Aluental

A city cursed or blessed? A prison or safe haven? A city sunk to depths of time, but will it ever rise?

Economy

Aluental Currency by Unsplash

Currency

The alchemical arts have been good to Aluental, and with a lack of conflict for generations the city has been left to develop and is thriving to a near utopian degree. Soon after the Sinking, Aluentalians adopted pure white shells as a form of currency. The shells could be collected along the outskirts of the city, but had to be both pure white and unbroken or unchipped to be used.

Shops & Trade

Aluental is a closed system, so there is no trade with the outside world. Instead, trained alchemists make materials to order and skilled craftsmen transform those materials into the goods desired by the people.

Fashion & Arts

The abundance of a variety of materials has made Aluental vibrant, brightly colored materials and multi-colored gemstones are preferred, especially in the wealthier families. Formal wear often incorporates shapes of the sea floor with various corals, shells, scale patterns and more. Everyday wear is also often enchanted for looks or practicality. Levitation, flowing, glowing, sparkling or hidden pockets are not all that uncommon accessories added to outfits of many kinds.

History

In the age of chaos, Gods, primordials and powerful ancient beings fought ruthlessly over the world using powers given to them by the peoples and races who worshipped and devoted their lives to them. In a devastating blow to Seashella, a rival goddess thoroughly destroyed 2 of the three Seafae Isles. The Seafae’s cried out to their diety, Seashella and their cries were heard. Recognizing that he had not the power to fight the rival goddess head on, he dove into the center of the last island and spent every bit of magic, energy and spirit he had left to surround the island in a protective veil and sink it to the bottom of the ocean before falling into a deep sleep.
In the beginning, the islanders dealt with fear, shock and preparation. As the years went by, the mood shifted to relief and working out how to live so cut off from the rest of the world. Alchemy became an increasingly needed practice since resources were limited, and the island was slowly reorganized and new rules of law were developed to help govern the isolated peoples. As the generations passed, most Aluentians thrived and created an almost utopian society with a single exception. Two schools of thought forged out of the persisting peace. On one side many Aluentians believe they should be grateful for their blessing of protection and take advantage of the peace they have to create and pursue great things and live happily separated from the chaos of the rest of the world. The second school of thought is that it’s time to return to the surface, for various reasons. Some resent being cut off, others think the Aluentians have advanced beyond the rest of the world and it’s time to become the world’s benefactors, sharing or trading their accomplishments. Very few even go as far as to say that Seashella is a tyrant and has imprisoned them in the deep.

Type

Large city

The sacred blessing revealed to us through our circumstance is that despite our isolation we are infinitely webbed together with potential. For whoever it was who determined life was cyclical was short-sighted, for it is not just life that is cyclical but universally everything lives, breathes and dies only to give life to the next iteration. This is our blessing. This is our revelation.

— Wisdom of the Sea

A pendant depicting Seashella by StormWatchJewelry