Magistaldt

Sometimes called "The Pinnacle" or "The City of Secrets", Magistaldt (meaning "The Heart of Magic" in Veldian) is the capital of Arcenveld and one of the most majestic and wondrous cities on the planet. Though most of the city consists of enormous pointed towers rising from the ground, it is most known for The Cumulus, a floating district that seems to defy gravity and hovers hundreds of feet in the air. Fueled by millennia of arcane research and knowledge, the magical often feels mundane in Magistaldt and much of its population wants for little.

The Cumulus is the heart of Veldian government and home to most of the nation's powerful political, economic and magical figures. Rising into the clouds, it is made up of twelve large, hovering stone terraces that act as central plazas and neighborhoods. Between and around these terraces are enormous, free-floating towers, connected by wide bridges and a system of mobile discs. The Zaubenflies River rises into a winding canal that runs between the buildings, then falls back down to its source, providing clean water to those who live there. An army of airborne platforms carries food and resources from the markets below, though many of the wizards who in The Cumulus can manifest materials using arcane techniques that could feed the whole population should they ever be cut off from the surface.

Significant Locations Within The Cumulus:

• Pinnacle Tower hovers at the center The Cumulus, higher than all the others, isolated and seemingly unable to be accessed from the outside. It is the seat of The Ascendant, the mysterious oligarchs who rule over all of Arcenveld and its territories. It is believed that they use individualized spells to open secure portals to access the structure. Few have ever seen the inside of Pinnacle Tower and it remains a symbol of the nation's magical supremacy. It is a wide structure, casting an enormous shadow over the plaza below, with a broad dome instead of the pointed top common amongst other Veldian buildings.

• Pommel Tower lies in the southwest corner of the district and is home to the Swords of Aeyarda, the defacto military of Arcenveld, a collection of highly trained war wizards. It is shaped like a blade with four rotating hubs that circle slowly around it, alternating clockwise and counter-clockwise. Each of these hubs acts as a headquarters for the varying branches of the military - with the central pillar providing a place for the leaders of the branches to meet and coordinate.

• Adjacent to Pommel Tower is Hilt Tower, the headquarters of the Mercenary King and his forces. It is one of the newest structures in the Cumulus Skyline and smaller than most of the others, appearing like a floating egg that slowly orbits the district. Most of the orcs who live in the Cumulus reside within Hilt Tower or in the surrounding neighborhoods.

• The Corneal Tower lines the edge of Vardalow Plaza, the only section of the Cumulus open to outsiders and foreigners. It is the diplomatic seat of Arcenveld, where dignitaries from around the world do business with representatives of the Ascendant. Shissa Atli, the only public facing member of the ruling body, resides and works here, making herself available to address domestic and foreign issues.

• The Skyborne Docks are the primary access point to The Cumulus for ground-dwellers and foreigners. Built along the furthest corners of Vardalow Plaza, the Docks are bustling with activity: traders bringing in goods from below, tourists arriving to witness the floating city up close, and dignitaries visiting to maintain their relations with Arcenveld. Recently, they constructed an Airship Platform, though it is rarely used.

• Aeyar's Vault is the largest repository of magical knowledge in Sheanora, rivaled only by the archives of the Revenark University of the Arcane. It contains tomes that are as old as recorded history, as well as catalogs of the most cutting edge mystical research of the time. Access to the Vault is highly restricted and only available to the most senior of Wizards, whose membership must be approved by the Ascendant. It is believed roughly 500 Veldian citizens currently have entry permissions - with only a rare few capable of entering the library's restricted sections.

The city below is simply referred to as Magistaldt, though its citizens, overshadowed by the floating terraces above, often call it "The Groundswell". It is significantly larger and denser than The Cumulus, spreading out along the banks of the Zauberflies and Kendehar rivers - where they meet in a fork. Like most of Veldian architecture, the Groundswell is built vertically - even single family homes are often three or four stories tall. In fact, its tallest towers often peak just feet below the base of the hovering district above. Stone walkways connect disparate towers to each other, forming several layers of "streets" that stretch into the air. Staircases and elemental lifts allow for quick access to these upper levels.

Magic is everywhere in both the Cumulus and the Groundswell. Buildings are covered in long, glowing lanterns that emit beautiful colors that shift and change in mesmerizing patterns. Important businesses like banks, jewelers and magic item shops are protected by arcane soldiers such as golems and shield guardians. Illusions are used to entertain and impress - such as in the Illusory District, where every week, the bars and clubs change their décor and theme. However, the most prominent magical feature of the city is its Archon Network, which acts as a source of information, a means of quick communication and a monitoring force to prevent errant magic users from engaging in illegal spellcasting. The Archons can be seen moving through the streets throughout the day, as numerous as the stars in the sky, beautiful and deadly.

Magistaldt is both awe inspiring and foreboding, a city where you can't always trust your eyes or your instincts, a city with more secrets than anyone could ever know.

Demographics

480,000 - Humans 160,000 - Elves 88,000 - Orcs

Alternative Name(s)

The Pinnacle, The City of Secrets

Population

720,000 (on land), 28,000 (in the sky)

Inhabitant Demonym

Staldtic

Owning Organization

The Ascendant

Characters in Location

• Albrecht Lang
• Dalgardt