Leorda

The capital city of Leorda is found hidden deep in a complex cave system, and is truly a place of darkness and mystery. Its focus has always been on exploring magic but, truth be told, it may be to an unhealthy degree. The raw magic present there is evidenced in many ways, such as the simple fact that there are many strange plants that seem magical in nature and, as far as anyone knows, are not found anywhere else in the world. Magical fires, in shades of blue and purple, light the streets at all hours, and architecture is found here in styles and configurations that would be unachievable without magical aid. To an outsider, the cave appears to be a wondrous spectacle of bizarre and amazing gothic styles, all lit with flickering, magical flame. The most notable feature is the arcane district at its center, which is completely contained within a massive central pillar that dominates all sightlines in the cavern.

Leorda’s government consists of an isolationist group of archmages; because of this, outsiders are generally not welcome. To enforce their segregation, the city has both a substantial city watch and a volunteer military presence. Due to these two groups, as well as the strict punishment, crime rates are extremely low. Military units always travel in groups of three to five soldiers, and there is always at least one present possessing some magical abilities. The magical power here is arcane focused, not divine; religion does not seem to affect the political environment, and judicial law is held above that of any deity, though shrines and altars to just about all of them can be found in one place or another. The citizens of Leorda are also as diverse as their places of worship. Many and varied are the lifestyles and cultures on display.

What might concern folks, were they to know, are the activities of the leaders themselves. The mages are constantly tinkering and experimenting with dark magic in ways that many would insist are crimes against nature itself. Those who have had their suspicions, or even concrete knowledge, have thus far turned away, likely feeling powerless to stop it. Rumor even has it that the archmages tricked a powerful and all-knowing demon into visiting the capital, striking deals of terrible consequence in exchange for access to the wisdom it possessed.

For good or ill, Leorda is home to vast stores of knowledge. Vast collections of books, housing all manner of rare and esoteric knowledge, have been amassed and fill the many libraries within the capital. The rarest and most-prized are kept off-limits to anyone besides the archmages and nobility but, with so many books, keeping track of all of them has to be somewhat difficult…

One remarkable local legend (and popular, fireplace tale) is that a deity of chaos and trickery once visited Leorda in the flesh. While the common folk gasp and chuckle, embellishing all their favorite parts, the archmages know the story is not mere legend. Not only did the deity’s materialisation actually happen, but it does so regularly. The mages are content with the wives’ tales, knowing full well that it is easier to hide secrets amongst half-truths, and none but they know the true purpose or reason behind the visitations. Further secrets are lying dormant within a mine local to the capital, filled with magical crystals called ‘soul stones’. Within, a collapsed tunnel conceals an otherworldly, crystalline castle, long since abandoned and, thus far, undiscovered.