Aracas
The blocky pyramid rising from the center of Alba's Great Lake may be the most impressive part of Aracas, but few ever set foot on the central island, let along the temple itself. The majority of the elven city is built on the lake itself, not stationary on stilts but free-floating as a collection of houses and buildings sat atop boats. The city wanders the lake, north-east one day and south the next, with magical wards preventing it from crashing into shore.
The only way to enter Aracas is, of course, by boat. You will find plenty of ferriers on the lake's edge, where some herd animals are kept and a few farms butt up against the jungle. For a fee that ranges based on distance and boat size, nearly any of these residents will row you to one of the city's many floating docks. But the most difficult part of visiting Aracas is not the journey there, but getting one's "lake legs." The many moving parts of the city dip and rise and shift with the water. Residents are so used to this that many get "land sick" - this will not stop them from laughing at newcomers and their shaky, uncertain steps.
There are too many entrances into the city to count, and your ride is likely to drop you off at whichever dock is oriented most closely to their home, but let us begin with the main canal that snakes its way through the city. Unlike most cities, which place their inns and shops along the main street and near the entrance in particular, Serpent Canal is bordered primarily by townhouses and apartments belonging to fisherfolk.
If you are desparate for the markets, you will find them largely on the borders of the city. Some are waterfront, floating between the docks, and others are just a few steps inward, tucked among the warehouses. Most sell fish, but forrays into the jungle are common, so adventuring gear can be found alongside everyday goods. Curiously absent for sale are most luxury goods - rare furs, colorful feathers, and fine materials are reserved, by law, for elven nobility, and sometimes exclusively for the High Priestess herself.
But let us assume you are looking for a place to stay the night, perhaps several nights - well, my friend, I'm afraid you're sorely out of luck. Aracas receives very few visitors, and you're better off knocking on townhouse doors than looking for a proper inn. More unfortunate still, Aracans are highly suspicious of outsiders, especially non-elves. If you do not have friends or family to house you, you may well find yourself sleeping on the docks.
Aracas is known for an abundance of powerful spirits. There is the spirit of the Great Lake, Copachaca; the volcano spirit, Huaque; and several others. While most spirits tend to be reclusive, the spirits of Aracas are particularly shy, to the point of invisibility. Only priests are able to see them, and even then only under certain conditions. Nonetheless, they are powerful forces whose whims regularly influence the daily lives of regular citizens.
