Azurus

The city of Azurus is a legend shrouded in myth and speculation. Said to be the ancestral home of the merfolk, it is rumored to be hidden off the coast of Kaihon, deep below the waves of the eastern sea. There are many tales and accounts of the city’s existence throughout history, dating eons back to the earliest eras of man; however, despite extensive exploration, none have yet to confirm its existence. Whether the legends are truth, or mere fable, is the root of much heated discussion; but of what the legends tell, these ancient sea dwellers were masters of the ocean, binding the sea’s wrath to their will and whim. More adamant believers claim this affinity to magic is likely what has allowed the Azurians to remain shrouded in mystery and wonder, should they exist. As the old legend goes: A cold cruel sea too vast to know, in salt and brine so deep below. A vow unsaid, drowned but not dead. The tides will rise again.

Geography[]

With Azurus’ location being deep below the ocean depths, the geography of the land is one of a completely different world compared to other regions in Cier. Ocean life of infinitely varying shapes and sizes trail through a parade of colorful reefs and vibrant anemone. Towering kelp forests sway slowly with the current, surrounding the city and keeping it hidden from the outside world. The natural environment around Azurus is much alive and bustling as the city itself, both perfectly in balance and analogous to one another.

The secret behind Azurus’ concealment to the surface world is the magical barrier that surrounds the entire city, only accessible through hidden portals that constantly move and shift within the ocean’s depths. First created by powerful Azurian mages, this magical anomaly in the sea can never be pinpointed to a single location and almost impossible to track with the naked eye. Only native Azurian merfolk are able to frequent these portals to and from Azurus, as any others will likely be crushed from the pressure or end up ejected to a completely random location out at sea.

Architecture[]

Intricate sculptures adorn the towering stone pillars, decorating the submerged city of Azurus. Sloped roofs rise to a peak aiming towards the surface, displaying an impressive silhouette of a hundred arrows reaching up towards the ocean sky. By virtue of their unique position, the people of Azurus have been allowed to live a relatively comfortable existence, protected within the barriers that safeguard their civilization. As such, the Azurians have generally shifted their focus to the fields of art and arcane mastery, a change that has made itself widely evident in their architecture. The structures and buildings of Azurus are nigh frivolously ornate, with vibrant hues of orange, green, and gold decorating the gilded halls and grandiose spires. But these structures are not without purpose, glowing runes and magic glyphs tattoo the city’s surface, shrouding the city with an illusory aura.

Enchanted doors and barriers act as a vault to keep water from flooding the pressurized buildings and living quarters of the Azurians. In many cases, larger barriers surround specific city districts to provide areas for common air breathers to live. With their ingenuity and expert hydrography, the city of Azurus can easily withstand the shifting currents and the weight of the ocean.

Technology / Wealth / RICE[]

Although being isolated from the rest of Cier, the Azurians developed their own technology based on magic and RICE that rival those of the Western Regions. After the Great Downfall, RICE became the vital resource that led to Azurus’ advanced development of the magical arts, most notably the manipulation of water, ice, and self transformation.

Instead of smithing physical weapons and blades, the Azurians specialize in crafting intricate trinkets, jewelry, and wearables that grant special attributes to the wearer. This could range from taking the form of Merfolk that are able to swim and breathe underwater, to amplifying magical abilities and spells that pertain to the ocean. Much of these techniques of enchanting RICE are kept close and hidden within Azurus and the people within it.

Ever since its severed ties with Kaihon during ancient times, Azurus has functioned with its own isolated, closed economy. Highly controlled and regulated with their own currency, Azurus remains disconnected with the surface world, yet has proved to be exceptionally functional at keeping their economy and wealth balanced.

People and Culture[]

The majority of the people of Azurus remain to be of Merfolk descent which are naturally evolved humanoids, capable of breathing underwater, expert swimmers, and capable of withstanding heavy pressures of the deep. These Merfolk also tend to have a higher affinity for magic and usually hold a higher social status compared to other races within the city. Common folk and other races are more limited to the confines of the city with pressurized buildings and air barriers, but can use enchanted items to better adapt to underwater life.

Regardless of race, Azurians as a whole are cautious of outsiders and lack any form of trust to the outside world. Because of this withdrawn mindset, Azurians are extremely careful not to be spotted and will go to extreme lengths to remain hidden and anonymous beneath the shroud of the ocean.

Government/Religion[]

The Azurians are ruled by a Theocratic government, run by a small group of the most powerful merfolk mages that are highly praised and respected as religious authority. Having ties with the great Azurian prophet that supposedly saved the merfolk from the Downfall, the Azurian government preaches a flawed version of Seraphism to its people. Magic and the practice of the magical arts holds its merit within Azurus, as it is believed the ones who are more adept hold a higher status as a holy being. With this mindset, Azurians strive to improve and strengthen their skills in magic and enchantment of RICE.

History[]

Dating all the way back to ancient times, Azurus always remained a mystery and its origins still remain unknown. The first recorded descriptions of Azurians and merfolk date back to the beginnings of the Kaihon Empire, where they established a trading port with the Kaihonese people. This alliance, in turn, aided Kaihon to take its roots and establish an empire.

As the Kaihon Empire prospered and controlled most of the Eastern continent, a deadly premonition surfaced from an Azurian prophet; an omen predicting the forthcoming of a great evil that would be the fall of both the Kaihon Empire and Cier itself. A Kaihonese civil war, the looming fear of apocalypse, and an increasing distrust between the Kaihonese and Sea dwellers easily justified the Merfolk’s decision to secede from the crumbling Empire. A mass exodus of Merfolk back into the ocean and the sinking of the Azurian trading port finally severed the alliance between Kaihon and Azurus.

When RICE was distributed throughout Cier, much of it landed in Cier’s oceans, giving Azurians uncontested access to much of the fallen resource. With much of Cier in turmoil, the Azurians focused on collecting the ocean’s RICE and honing their practice in magic within the waters.