Illyara Building / Landmark in Ubrabis | World Anvil
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Illyara (Ill-ē-are-a)

Inspiration for this magical city were many things but the core it was my own making. Photos for this article were created by Midjourney AI.
Illyara is one of the largest cities on the continent Uraborg. It stands tall and fierce in the middle of the Trastic Desert. The city is shaped in a large circle with tall walls surrounding it and two points of entry: east and west. In the very center of the city stands a tower like structure reaching the heavens. Illyara has many greenhouses embued with magic to produce enough goods for the city. Food is regularly distributed to every household living in the city to ensure starvation is not an issue. The city raise camel for trade and use towards the city. There are many craftsmen of all trades who make a living in the city and also export their goods to other cities. Right inside the East entrance, which faces the main land, is the market district. There is a vast variety of goods people can buy and trade for. They range from foods to weapons to jewelry.

Purpose / Function

The purpose of Illyara is to provide a safe haven for the Eladrin to thrive. They also accept refugees and immigrants to make a new home for themselves. The people who choose to live here adopt a peaceful lifestyle in the grand city.

Alterations

The city started as a tall tower-like structure in the center with scattered buildings surrounding. Once the city began growing in population the need for more housing and businesses became more pressing. The city began expanding in all directions around the center tower, building more walls each time creating a three ring, clock-like city with a massive tower in the center.

Architecture

The city is full of round and blue roofs, seafoam green doors, clay red sandstone roads, and white walls. The blue and green accents are to represent the ocean colored skin of the Eladrin. The white walls are to reflect the natural light from the sun to encourage a safe and peaceful environment. The red standstone roads are to prevent the ground from getting too hot to safely walk on. The Eladrin have infused the city grounds with Creation Magic to promote the growth of plants in the harsh desert. The city is littered with beautiful greenery, sparkling blue water fountains, inviting parks, and spacious walkways covered by trees. Illyara is strategically founded over a massive natural spring in the desert. The city relies on the spring for its water source and have created small rivers to move water throughout the city.

Defenses

Illyara is surrounded by an invisible magical barrier. There are many rumors as to what kind of magic is fueling the barrier but no know outside of the Royal Eladrin Family. This is a highly protected secret that only a very select few are privileged to know. There are also four Mage Towers, two towards the front and two towards the back. These towers are housed by the best Arch Mages to protect the city at all times. The city has gate control by several guards at all times. There is also a sizable military force employed by the city.

History

Three generations ago Illyara was a castle and land in a large mountain valley called Odysia, which is now in the Wastes. The Eladrin were a peaceful people who kept to themselves and thrived off of their own intelligence and natural aptitude to Feye Magic. They were able to build strong buildings to protect them from the harsh winds of the valley and harness that wind into power. This made life much more enjoyable for them as they began to invent more things to help them with everyday life. They grew bountiful crops and raised plentiful livestock that kept every citizen fed. Unfortunatly their success made them attractive to others who wanted what they had for themselves. While they were still a young and nieve kingdom a large army of Orcs invaded. The Eladrin were nearly extinct by the end of the carnage. They began to flee to the south when the God of Civilization found the 30 of them who were left. She saw that they were in desperate need of help so she offered them advice on where to set their roots again. Second, she blessed their long journey to the Trastic Desert on the other side of the continent to grant them safe passage.

Tourism

Illyara offers many inns, gambling houses, parks, magical institutes, exotic restaurants, and many more magical amenities that attract a wide variety of people. Many people come for the culture of the magical Eladrin. Some come to learn from the best Arch Mages to further their knowledge in a wide variety of different magics. Because the city is built on a natural spring it is gifted with crystal clean water in an otherwise harsh desert. Illyara has the largest bazaar on the west side, Kaldishii Market, that takes up a large portion of the east entrance inside the city. The Blue Dragon Lodge hosts seasonal hunting campaigns to help control the Blue Dragon poputaltion in the desert. They have a seasional competition Beast Hunters can enroll in and gain treasures and gold currancy at the end of each season for the most Dragon Kills. Purple Slag worms and Mirror Worms live in the desert and are great for hunting, meat trades, material trading, and mages testing to complete their education must find and kill a mirror worm. Western Inventors University offers tinkers and inventors a place to advance their craft and learn to make a business from their efforts. Illyara House of Magic is a very popular magic institution where mages can go to become powerful Arch Mages. The institution holds a seat on the city council and is also tasked with supplying the cities water with magic to keep it pure. Illyara hosts an annual fair for the inventors and mages to show off their skills, gain clients, and interact with their peers in an uplifting, positive environment. Every summer and winter the city holds two festivals to honor the God of Civilization for their beautiful oasis and protection. The festivals last a week long and are full of dancing, music, light shows and fire shows preformed by the mages, food, and much more. The Eladrin wear festive clothing in bright colors and their skin tend to glow brighter during these times of extreme happiness.
Founding Date
412
Type
Castle
Parent Location
Additional Rulers/Owners
Characters in Location

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Comments

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Jul 10, 2023 06:09

OMG this is great, you did such a good job!! Love it!!