Thaliost
An ancient city that was once called the “Emerald of Aundair” for its hanging gardens and lush surrounding greenery. The soil was rich with nutrients.
One can tell that this was once a breathtaking city. Flat-roofed, rectangular buildings of two or three stories line the cobblestone street of a white stone used in buildings in Fairhaven, sometimes painted in soft blues, pinks and yellows. Silver lanterns adorn pavements and the windows are all stain glass imagery of the Silver Flame. There are even a few canals that lead to a large marina towards the east of the city.
But everything is now run down. The white buildings are greying or paint is peeling, the silver lanterns stained and the windows grimy, all from a black soot-like substance that seems to be in the air. What used to be roof gardens now are dead trees, vines or have even simply been tiled up completely. And the canals are filthy and grimy.
There is also a more obvious divide between wealthy and poor. Beggars line stand by crossroads while well off nobles strut by on elegant steeds.
At the heart of Thaliost is the ancient temple of the Silver Flame, considered to predate even the Church itself. Unlike any other cathedral of the church, it seems to almost be carved out of a large, ten story outcrop of marbled rock. Its walls are uneven, as if formed by the exposure of the elements. But if you stand further from it on the large plain in front of it, you can just about make out its form… that of a flame frozen into rock-form.
The city's White Arch Bridge used to connect via lightning rail to the city of Rekkenmark in Karrnath across the Scions Sound, but has not been repaired since the bridge was destroyed by order of King Kaius I.
Holy City
Thaliost has always been considered an important site for The Silver Flame and has always welcomed pilgrims from all over Khorvaire, even during the war. The Temple hosts daily services in a multitude of languages and special areas where travelers can rest their feet. The statue of Tira in front of the Temple is a particularly popular spot, where individuals would rub the blade of Kloinjer for luck.The Deciding Arrow
In the last years of the war, Thaliost was taken during a siege by what is known as "The Deciding Arrow". A young archer by the name of Myranna Ishim shot an arrow into the ground, engulfing the battlefield, the city and the surrounding area in a opalescent flame. It, strangely, harmed no one. But after the flames died down, the ground was revealed to be scorched. And, to this day, nothing grows in Thaliost. Due to the loss of resources, Thaliost was claimed by the Kingdom of ThraneUnrest
The citizens still largely consider themselves Aundairan and are torn between bitterness at their political abandonment by their homeland and anger at the seemingly harsh theocratic regime that currently rules the area with a necessarily firm hand. Riots and small acts of disturbance are not rare occurrences and because of this, Thrane has a large garrison of knights in the city, who mostly maintain order.
Type
City
Population
24,500
Location under
Owning Organization
Characters in Location
Related Reports (Primary)
