Si-Tahna

Near the Western edge of the world is a city so magnificent, glistening in the last rays of the sun. This giant maze of streets, lanes and alleyways is the biggest city known to ever exist. So large it is a county on its own, and the only one not to be ruled by a Count, but rather by the King himself. This is the capital of Aenín from where King Thanebrand II the Great rules his kingdom. His Royal Palace can be seen from miles in any direction.

## Overview

This giant maze of streets, lanes and alleyways is the biggest city known to ever exist. The city is built in layers, getting richer and bigger towards the center. And in the center, the Royal Palace towering above all else. Numerous cathedrals, basilicas, towers and minarets are scattered throughout, earning the city the nickname of ‘the City of a Thousand Towers’. Five main roads lead from the gates all the way to the castle. Though many nobles and middle-class people live in the city, most of it is nothing more than slums. Half of the city is nothing more than a collection of simple wooden houses. Outside the outer wall there are buildings nothing more than one square meter, self-made from a variety of materials. These areas are continuously growing, from fugitives all over the continent seeking safety and peace in the capital. The only district not spoiled by poverty is the lakeside part of Si-Tahna.

## City Districts

### Inner Wall

The city part inside the Inner Wall is called Upper Tahna, and here dwell the city's more powerful residents. Mighty scholars, officials and nobles live here. There are four main districts here, surrounding the Palace Grounds. Everything is large and light, accommodating for grand designs and tall architecture.

#### Jorazel's Boulevard

Along the western side of the Inner Wall runs a large thoroughfare. Its sides are lined with large signs, and the buildings have large windows displaying all kinds of wares. This is Jorazel's Boulevard, the largest shopping street of Si-Tahna. Here you'll find everything, from the latest fashion to exotic foodstuffs. Any higher-end magic shops would also be located here. The busy and cheerful atmosphere of this place is one of the first things you notice, as well as the large, colorful banners that hang from side to side over the Boulevard. This is an entirely opposite world to the dark, gloomy slums that line the outside of the city.

#### Pearl Fountains Quarter

This is the main residential area in Upper Tahna. The more wealthy citizens of Si-Tahna live here. The houses are tall and well-kept, with colorful stained glass windows and flowers on the windowsills. Numerous parks brighten the wide, well-paved streets.

#### Abadar's Campus

Through the Gate of Knowledge you enter into the realm of magic. This relatively small, walled off section of Upper Tahna is home to the Academy for Improved Sciences. It is a must-go for any scholar. Its programs are of the highest quality, put together by the greatest minds of our age. Great magicians and professors teach and research here, everything from herbology to alchemy, from conjuration to divination. And its library! Oh, man. Renowned all across the world for its magnitude. If there is a question no one knows the answer to, be sure to find it there. The Academy is controlled by the Magisters. Led by the Almagister, the greatest magician of our age, they govern the magicians all across Aenín.

#### The Justice Grounds

Often called "The Chancellor's Playground" by the commoners, it is here that the city's law is enforced. Situated in the north-eastern part of Upper Tahna, various points of interest are located here:

* The Courthouse: Here judges sit in the Chairs of Law, deciding the fate of those who have done wrong. There are various departments; one for theft, one for illegal trade, one for murder, etc. It is the Chancellor who sits in the High Chair, and has the final say in all matters of law, should the need be there for him to decide.
* The Dawnhall: This large hall is where the city's guard, the Dawnwarriors, have their headquarters. New recruits are also sent here for training. It is run by the Herald of the Hall, who oversees proper disciple for the recruits, as well as seasoned veterans.
* Residentials: Also here are more houses. Those who judge in the Courthouse have their homes here, as to not inconvenience themselves with unnecessary travel. Unlike the other areas of Upper Tahna, there are no parks anywhere. Most find it a daunting place, traveled only by officials bound by duty and criminals bound for justice.
* The Pillar: In the north-east of the Inner Wall sits the Pillar. This large, ominous tower is home to the city's prison, housing any crime-committer, from high-profile criminals to simple shoplifters. Dawnwarriors guard the entrances and exits to the facility, and maintain order among the convicts. It is not a welcoming sight, and most people go in a wide arc to avoid it.

### Outer Wall

#### Harbourside

"Heave away, haul away!" ring the cries on the many, many docks of Si-Tahna's Harbourside district. Located on the shores of the Lakelands, this harbour is one of the greatest in the world, perhaps only rivaled by the ocean port of Ismarus. Its direct access to Lake Aegos and indirect access to Lake Bergunost and Lake Edurna make it an excellent spot for trading. Many spice merchants from the South and many pelt traders from the North use the Anadurna to ship their goods to the city, and many city merchants and country traders sell their wares upstream. The river provides yet another way for people to enter the enormous mass of buildings. Next to the docks are houses of fishermen and merchants, and able-bodied sailors ready to serve on cargo boat and mercenary vessel alike. Also common among the buildings lining the wharves are pubs, alehouses and brothels, all to the liking of any sailor.

#### Taragai Park

Once established by a family of Shunna riders who wanted to settle down, Taragai Park is named after Tarag, the horse of the gods. A race track is still one of the most prominent features of the district, and is still used to hold races for people to bet on. Taragai Park is one of the smallest districts, but one of the more well-decorated. Parks and plazas are more common here and more amusement-based establishments as well. Following the success of the gambling on horses, some casino's and nightclubs settled in, as well as the headquarters of the Brawler's League.

#### Southgate

The smaller of the two main residential areas, yet one of the largest districts overall, Southgate stretches from the South Gate to the Bazaar District (and slightly encompasses it). Southgate is slightly more wealthy than its counterpart, Northgate, for the nobles from the southern provinces travel through here more.

#### Bazaar District

It is like you stepped into another world. In a moment's notice everything around you changes as you set foot in the grand Bazaar District. The streets fill with people of darker skin tones, and foreign languages come your way as marketeers shout about the busy plazas. Turbans, veils, and here and there a fez as far as your eyes reach. The smell of spices hits you, and in the many stands you see various dishes, served both hot and cold, making your mouth water and your nose tingle. Women in long, light robes carry big weaved baskets filled with an assortment of fruits you have never seen. Exotic silks and intricate gold trinkets also catch you attention. Men with large black beards chatter with each other around a hookah, watching a woman adorned with bells dance to the rhythm of a strange-sounding instrument. Down the street you even see a camel.

The Bazaar District is home to the many immigrants from the southern lands in the desert who have found a new home in the City of the Sunset, and their culture has had an enormous impact on the city life. The tongue here is no longer the common western language, but the one spoken in the Valleys of Sand and by the camel riders of Lower Chara. Churches to civilization and order have been re-purposed into serving the deities of sun and sand. Ever growing, even the architecture of the Bazaar District is different. Houses are low and flat, with small windows that let in little light. Cloth sheets extend over the porches, sheltering the inhabitants from the sun even though it shines less bright here.

#### Templetown

Thought there are numerous cathedrals, basilicas, towers and minarets scattered throughout the city, the main focus of faith in Si-Tahna is the district called Templetown. Here the churches of the main gods and goddesses of man are found, as well as temples devoted to the deities of the other races. Most people that inhabit this portion of the city are highly religious, and the commandments of the various divine entities determine the daily routine. At every time of day you will hear some form of prayer or other rise through the incense-filled sky above the temples. And even at night the streets are restless, filled with cultists and worshipers of the darker deities.

#### Obsidian Garden

No cheer exists in the Obsidian Garden. Row after row of gravestones beside you as you walk between them. Here and there you see other people, who have come to respect their deceased family or friends. Their mourning can be heard throughout the otherwise silent district. And somewhere you softly hear a different sound. An eerie sound. An unnatural sound. It speaks of loss and grief. And you want to get out of here as fast as you can.

A side district of Templetown, the Obsidian Garden is the graveyard district of Si-Tahna. Here multiple graveyards of the multiple faiths line the streets that go from Templetown towards the Pillar. From simple gravestones to huge mausoleums, the Obsidian Garden has them all. A labyrinth of tunnels extends underneath this district (and most of the city, actually), as the citizens of Si-Tahna soon learned that there was not enough space above ground to house the dead. For this reason also, catacombs reach far beyond the borders of this district, and almost exist under the entire city.

#### Northgate

Northgate is the biggest district of Si-Tahna, stretching from the North Gate to the Obsidian Garden. It is a residential area, populated by people of all walks of life. Crime is a way of life here, and the city guard have their hands full containing it all.

#### The Smithyards

Clinking hammers on anvils, roaring bellows load as the thunder, dark plumes that rise from the dozens of smokestacks in the Smithyards, obscuring the evening light. Here the miners and metalworkers of the city have found their home. Short and stocky, the bearded dwarves visit the bars and pubs after a long day spent in the forges, hammering away at beautiful pieces of metalwork, and there they sing their low tunes and monotonous ballads with their deep voices capable of ringing through the mountain tunnels.

Solid, rectangular buildings line the cobbled streets. Stone is the predominant material here, used everywhere and carefully carved by the denizens of this district. Accentuating the grey of stone and smoke is the red of blazing forges. In the open air in small courtyards or underneath overhangs of buildings, the glow of fire and heated metal is ever present.

#### Beggar's Lane

Actually a continuation of Jorazel's Boulevard, this long street has nothing of its cheerfulness. It continues from the Inner Wall to outside of the city, through one of the five Main Gates. The gate here, accordingly, is called the Beggar's Gate. Though it is wide, it is often crowded with the desperate, making passage more difficult.