Ymhilean, capital of Unhelion

Founded by the faithful, protected by the righteous

— Inscription at the Silver Gate at Ymhilean's walls

Certainly the largest city in Northern Karia and birthplace of great thinkers, scientists, poets and heroes; Ymhilean is a very famous and rich city and for the past millenia it has become the most important elven city in Yeia.

Demographics

Most of the Ymhileanis are Sun Elves, and inside of this group they mostly belong to the Anthineryn (the newcommers), the descendants of High elves from todays Southern Seria. They conformed mostly the aristocracy, the priesthood and most of the artisan class. The suburbs are mostly populated by Batheryn (meaning indigenous), the original Sun elves. Its not that these two groups that formed the Sun Elf ethnicity hate each other, on the contrary. The fact that they live in different neighbourhoods has to do with the fact that in this case, the Anthineryn are the natives of the city and the Batheryn came much later to populate the city.
Related to the Anthineryn are also some Desert Elves, also called Sand Lords that travel to the city with their caravans to adquire or sell goods at the capital. Also, became their kings are electors, they usually tend to stay at the capital a couple of months and then return to their kin in the desert.


Meanwhile, the Foreign Quarter is populated by humans, mainly Nari, Seris or Blatian merchants and workers.

Government

The King of Unhelion acts as the town mayor, and the council of the city is formed by the Governors of each of the 6 districts in which the capital is divided. They decide on matters such as taxes, regulation of guilds, police, public infrastructure or festivals. The Governors of each district are elected by the inhabitants of their districts each 5 years. 

Industry & Trade

As it has been said, Ymhilean is one of the busiest trading centers of Karia. Goods, precious objects, weapons, magical books from the realms of the Nari peoples to the East, to the Seris Empire to the South can be found on its markets and shops.
Most of the wealth comes not only for trade, but also from the abundant agriculture of the regions around the river. that allows various harvests during the year. Craftmanship is a very important sector for the city. The city is renown for its basket weaving, and its products made of silver and gold, such as book covers, lamps, incensaries or statues.
Beer and coffee making are also very important industries in Ymhilean. Both of this products ( in the case of beer, the hop which it is made) comes from the regions nearby or from the Wetlands. They are transported to the city by caravans through the desert or by ship. Once they arrived to the city, in the case of coffee grains, they can be either ground at one of the city's mills or sold whole in the markets. Beer is produced at some of the distilleries across the city and then sold to the many taverns that are located almost at every street or neighbourhood.

Districts

Ymhilean is divided into 6 districts; 3 at the center and another 3 at the suburbs. The first and most important is the Royal District. Where the palace of the Sun Elf Kings, the great temples and the houses of the nobility and electors are located. Second in important is the marketplace district. Ymhilean is home to the greatest Marketplace in Yeia, and a lot of trade is conducted inside the walls of this imponent bazar, and also lots of wealth!. Because of that the city's authorities want to keep the place safe and run it properly.
Next to the Bazar district lies the Ahira District, named after the goddes whose temple is the most important and visible of the district. Most of the district is populated by merchants, priests and artisans that sell their goods on the great market.
On the other bank of the river lies the other 3 districts. The closest to the river is the Pomali district, also known as The Docks, because its where the trading ships that go up to the river unload their goods. West of it lies the Smiths district, where you find entire streets with shops selling gold, silver objects among other materials. And finally North, near the Northern Gate its located the Foreign quarter, which is inhabited mostly by human merchants and workers from Unhellion's friendly human nations.

Architecture

The architecture of most of the buildings, including temples, palaces and houses can be very modest and austere at first sight, but the inside of those buildings is totally different, with many of them having very elaborate and decorated interiors. The main building materials are bricks made of adobe and wood.
The city is famous for its beautiful windows and balconies made of carved wood that are tipical of most of the houses at the city centre. Most Ymhileanis like to spend the hot summer days at this balconies protected by the sun and out of public view drinking coffee with ice.

by Pinterest

Interior and exterior of a typical Ymhileani wooden carved window. by Pinterest

by pinterest

Geography

Ymhilean is crossed in the middle by the the Amyr river which flows from the Diamond Lake. South of the city lies the implacable desert populated only by the most resilient of the elves, the Sand Lords. The city is divided into the Upper City, (where the great Palace and the fotress Kar Vidywn are located), at the centre of the settlement, and the lower city that comprises the rest of the city.

Founding Date

ca 6500 BP

Alternative Name(s)

The city of the Sun

Type

Large city

Population

310.000

Related Ethnicities

• Desert elf

Inhabitant Demonym

Ymhileani

Included Locations

• Royal Palace of Ymhilean

Owning Organization

Kingdom of Unhelion

Places of Interest

If you wish to visit the city of the Sun, oh traveller, these are the main buildings and monuments you may visit!:

• Temple of Ahira: The city's largest and most famous temple, dedicated to the goddess of Fire, famous for his beautiful roof made of carved wood and for its gardens.
• Royal Palace: Famous for its gardens and its colonnade. This is the place where ambassadors are welcomed by the king and his court and when the festivals, both religious or secular are celebrated. Above the gardes and the courtyard lies the imponent fortress of Kar Vidywn, where the king lives for most of the year.
• Temple of the Sun: Its roof and columns made of marble from the Sun mountains are a sight to behold, here the light of the sun is reflected upon a gigantic orb. Oh, also, don't forget to pet the cute Ilidari that often guard the entrance to the temple.
• House of Afaryn Bei Taryn: Home to one of the greatest elf poets that have ever lived. The western building, which was an old granary, was transformed into a museum where many examples of the authors callygraphy are exposed.
• Temple of Nature: The oldest temple in Ymhilean, built 2800 years ago that has survived to the present time, from there you can have an excellent panoramic view of the city.
• The Great Market: One cannot visit Ymhilean without visiting the Great Market!, there you can find everything you can imagine or wish. There are not only shops but also baths, taverns and even a little museum !.

Ymhilean in literature

Go there, you honorable knight, to the house near the fountain, where the beautiful maiden of golden hair his promise mantain, to show you her face, so that at her moonlike face you might gaze. Sent by the skies she has been, with crimson lips and a flower painted on her forehead and voluptuous breasts, if she had lived in other time a prize from the gods she will be, and the heroes of old for her they will fight

— Físyalyl Silverdrift, elven bard of the 2nd century BP

Ymhilean, te Aez'an te mair meer (Ymhilean,such a beautiful container for such precious treasures)

— Famous Sun elf saying

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