Lygos

Lygos the Glorious, Lygos the Golden - its praises are sung all across the land. Lygos is the capital of Golnir, and one of the largest and oldest cities in the known world. The land it sits upon has been inhabited since Fedreline times, and through the centuries it has known many masters. Here are some of the sights visitors to Lygos might expect to see.

• Lygos is perhaps most famous for its extensive harbor, dubbed the Purple Harbor after the purple dyes prized in its markets. Built as Lygos is around a lagoon, it controls a long section of coast, and one that welcomes ships from all lands. Galleons from Valossa, dhows from Quel'Ahma, and even Northman longboats moor here, and when their crews descend from the decks, they form great and multifaceted crowds where every language can be heard spoken. The harbor brings in plenty of trade, and the streets here are lined with stalls selling foreign goods - as well as pickpockets taking advantage of the activity to go about unnoticed.
• The Royal Palace spans a stretch of the coast, with elaborately carved piers of marble jutting out into the water for dignitaries to dock their ships. The palace complex itself has grown over time, enveloping public squares and streets as porticoes and hallways were built to link the royal household to the buildings set aside to house nobles and court officials - which only grew more numerous as Golnir's power grew. Walls inlaid with mosaics and porphyry rise from the shore, their ramparts lined with gold leaf so as to reflect the light of the sun to incoming vessels as a show of the kingdom's riches. Here lives the royal family, including the reigning Queen Eudokia XII - though her name is renowned throughout Golnir, she is little more than a puppet of the scheming nobility, who allow her to live in luxury away from their plans. It has, in fact, been a while since anyone has tried to make an assassination attempt on her, on the grounds that she might be replaced by someone more competent.
  
• The Golden Pantheon is certainly the largest temple in Golnir, one of Lygos's most striking landmarks, and perhaps even among the greatest temples on the continent. As the name suggests, the temple is devoted to no particular god. Beneath its towering minarets and golden domes are statues of all major divinities, and priests of many stripes see to sermons and offerings here.
• The Grand Baths are more than a mere bathhouse, exhibiting extensive public gardens that the people of Lygos meander through at their leisure to admire the finely-trimmed hedges and statuary. Inside, water is provided by an aqueduct that has watered the city since the Fedreline era, and fine incense hangs in the air. Poets and musicians often perform here, some coming from afar to do so.
• Of course, the public Baths cannot possibly compare to the splendors of the Royal Harem, the living quarters of the Queen's concubines. Men and women alike, from many lands, live in idle luxury, tended to by eunuchs. Many have envied the consorts for the lives of perfect bliss they seem to live - but in fact, some of them are entrusted with highly sensitive information by the royal household, making them a target for spies.
• The Hippodrome is a grand arena at the heart of Lygos, and one attended by all walks of life - it is here that all citizens, rich and poor, Golniri and barbarian, can come together to attend public functions. Even the Queen has a private box here, linked to her palace by a covered hallway. As such, it is a place where many rumors can be heard, and people can listen in on the intrigues of the upper classes. Usually it is used for chariot races, but holy ceremonies and theatrical productions may be seen here too. The people can be fiercely loyal to their favored racing team, and this has underpinned both riots and political tensions.

  

  Art by Raphtor

• Philosophy has a long history in Golnir, built upon the teachings of Fedreline scholars, and the Square of the Learned is a testament to that fact. This plaza is set aside so that philosophers may stand here and preach their creed, no matter how heterodox or unconventional, and anyone may come and listen so that they may be inspired to pursue their own intellectual development. Some of these scholars are great magicians, and they may seek out an apprentice here - sometimes in secret.
• The Square of Four Lions is dominated by two brazen lion statues, believed to be of Fedreline origin. As the name implies, there were once four, but two of them were stolen in a war with the city-state of Fiora long ago, and now adorn one of their temples. Both powers would be quite interested in seeing the set complete, but smuggling statues of their size is no easy task.
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  As Golnir attracts many foreign visitors, it is only natural that it would develop a number of foreign enclaves. There are several foreign quarters in Lygos - the Vardessian Quarter, the Quel'Ahman Quarter, the Lescatian Quarter - where immigrants tend to congregate, and where visitors who may be lost may find something resembling home. Some of the city's guilds are based out of here, and some of them hold close loyalties to their kinsmen.
• The Fedreline Empire was long at war with the Nuwapians, and Lygos bears many monuments of those conflicts. In addition to several triumphal arches commemorating victories over the Nuwapians (joined by later arches celebrating the Kingdom of Golnir's victories), one square is home to a great obelisk plundered from the Nuwapian city of Dol Gormah. No one has been able to decode the ancient hieroglyphs that adorn its surface, but they hide a prophecy that could well lead to the fall of Golnir.
• Bustling with activity as Lygos is, those who seek solace and introspection must separate themselves from the common rabble. The College of Ivory, Golnir's premier center of scholarship, is built on a hill, in a series of towers that extend high above the walls. While the children of noble houses are sent here to pursue higher learning, it is also here where Golnir's order of court mages make their homes, living a secluded life of study in the mystic arts.
• No discussion of Lygos would be complete without mentioning the ruins, of course. Like many Golniri cities, Lygos is built on ancient Fedreline ruins, and though more of the city's area is intact compared to some, there are still many crumbling walls and lonely pillars on the outskirts of the city. Some of these conceal buried vaults, and some brave souls have delved into the depths to retrieve lost treasure...though not all have returned.