Lyonesse Shard

Housing the greatest of the mage cities, Lyonesse is a large shard located in the British Isles of the Old World. Along with its sister city of Ys, it has an ancient tradition of magical education and knowledge that predates the Shattering by millennia and makes it a destination for the magically-inclined from every corner of Genesis.

Climate and Geography

Due to its location on the coast, Lyonesse's climate is far milder than much of the rest of the Isles and tends to consist of warm summers and cool winters that rarely result in frost or snow. The area receives far more sun than rain, and relies on the frequent morning mists to help keep the land from drying out; nonetheless, the land is mostly windswept fields and moors with relatively little in the way of tree cover until some distance from the coast. The shores are rocky and often consist of cliffs falling into the ocean, meaning that there's few good places to dock other than the great harbor of the city itself. Though the windswept land may seem uninviting to those used to more fertile surroundings, there's a wild beauty to it that's hard to deny.

Population and Governance

The vast majority of the shard's population is concentrated in the capital city itself, where all three races are well-represented; while it's primarily human and elven, it's not a rare sight to see shapeshifters walking the streets as well. Outside of Lyonesse  city proper, the smaller villages of the shard tend to be primarily human and are practical, down-to-earth people who benefit from the abundance of magic available to them. Due to the frequent coming and going of ships from other shards, there's plenty of opportunity to import food and the other resources that the people might need. As a result, Lyonesse has far less agriculture than most shards and many of its people have instead been able to devote themselves to making uniquely beautiful crafts that hybridize artistic talent with magical qualities.
The entirety of the shard takes direction from the city of Lyonesse, which is ruled by a hybrid government; while the city has traditionally always had a ruler from the royal family, they don't hold absolute power and instead sit as the eighth member of a mage council with a representative of each of the seven magical disciplines. While most issues can be resolved without issue, a deadlock of the council means that the leader of the city's temple of Siarus is also brought to vote on the matter.

Capital

LYONESSE
The undisputed heart of the shard, Lyonesse's history as one of the great mage cities of the ancient world stretches back thousands of years. It's visibly ancient, with even the granite it's constructed from showing the wear of age, but benefits from a hundred generations of ambitious mages having built and rebuilt it into a place of magically enhanced grandeur; it's both beautiful and formidable, much like its inhabitants who are every bit as colorful and unusual as one would expect from a city of student mages. Lyonesse is roughly organized around its wide harbor, with the different mage circles scattered throughout the city; a great square is arranged around the Forum Arcana in the city's center, serving as a central hub for would-be mages who've come to the city for training but haven't yet found a circle willing to take them in. Presiding over it all is the old Royal Palace, which is the traditional home of the royal family but also doubles as the meeting place of the city's mage council.

Other Notable Locations

LASTLIGHT
The great lighthouse of Lyonesse, Lastlight is fueled by magic rather than a traditional flame and can be seen for miles across the open ocean. It's said to be so bright that it's dangerous to look at it for more than a few moments, but due to a clever bit of magical shielding its light isn't actually visible within the bounds of the city itself.
LION'S ROCK
A great stone jutting from the water outside of Lyonesse Harbor, and a dangerous obstacle for ships who don't know how to navigate the powerful current that parallels the shoreline. It's said to be powerfully haunted by the ghosts of past wrecks, who seek to fatally distract incoming ships into joining their number.
THE SEVEN STONES LIGHTS
Seven great obelisks, one for each of the magical disciplines, that stand evenly spaced along the outer edge of the harbor. Each one is the anchor point for a long string of magically fueled lanterns that drift over the city like a swarm of stars; sending up the lanterns at dusk each night is a rotating task shared by the apprentices of each magical circle, giving them an opportunity to practice their skills and also intermingle with their fellows of other disciplines.
SWANSISTER ROCKS
Marking the northern edge of the shard, the Swansister Rocks are a cluster of white granite stones said to be the ancient burial marker of a shapeshifter woman and her three brothers who chose death rather than exile from the land of their birth. The place is powerfully magical, but many claim to have heard haunting singing at night that suggests the sister's spirit still lingers weeping for their fate.
THE VALLEY OF THE GODS
Temples to the gods within Lyonesse are all located within a wooded canyon at the city's eastern edge, making it easy for the people of the city to honor their patron deities in a single location. The one exception to this rule is Siarus, who as the patron deity of Lyonesse has a temple within the city's limits in addition to a shrine in the Valley of the Gods.

Quick Facts

Approximate Size: ~2600 sq. miles
Number of Entrances: 3
Capital City: Lyonesse 

Dominant Race: mixed
Approximate Population: ~60,000

Type

Territory

Relevant Articles

The City of Lyonesse
Factions of Lyonesse