Shalanera (sha-la-NAIR-uh)
The capital of the Lanarian Empire
Shalanera was the hometown of Emperor Melsar the Conqueror, who chose it as the seat of power for the empire he founded.Geography
The Bazlopa River flows north-to-south through Shalanera. To the west of the river are the industrial center and the rundown neighborhood known as the Vincaran Quarter. The grounds for the Imperial Palace are bordered on the west by the river and on the east by downtown. The Lanarian Empire's capitol building where The Council meets is on the southern end of downtown.
The most affluent neighborhoods are located in the north-east and east-central parts of the city. Being able to give directions to your house by using Rilbrok Cathedral as a landmark is considered a status symbol.
Public transportation in Shalanera is robust and affordable, with a train system known as CapRail (short for Capital Railway.) Citizens can buy a yearly pass or purchase tokens for individual rides.
Other locations of note:
- Noorzata Park
- Rilbrok Cathedral
- Tomb of Melsar the Conqueror
- Royal Mausoleum (resting place of Lanarian monarchs)
- The Vincaran Quarter and its open-air marketplace
- Grenlat Hill Science Museum
- Museum of Imperial History
- Janbaerin Museum of Fine Arts
- Center for Vincaran Cultural Studies
- Hiralax Theater
- Kopathe Point Lighthouse
- Tralsurnar Line cruise ship docks
- Shalanera University (affectionately known as Shal-U)
- Stadium home to the Shalanera Slicers darblot team
- Cloverglen Country Club
- Heavenly Haven Orphanage (headquarters of the CBA Adoption Agency)
- Rimloz Prison
- Rolant Building (61-story building downtown, the top floor of which is an exclusive restaurant)
- Zyrac Regency (swanky hotel near the mouth of the Bazlopa River)
- Mavolla Plaza (another high-end hotel)
- Vincaran Federation Embassy
- Shalanera Area Rail Transit Hub, a.k.a. S.A.R.T.H. (large transportation hub in the north-west corner of the city where passengers access transcontinental high speed trains, as well as connect to Shalanera's intracity CapRail public transit system)
- Onark Burger (fast food chain found throughout the Empire]
- Jashron Military Base (on the Bay of Idon just south-west of the city)
- Pinehold Estate (a half-hour's drive north of the city itself)
Climate
Shalanera suffers from harsh winters, with frigid temperatures and frequent snowfall. A storm dropping anything less than ten inches (25.4 cm) of snow is treated as a nuisance. Ten to fifteen inches (25.4 to 38 cm) is worth taking note and perhaps altering plans, and fifteen to twenty inches (38 to 51 cm) is cause to close schools and cancel events. Anything over thirty inches (76 cm) is considered a once-in-a-century event. The greatest snowfall from a single storm ever recorded in Shalanera was 32.8" (83.3 cm).
About forty percent of the time it is still too chilly to properly enjoy the New Year's celebrations held in the first week of spring.
Temperatures can get uncomfortably hot in the summer. Thunderstorms only reach severe limits a few times a year, but rainfall can be plentiful.
History
The earliest signs of habitation on the site of what is now Shalanera date back to around -1500 on the Melzeen calendar.
Tourism
As the imperial capital, Shalanera gets plenty of visitors every year, and it is a popular tourist destination for anyone interested in the workings and history of the Empire's government and the royal family.
The capitol building and the plaza around it is a common spot for tourists to visit and take photos. Nearby Noorzata Park is another must-see. Many also visit the Great Square to see Rilbrok Cathedral, tour the Museum of Imperial History, and pay respects at the graves of emperors and empresses dating back to Melsar himself. The Grenlat Hill Science Museum, the Janbaerin Museum of Fine Art, and the Kopathe Point Lighthouse are also tourist hotspots.
The Imperial Palace can only be viewed from outside the fence, but the Imperial Guard has made a designated area near the front gates for visitors to take photos.
Maps
-
Council Chambers
The 300-member legislative body of the Lanarian Empire meets in this chamber.
Location under
Included Locations
Included Organizations
Owning Organization
Comments