#cryxia

Aj Aj! And, ehh.. what might yin be up to today?

Just outside the Palace, the commons comprise the main part of the city.

The commons are bordered on the north and south by the Slums, and a mountain range to the west.

These commons are vast and littered with benches, tables, and stalls, making for a great place to shop, eat, or chat with friends. The floor is comprised of marble brick, but it's often covered with a thick layer of sand.

Many canals intersect the place, with ornate marble bridges crossing them. While the position is nowhere near glamorous, many kobolds enjoy the peace and grace of working as a gondolier.

The edges of the commons are almost always used as a makeshift market, with all sorts of merchants, vendors, and cooks setting up stalls or even using their residence as a shop.

Many long, thick sections of fabric are affixed to buildings and strung across the commons, providing the place with cool shade.

Cryxians make it a goal to have a major festivity every month (measured in moon cycles) and a minor celebration every seventh day. For major celebrations, the commons are decorated in different colors, with different themes and activities, while for minor celebrations, the kobolds make and bring various decorations, plants, and furniture to hopefully become a permanent part of the commons.

Slums only in appearance, these tall walls of sandstone are where many kobolds call home. Stretching high into the sky and even a small distance underground, many houses have been built onto one another in a chaotic, jumbled, and beautiful mess of housing.

Forming a protective wall on the north and south ends of the city, the slums seem to almost form a ring around the city.

An intricate and time-worn gate built of marble and reinforced with sandstone greets those returning to the city after a lengthy expedition as well as travellers from afar. The Gate is incredibly tall and is visible from a day's travel away, often giving weary travellers a burst of hope for the last stretch of their journey.

Any barrier that once prevented free movement through the Gate has long since worn away, leaving the main entry to the city completely open to entrance or egress.

However, the people who live in the slums are some of the kindest, most hard-working kobolds you'll ever meet. If you're lucky, you can line up for a yearlong stew for the anniversary of some special event! More commonly, though, are chopped meats and small breads. Almost all families in the area cook way too much for them to eat themselves, and they'd gladly sell what's left over to a hungry Venturer. You can't beat the price, and the taste has a simple robustness that's really hard to find elsewhere.

While the slums should normally be avoided at all costs, they're a great spot for a break when you're free for a few weeks. One could even build a house or shack there, but that's some lore for later.

Magic! It comes in many forms.

There are four forces of magic at work in Cryxia:

The Sihedron. The shape of this rune invokes energy, briefly remembering an ancient power. Magic of this type is very easy to learn, but is often dangerous and unpredictable. In addition, it can be used to cast devastating spells. The more powerful spells can cause permanent harm to its caster if not used within the most extreme caution.

The Crystals. Shards of the hearts of a long-forgotten race, they are full of magical energy. Rarely found, they each have a unique use, whether it is some type of weapon, a strange effect, or even channeling and empowering spells cast through other means. However, those trained in a special art can use a completely different form of magic using them. The most powerful crystals are only found within the hearts of ancient kings, and are thus ridiculously rare and highly sought-after.

????. An unknown, possibly benevolent entity grants the most devout spellcasting prowess. None know its origin, but a few claim that it dwells within the very world of Cryxia itself. Spells cast using its power may bring life to the fallen, freeze the impurities of the world, and mend the wounds of allies. The most powerful spells cast in this way offer a glimpse beyond time and space, causing a deeper understanding and appreciation of the universe. That or it drives the caster insane.

Starlight. Once in a very long while, a child is born with horrible cataracts, their eyesight taken by the stars. In return, they can direct the stars' light through crystal lenses or chunks of crystal to use powerful magic. However, this power is very rarely seen, only found in those born with it or those who study intently for many decades. This form of casting's effects are quite powerful and versatile, but locking each lens into place takes a while. In all, the most powerful spells cast in this way take a very long time and a load of concentration to cast.

Here's an approximation of the solar system:

The yellow and blue thing there below the big glowy circle (the sun) is the planet containing Cryxia (We'll just call it Cryxia for now). Cryxia has two moons, one orbiting the other. The rest of the solar system doesn't matter much. We're concentrating on Cryxia.

Now Cryxia has a vertical equator. It orbits the sun in a way that makes the sun appear to travel from south to north (as opposed to our east to west). The city of Cryxia is to the west of the equator. Again, this doesn't matter that much, except for how the desert will get warmer as you go to the east.