Wonders of the World Weaver, and those Inspired by the Keykeeper

Wonders of the World Weaver, and those Inspired by the Keykeeper is a book uncovered through use of Study-related Inquiries.

## History

After opening an establishment dedicated to training a new generation in stonecraft, Ashewan sought out texts pertaining to the art, hoping to use it to guide and inspire the newest students at the Mountain Hall Stonemason's Guild.

## Reading

### Completed by Ashewan Norvegicus

It is unbefitting to compare the creations of the divine to the creations of mortals, so for all my comments therein included, it is prudent to keep this in mind. The wonders inspired by the words, deeds and the commandments of Gaityas are precisely that, works of inspiration, not intended to mimic, but glorify. What the Weaver of the World might shape in an afternoon, a generation of labourers might fail to achieve, and thus in that sense, both are surely worthy of awe, admiration and respect, each in their own way. To that effect, both will be discussed within this tome, starting with seven celestial constructed wonders of the Master Tinkerer, and then a measure of the same scope instead created by mortal hands to glorify the Keeper of the Keys. Other discussions of wonders, namely those of the natural world, are not included in this tome.

### The Seven Greats of Gaityas

Numbering the same as the stars in the constellation that marks their domain in the Canvas of Night, the seven named wonders are all cities, the foundations and cradles of civilisation. After Tohmos selected from amongst the population those worthy of rule, the so-called Truetouched, it was Gaityas that formed their thrones. The Weaver of the World was involved in the creation of civilisations throughout the continent, but only a few amongst them have truly considered to be splendid beyond measure.

#### Brient, the Glimmer City

Destined to be capital of the Realm of Tulis, Brient was raised upon the banks of Old Loch, roads stretching through the surrounding lands to bind it to its neighbours and ensure its importance to trade upon the eastern side of the continent. Brient was particularly famed for its intricate aqueduct system that weaved throughout the entirety of the settlement, feeding fountains throughout with fresh water, depositing excesses directly into the adjacent lake. In later years, as the city was expanded, the aqueduct system would likewise do so, a sprawling net that winds above and between the city streets to aid each and every resident.

#### Chalimar, The Orchard City

Sprawling from the hill known as Orchard Crest, Chalimar would come to be the seat of the House of Goldlor, the rulers of the Realm of Atralran. Standing in striking contrast to the greens, yellows and browns of the surrounding hills and plains, the palace of Chalimar is a mass of towers, thirteen in total, shaped from pale travertine and marble and crowned in bronze spun and polished so finely that it glows golden in the day's sun. A palace and fortress both, Chalimar Palace and the city around it are the Golden Kingdom characterised - strong and bold, beautiful and proud.

#### Evonlock, The City of Melody

Evonlock, greatest of the cities found throughout the Duchies, was likewise shaped by Gaityas to fit the needs of the people that would come to flourish within it, although did so in honour of another member of the Ahlusian Sixteen, as was the desire of its populace. Dotted throughout Evonlock are looming trumpet shaped towers, and subtle enchantments woven into the very brick and stone on the streets seems to augment the chatter of the populace into having an almost singsong quality.

#### Halima, The City of the Sun

Although not the westernmost of the cities in Sunstone, let alone the continent itself, Halima is known as the City of the Sun, its architecture masterfully crafted and shaped by the Keeper of the Keys to reflect this. When viewed from above, Halima is radial in nature, divided by roads that run straight from west to east, north to south, and several other spokes on the compass. To this effect, the entire city serves as a vast sundial, and a savvy resident or visitor can tell the time of the day simply by the degree of illumination of its streets.

#### Inverden, The City of Thunder

The first city to be constructed from Audrockian Sandslate - a material subsequently utilised by many other settlements throughout the continent when expansions beyond that which were provided proved necessary, Inverden lacked the audacious grandeur of neighbouring Atralran, or the celebratory reverence of the Duchies of Tynd. Inverden has been considered by many throughout the years to be an ugly city, hidden by stout walls, the buttress of crags and cliffs denying its growth, but it, as with the Gawylthlian people, is defined by its strength, and resilience. A thousand and a thousand more storms have crashed at the walls of the city of Inverden, and each and every one has been cast aside, the folk within aware of naught but the sound of distant thunder.

#### Raq, The Silk City

Such is the beauty of the Silk City that folk from across the continent travel through the unpredictable Shifting Dunes to bask in its splendour. Best viewed from one of countless parapets and terraces throughout the forest, the dry air of the surrounding desert fails to sap at the confines of the Silk City itself, and so the city of Raq is alive with fruit trees, vines and water gardens in which the populace bathe and play. To this effect, Raq is sometimes known, in defiance of its arid location, as the Water City and the Mirage City, for within its boundaries a weary and thirsty traveller will surely find succour.

#### Westdell, The City of Kings

Scattered with utmost care across the islands dotted throughout Lake Endeen, the city of Westdell spills atop, across and down the edges of the cliffs and beaches of the isles, connected by numerous grand bridges, the buildings, walls and towers constructed in such a way that from a distant, it looks like the islands are adorned with dozens of kingly crowns. Such is the beauty of the day from anywhere in the city of Westdell that the Realm of Codorne cast aside their capital on three separate occasions to claim Westdell in the place of Sacara, holding it to the present day as the Imperial Capital of the Empire of the West.

### The Seven Visions of Inspiration

Scholars have long argued over the seven wonders of the mortal folk of the Principal Races, seeking a number to match the Greats of Gaityas. To this effect, included hence are the most commonly accepted upon this list, though regional variation exists - and this author sincerely recommends the reader travels to decide upon their own personal list.

#### The Chapels of Tynd

Known also as the Candles of the Gods, dotted throughout the Duchies of Tynd are sixteen chapels and churches dedicated to members of the Principal Sixteen - with the exception of Caihrnn, who sees such constructions as at odds to their ideals, and thus the Eternal Minstrel is honoured twice. Named as such for the burning beacons at the peak of each, and the bleached white stone of their construction, the Chapels are maintained by the premier nobility amongst the Tyndian populace, and widely considered to be the definitive sites of faith throughout the continent.

#### Gate of the Prime

Named for the monikor of Ariistuun, the first Ivory Emperor of the Empire of Raq, the Gate of the Prime is a striking piece of architecture, the bold and angular form at odds with the soft form and flowing form of those of the capital, the approach to which it heralds. The Gate of the Prime is partially shaped from glass that seems to shift colour over the day, magnifying the golden yellows of the surrounding sands, the pale strands of the dawn, the striking blues of the skies overhead, the orange and pink of vibrant sunsets. More striking however, is its location. Critics have decried the point of the gate, given that it is independent of any wall, free-standing across the main road leading to the Silk City. Nonetheless, few fail to walk beneath its arches, for the superstitious say that failing to do so means that naught in the city will manage to sate the thirst of the weary traveller.

#### Guild of the Lilac Vine

Widely cited as the first amongst the Ten Guilds, the Guild of the Lilac Vine was founded by the individual that would in turn become its first Archmage, Fortuna Shinegulley. Led to the site by a vision from her patron and guide, the God of Destiny themselves, Divinus, few can deny that the legacy left by the figure has gone to further inspire. The Guild of the Lilac Vine winds back and forth across the isle, buildings, hallways, cloisters and bridges winding around the more unruly and untamed patches of marshland that beset the island itself, a masterful piece of architectural design that flows with organic and intuitive sensibilities, despite the clearly intimidating scope of it, and manages the challenges of potentially unstable foundations, turning the concerns with constructing buildings more than a couple floors high by instead building wide instead of tall.

#### Herald's Sound

A temple dedicated to Theamera within the lands of the Duchy of Oland, Herald's Sound is intrinsically tied to the nearby College of the Silvertongue, home and source of some of the greatest bards in Ahlus, including the series of performers known as the Scriveners. Shaped from granite and marble flecked through with veins of yellow and orange veins of glimmering crystal, the Herald's Sound was commissioned by the Sivdew Family, its form carefully sculpted to produce an acoustically-optimised amphitheatre resting upon the hillside. Such is the quality of the aural clarity that a whispered word can be heard clearly regardless of where one sits in its tiers of seating, but a cacophonous orchestra of musicians never threatens to overwhelm the senses.

#### Mol Boramm

There are a number of false assumptions that are frequently circulated in reference to the dwarven Realm of Mol Boramm. Firstly, the entire Realm is the city, and the city is the Realm - Mol Boramm roughly translating to the City of the Sprawling Reach in the Common tongue - and so far divorced from the conventional understanding of a Realm with numerous smaller settlements in service to a capital. The second, even more frequently stated, is that Mol Boramm was created by Gaityas during Aita's Second Gift. The first notch in the stone on the side of the mountain was, we know, but nothing more. Through the inspiration of Gaityas, the treasures laid by Ilemer and the spirit of victory of Kroai, Mol Boramm was created by its residents, every hall, plaza, mine and quarry. Upon visiting, it is easy to see why one might assume it surely must have been shaped by the hands of the divine, the scope and scale unmatched, with cavernous chambers large enough to swallow many of the other wonders listed within this tome.

#### The Sun's Passage Roads

Stretching from Halima in the west to Evonlock in the east, the Sun's Passage Roads literally chart the passage of the Eye of Taranis across the continent, from where it rises off the coast beyond the Wildwood to where it sets beyond the tip of the Penance Peninsula. The Sun's Passage Roads represent a coordinated effort of high-quality construction between six Realms - that of Sunstone, Lachlen, Atralran, Gawylthlan, Astedia and the Duchies of Tynd, all built to a standardised design, and featuring bridges over a dozen major rivers, and numerous minor ones. In doing so, trade between the southern Realms has been vastly bolstered, stirring further innovation alike.

#### Tablet Rock

Just outside of the Giadoese capital of Kiha is a seemingly naturally-occurring large and flat rock surface on the western facing mount of Mount Rotan, visible to all that travel upon the roads leading towards the capital, as well as those travelling upon the River Khi. To this effect, Tablet Rock has been readily reworked by a team of skilled masons throughout the years, displaying messages and images for all to see - on a clear day the depictions observable for miles around.