Omaceran Senate Building (Oh-ˌMah-Sir-ˈAhn)

One of the more impressive buildings in the capital city of Shandalar was the Imperial Senate. A symbol of regional participation in Imperial affairs, it was also a monument to the sheer hubris of the Lazirican Founders once they acquired real power. Situated directly in front of the massive Imperial Palace, it was a stunning work of art.
A major part of the Imperial complex, along with the Palace, itself, the Senate building was designed to impress people not just with the wealth and power of the Omaceran Empire, but also its art and beauty. Visitors would come away awed by the grandeur of it, and no one would doubt the power and leadership of the Senate as a ruling body.

It rose before us, elegant curving lines forming an exquisite flower. There had never been anything like it, even in a city as great and beautiul as Shandalar. My heart ached at the sight.

— Unknown Author, 'Journeys to Shandalar'

Designed in part by the Empress Myantha, herself, it began construction in 1764 BW and was completed in 1638 BW under Emperor Illitran. In all, it took 4,500 workmen, 50 foremen, 730 stonemasons, 865 wizards, 150 stained glass artisans, and 80 dwarven metalsmiths to build. It is unknown exactly how much gold was spent in total to construct the building.
The raising of the main edifice took the combined efforts of most of the builders in the new Empire. It was pentagonal in shape, symbolizing the five districts that the Senators would be drawn from - east, west, north, south, and central - and reached up two stories in height. Faced with white marble, the actual walls of the structure were plain granite. Windows were stained glass, showing pictures from local elven folklore.
As impressive as such a building might have been, it would have blended in among the other administrative buildings, if not for the roof. This was designed as a massive glass lily, symbol of House Lazirica, with the petals curving down over, and being supported by, the five corners of the building. Such massive sheets of shaped glass, at such thickness, required utilizing the magical skills of every wizard available to the empire. Just shaping and installing one petal of the roof could take several years.
The center of the flower was more stained glass, pieced together in a more conventional fashion. It formed a dome over the main senate chamber, displaying the Empire's heraldic device - two cranes in flight traveling in opposite directions. Experts in stained glass were hired to work on this massive piece, and dwarven smiths were employed to create the framework for each piece of glass.

Nothing instills a feeling of gravitas quite like looking up and seeing the emblem of our great Empire overhead.

— Ysildea Olaren, Senator from the Alabyran Region

Beneath this dome, the main senate chamber was round. Tiers reached from the floor upwards to almost the full two stories in height. The chamber was divided into five sections, one for each region, and Senators were assigned seats accordingly. Most of these seats were empty at the beginning, and even at its height, the Senate was never entirely full.
The flooring was marble, and the chamber was specially designed to amplify the voice of anyone standing in the exact middle. Benches with velvet cushioning ringed each tier. Opulence and implied power radiated from the hall. In addition to this room, each corner of the building held meeting rooms, changing areas, and other chambers necessary for the separate districts' daily business.
Each region within the five districts was entitled to elect one Senator to send to the Capitol. Some chose different representatives each time. In other regions, being elected Senator was almost a lifetime sinecure. Senators had rich quarters within the Soahent district of the city, an area reserved for government functionaries.
All of this splendor hid a secret - the Senate had no power. They could make recommendations and nominate individuals for government positions, but the Emperor had no obligation to follow through on anything the Senate suggested. Still, to the common folk it was a symbol of their participation in the Empire, knowing they had a Senator representing their interests.

Cranes by Robin Anderson

RUINED STRUCTURE
127 NE

Founding Date

1638 BW

Alternative Names

The Lily

Type

Government complex

Parent Location

Shandalar

Ruling/Owning Rank

Emperor

Owning Organization

Omaceran Empire

The Fading of a Lily

The Senate Building was carefully maintained and preserved throughout the 1663 years that it stood as part of the Empire. To do otherwise would be to insult the Imperial family, and the Empire at large.
However, once The Withering weakened the dynasty and civil unrest caused it to finally collapse, the fate of such a beautiful building was thrown into jeopardy. The furnishings were stripped from it almost immediately by the mobs that swarmed the capitol, and many of the smaller glass windows were smashed in the upheaval.
After the fall of the Empire, the building's fate was in grave peril. Without wizards to maintain them regularly, the heavy glass petals were subject to fractures and breaks. Likewise, the dome roof slowly acquired cracks and breaks that allowed rain and other elements into the building. The infrastructure that supported the roof also suffered from the ravages of time and weather.
The succeeding Kingdom of Narseau chose to simply neglect the infrastructure of Shandalar, as it was not in their territory. However, the later Corbulo Empire actively sought out and destroyed all symbols of Omaceran power, razing the Imperial buildings to the ground, including the beautiful Senate.