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Gylidd Syn Aethri

Also known as the “Heart of the Leylines,” this sprawling metropolis is the capital of Gylidd, which rests at the center of the leyline network that covers the globe of Myzelis. The city's geopolitical importance in both the Inaethric and Mortal Eras has led to millennia of prosperity, which the city shares with aethrin all across the world. At the center of this city lies the Heartwood, an enchanted forest from which all of the Leylines emerge. Its enchantment brings empathy and understanding that none can resist, as the wood is imbued with an ancient and peaceful magic stronger than any being, other than the Incari of Myzelis itself. Gylidd Syn Aethri’s architecture is highly variable, but it also features massive megastructures left behind from previous Inaethri pantheons who worked magic during the Age of Stone that persists to this day.

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Maps

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  Gylidd Syn Aethri

Founding Date

23998 BAI

Alternative Name(s)

Gylidd, the Hub City, the Heart of the Leylines

Type

Metropolis

Population

Approximately 1.5 million

Related Ethnicities

• Gylidder

Inhabitant Demonym

Gylidders

Location under

Gylidd

Included Locations

• Edcairag

Owning Organization

The Government of Gylidd Syn Aethri

Characters in Location

• Amrith Hogaine
• Canonized Character Template

Description

The Heart of the Leylines is a sprawling metropolis, split into six districts built around the Rhuddinwyd at its center. It is divided nearly in half by the Ley River, which flows from Loch Ley in the northeast, through the Rhuddinwyd, and out the western sea gate at Corsdych. Though Gylidd technically includes all of the towns from Arddachwyr to Gyliddspire, the Inland Sea to the Sea of Bones, the central area that goes by no other township name but Gylidd is encircled by a wall of thick wood and stone, nearly ten miles in diameter.
The most surprising thing about Gylidd is that while the area is densely populated, the city’s sense of balance between raw nature and carefully curated settlement is almost perfectly half. People who come to Gylidd expecting to see a ring of solid stone encircling and choking a small forest are often shocked to find that it can be difficult to tell at a glance where the city ends and the Rhuddinwyd begins. The verdant culture of Gylidd Syn Aethri mixes green with grey wherever it can, entwining it with walls and floors and ceilings more often than not. Buildings are constructed around old growth trees in synchronous compliment, and straight lines are often eschewed for flowing curves that feature flat surfaces only when it is absolutely necessary for tabletops, floors, or streets.
The only exception to this adherence to a balanced aesthetic of function and form is where the superstructures come into frame, complementing the waves and curves of nature with a rigid measure of beautiful sharp edges and perfect circles. Examples of these are the Towers of the Aethri which mark the districts’ edges, the sprawling citadel of Castles within Castles called Inaethriddr, and the Edcairag at the heart of the Rhuddinwyd.

Central Districts and Major Landmarks

The Rhuddinwyd/ Heartwood

( See Heartwood Forest )

Edcairag, The Stone Tree

( See Edcairag )

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Sofren District

This district of Gylidd is northwest of the Rhuddinwyd, and its borders are drawn by the first and second Towers of the Aethri - Stahlrygg and Hierrygg. This district contains the majority of Gylidd’s administrative buildings, political offices, embassies, and the ancient amalgam castle Inaethriddr. The architecture of this district is more varied than anywhere else in Gylidd, as each embassy shares the style of the Realms and Regions from which the ambassadors hail.

Sofren Market

Since this district of Gylidd is close to Toraundris’ Span, a fair amount of the western end is dedicated to the Sofren Market, where wares from North Inland Sound, the Northern Grand Canal, Ormtona, and Realms beyond are sold. This market is open year round.

The Limping Lord

Visible from the Toraundris Gate over the brilliant colors of the Sofren Market stalls, this old, steepled, repurposed castle is now a massive inn and food court. In reflection of the Market’s diversity of wares, the bottom floor and courtyard of the castle is a cornucopia of smells and tastes from all sorts of peoples from Gylidd and beyond. What was once the Inner Keep and its upper reaches are a labyrinth of warm, comfortable rooms that range in size and accommodation, from individual weary travelers to entire caravans.

The Gyliddring

The seat of Gylidder government - the great hall of Gyliddring - is also located in this district, across the street from one of Inaethriddr Castle’s many gates. It resembles a massive dome not unlike a stadium, constructed of a perfect blend of stone pillars and massive trees that reach towards the center to create a perfect canopy for blocking rain or storms, while shifting to allow for sunlight on good days. Its grounds are also latticed with smaller conference rooms, allowing Representatives from all over Gylidd to meet privately to discuss their voting strategies and reach deals with their fellow politicians and interest groups. The parliamentary building is also very close to Stahlrygg Tower, where the Wild Synga and Civic Synod hold their meetings, and from which both the Arwenir and their coteries conduct their business.
( See The Government of Gylidd Syn Aethri )

Castle Inaethriddr

This walled city-within-a-city is over a mile in diameter, composed of castles built upon, within, around, and adjacent to other castles, of a dizzying array of styles and designs. The construction of the castle began long ago in the Inaethrite Era as a dozen or more nigh-omnipotent Inaethri chose this spot to begin having regular meetings with each other, constructing castles from thin air to support their sizable entourages of aethri followers. There is heavy debate on which Inaethri completed their castle first, but ever since then the castle has been expanded upon thousands of times.
The Second Founding of Gylidd marked the last time any major changes were made to the Castle, as a mortal team of spellcasters, master masons, and naturalists swept through the grounds to catalogue the thousands of rooms, restore the stones, and make alterations to the castle to keep it from distracting so heavily from the landscape around it by weaving in trees and other greenery. To Gylidders, Inaethriddr is an adopted eyesore, as it provides a healthy reminder of the importance of unity and teamwork, while its iconic walls and towers make for a beautiful contrast to the perfection of the Rhuddinwyd’s natural greenery.
Today, Castle Inaethriddr is primarily used for ceremonial purposes, although the Gylidder Guard maintain it as their only fortress within central Gylidd (mainly to keep an eye on it and provide security, rather than actually occupying it), and the Ley Knights use one of its castles (Fortress Ardoricon) as their home base.

Stahlrygg, First Tower of the Aethri

Home of the Arwenir and their Coteries
From underdark levels to the pinnacle of the tower, Stahlrygg has served as the offices of the Arwenir - Gylidd’s council of prime ministers - since the Second Founding. The six Civic Synod members and their extensive coteries of administrative assistants populate the majority of the tower, while the six members of the Wild Synga keep mostly ornamental offices for important meetings and rituals - often completely overgrown with natural flora and punctuated with large windows. The uppermost room of the tower is reserved for private meetings between the Arwenir and their invited guests, and does not see a great deal of use in peaceful times.

Hierrygg, Second Tower of the Aethri

Home of the Ambassadors to the Realms
As diplomacy and good Realm relationships are of utmost importance to Gylidd, they employ a small army of expert diplomats who work out of Hierrygg’s many rooms. Altitude in the tower does not relate in any way to the importance of any particular Ambassador, and the ambassadors are abroad more often than not, leaving their aides to manage the day-to-day business of negotiating with local embassies in the Sofren District and elsewhere in Gylidd. It is rumored that a fair amount of Hierrygg is controlled by the Agency of Gylidd - which serves the Realm as the masters of Statecraft - but proving it either way seems purposefully impossible.

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Loch District

Although this district of Gylidd shares no more of the shoreline of Loch Ley than the Egwyddor District to its southeast, the people of this district have claimed the waters for their namesake as a point of pride since the Second Founding. Its borders are formed by lines drawn from the second and third Towers of the Aethri - Hierrygg and Kadrygg - and near the base of the latter is the impressive campus of the Gylidder Curio. This district, and Cyraed, have some of the oldest homes, oldest woodlands, and oldest parks in the whole city, and many of the families that live here can trace their lineage well into the Age of Clarity and beyond.

Loch Market

The Loch Market is hidden away in the center of the district, and is known throughout Gylidd as a place where more magical and eccentric shops can be found. The Curio frequent this area to ensure that the sales are all above board and involve the selling or buying of things that will not threaten the peace. A fair number of the shops here belong to guilds from Hangorfeydd, who are renowned the world over for their artifice.

The Second Gatehouse

When Gylidd was first founded, the walls were perfectly circular and perfectly symmetrical. This is no longer so - the growing population and the balance of nature have seen the borders and defenses of the city shift to accommodate both sides. This gatehouse - nearly seventy feet tall and shaped like a massive arch with a set of very old wood and steel doors - is a relic of the Inaethrite Era. An extensive series of spacious inn rooms have been built into its sturdy legs, and over the gatehouse a tavern with beautiful views of the heart of Gylidd. The most iconic feature of the Second Gatehouse is that its gate is permanently stuck slightly ajar, the hardy wood of its make reanimated by ancient druids into a living flora akin to a tree, with deep roots and a canopy that makes the tavern look as though it is floating on a cloud of leaves.

Kadrygg, Third Tower of the Aethri

Campus of the Gylidder Curio
Nestled within and at the base of Kadrygg Tower is a compact but intricate series of buildings meant to contain the magical secrets of Gylidd, stretching back to as early as the beginnings of the Inaethrite Era - when Gylidd was little more than a prairie and a forest. This campus is where the Curio - Gylidd’s magical investigation, defense, research, and education administration - make their home. Their activities are sometimes perfectly mundane, from putting on light shows at major holidays and sporting events at Cyfrin's Citadel, to the impossibly obscure, such as when vile cursed artifacts are found, or powerful magical monstrosities must be contained. It is widely believed that this campus, and the Curio itself, are the creation of the Red Efreeti Dauddraig, Izzithsicoria, as the leader of the Curio always gains the title “High Priest of the Dragon” in their honor. This would make sense, as Izzithsicoria’s history is entwined with the birth of mortal Gylidder magic.

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Egwyddor District

This district, situated on the easternmost side of central Gylidd between the Loch and Cann Districts, has borders defined by Kadrygg, the Third Tower of the Aethri, and Gildrygg, the Fourth Tower of the Aethri. Its name translates to “Principle,” in old Gylidder, and therein can be found temples to every Gylidder Inaethri that is respected, beloved - or some combination of the two - by the people of Gylidd. These temples are often as old as the Inaethrid that spawned them, many of them having been literally willed into existence by the Inaethri themselves, on the spot. As such, most of them are incredibly sturdy, beautiful, and intricate, full of secrets and inherent magic that defies the circles and spheres of mortal arcana.

Egwyddor Market

Egwyddor Market, also known very informally as the Soul Market, is located against the district’s eastern gate. It deals in guidance, healing, and divination just as readily as it does holy symbols and blessed waters, and the proselytization of various priesthoods are common to hear.

Gylidd Academy

Across the Ley River from Kadrygg Tower and the Gylidder Curio campus is the one and only public university in central Gylidd. Known colloquially as Gylidd Academy, but to scholars as “Sefysliad an Athrofir” (Old Gylidder for “the Foundation of Higher Learning”), this sprawling campus is nearly a mile in diameter. It features outdoor and indoor classes, on-campus residences, and its own market for learning trades. Professors here hail from all across Myzelis, including some Realms that have been lost to the Brume since their tenure.

Gildrygg, Fourth Tower of the Aethri

The Wrenjers’ Aerie
Built in and immediately around the base of Gildrygg, the Fourth Tower of the Aethri, this compact series of buildings is the home of the Wrenjers of Gylidd. Although it features no obvious fortifications or defenses, the terrain and flora have been carefully cultivated to do better than simply emulate a fortress or castle’s walls, especially when combined with the highly mobile Wrenjer stratagems. The First Spear, First Crown, First Staff, and First Cup of the Wrenjers - also known as the First Chime - command their forces all across Myzelis from the pinnacle of the Tower.

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Cann District

Known in old Gylidder as the “Melody” District, this area’s borders are defined by the Fourth and Fifth Towers of the Aethri - Gildrygg, and Vodrygg. Music and art are on every street corner, flowing through every window and hanging from every eave. Intersections are often built around larger art pieces, or massive public stages that can be borrowed for impromptu or scheduled events featuring music, plays, comedy shows, art demonstrations, or any other aethrin expression imaginable. Homes and galleries are often synonymous here, buildings taking on all manner of designs based on the whim of their creator.

Cann Market

The Cann Market is small, mainly meant for the sale of groceries and other necessities to the residents and visitors of the district. Most of the art that is for sale is sold directly by the artists themselves, right out of their own homes or off their stages before or after their performances.

Cann College of Eloquence

( See Cann College of Eloquence )

The House of Song

This theater - in truth a massive complex filled with dozens of large stages split up for acoustics by sound dampening stone - is the largest in all of Gylidd and one of the greatest in all of Myzelis. It features events day and night, scheduled months and sometimes years in advance, and provides aspiring performers a stage at the heart of the world. It is known for having entrances both above and below ground, allowing the cultures of the surface of Gylidd and its underdark to mingle and share their unique art.

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Thruwis District

When Gylidd was first founded, one sixth of it was dedicated to the creation and maintenance of a grand campground composed of all the standing armies of the Inaethri whose people gathered there. Thousands of years later, though the armies have long since merged into a single volunteer force known as the Gylidder Guard, the “Guardian” District (as it is known in old Gylidder) still bears its resemblance. It is defined by borders drawn by Vodrygg and Brudrygg, the Fifth and Sixth Towers of the Aethri, and rests between the Cann and Cyraed Districts on Gylidd’s southern end.
Few businesses operate here, except those that are focused on the crafts of war, and the vast majority of it is divided into tens of thousands of homes built in defensible patterns that feature common areas and easily maneuverable back alleys. Between its architecture and its carefully cultivated forests, this district is the hardest to navigate, but its tightly-knit atmosphere is also reflected in the camaraderie of its residents.

Thruwis Markets

Several markets exist in Thruwis, but their offerings (outside of staples and groceries) are often as unique as the people that live nearest to them. It is said that you can find what you need somewhere in Thruwis, although it might take you all day to get there if you don’t know where to go.

The Ol’ Reliable

This inn and tavern’s aesthetic is that of an old armory, with racks of ancient arms and armor lining the walls like paper. It boasts multiple kitchens and great halls able to accommodate huge crowds, many of which belong to the Gylidder Guard. They believe that feasting in this building - the oldest armory in central Gylidd - is good luck for those who need it.

Vodrygg, Fifth Tower of the Aethri

The Gylidder Guard Union
The Gylidder Guard Union - a separate administration from the Guard itself - has operated out of Vodrygg, Fifth Tower of the Aethri, for at least as long as Gylidd’s Second Founding. It was agreed early on by the people of Gylidd and their Representatives at Gyliddring that advocacy and arbitration would be needed - not just the volunteers who made up the great armies of Gylidd - but also the people who were to be defended and protected by it. Aided by the influence of the Rhuddinwyd at their back, this relatively small but critical branch of the Government makes sure that the leadership of Gylidd’s guardians treat their sworn duty with seriousness, empathy, and respect.

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Cyraed District

Located between the Thruwis and Sofren Districts, the Towers Breudrygg and Stahlrygg, and the sunken port town of Corsdych, Cyraed is Central Gylidd’s major trading hub. The settled half of the entire district is split evenly between markets and storehouses, while the unsettled half is a mixture of shallow bogs and sunken forests - a signature of the city’s subtle westward lean.

Cyraed Markets

Markets in this district typically deal with the bulk sale and trade for goods from all over Myzelis, and few things are sold individually. Instead, markets here provide for other markets elsewhere in the area, while Gylidder merchants and guilds load their own wares on countless masted ships parked along the Ley River. Guided by the Gylidd Navigation and Trade Guild - based out of Breudrygg Tower - these vessels refill their stores, make necessary repairs, and set out through the Canals for parts known and unknown.

O’er the Wall Tavern

Before the walls of Gylidd were built, an old tavern was constructed in northern Zybben - one of the very first farming settlements built by the gathering aethrin during the Age of Isolation. It was literally cut off from the rest of that settlement when the great walls were constructed, although the people of Zybben still stubbornly believe to this day that it is a part of their town. Ever since the Shift of Gylidd (when the western edge of the city was submerged into the Inland Sea) the town of Corsdych has had just as much right to claim this tavern as Zybben, as the historic first story is now completely submerged. This has not put an end to the Tavern, however, as its adaptable owners decided to hire a cadre of aquatic employees to manage it, and built further rooms adjoining the upper floors to allow for guests of all kinds.

Breudrygg, Sixth Tower of the Aethri

The Gylidd Navigation and Trade Guild
As Gylidd serves Myzelis as the most important trading hub, a great deal of Gylidd’s administration is dedicated to the maintenance of extensive and comprehensive market rates, tax codes, and agreements between entities and Realms (whether between Gylidd and another Realm, or two other Realms, etc). Breudrygg Tower is dedicated to the offices of the Navigation and Trade Guild, which is solely focused on maintaining as fair and balanced of a trading environment as possible. To do this, they apply tariffs, bans, and restrictions where necessary, working in close proximity with the Gyliddring, Agency, and other factions. The Navigation and Trade Guild is often at odds with the Merchant Lords of Gylidd, although the GNTG’s authority over the Merchant Lord Houses is considerable.

Etymology

Gylidd Syn Aethri means “The Place where the Aethri Gathered” in ancient Gylidder (“Gatherer”).

Founding

First established at the beginning of the Age of Stone (~24,000 years before the Age of Invention), construction completed within one year. Largely abandoned during the Age of Clarity (~11,000 years before the Age of Invention), resettled at year 0 of the Age of Invention.

National holiday

The Gyliddrest, 18th Bera. The this day in 0 AI is the one most scholars believe corresponded with the 1st official convention of the Gylidd Council, which would later become the Wild Synga, Civic Synod, and Gyliddring.

Constitution adopted

18th Bera, 0 AI, effective 1st Zhira, 1 AI.

Legal system

Common law; judicial review of legislative acts.

Citizenship

Any sentient* creature born in Gylidd, or naturalized through residency for at least four full seasons, is eligible for citizenship and voting rights.

(*Sentience is based on an assessment by the Wild Synga, for petitioners of species or entities not already approved, which may also include Incari.)

Voting Rights

Any citizen of young adult age or older (species dependent), or entity represented by the Wild Synga such as the Incari of the skies, lands, waters, flora, and fauna of Gylidd.

Government

The Government of Gylidd Syn Aethri