Lumié (lu'mijei)
Lumié is a city in southern Astra, next to the border of Agri. It is ruled by the De Léot family, with its current leader being Marquis Renor De Léot.
The city is most known for its prioritisation of nonmagical technology over magical technology, notably its embracing of combustion electricity and its abundance of electric lights. In fact, Lumié is often called (awedly) the City of Light or (derogatorily) the Sleepless City, as the city is lit up so brightly that night and day seem almost interchangeable, and in fact are for many residents.
Marquis Leonard De Léot is credited with the rise of electricity in Lumié. He inherited the title Marquis of Cerecy, as the city was then named, from his mother, Marchioness Elvia De Léot, in the year 893 3C. Leonard was obsessed with the recent invention of the electric light, and tasked the people of Cerecy to create a mechanism that could generate electricity by means other than magical power.
In the year 896 3C, a Velsen man by the name of Tsume Cloudfearer stepped forward with a project he had been independently working on, in which electricity was produced with a spinning turbine. Cloudfearer intended his turbine to be spun by water, wind, or steam produced by burning organic matter, but his design proved to be much more efficient than the method of directly converting magical energy to electricity, and magically-powered turbines are used today to produce over 80% of all electricity in Deus.
Leonard rewarded Tsume handsomely for his accomplishment, even naming the Cloudfearers a lesser noble family of Cerecy. He then began to fund mass production of Cloudfearer turbines, and in 898 3C, when the majority of buildings in Cerecy had electric lights, renamed the city Lumié after the Dean word for light.
This would not be the end of Leonard's patronage of nonmagical science. He went on to task his citizens with creating a tower taller than any other in Deus, without the use of magic, and in 901 3C Swammes architect Sumac Filaris put forth plans to build a thirteen-story tower of steel. This tower was named Lumié Tower, and in the coming years grew from thirteen to thirty stories, eventually incorporating some magical supports. The Filaris family was also named lesser nobility.
Leonard continued to fund feats of nonmagical engineering, with one of his final acts as Marquis of Lumié being the creation of a school dedicated specifically to the subject. The Lumié Academy of Engineering continues to be the greatest nonmagical higher education in Deus to this day.
The city is most known for its prioritisation of nonmagical technology over magical technology, notably its embracing of combustion electricity and its abundance of electric lights. In fact, Lumié is often called (awedly) the City of Light or (derogatorily) the Sleepless City, as the city is lit up so brightly that night and day seem almost interchangeable, and in fact are for many residents.
Marquis Leonard De Léot is credited with the rise of electricity in Lumié. He inherited the title Marquis of Cerecy, as the city was then named, from his mother, Marchioness Elvia De Léot, in the year 893 3C. Leonard was obsessed with the recent invention of the electric light, and tasked the people of Cerecy to create a mechanism that could generate electricity by means other than magical power.
In the year 896 3C, a Velsen man by the name of Tsume Cloudfearer stepped forward with a project he had been independently working on, in which electricity was produced with a spinning turbine. Cloudfearer intended his turbine to be spun by water, wind, or steam produced by burning organic matter, but his design proved to be much more efficient than the method of directly converting magical energy to electricity, and magically-powered turbines are used today to produce over 80% of all electricity in Deus.
Leonard rewarded Tsume handsomely for his accomplishment, even naming the Cloudfearers a lesser noble family of Cerecy. He then began to fund mass production of Cloudfearer turbines, and in 898 3C, when the majority of buildings in Cerecy had electric lights, renamed the city Lumié after the Dean word for light.
This would not be the end of Leonard's patronage of nonmagical science. He went on to task his citizens with creating a tower taller than any other in Deus, without the use of magic, and in 901 3C Swammes architect Sumac Filaris put forth plans to build a thirteen-story tower of steel. This tower was named Lumié Tower, and in the coming years grew from thirteen to thirty stories, eventually incorporating some magical supports. The Filaris family was also named lesser nobility.
Leonard continued to fund feats of nonmagical engineering, with one of his final acts as Marquis of Lumié being the creation of a school dedicated specifically to the subject. The Lumié Academy of Engineering continues to be the greatest nonmagical higher education in Deus to this day.
Guilds and Factions
Lumié boasts an Adventurers' Guild, as do all major cities in Deus. The guild has two buildings at roughly opposite ends of the city. A Thieves' Guild is also present.
The Lumié Engineers' Guild is a unique feature of the city, and currently the only large Engineers' Guild in Deus. They boast three buildings devoted to the Guild, in addition to the Lumié Academy of Engineering and a headquarters outside Lumié Tower.
The Lumié Engineers' Guild is a unique feature of the city, and currently the only large Engineers' Guild in Deus. They boast three buildings devoted to the Guild, in addition to the Lumié Academy of Engineering and a headquarters outside Lumié Tower.
Points of interest
Lumié Tower, the tallest building in Deus. is home to the De Léot family. The tower stands over 300 feet tall and consists of thirty stories which house visiting nobles and grand celebrations. At the top of the tower lies a lamp which casts beams of electric light, similar to those of lighthouses, over the city. The exterior of the tower is lit up with beautifully crafted electric lanterns, forming a beacon above all other beacons at night. Incredibly, the strength needed to support the building's height comes almost entirely from the steel used to build the tower, with minimal involvement of magic.
The Lumié Academy of Engineering is also a key point of interest. Leonard De Léot modeled the Academy after the Wizards' Colleges that were already commonplace, with the goal of forming a school for nonmagical sciences. The Academy does offer classes in various fields, but its primary purpose even today is a school of engineering.
The Lumié Academy of Engineering is also a key point of interest. Leonard De Léot modeled the Academy after the Wizards' Colleges that were already commonplace, with the goal of forming a school for nonmagical sciences. The Academy does offer classes in various fields, but its primary purpose even today is a school of engineering.
Architecture
Buildings in Lumié are seldom made solely of stone or wood. Most of them have steel skeletons providing them with greater strength and thus the potential for greater height, with the tallest (barring Lumié Tower, of course) passing ten stories. These buildings are typically narrow, with their interior space coming from height and not breadth.
Electric lamps adorn the buildings and streets of Lumié, ensuring that the city is never truly dark. While many of these lamps have simple, utilitarian designs, many others are decorated fancifully in different styles or designed to cast shadows of a particular shape.
Electric lamps adorn the buildings and streets of Lumié, ensuring that the city is never truly dark. While many of these lamps have simple, utilitarian designs, many others are decorated fancifully in different styles or designed to cast shadows of a particular shape.
Founding Date
898 3C
Alternative Name(s)
The City of Light, The Sleepless City
Type
City
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