Iridesence

Far beyond the reaches of time, far beyond the imaginations of men lies a city within a realm few know exists, built upon the gift of a divine power and built for all those who seeked escape from a world painted in blacks and whites. Iridescence, a place where no scholar, artist, tinkerer or even necromancers face judgement by the people, good and evil coexist.

Floating in the skies of the plane of Elulaith, the gargantuan city sits under the shadow of the Chrono Relic in the sky, a wonder of engineering and magic, immense buildings, pristine beautiful streets and airship travel constantly in and out of the city.

Demographics

Iridescence comes in all races across the board, with a slight higher demographic of dragonkin, thanks to Elulaiths history with dragonkind. In turn you can find its demographics are largely split by class, the difference between upper, middle and lower classes are clear in both their settlements, as well as their attire. The largest demographic split though is between non-native Elulaithians and native born. Due to both their mortality and variety of needs, native born's easily end up in poverty without support.

Government

A Parliament is elected every 1000 days into office, Politicians running the laws and regulations. The government itself manages mining, crop and farming operations for the ever continued expansion and control of Iridescence, largely focusing on the main metropolis infrastructure, and military to keep any rising rebellion in check.

Defences

As a floating city, Iridescence is naturally at an extreme advantage, but of course like any city with hired engineers for building, it has various walls encompassing districts. The outermost district of the metropolis is for the medium class, so has no walls, but within the city are 3 layers of walls for defence.

Furthermore, an active military and policing unit work day in and day out, some being dragons who patrol, the ones on foot having access to military grade airships for offensive operations.

Industry & Trade

Iridescence survives on the simple prospect of Elulaith, a paradise where there are no needs, no aging and no restrictions. Money is often made in the process of visionary individuals taking advantage of these things in order to establish industry though, the city itself excelling at providing materials, land and other benefits to the best of these individuals, as it is good for trade.

Infrastructure

Many amazing feats have been accomplished thanks to the Ire’s lax rulings and regulations, a fully functional Airship transport business for those who are flightless runs all day and night, a mostly functional sewer system is designed right in the foundation of the city, waterways run with clean potable water for the wealthy districts, lesser wealthy districts fill and maintain water towers. Farms outside of the main metropolis often have government funded waterways for irrigation and windmills for milling. The entire metropolis itself a collage of ideas, inventors and eccentric figures who’ve contributed to some notable structure, too many to list.

Assets

Elulaith as a whole, including Iridescence, specializes in nothing more than freedom of the individual, if you’re looking for something morally questionable, legally questionable or just often socially shunned from the average populace, this is the place to get it.

Guilds and Factions

The Order of Pollux

A group disbanded millennia ago, identified by branding marks, thanks to Elulaith’s metaphysical effects, some are still around, likely in a position of power, or some opting for staying in hiding as some of this groups knowledge is that of the creation of Elulaith, a dangerous knowledge. Their crest is that of a round gem, colored like the city’s name, iridescently. Banners of this group actually have this property, unlike the many forgeries out there.

Metem Psychos

Also known as The Order of Rebirth, this group is known for its acts of terrorism across Iridescence, assumed as a band of horrendous evildoers from the Slums, little is known about this group and it is hard to identify members, but graffiti tags are often found around the city, attempting to influence Native Borns into a life of violence. Graffiti has made their crest infamous, a rounded diamond shape at the bottom, with a figure of a dragon flying out of it, akin to the imagery of a Phoenix's rebirth.

Parliament of Ire

This is the governing faction of Iridescence, a group of politicians all lead by a Prime Minister, often represented as like royalty. Their crest is a simple circle with a diamond inside of it, the diamond itself often represented as multicolored, to emulate the Order of Pollux’s crest, albeit minorly (and poorly).

Chronos

A monastery built outside of the city, hidden away from the government, it is said that this group trains monks and follows a similar ideology picking up where the Order of Pollux left off,with a much larger fixation on Elulaith’s sky clock artifact. Their crest is a circle, with many other circles surrounding the inner borders and a + in the middle, resembling, vaguely, the Chrono Artifact.

The Armelia

Fancy name for just an army, this is the policing unit within Iridescence and its surrounding lands. Its crest follows the Parliaments with its diamond in a circle look, but within the diamond is a dragon talon, representing the fury of their god.

Elysian Architects

This group is infamous among some, and famous among others, their symbol shown boldly at every chance given, a 5 pointed upside down star with an elegantly patterned circle around it. It’s composed of three of the biggest entrepreneurs, inventors and investors within Iridescence, as well as a few dozen minors who’re never considered as “part of” it.

History

Long ago, Elulaith was created, a powerful group of people of unknown origin other than of the dragons had used Genesis in order to create a realm close, but not within the Astral Plane. Within this pocket of a realm, The Order of Pollux began its paradise where no judgement between good and evil would ever take place again.

It is unknown how long it took, but eventually this paradise was provided a gift, whether from their god himself knowingly, or a gift from chance, a Scale of Pollux had crashed into their minute realm, and with it, began the study of it. The secrets they discovered are forever lost in the annals of history, but the effects are well known, Divine Genesis, and with it they imagined their paradise, and so became the new planar existence of Elulaith. As the cult grew, so did their settlement, and with time, a now unlimited amount of it, Iridescence was born.

The exact dates of Elulaiths birth are not spoken of even by the known members of the order, most simply call it The Divine Genesis, since for Elulaith, that is when time began. What is known is when the Parliament was built, which is where they started counting years, 9074 years ago, a year in Elulaith being 400 cycles/days (approx. 25hrs). It started off simply as a few Order of Pollux members, and stayed that way for a very long time. It wasn’t until about 4035 that outsider officials would start being elected.

The first Prime Minister was the only standing Order of Pollux member left, chosen to be it on the idea that a singular royal like figure mixed with a Parliament would do the city well in giving the government a face. This first Prime Minister was in 6289.

The guard (The Armelia) was officially established when the city got too big to handle without one, roughly a millenia ago, in 7122.

Once the city got to this size, a string of events happened rapidly, most notable of which being Airships in 8956. Soon after this though began the terrorist organization of the Metem Psychos, a first sighting of their symbol noted by the law enforcements in 9011.

Architecture

Real world culture wise Iridescents take from India and Italy for the upper class with a hint of color and magic. Middle class areas are more regular Italian cities, or Constantinople, once again, with more magic, colors and such. Lower class areas vary from farmhouses to cobbled together wooden structures.

The main metropolis of Iridescence is a beautiful towering city, every building looking like it’d almost fit in a elven city, with a human (and dragon) touch, with slightly darker stone and much more colors spread about. Buildings are clean, elegant and almost give off a festive feel with how many colors there are thanks to the many many races across the city sharing their cultures. One thing’s clear in the main metropolis though, these buildings are all for the upper class. Many flags of the city, ribbons, drapes and magical lanterns adorn the streets and building sides, making nighttime in Iridescence as beautiful as its name implies.

On the outer rim of the metropolis is the middle class districts, these buildings vary quite a bit, some are wealthier than others, many are made from a similar stone to the Metropolis towers, though often a mix of wood and brick versions of the stone, as the upper class district buy the bigger cleaner slates of stone. Regardless of being outclassed, the middle class district is still a sight to behold, many bustling marketplaces, entertainment, a few beautiful public spaces and parks even. All on top of that is the state of the art Airship docks that surround the city, and the view for those lucky enough middle class to live close to the edge.

The lower class includes the outer city, which are farmlands or just people who prefer isolation, all of which vary too much in architecture to give a solid statement. Then there’s the slums, situated on islands below Iridescence, most buildings in here are built by locals, varying in stone and wood, barely ever more than 2 levels high. The slums are always dim due to the fog down below, but they make best with what they can, magical lanterns still adorn the streets, candles light the homes, any tarps, covers or anything of the sort is likely there to hide off windows or simply stay out of sight from the authorities, who’re not so kind to the lower class populace.

Geography

The floating islands Iridescence finds itself on is largely stone foundation now, the only natural landscapes on the main metropolis islands are a few farms placed for convenience, and some parks, the largest of which in the upper class district. The slum area is largely stone and mud, with frequent rain, and in turn, more mud. Surrounding the city is a variety of landscapes, mountains can be seen in the distance, a few settlements technically part of Iridescence dot the surrounding islands, the islands being mostly of plains and forests, the most rocky ones being converted into mining facilities.

Natural Resources

A seemingly unlimited ore deposit in the massive expanse of Elulaith, the city of Ire also serves as the biggest provider of lumber and direct network for food in the realm, thanks to the many farms around Iridescence selling a large portion of their crops to the city.

Alternative Name(s)

Ire, Paradise, The Above, City of Laith

Type

Large city

Population

~44,000

Inhabitant Demonym

Laithians

Location under

Elulaith