Lyh Ishana
The Phoenix City named for the phoenix eyries that once graced the tops of the tallest towers before the cataclysm.
Demographics
Though one of the few high elf dominated cities to allow permanent settlers from other species, they still look upon them as lesser and the small, mainly human population that has made the city their home are all deemed as second class citizens.
Government
Like the other high elven realms they are lead by a council of high nobility, their titles passed down hereditarily.
History
When the fey magic that held the phoenix eyries failed after the city arrived on the material plane most of the phoenixes fled their crumbling homes to the surrounding dwarven mountains. One remained in its nest, protecting its clutch of eggs assisted by the twin castellans of the phoenix guard, Arielle and Aranor. For this the twins gained the loyalty of the great bird.
Whilst Aranor fathered no children, his sister Arielle had twins, each of whom had twins of their own and whilst the original phoenix left into the mountains in the 7th century after the death of Aranor, who had outlived his sister, its descendants are closely tied to the six descendants of Arielle with her children Daetha and Ayred acting as the new castellans of the phoenix guard.
Geography
Lys Ishana lies on the western edge of the Zauberwald. The northernmost of the three elven cities within the great forest. To its west the southern arrowtooth mountains match the majesty of the tallest of the eyrie towers.
A great scorched path leads south from the city, marking the trail of destruction where the greatest of the flameproof phoenixes flew across the treetops of the Zauberwald, burning to cinders the very earth beneath its wings. This makes for an oddly convenient path leading most of the way between Lyh Ishana and Ilthmar.
The Glass Road as its called is a swathe cut through the forest where the ground is still blackened and the crunch of glass can be heard underfoot. It stretches for a few days ride south of Ly Ishana. The path itself is about one hundred or so paces across and almost unnaturally straight. If it weren't for the marble path the elves had built down its centre I could have believed it if my guides had told me it was only yesterday that a great phoenix some one hundred feet across had screamed across the treetops at tremendous speed as it fled the destruction of its home. The walls of thick vegetation on either side only acting to remind me of the power of such a beast.Szabo
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