner, ancient castles and temples on every street. More importantly, it's very accepting of tourism! Everywhere in Karlassonne is beautiful, but especially the Great Basilica, a towering structure from the days of the Rune Kingdom!*