The West straddles the continent of Avrupa and the northern reaches of the continent of Afer. It is surrounded by the Great Ocean, the Southern Sea, the Northern Sea, the Eastern Sea, the Thule Sea and the Sea of Grass, which connects the West to the Unknowable East. The landscape is varied and generally temperate, covered in vast plains, towering mountains, and fertile river valleys.
Table of Contents
The Holy City
Igor the Conqueror, upon seizing the city as his new capital, thinking not of the cost of any kind, pressed on for the creation of the greatest cathedral man has ever built. Octavio of Tor, the most skilled builder of the day, carried forward Igor’s zealous intentions, organized the labor of the workmen and prepared models of the future construction. It is indeed a proof of the esteem with which God the Almighty regarded him that he furnished the conqueror with a man who would be so useful in effecting his designs.
The Church of the Name is distinguished by indescribable beauty, excelling both in its size and in the harmony of its construction. It is singularly full of light and sunshine. You could declare that the place is not lighted by the sun from without, but that the rays are produced by the cathedral itself. Another sign of God the Almighty’s approval.
Called the Despair of God’s Enemies, the walls of the Holy City are the most famous in the West, singular not only in scale, but in their construction and design, which integrate man-made defenses with natural obstacles. Their principle composition is mortared rubble, faced with blocks of fitted granite and reinforced by layered red bricks. To enhance the integrity of the overall network, the towers and walls are independent of each other.
The entire city is enclosed in the embrace of the walls, symbolizing God the Almighty’s embrace of the people. The entire network spans 14 miles of walls, reinforced by more than 400 towers, bastions and strong points. Not once have they fallen to enemy hands and nor shall they so long as God the Almighty’s blessing be upon us.
The Great Palace is located on the island of Igor’s Wrath, where the conquerer slew the decadent infidels upon taking the city. The main entrance of the Great Palace is the Gate of the Prophet, which guards the way from the Iron Warf. Nearest to the gate lies the University, the Baths of Vladimir, and the barracks of the Yusek and his soldiers.
The grounds of the Great Palace are a maze of passages, grand chambers, and apartments decorated with gold and silver in honor of God the Almighty’s glory. The buildings are each capped with gilded domes and it is said only the Cathedral of the Holy name shines with more light.
The Prison of the Prophet sits across the Strait of Muktadir in the compound of the warrior clans. It was here that the servants of the Prophet, in their mercy, let the Bravish nobility languish until they came to see the light of God Almighty. The Ana Sisterhood, who administers to the prisoners when they grow sick in the name of God’s servant, the Kale Kesis, swear that the wailing of the damned souls of those families can still be heard in the deep night.
The Cemberlitas sits on the shore of the Strait of Muktadir, facing the heart of the Holy City. Once it was the seat of power of the God Kings of Karth, but after their fall it fell into disrepair. It remained so until God the Almighty willed that the servants of his Prophet would take the city from the infidel Bravs. From that day onward, it became the home of the warrior clans, all of whom send at least one representative to stay here.
Unlike the Great Palace and the Cathedral of the Name, the Cemberlitas is a dour building made for the furtherance of war. Built of towering blocks of black basalt, it is said where the Palace and Cathedral give off the light of God the Almighty’s blessing, the Cemberlitas absorbs the souls of all the sinners of the Holy City.
Chenu: The Serene City
If Tor is the spiritual capital of the Orthodox world, Chenu is it’s political center. Called the Serene City, this political hotbed is anything but, as there are constant squabbles between the powerful families of the Vorian Empire. This bustling port is divided into five districts which cover dozens of separate islands, both man-made and natural. Brick and stone buildings rise above the canals, towering over open air plazas, private docks, and fine stone bridges.
The San Galiana District is the western most district of the city of Chenu. It is a bustling area that is home to the main shipyards, the armory and barracks of the navy of the Vorian Empire, as well as several lumberyards. The Morino dockyards are on the southern most tip of the district and throngs with merchants. In the very center of the district sits the Church of the Holy Name, the second largest religious building in the city.
Found just east of the San Marcela District in the city of Chenu, the San Ramiro District is the home of busy workshops. Here craftsmen ranging from tailors to blacksmiths can be found. The majority of the merchant families also keep their major warehouses here and it is home to the largest hospital in the city, the San Dia. Surrounding this bustling heart are the homes of peasants and the poor.
Found just to the southeast of the San Zago District, the San Paz district is home to some of the wealthiest families in the Holy Union of Voria. Here such luminary families as the Luis Zivinni and the Iago Cruz squabble over ancient feuds while simultaneously seeking greater power. Here the canals are heavily patrolled by the city watch as well as the personal guards of the prominent families. It is not uncommon for such family guards to meet with bared steel on the district’s many bridges.
The San Marcus District lies south of the San Galiana District and is home to the world famous open air market, the Plaze de Marcus. Here many of the lesser merchants make their homes as well as the fleet of fisherman that patrol the waters of the Radian Strait.
The San Zago District is the southeastern most district in the city of Chenu. It is the political and spiritual heart of the city being the home to the Duque Primero of the Vorian Empire as well as the largest church in the city. The district is also home to embassies from many different foreign countries as well as powerful families from abroud. Here men play at politics and make decisions that affect thousands of souls.
The Duque Primero’s Palace is an imposing stone building that squats on the North side of the Plaze de San Zago. An immense fortress, it is decorated with marble statues of classical figures from Vorish myth, many made to look like past Duque Primeros. The two western towers of the Palace overlook the city and are home to the Duque Primero and his household. The various ministers of the Vorian Empire hold court in the chambers on the north side and deep within the building one can find a well stocked armory and the most feared dungeons in all the West.
The most magnificent church in the city, the Basilica de San Zago is also the Duque Primero’s personal chapel. It sits on the southern side of the Plaze de San Zago and houses the preserved remains of the patron of the city. The bell tower of the glorious marble building rises two hundred feet in the air and rings for festivals, council meetings as well as serves as the primary lighthouse for the city. In the crows cages that swing before the tower, convicted criminals sit out their sentences.
Just to the south of the Duque Primero’s Palace lies the Little Plaza, which runs east-west between the Ermita Bridge and the barracks for the Duque’s personal guard. At the west end, before the bridge stand two marble columns. The north column supports a massive statue of St. Marcus, the very first Duque Primero. The southern column is topped by a massive roaring lion, the favored animal of God. Despite these artistic marvels, the Little Plaza is best known for the gallows that occupy its center. It is here that state enemies are executed.