Illivan
Jewel of the Easter Plains
Once one of the three greatest cities in Miras, Illivan was home to all walks of life from the aristocratic land barons of the West Quarter to starving slum rats in Low-Town. Due to the late Queen Bellamy Allengar's poor leadership and inability to respond appropriately to her nations issues, Illivan slowly decayed until its abrupt destruction in 815 ER.
Demographics
Species: 98% Human, 2% Other
Ethnicities: 84% Mirisian, 10% Akarren, ~5% Nisean, >1% Other
Government
Former Monarchy
For the length of the nation's duration Illivan was ruled by a noble Monarchy. For centuries the control of the crown was passed down by the monarch to their eldest child. Male or female, control of the nation would pass on at either the death of the King/Queen or through abdication. Once crowned only the monarch held total authority over all maters related to the state. Other members of the royal family or official advisers to the monarch hold no official capacity to pass laws, judgements, or decrees. At least four distinct noble houses have been recognized as holding the crown through Illivan's history. The final house to control the crown, House Allengar, survived for 10 generations ending with the death of Queen Bellamy Allengar in 815 ER.History
Decline
Werewolves of Kalravani
See full article: Werewolves of Kalravani Beginning in late 810 a series of murders plagued Illivan. On each full moon starting with the harvest festival on Kotallah 10th, 810 several murder victims would be found across the city; their bodies viciously mangled as if attacked by an animal. Not until after several months had passed had the first person witness a killing. On the first full moon of spring, a young man witnessed a werewolf attacking a maiden. The boy would report that after he was caught by the werewolf, the monster began to transform into its human form and addressing his identity to the boy as Giridharan Kalravani . Allowed to escape the young man shared his information with the city's forces who began the hunt for the werewolf. A few more moons would pass again as Illivani forces are unable to capture the murderer. In the following summer, Ambrose François would arrive in Illivan and accept the bounty for Giridharan's head. For the full story see A Lantern Broken chapter's 3-6 starting "Chapter #3: The Justice Tree") .Earthquake and Rise of the Thieves Guild
Just one month after the defeat of Giridharan Kalravani Illivan would suffer a devastating earthquake that demolished much of the outer walls and historic regions of the city. Unknown to the denizens of the city Ambrose François , Karladron Hart, and Chrysanthemum Ostander had just released Ogorian from his lantern prison on Torvold's Mountain just outside the city. As a show of power to instill fear into the trio Ogorian performed a great magical feat and induced the earthquake, upturning large, black spires of stone to demolish the city. In the fallout of Ogorian's secret return the city fell into chaos as crime rates soared. Heavy death tolls caused many business and enterprises to fail, this sending many citizens into poverty. Most affected by the earthquake were the wooden slums on the outside of the city wall, Low-Town. Since many buildings had collapsed or been utterly destroyed by the stone spires, the criminal factions of Low-Town began to fight over the diminished territory and soon spilled into Illivan proper through the broken walls. Through the chaos rose a Thieves Guild seemingly out of nowhere. Far more organized and focused than any of the previously existing factions in the city, the new thieves guild quietly and quickly took control of the city's underbelly. Little action against the new organization was ever taken by Crown who denied any existence of such a cabal in a pallid attempt to show strength in a tie of strife. This inaction only caused the citizenry to disdain their ruler who was failing their country.The Burning of Illivan
In the winter of early 815 ER, an outsider arrived in Illivan through mysterious methods. Appearing overnight, a strange woman in black armor began to consolidate the mercenary forces across Illivan into a marauding army. The armored woman ravaged the city scouring every warren and neighborhood for the Thieves Guild's headquarters, burning as she went. Because of Queen Bellamy Allengar's poor leadership Illivan's army had shrunk to such a small force that they could not withstand the invading force. Within the week of her appearance, the woman's army had set the entire city ablaze in a final effort to find what she sought. Out of the blaze a colossal serpent appeared without warning or explanation to combat the mysterious woman. The conflict between the snake and woman in black spilled into the Queen's castle where it is assumed they figures fought to the death. Few people escaped the burning of Illivan, but those who survived the fire warned of an unknown woman's voice that boomed over the city from the Queen's castle. The voice had declared that they were the new ruler of Illivan and none were welcome in her nation and threatened death to any who trespass within its ruined streets.
RUINED SETTLEMENT
815 ER
Type
Capital
Population
~72,000 (at peak)
Inhabitant Demonym
Illivani
Location under
Included Locations
Characters in Location
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