User:IceFireWarden/In'eslae: A Traveler's Guide to Yne
As the heir apparent to the financial and political holdings of the EETC's Padomaic Division, I am quite knowledgeable in the geographical landscape of the Yneslean archipelago-continent; it is, after all, the central hub of mercantilism between the Western Hemisphere and the dozens of Imperial Territories, Libertarian Freeholds, and Akaviri Tributaries that can be found in the eastern seas, which makes it both strategically and commercially important despite the Yneslean Directorate's secession from the Mede Dynasty near the start of this era.
Yneslea (or more truthfully, In'eslae) also happens to be the place of my birth, as House Mothril of Leyawiin was gifted authorities and estates within the Great Islands by Uriel V himself due to our outstanding services during the attempted Akaviri Invasion long ago. We quickly rose to become the caretakers of the Trading Company here, and the native Council of Dull Chimes allowed us to retain a dual citizenry within their borders alongside other prominent bloodlines to demonstrate their willingness to maintain strong ties with Tamriel despite leaving its political influence.
In this volume, we shall focus on the island of Yne (which means "reverberation" in Ek'hi), one of the largest islands within the authority of In'eslae and the one that still displays prominent imperialism. It boasts a largely subtropical climate outside of a few features due to natural terrain shifts and historical alterations by the native inhabitants. It is generally divided into four distinct regions: the ore-filled caverns and frigid moist forests of the Hae'macrin Mountain Ranges covers the northern area of the island, before giving away to the waterfall-basins and humid rainforests of the Euphonic Expanse in central Yne. If one travels west and southwest from the Expanse they will find themselves in the industrialized jungles, golden beaches, and beautiful peninsulas of the Ambient Littoral. Meanwhile, if you travel east and southeast, you will see the land transition into fern-prairies and swamps before encountering the ghost forests, giant mangroves, and salt plains of the iconic Opal Coast.
The Major Cities of Yne
+ J'UONDO | The City of Bells: Built out of the mountainous terrain of the Hallowed Winds subregion of northeastern Yne, and surrounded by rings of rice fields and citri orchards (a citri is a fruit best described as the combination of apples, strawberries, and lemons; quite tasteful), J'uondo is a well-known and historically important city within the Yneslean Directorate. It was originally built as a means of forging a tighter bond between the Omali and the Exul, as it was built around one of the six Noraken Elevators that lead into the Dweech, and could help facilitate trade between the surface and the underground communities. It became infamous, however, as the protective residence for the children of Esdras Raelei, the Struggling King. And although it survived the battles between Esdras and his aunt Ureasa during the Raelei Disputation that almost prematurely ended their bloodline, it would end up falling under the sway of Esdras' tyrannical grandson Oelin for several years. J'uondo is a powerful realm sculpted in a brutalist style, once being the seat of heirs apparent that transitioned to k'haoguns (local lord or governor) in modernity, and is famous for its dozens of intricate bellspires, ornate theaters, and public bathhouses that utilize the boiling waterfalls found deep underneath the dormant volcanoes within the Hae'macrin Mountain Ranges as a source of continuous clean water.
+ NUAREIH'AN | Spear of the Sea: Built in 1E 2754 after the Destruction of Uld Reih'an a decade-and-a-half prior, Nuareih'an is a moderately sized fortress-harbor that lies only a few dozen miles southwest of J'uondo (and therefore falls underneath its jurisdiction and trade, despite being within the sea-bordering lines of the Euphonic Expanse). While known for its fish markets and sushi stands, it is still advised that travelers remember that it was a town originally founded by hardened soldiers and guardsmen, and it still serves as an auxiliary station for the Echmeri armare (military) today. It is also the residence of several of the workers employed on the Falai-Non Gala Rig, which lies close by in the Channel of Tru'gitet between Yne and Slea that empties into the Sh'aemiu Sea. Like the majority of towns and villages standing within the In'eslaen archipelago, Nuareih'an was built from a mixture of wood and stone in the spherical-layer format inspired by the ancient Akaviri colonies that were abandoned long ago (a style formally recognized as the raeleic format).
+ BRADERIK'S HELM | Silent Vigil: An average yet bustling raeleic town surrounded by Colovian walls that can be found in the midwestern Expanse; it makes a living as a trading post and resting stop for travelers. It was originally known by the simple name of Tram. During the Dragon Fear Riots of 3E 288, the Imperial Legion was nearly pushed to engage in full-scale war again due to massive civil unrest over Uriel V's status as a Dragonborn. Eventually, an Imperial Centurion by the name of Braderik Lornus (who had become culturally invested in the archipelago) challenged the head of the Riots, a Shen'shiyami marshal by the name of Naelöna, to a verbal-physical duel during Soulfast to prove the good intentions of the Empire. While he ended up losing, the crowd drawn to Tram were so moved by his speech that the Riots died down in a few days and Naelöna personally nursed him back to health. The two would come to govern Tram as cooperative k'haoguns, a practice that persists even now, and the town was renamed in honor of the helmet he shattered against the ground to demonstrate his integrity and honesty concerning the Empire's intentions. Now Braderik's Helm serves as the permanent home of House Lornus, who owns several of the vineyards and plantations in the area.
+ A'ZASTALON| Bastion of Black Iron: While in Tamriel forts are largely built to serve as resupply stations or barracks and nothing more, Echmeri citadels are constructed to be average to large cities first and garrisons second; a place a soldier or a sentry and their immediate family can call home after periods of long war or guard shifts have ended. A'zastalon, also called A'zast Citadel, is the largest of the Yne Citadels and was constructed shortly after Terau-Io the Good King, First of the Cakaphon Blood, sat on the Rhetoric Throne after forcibly removing the then-corrupted Raelei Lineage from power; if only his descendants contained a tenth of his virtue. It lies along the northwestern coast of the Ambient Littoral, where it is connected to numerous supply lines and hidden underground vaults full of weapons and arcane devices. During the Imperial Occupation its name was briefly changed to Fort Musicmoth by my ancestor and (Territorial Governor at the time) Admiral Varian Mothril, but that name did not last for long. Fort Musicmoth was later constructed in the southern reaches of the Littoral in 2E 303, and later became the home of the Crimson Legion that forsook imperial citizenship during the Yneslean Secession.
+ OSTIKULITHAN | Shardhome: Ostikulithan (which means "where stars shine underground" in Hyu-Ketic) is a strange city, not because of its inhabitants, but because of its history. It can be found within the Grashian Wilds, a southeast region of the Opal Coast well-known for its treacherous terrain and saltwater cave systems. The Echmer had long since given up on fully colonizing the area, despite wanting to acquire it due to the centuries old salt formations that could be found inside the aforementioned caves (hardened salt so old that it had crystallized into beautiful, precious stones mages loved to use as catalysts for staffs and wands), resulting in numerous abandoned outposts and towns dotting the subregion. The Hyu-Ket held no such qualms towards the Wilds, however; especially once they were freed from bat elven enslavement. Numerous tribes marched there in the early third era and used a combination of their ancestral ways and Omali urbanization to create a functioning, traversable city amongst the abandoned buildings. The inhabitants of Ostikulithan would go on to trade the salt gems with the Exul for several centuries until the Imperial Occupation when the town caught the eye of Orc legionnaires who saw kinship with the bug goblins. These Orcs would later return with their fellows to build numerous strongholds within In'eslae (like Orsungur in the Expanse) and become the Ice Cream Orcs, but many would settle in Ostikulithan to better fortify and expand it with Old Orcish infrastructure and irrigation techniques that made it more valuable to the Directorate as a whole. With the discovery of brinesteel within the marsh-caves, the city became known as a haven for blacksmiths and jewelers.
+ ELAAN | The Abode of Healers: Although Elaan originally started life as a research outpost built by the Magus Legions of the ancient Kasuto Empire of Pa'vasaga in 1E 2634, it didn't become a full-fledged city until 2E 134 - several decades after the Cakaphon Dynasty ended and the Divine Mandate reformed Echmeri society. It can be found in the Saline Plains of the Opal Coast region, that chromatically shine across the near Tanto Bay to the small villages in northeastern Yne. When Hanzu E'ga-Zi seized the Rhetoric Throne and ushered in a new epoch of change for In'eslae, her first step was to reconquer Pa'vasaga and force them to adhere to the Divine Mandate that restricted the Echmeri reliance on gods and their teachings. The Magus Crusades lasted for nearly a decade, but the Gerentess succeeded in her mission and was able to slowly convert the Pa'vasagians in due time. The Magus Legions (who eventually became the Witch-Hunters and Exorcists of Mustikos'arcere) decided to use Elaan as an intermediary between islands, and over time it rose to become a major center of magical teaching and a hospice for the injured. Elaan itself is an engineering marvel, being built from the kasutoic style that oddly enough harkens back to Aldmeri construction with dominant Akaviri leanings, and is a place of hanging gardens/farms, freshwater pumps that extend deep into the underground Dweech, and salt refineries. It's most beloved feature, the Seawalk, extends downwards from the saline-mesa the main city was built upon and into the Nibenese pier-village of White-Gold Harbour, which was constructed in 3E 283 after the Expeditionary Force burnt down Elaan's original harbor during the war.
+ YUARIAL | Gateway to the East: After the Fighting Diamond died in Akavir, his surviving Expeditionary Force engaged in their sorrowful journey back across the Padomaic, and while several of the surviving ships abusively used the eastern territories for supplies and artifacts, others decided to abandon the long sail home and permanently rooted themselves inside these newly acquired lands. These deserters would go on to help the East Empire Company in their construction of an Imperial city on top of the ruins of Do Raan S're, an ancient Nemeric city near the midwestern/southwestern coast of the Littoral (something the inlanders found insane due to the negative aura surrounding the place), and with their efforts, the foundations of Yuarial were born. Since those chaotic days of centuries past, the city that was given the localized Ek'hi name for Uriel V in honor of the fallen emperor has become an incredibly large and profitable realm. It contains Morihatha's Summer House (which became an intercultural landmark), the largest East Empire Company base in the Padomaic, and the highly acclaimed "Red Diamond District" that draws in entertainers from all over the civilized world. The Nibenese architecture that seamlessly weaves in and out of the ancient Nemeric structures also adds a unique appeal to the wondrous city of my birth, that finished its ten year long construction in 3E 301.
The Major Landmarks of Yne
+ Breezesong Meadow: A nature spirit locale that can be found in the Respondent Fields, the centermost subregion of the Expanse. A great picnic spot to observe the eternal lives of sylphs, pixies, nymphs, and satyrs.
+ Crossed Swords: A river dam constructed in the middle of the River Ix, that flows outward from Tanto Bay all the way to the Ambient Littoral. The Kamal once tried to destroy it during one of their many raids on the archipelago but were driven back by a coalition between the Echmer, Hyu-Ket, and Terenjoe. Recognizable by the giant statues of, well, crossed swords that serves as a natural gate for it.
+ Noyx's Mere: A naturally occurring freshwater lake that can be found in the Stormpoints, a midnorthern subregion of the Hae’macrin Mountain Ranges. It is always under a constant shadow no matter the time of day.
+ Obelus of Hrahndeyl: The Obelus of HRAHNDEYL is a gigantic rune stone that symbolizes the talk-goddess' ascension and her Pleonastic Spire. It can be found in the Opal Coast.
+ Ganthd-Kel (Begetter’s Hillock): A large, aboveground Noraken-Dwemer ruin that has been retrofitted into a museum of artifacts and In'eslaen history. Can be found in the central-western Feywoods of the Ambient Littoral.
+ Kzurthaund: A large Dwemer research center located in the Hae’macrin Mountain Ranges. Normally off-limits to common travelers, and requires a permit for in-depth exploration.
+ Mthulft: A small Dwemer ruin that can be found in the Opal Coast. Although on the surface it seems like a simple meeting spot, there are several doors locked by strange puzzle-cubes that no one has been able to solve for centuries. Try them out, if you dare!
+ Bagraafa: The only example of Kítapoe architecture still standing on Yne, and seemingly immune to magical and physical tampering. Some believe it to be some kind of temple, and yet there are no perceivable ways to enter it. Considered creepy by many due to being built in the shape of a giant, overturned spider. Can be found in the Expanse, surrounded by numerous Mustikos'arcere outposts warding off thrill-seekers and adventurers.
+ Trebates' Bluff: A derelict Breton tower once the home of the notorious Edmunus Reeds, a necromancer who used his talents for positive actions in the archipelago before he was murdered by an overzealous Vaultwarden. It is now home to the eccentric Trebates family, who wish to follow in their late cousins' footsteps. Can be found in the Expanse.
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