General
General Information
Atalatha is the largest walled city of Raleigh, and is located beside (and also encompasses) the Spirit River, one of the largest rivers in Draconis. The Spirit River also directly connects Atalatha with Viscosa, the capital of Raleigh, which lies south of Atalatha. It is also the center of commerce between Fostervilla, to its west, Westwick, to its east, and Sentinel, to the north.
Atalatha is mainly an import city, housing more than 64,000 inhabitants. But it also provides exports in many luxuries, such as fine jewelries and textiles among its trade districts.
Atalatha is protected by a long, unbroken wall that surrounds the city in a nearly perfect circle. Should any intruders break through the wall, Atalatha’s own numerous city guards would be there to meet them.
History
Atalatha takes its name in the form of a joke. One of its founders, Grant Scott, exclaimed “At last,” when he and his allies were commended and rewarded for their part in the victory of Raleigh over a tremendous undead force from the north. When they all discussed what they were going to do with the rewards, one of them suggested that he was going to begin construction on a town which hinged on values like honesty, honor, respect and justice.
Grant, together with the seven other Knights of Virtue, is credited with founding the city of Atalatha, though only five of them actually live in the city. One of them did not even live in the same country during the time of its founding. Eltan Mane is the ruler of the city, and is also one of the Knights of Virtue, specifically, the one who came up with the idea for the city.
Atalatha is still a young city, established on the 21st of Gaune, 956. However, it is expanding with the vigor of its eight young founders, and all the people who live within the city that help to earn it its name as the City of Wonders.
Eltan and his companions were left exceedingly wealthy after their brave endeavors, and were compassionate enough to share with the populous of Atalatha, which helped to build the city, and also helped keep its people in line.
Atalatha’s wall was constructed with help from the dwarves and gnomes of Grayforge Gate, in the country of Daltain, which helped to strengthen diplomatic ties with the country, and marked the first especially prominent request from a human for aid from another race. The dwarves also canalled part of the Spirit River for the humans, letting some of the river flow through the center of the city while the rest hugs the city’s western side. The head mason on the job, a dwarf named Duinador Proudfoot, still resides in the city, close to the northern wall where the Spirit River first enters the city.
Government
Atalatha was supposed to be ruled by a Duke, who was supposed to be elected by its people every five years. After Eltan Mane’s second term as Duke, however, he decided to form a council for the city’s well being, so his benevolent nature did not get in the way of his city’s welfare. Eltan Mane remains the Duke of Atalatha.
Atalatha’s council members are elected every three years. There are four members on the council, excluding the Duke, each of their strengths changing from term to term. There is no predetermined position for anyone. The candidates for the council bring their own ideas to the table, and depending on what the city needs, elect accordingly.
Places of Interest
Taverns
Grimes’ Pub is one of the city’s most notorious dives. It is known to be anything but a social experience, as many of the people who enter the pub only go to forget what is waiting for them outside. Grimes’ Pub is known for its strong alcohols and even stronger pipeweed. It is located just to the west of Atalatha’s famed coliseum.
The Bravado is your general, run-of-the-mill establishment. It is one of Atalatha’s bigger taverns, accommodating many of the working class citizens. The ale is cheap, and the company is enticing. The Bravado is located just beside Atalatha’s eastern border.
Inns
The Sapphire Square is Eltan Mane’s favorite service building in all of Atalatha. It also functions as a restaurant, the first of its kind, and has a bar within as well. The building is very upscale, many tones of blue finding their way to all the surfaces within, and also outside. The Sapphire Square is just outside of the political district of Atalatha, only separated by a golden bridge upon the Spirit River.
The Centurion was the childhood home of one of Atalatha’s coliseum champions. It was owned by Peyton Garus, father of David Garus. A fire gutted the building, taking the lives of several people inside. The bodies were never identified, though it was assumed that Peyton and David were among the dead. A rich noble has expressed interest in purchasing the lot and building the Centurion once more. The Centurion is located close to Atalatha’s south wall.
Temples
The Temple of Mathias can be seen very close to the southern gates of Atalatha. It sits within one of the impoverished sections of the city, but it is still maintained fairly well. Of all the temples within Atalatha, the one erected to Mathias is the one which is most visited.
The Temple of Galvan and Obsam is at the northern section of the city, looking over the upper class business district. Though the temple stands testament to two of Tellest’s gods, it is the smallest of the three temples within Atalatha.
The Temple of Animus is at the northeastern corner of Atalatha, where it overlooks the city’s large cemetery. Also within the Temple of Animus is a small shrine to Cebrum. Animus’ temple is the largest one within Atalatha.
Manors
Eltan Mane’s mansion lies upon the western edge of the city. Standing three stories high, from the rear of the building, its tenants can look over the defensive walls of Atalatha, and see the Spirit River beside the city. The front of the building contains a widow’s walk, a moat, and a garden. Mane Manor is the biggest single family domicile within Atalatha.
Proudfoot Manor stands at the northern side of Atalatha, directly beside the Spirit River Canal. Duinador Proudfoot resides there with his human wife Annabelle.
On the eastern side of the Spirit River, opposite the Proudfoot Manor, the Xanders Estate lies. Maximus Xanders, one of the Knights of Virtue, lives there, and his home connects directly into the Museum of Wonders, where he is the curator.
Hegore Trent, another of the Knights of Virtue, has a home in the business section of the city, just south of the Museum, Library, and Cathedral. Trent Estate, as it is known, is an eccentric looking home that separates the line of stores with a large open yard. His land is open to the public, and many people treat it as a park. It is a very popular spot for picnics.
Finally, the Mayheyre Estate sits just northwest of the coliseum. Allan Mayheyre, one of the Knights of Virtue, and the owner of the coliseum, lives in a modest two story home sandwiched between a pair of two story businesses.
The Lucerion Bridge
The Lucerion Bridge spans the wide Spirit River, as both forks join again to the south of Atalatha. The immense construction took several years to build, and was helmed by Maximus Xanders, who was helped by Duinador Proudfoot. This replaces the need travel from Atalatha to a much smaller bridge further south, which makes traveling to Fostervilla much easier. The bridge is just over one thousand feet across, and has two grand turrets that tower five hundred feet in the air. Atop each of those massive rises is a catapult said to be able to reach Westwick if aimed properly. The view also allows a distant vantage to the Sentinel Pass, and the city of Sentinel, much further north.
The Black Tower
A giant black tower dwarfs the other buildings within the city, standing at fifty feet tall. The entire construction is made of a powerful ebon stone which is supposed to protect it from damage. The building serves as both a clock to the people of Atalatha, and as a home to the city’s greatest wizard.
Every day at noon, four dark crystal orbs at the peak of the tower fill up with fire, and as the day progresses, they begin to diminish. Every three hours, one of the orbs extinguishes, until midnight, when all four are dark once again.
The Coliseum
Atalatha is the first Raleighn town to have a professional arena for fighting. Allan Mayheyre commissioned its creation since before Atalatha was even conceived, but with Eltan Mane’s blessing, allowed its construction to commence within the city. It started fairly small, made entirely of wood, but as time progressed, the coliseum, like the city, expanded. The wood gave way to chiseled marble and granite, and a layer of sand was spread about the ground to help clean blood.
The coliseum was conceived as a means to practice skills, pitting great warriors against each other with non-lethal weaponry. After the first death within the arena, however, the rules were changed to allow weapons that could cause harm or death. There are no rules within the coliseum, unless agreed upon by all parties before battle commences.
About thirty thousand people can be held within the coliseum of Atalatha.
The Cathedral
Though the people of Atalatha are a polytheistic people who believe in the gods who have been seen, one man within the city has had visions of one all powerful God. Richard Lener, one of the Knights of Virtue personally requested to build a temple to the One that he worships. Eltan Mane allowed him to build the cathedral. Although the building had been created, its pews stay relatively empty, mostly out of fear of repercussions from Tellest’s gods.
The Cathedral sits on the opposite side of the road from the Museum of Wonders, and is also adjacent to the Great Library.
The Great Library
Richard Lener is also the curator of the Great Library of Atalatha. Much larger than any human collection, the Great Library is two stories tall and encompasses several thousand square feet of the northern edge of the city. It is one of the northernmost buildings in Atalatha, and sits beside the Museum of Wonders and the Cathedral.
The roof of the library is made of compressed glass, which lets natural light into the building. The center of the library is laden with benches and tables for studies and entertainment, while the exterior rooms are where all the books are located.
Some people claim that the library is haunted, declaring that they hear screams coming from beneath the place.
The Museum of Wonders
The Museum of Wonders is run by Maximus Xanders, and is a collection of both Tellest’s history, and a compilation of inventions, many made by Xanders himself. While more of the building is dedicated to history, Maximus is steadily making his way towards filling up the museum with his inventions.
The Museum of Wonders looks like a temple, even featuring the likeness of Mathias upon the anterior entrance. It is located across from the Cathedral, and adjacent to the Great Library.
Carriage Garages
Atalatha was the first city within Raleigh to offer up parking arrangements for people traveling into the city. Before Atalatha, any walled cities usually only had arrangements outside of the city for stabling. Two carriage garages are located within Atalatha, one near each of the exit gates of the city. The southern garage is notably bigger, since more of the commuting merchants and visitors to the city come from Viscosa, to the south. Both garages are two stories high.
Michael DeAngelo
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