Major Cities

## Tian Xia City

The glimmering capital of the eternal continent and the seat of the Almighty Shang Di, Tian Xia City was a city without compare. With sprawling business, bureaucratic, residential and entertainment districts that dwarfed all their contemporaries, Tian Xia had everything a city could hope to offer. Also known for its grand architecture with two separate, sprawling, palatial complexes, ornate cathedrals, churches and pagodas; Tian Xia City's buildings have inspired generations of rulers and poets alike. It’s grand bazaar once held exotic goods and powerful artifacts from every corner of the known world. However, in recent decades the city has become a shell of its former self as encroaching chaos and the expanding abyssal wastes has cut it off from the surrounding cities, drying up the lucrative trade and lifeblood of the city. Now the ground bazaar stands a mere fraction of its former size and the vast bureaucratic districts stand with empty offices with no businesses to manage. Only the cathedral and palace districts have remained relatively unscathed.

## Ose

Often called The Jewel of the Continent or The City of Contracts, Ose it is the largest city on the continent recently eclipsing Tian Xia City. Protected by the blessings of Yemoja and Asmodeus, Ose is nestled in a safe and secure bay in the northern sea. The city is the heart of all maritime trade and transportation which has become increasingly more important as overland routes have become prohibitively dangerous in recent decades. The city is home of the largest ports on the continent and the largest Navy as well. Ose is also the home to the Guild Master's Hall which houses representatives and offices of all the major guilds in the continent. It also is home to The Imperial Courthouse which is the highest courthouse in the land and was specifically built separate from Tian Xia city to show the separation of executive power and judicial power. The constant influx of new goods, people, and ideas has made the city exceedingly liberal which has undoubtedly influenced the rulings and proceedings in the court houses and guild halls. In the times since the decline of Tian Xia city, Ose has become the most influential city on the continent and has driven the current economic and political climate. For some, Ose's rise is seen as a new liberal renaissance and a chance for lasting change and progress in the continent. To others however, Ose's increasing influence is seen as a dangerous departure from the traditions that had kept people safe for generations. Regardless of people's opinions though it is clear that without controlling the abyss and reestablishing Tian Xia's influence, Ose ‘s presence will only continue to grow in size.

## Azatlan

The city of magic and prayer, Azatlan, is the home of Titania, goddess of nature and the arcane, and Quetzalcoatl, the god of the skies. Built under the massive world tree, Yax Imix and surrounded by the dense forests and jungles of the Feywild, Azatlan is a secluded and mysterious city that is filled with a sense of mystique and holy decorum. That’s not to say that the city is not without vigor and life as pilgrims from all sorts, whether it be wandering monks or magical scholars, flock to the Grand Cathedral and Arcane Sanctum to hone their studies. The grand cathedral is the largest place of worship in all the continent and has shrines to all of the minor and major gods within it. The Arcane Sanctum is similarly the largest Magical Academy where the study of the arcane and all its forms is performed and perfected. The cities proximity to Yax Imix and it’s magical roots make the studies of the arcana in the workings of deities all the more easier to pursue.

## Nidavellir

Hewn into the very side of Mount Jolnir, Nidavellir is the mountain stronghold and metropolis of Moradin and Yondalla. With alabaster streets and onyx buildings, Nidavellir is a marvel of architectural and engineering mastery. Lit by channels of molten lava that flow through the mountain and magic crystals embedded into the cave tops that shine as bright as the sun, Nidavellir is also known as the glowing city. Nidavellir is also the eldest of the four outer cities, being found only a few years after Tian Xia City. As such, Nidavellir is full of ancient histroy and a large part of the cities culture is centered around preservation and veneration of history. This tradition is best reflected in the Royal archives which is the single largest collection of written materials in all the land. The archives contain detailed historical records of everything and anything that was worth noting since the beginning of recorded history. The city is also host to the Eternal Necropolis where the honored dead of all walks of life are enshrined so they may be revered and learned from in future generations. In addition to the rich stores of knowledge and history, the city also boasts the richest and most prolific mines and forges. Priding themselves on impeccable craftsmanship, it said that a simple shovel or rake from the forged in Nidavellir is worth as much as heard of oxen with plows.

## New Imaskar

Also known as the city of progress, New Imaskar is always abuzz with the steady rhythm of scientific discovery, new forms of cultural expression and the hum of industrial progress. Home of Gruumsh, god of freedom, and Nebellun the Tinkerer, New Imaskarians are known for pushing their inventions and innovations in wondrous and, often times, explosive directions. With the engine of free inquiry behind them, the people of New Imaskar have dominated the new ideas and creations of this era. Whether it is in architecture, music, art, poetry, agriculture, industry and weaponry, New Imaskar has the latest and greatest of them all. New scientific discoveries are made every day at the Imperial Laboratory and new masterpieces of art are created at the Royal Conservatory. Making all this happen are the bright, young mind studying at the Academy of Arts and Sciences and all sorts of thinkers and inventors coming to display their creations at the World Expo. While many of the younger generation view New Imaskar as a beacon of progress, there is an equal number of people concerned that these creations are made without proper consideration for their ramifications in the future and draw dire parallels between New Imaskar's progress and swelling pride to the eventual fate of the Tartarus Ruins.

## The Tartarus Ruins

Buried under literal mountains of stone that were hurled from the sky when Shang Di struck down The Nameless One, parts of the Tartarus ruins can still be seen from underneath the rubble. What remains are tall spires and towers and a colossal gate that seemed to open into the very pits of the earth. Little is known about the city that would become these ruins other than that they were a technologically and socially advanced city state that attempted to usurp the power of the Prime Nexus from Shang Di. For this act of treachery they were reduced trouble and their deity was imprisoned within the earth. Lying directly in front of the city is the Chasm of Dis in where it is said the Nameless One is buried and out of which endless tides of monsters and chaotic energy emanate. Due to it’s proximity the Chasm of Dis and its inherent dangers, very few archaeologists and scholars have dared to study these ruins. However, one curious observation that has been made by the few who have braved these ruins is that traces of the city's architecture can be found in similar ruins all throughout the abyssal wastes and early architecture found in all of the cities, indicating a much wider spread of this ancient city's cultural influence then perhaps it is widely known.