Irasaci City

Irasaci City

Overview

Irasaci is one of the more renowned cities due to its quiet opulence and beauty, being a symbol of the wealth of the old Ilsairi empire. It is constructed in a sheltered valley, around a quiet lake.

History

The city was first founded by Emperor Areshae, as a private palace that he could escape to as he found Soranna City to be quite busy. It was initially a small palace next to a lake, surrounded by cliffs. The serene nature of the area led to the town being nicknamed the silent city, while it was formally called the imperial city of Irasaci. This palace was painted maroon red, with black roof tiles, dark stones, and stained glass windows. The palace was staffed by Ischarri guards from the north, who had no loyalties to anyone but the Emperor. The palace complex eventually grew as temples were built around the lake, and nobles moved in to the complex from Soranna, building their homes along a straight road heading north of the lake.
This planned city became known as Irastli'aci, being shortened to Ira'saci, the original name meaning Imperial City. Over the years, the city became isolated from the rest of the country as the later Emperors focused on the arts and their personal lives instead of running the dynasty, this led to the decline of the empire as the city itself grew in arts and culture. During the shattering, the city became one of the last Imperial holdouts, resisting the control of the other regional warlords. The spirits of the shattering could not take the city as it was home to the finest warriors of the continent by then. Eventually, the Emperors were exiled here after Iorasora failed to fight off the warlord Gensir Arusa, only for the city to be taken over by the Ilarren clan following the War of Shattered Blades.
Following the War of Shattered Blades, the city was destroyed largely in the shattering. It took Atshara of Ischurrai conquering it for it to be rebuilt in a manner replicating that of the old style. The old palace was expanded and buildings were added all around in preparation for the new empire to be created, but Atshara died too young and so the city remains staffed by a skeleton crew of bureaucrats. The city now is rather a pilgrimage site as people come to visit the shrine to Atshara, Areshae, and Sumessei.

Geography and Layout

Geography

The city is built around a lake near to the sea. The city is sheltered from the outside world by a thick pine and oak forest that surrounds it. The main part of town around the lake is serene, with the lake having a small river that runs north, then west out to sea. The settlement is surrounded by cliffs and hills with shrines on them, leading to it seeming to be walled in. For its geography overall, it is renowned as peaceful, sheltered, and quiet.