Mythal Thalore
Mythal Thalore is the holy city of elves and the capital of all of Elandir built four hundred and ninety leagues from Mt. Sera. The city is a large spire, stretching high into the sky, taller than some of the mountains in the Northern Chain. This architectural marvel would only be possible thanks to a magical device called a Mythal, for which the city is named. Developed over the course of decades or even a century by highly trained, divinely endowed, and renowned magicians, this Mythal is capable of extending a magical field over a large area which negates the normal effects of nature, such as gravity, tectonic movements, and wind erosion which would normally collapse a city of this height and girth.
The city, nicknamed "The City of Towers," is split into thirteen distinct levels. The very top level houses the many various temples to Corallon Larenthian and the minor deities of her court. Below that level is the main government housing, and the eleventh level houses the famed University of Mythal Thalore. Thanks to magical forms of transport like teleportation circles and elevators, the height of the city does not pose difficulty to the local population. With modern inventions like the lightning rail and airships, the city acts like a cargo and transport hub serving the entire length of the Northern Chain and four different nations.
Today, the city is a famous destination for anyone traveling the world. Few cities are considered as beautiful as this silver spike rising into the heavens, cased in glass and steel. Many trade routes pass through the city, airships travel in an out, and a very active train hub on the lowest levels connects the city to Tuatesar and Aurelia. The city is home to millions of elves and expatriates from many other nations.
Government
Mythal Thalore, like much of Elandir, operates on the rulership of an elected counsel of elders and the voice of the priesthood of Corallon Larenthian. From this counsel of elders, consuls are selected on a yearly basis to make final rulings for the city and for the nation at large.
Industry & Trade
Most inhabitants work in the city under the elves' unique apprenticeship system in which individuals can become masters of one or more fields, and they train other, younger elves. These jobs can be menial tasks such as cleaning the streets or delivering goods from the local stores. Others directly benefit the community, with artisans throughout the city crafting leather, furs, lumber, metal, jewels, gold, and silver into items for sale. A large business of silvered elven blades is also booming. The arts are also a famed elven production, with great writers and playwrights and artists producing works that range from the traditional to the modern.
Infrastructure
In addition to the Mythal holding the city up against the erosion of time and nature, the inhabitants of Mythal Thalore have invented many magical items. Featherfall tokens prevent thousands of deaths every year from people accidentally falling hundreds of feet to the streets below. magical elevators lift people and cargo up and across the city, faster than any pack animal. The winding corridors of the city are magically enchanted to mimic the sky outside, providing bright luminescence during the day and a velvety black sky dotted with stars at night.
At the lowest level of the city, a large train yard allows for scores of cargo and passenger trains, both steam and lightning, to travel from here to the neighboring countries of Tuatesar and Aurelia, and a large highway to the east called the Caelora Highway connects Mythal Thalore to the inland cities of Elandir and to the Oasis at Glass Pillars.
Guilds and Factions
In Mythal Thalore, the highest "guild" is the priesthood, though not officially. Their rule is considered absolute as they speak on behalf of the divine. The strongest traditional guild in the city is the magic wielders. These powerful beings, trained in the university for centuries, are responsible for the most important work in the city: assisting transportation, defense, mass communication, long-range communication, regular maintenance of the Mythal, and the production of magical items used throughout the city. Without the magic wielders, the city would not be able to function as it does. Beneath them though, the next strongest guild is the artisans of the city, who produce the greatest works of art for the enjoyment of others and at great financial gain for themselves. These artisans can be literal artists or sculptures, always pushing the boundaries of what is considered art. Others produce more utilitarian items such as conventional weapons clad in silver or arrows infused with magical effects.
Architecture
Much of the architecture of the city resembles gothic style cathedrals with elaborate rooftops, hundreds of statues and statuettes, and flying buttresses connecting lower towers to higher towers.
Geography
The city is wrapped in the mountains of the Northern Chain. There are six distinct mountain peaks named, in order of elevation from highest to lowest, Viessa, Keenor, Sorisana, Yathanae, Calarel, and Bemere. Mythal Thalore towers over all but Viessa and Keenor, and all are clad in snow nearly all winter. Every spring, the snow melts and flow down through tributaries, past the hundreds of terrace gardens, into the river near the base of the city. The Mythal River flows into a large aquifer created by the Mythal dam, providing drinking water for the entire city, before flowing out into Lake Mythal.
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