Alvadas

From Mizahar Lore

Revision as of 16:53, 25 September 2010

Alvadas

Region	Kalea
Notability	Home of Ionu and The Inverted
Population	9,000
Races	Human 60% Isur 10% Other 30%
Languages	Common Mizaharian
Currency	Miza
Imports	Most goods (mostly a trade city)
Exports	Most goods

Long regarded as the home of the God of Illusion and Trickery, Alvadas brims with mystery and hallucinatory experiences. The City of Illusions is a dark, multi-faceted place where nothing is ever as it seems. It would be hard to explain Alvadas in a few workds, as one sees Alvadas as they would like to see it. To some, it is a place of mystery where secrets lay around every corner. To others, it is a place of fear and darkness. Alvadas sits in a valley at the very beginning of the Kitrean mountain range. Its trade routes connect the Kalea region with the Suvan Sea, forming a vlauable trading route that many are afraid to take.

Infrastructure

The Gaping Maw serves as the entrance point to Alvadas. Once the traveler has passed through the stone jaws, they will find themselves in an ever-changing, intricate network of buildings and streets. Immidiatly to the right of Gaping Maw, one will find the Sanity Center - the only stable point of Alvadas. It's all topsy-turvy from there.

The streets of Alvadas are always moving around and varying their appearance. One day, the streets could look like those of Ravok or Syliras, others they could look like something never seen before or again on Mizahar. The streets themselves could be paved, water, fire, fur or some monstrosity of several different factors. Even the signs never point in the right direction.A left out of your house one morning might take you to the Gaping Maw. Two bells later, that same left out of your front door could drop you in a pit with some very angry Myrians. No house is ever in the same place, no street has ever looked the same twice. Two shops that had been next to each other one day could be on opposite sides of the city the next. The day after, those shops could be placed on top of another, which you’d have to climb to get to.

It is said that those who readily open their minds to illusion have a greater chance of understanding this overwhelming city.

The Weather

Alvadas's weather tends toward the warmer. However, one never can tell with Ionu's moods. If the deity is greatly displeased, there might very well be a blizzard in the middle of summer. However, such occurrences are few and far between. Most of the time, the whether is pleasantly warm with a few stray breezes. Winters tend to be very bearable and cold weather doesn't last long.

Geographic Location

Alvadas is cradled in a valley at the start of the Kitrean mountain range. It sits on the edge of the Suvan Sea, providing a point of connection between the great body of water and Sultros.

Culture

Holidays

The people of Alvadas devote one week every year to celebrate the greatness of Ionu and the illusions he/she brings to the world. Known as the Festival of Illusion, the celebration usually takes place in the second week of Spring.Artisans put their most unique wares out in the street. The Bizzare is filled up to the brim with foreign goods brought over from all over Mizahar. Inventors try to best each other by creating the strangest pieces. Artists paint optical illusions on large canvases which are hung throughout the city. People attend the Temple of Ionu daily to worship the deity. The highlight of the week comes at its very end when the Inverted perform one of their famous plays.

Trade

Alvadas serves as a link between the Suvan Sea and the rest of the Kalea region. Merchants travel in and out of Alvadas all the time, bringing in their own goods to the Bizarre and coming away with even more exotic items. Traders flock to the city in especially large clusters during the Festival of Illusion.

Factions

TBA

Locations of Interest

The Sanity Center

The Sanity Center remains the only grounded building in all of Alvadas. Said to have been tied to the earth with a spell from a powerful wizard, the Center serves as a a place of stability for those overwhelmed by Alvadas's ever-changing ways. Inside the Sanity Center sits Serenity Berrel - a helpful, if slightly insane woman. She is tasked with greeting visitors of Alvadas and explaining the inner workings of the city. One can also visit the Sanity Center for help in finding a job or acquiring a place of residence.

The Temple of Ionu

Probably the most important architectural structure in Alvadas, the Temple of Ionu serves as the focal point of the city. Old and weathered, the temple is a place of both worship and research. Prone to disappearing at the most inconvenient times, the temple draws a lot of interest from traveling scholars. It is run by the head priest, Cadmus, and is said to always be watched over by Ionu. There is much to be learned in the grand temple and many a scholar has entered it hoping to learn its secrets.

The temple's head priest is as much of an enigma as the temple he cares for. He is said to have a vast knowledge of Ionu, but seldom reveals any of it to those who seek it. However, most people who visit Alvadas are always eager to have a talk with him in hopes of learning something worthwhile.

Beside the temple stands a bell-tower from which a young boy observes the temple every day. Whenever the temple disappears, thee boy rings the tower bell. It serves as a warning to those unfamiliar with the temple's temporary invisibility and has become a tradition every since it was implemented some decades ago.

The Garden of No Return

Another enigma of Alvadas, the garden consists of a forever-changing maze. It is adorned with flora coming from all over Mizahar, beautiful fountains, and intricate pathways. However, once one has spent a few hours trying to get out of the maze, all those niceties don't seem so nice anymore. The Garden of No Return presents a good challenge to those seeking to test their survival and botany skills.

House of Broken Mirrors

The mirrors in the House of Broken Mirrors aren’t really broken. Some even go as far as to say that there aren’t any mirrors at all, just shadows of reality that creep behind glass and mimic the gestures of the House visitors when they feel like it. A location of foolish entertainment for some and a test of sanity for others, the House reflects the passions and horrors of human nature. Many have walked through its doors and not everyone has come out. Those brave or stupid enough to enter the worn-down building will be faced with distorted reflections of themselves and the world around them. Sometimes, there will be truth to the monstrous reflections. That is when insanity first rears its head.

The Bizarre

The Bizarre is where the majority of trading happens in Alvadas. It is here that the more freelance Isurians come from Sultros to sell their finely crafted weapons and garner work contracts to other places on Mizahar. It is here that some of the great craftsmen come to seek work and many traders seek to sell their goods. While the building in which the Bizarre is housed can look relatively small at first glance, it seems to transform when one steps inside. The space within is vast and magnificent, decorated with bright ornaments and finely-crafted carpets. The Bizarre is always brimming with exotic goods and even more exotic people.

People of Alvadas

CBA O.O