Bloom

*“Bloom offers all the comfort and vibrancy of New Valore with none of the stress. Recommended for a getaway any time of the year.”*

*- An Eminent Guide to Eithne*

Bloom is a thriving, trendy town located in the heart of Drakefire Wood. Often described as a more 'relaxed' counterpart to New Valore, the atmosphere in Bloom is slower and almost whimsical. Known for their fine arts university and abundance of surviving kirin ruins and artwork.

## Town

Bloom is a growing, trendy town located in the heart of Drakefire Wood. Despite being a thriving town, things here seem to flow to their own, relaxed rhythm. The atmosphere can be described as whimsical, artsy and even mystical. The town is known for its several smoky tea cafés, superb fine arts university and various short lived fashion movements.

Bloom’s architecture is peculiar, and unlike anything else seen in Eithne, or even the whole of Hireath. Buildings are made around and on the old, large trees that grow here, shaped by plant manipulation to provide support to the buildings as they reach higher into the canopy. While large public buildings are more in the style of New Valore - that is, large structured with marble facades - homes and businesses seamlessly meld into the surrounding forests. Some would describe the towns infrastructure “needlessly complicated”, but Bloomians find it charming.

The roads and pathways of Bloom are winding, with many parks and nature areas, as well as ancient ruins of the kirin city that stood there before. While most of the actual buildings are long gone, some statues and murals have survived, and are carefully monitored and maintained by specialists. Occasionally, archaeological digs are undertaken to unearth additional treasures and insight.

Although central Bloom is as described - strange, whimsical and winding - around the city is a much simpler community of much less fancy houses. These form small suburbs, hidden from view to those in the city; a tourist would never come across them by accident. This is where the less wealthy commoners, who still make up a good chunk of Bloom’s population, live. The suburbs spread out into the Drakefire wood, and many of these small houses have their own little gardens and form their own, tight knit communities that most visitors will never know about.

### Bloom University

*Read more about University life in Aodh here.*

   Bloom is proud and well known for its fine arts university - it is a prestigious school with a price tag to rival the university in New Valore, and arguably superior to it in the subjects it teaches. The university specializes in what is left of the kirin society via their artwork, and has done so for centuries. It is said that only in the teachings of Bloom university do the crafts and artistic vision of the kirinkind live on.

Even to those of immense wealth the university is hard to get into - to maintain its prestige, the spots in its various programs are highly limited, and the auditions for the slots merciless. With small class sizes and hard vetting for only the best, most motivated wealthy students, Bloom University offers a close knit community of artists and innovators, ideal for not only sharing ideas, but networking for the future. Many of Aodh’s greatest and most celebrated artists, past and presents, are graduates of Bloom University.

The subjects available at Bloom are drawing and illustration, painting, acting, printmaking, sculpting, poetry and literature, conservation and art history. It has offered this same roster  of subjects since its founding in 1160.

Teaching positions at Bloom are just as coveted as the opportunity to become a student. Besides the high pay offered to secure the very best, teachers are also provided ample time to further their own crafts. Professors are advertised as nothing short of geniuses, and have a lot of political pull within the town. Due to how integral the university is as a whole, both the teachers and the student body are generally catered to when decisions are made.

The university is built into an ancient kirin castle, carefully retaining and conserving the original stonework and art. Although some slight extensions and changes have been made over the years, utmost care was taken to not disturb any of the original building. The dorms are located around the fake lake, and together they form the centerpiece of the whole town.

Originally the castle housed lower grades of schooling, before expanding to dorms and all grades of schooling, from kindlehearth to university. As the town expanded and the prestige of the university and the kirin inspired artistry grew, the lower grades and dorms were pushed out into the town proper, until only the university remained. There it stands to this day, watching over Bloom as the town blossoms to life all around it.

### Landmarks

The town is known for its smoky tea cafes, and many such establishments are found around the town. These cafes are all about atmosphere - a general ethereal smokiness achieved via the use of incense, fireplaces and colored lanterns. The cafes are known for their smoke-flavored brews just as much as their recreational drugs, both of which are very popular and trendy in Bloom, and add to the “chill” vibe.

Besides the fine arts university, other landmark buildings in Bloom include the train station, about a mile outside the town center. It is a more modern building built in brick and stone, and seems a bit out of place for the surroundings. Bloom’s station is very busy, and several trains depart every day on their journey towards New Valore.

There is a chapel dedicated to Ignacio in town, right in the town square. The building is made in the Valorian style - black and blue marble with excessive murals on the inside walls. The building is constructed around a great oak tree, and also features many nature motifs despite not being a place of worship for Kaia. It houses large stone statues of both Ignacio and Argus.

Located right across the plaza from the chapel is one of the oldest bookstores in Eithne. This massive building looks more like a library than a regular bookstore, and is one of the best places to get rare or old tomes. It has been passed down in the same family since it was established in 850.

One of Bloom’s greatest tourist attractions are the kirin ruins, which are scattered everywhere across town. These range from simple pieces of wall or flooring to marvelous frescoes and paintings, partially hidden under the brush. Tourist tours are available to show these to visitors, but most of the well-preserved sites are inaccessible without a guide present.

## Culture

Bloom doesn’t vastly differ from general Aodhian values of elitism, art and pleasure - the beat of the town is slower and more relaxed, but with the same Aodhian heart. Majority of Bloom’s residents are wealthy, as housing in Bloom is expensive, and people below upper middle class can’t really afford the the lifestyle. Those with less wealth generally rent, unable to afford permanent housing, and live away from the city’s main hub, where housing is less expensive - and vistas less impressie.

With the expense comes a relaxed atmosphere of art and self-expression - nearly everyone in Bloom has dyed hair, and other fashion crazes - from rainbow dyed coats to planet inspired makeup - come and go. Everything in Bloom comes in all the colors of the rainbow, and it is almost a full-time job to keep on the current of what is hot right now. The only constant trend was anything to do with kirins - but due to recent circumstances, this is fading.

Bloom, like New Valore, is accepting of all genders and orientations. Next to Eminents and Artisans, actors, teachers and crafters, courtesans are held in very high regard. Besides these rich and gifted people, Bloom is also home to a variety of rich commoners, who are all well-respected. Class divides are alive and well in Bloom, and despite the relaxed atmosphere, one should not make the mistake of disrespecting those above them on the monetary totem pole.

There are no labor slaves or pit fights in Bloom, but servile slaves are common. In contrast to New Valore, Bloomians generally favor rather bland-looking slaves, just so they themselves would look more vibrant. It can sometimes even be a competition as to who can manage to find the blandest, least spectacular slave. Slaves should naturally still be healthy and able to perform their tasks well - just not outshine their owners.

Like in New Valore, the literacy rate in Bloom is very high. Most of the permanent residents have an education up to at least upper secondary level. Bloom offers schooling from Kindlehearth to University, although the specialized nature of the University means that relatively few complete their whole education here. Those that do, especially born and raised upper class Bloomians take great pride in doing so.

### Patron gods

   Ignacio, the patron of creativity, passion and pleasure is worshipped as the main patron, as in most Aodhian towns. It is believed that the true children of Ignacio will be capable of higher forms of art, and most seek Ignacio’s favor in their endeavors.

    Argus, the patron of knowledge and imagination, is a secondary patron god and he is mostly looked upon for good luck, for example before an exam or when setting up a new business. Argus is considered far more mysterious and unknowable than Ignacio, but respected and beloved.

Both gods are most commonly portrayed with pronouns they/them.

The two gods share an unofficial Sanctum near the town square, where great stone statues of both gods stand. Every year during the start of the school year, the new students paint the statues with a fresh coat of paint for good luck and inspiration.

## Economy

Bloom is a town that thrives around its university, and does not have anything in the way of heavy industry or agriculture. The main exports from Bloom are its many artworks, such as sculpture, paintings and literature, as well as other artisan crafts. While some agriculture exists, its very small and provides only basic goods - most supplies the town needs to thrive is imported. Most businesses are small and local.

As the biggest source of income and jobs for people in town, the university is an economical behemoth that has its hooves in pretty much everything that goes on around town. With the high tuition fees and further donations from its alumni, the university and its wealthy students are what keeps the day to day life of shops and cafés and fashion boutiques in business.

Bloom’s main source of income outside the university and arts is tourism - the town is a popular place to visit all year around, and guided tours are held every week to showcase the various sights and ancient kirin artifacts housed here. Various themed taverns and hotels are tucked away within the twists and turns of the town - Bloom has the largest hospitality industry per local population out of any Aodhian settlement.

### Faeries

As Aodhian Faeries are native to the Drakefire Woods and primarily found within the protection of the forest, a great many of them also roost in and around Bloom itself. Bloomians take great pride in keeping and selling these familiars, and are extremely competitive over producting the perfect specimens - a perfection imposed by a number of confusing and somewhat arbitary criteria. Shows and events around the Faerie are hosted fairly often, with the best breeders frequenting New Valore to show off their stock.

A Faerie is a typical gift a wealthy graduate of the University of Bloom might receive. They are also gifted to visiting Advisers and Royalty.

## History

Shortly after the Gods War, some of the equines retreating from Old Valore stopped to rest in the Drakefire. They found remains of a kirin town, long abandoned after all kirins responded to a call to arms. Many chose to settle there instead of facing a long journey to their wrecked homes, or to the unknown that lay behind the woods. Most of the old kirin settlement was torn down, its stone and marble repurposed for new houses. What remained was quickly reclaimed by the wood, hidden away and protected beneath the leaves. The only part of the kirin town to remain untouched was a castle, standing ominously in the middle of a fake lake.

Bloom existed as an independent polis, inhabited mostly by unicorns and led by a hereditary line of rulers using the title of Prince. At the beginning of the reign of the New Valorian leader Paru, they married the Prince of Bloom, and united the two settlements into a single, much stronger whole. The marriage and merger took place in year 770, after which Bloom has always remained loyal to the Crown. Some of the town’s noble Houses have lived there since Paru’s times - and some claim to be distant descendants of the Princes of Bloom.

After the merge, life in Bloom has been relatively calm, with little upsets across history. Its distance from New Valore has usually been enough to keep it safe from any catastrophes happening in the capital. The founding of the Fine Arts University in 1160 brought much life to the city, and is behind the steady growth that continues to this day.

## Notes

* Bloom has very colourful folk and there is no one standard build. Tall, slim and regal-looking equines seem to however always be on demand – the more colorful the better. Almost all locals dye their hair with vibrant colors.
* Bloom has its own fashion magazine, and the university has its own newsletter, both published every two months.
* Price of living in the city proper is very high, and proportionally, Bloom has unusually many nobles, artisans, paramounts and gentry. There is a decent amount of chevaliers and they are rather well-respected – the only exception among the less scholarly ranks. Commoners do obviously exist, and handle most of the less glamorous jobs, but their presence isn’t felt in the same way as the upper classes.
* Bloom is a highly sought after place for a chevalier to be deployed, as the risk of injury is minimal, and the chevalier barracks are far more luxurious than in many other towns
* There are only servile slaves in the town – no labor slaves or pit fighters. The slave population in general is comparatively much smaller than that of New Valore.

## Group NPCs

* Principal Alfred , the head of University of bloom
* Captain Erol , Chevalier Captain responsible for Chevalier activity in Bloom
* Café Owner Calla , responsible for the best gossip in town