Aelyria Prime
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In
Aelyria Prime, the
Forum is an enormous open square surrounded by archways and columns, the central heart of the capital city around which the political and cultural institutions of Aelyria developed and in which the administration of the
Empire takes place. Originally a marshy land near the
Ioannes River, it was drained by
Empress Michelle the Great with the
Great Sewers and paved over with granite and marble. Newer additions to the Forum have been paved with cobbled crystal gemstone. Access to the forum is direct, as all roads in Aelyria point to it and within the city itself
Procession Way delivers travelers from the northeast
Old Prime district, and intersects with the
Sacred Way, leading travelers to the southwest
King's Gate, while the latter provides access through the southeast's Hero's Gate. Overlooked by the imposing and stunning
Coliseum in the northwest, the graceful and tranquil
Baths to the southwest, and the glorious
Pantheon to the east, the Forum is considered the most beautiful and majestic public space architecture ever constructed in the known world.
Though not a ward of the city in its own right, the Forum is organized into
segments that are each overseen by a custodian from one of the local temples. The major segments include the
Capitolium, the
Basilica, the
Mercat, the
Courts Estates, the
Regia, the
Rostra, and the
Square.
The Capitolium
The Capitolium segment of the Forum is a mostly level space where an immense marble columned walkway opens majestically to gem-studded arches and the magnificent
Capitolium, or the Capitol Building as it is informally known. The domed palace houses the grand chambers of the
Rakrya, the Assembly of Aelyria, and within its walls are the corridors of power leading to the offices of the magistrates charged with giving advice and rendering counsel to the
Crown. The cupola of the Capitolium rises above all other buildings in the Forum, its stone clad around an iron frame. Stretching out from the Capitol is
Capitolium Square, a column-enclosed elevation that looks out upon the streets of the city and the River Ioannes. At the center of the square is a tall pointed obelisk, the
Victoriata, whose peak holds an embedded crystal-crusted
aethercite diamond. This spot is known as
Zero Mile, the place from which all other distances in Aelyria are measured, including the military and civilian mile markers on the major roads and highways. Engraved on the obelisk are the words
Unus Populus. Unum Regnum. Una Vox. ("One People, One Realm, One Voice"), the dictum of
Empress Michelle the Great.
The segment of the Capitolium is host to numerous offices and ministries, housed in elegant manors and elaborate columned and arched palaces, including:
The Basilica
The Basilica segment of the forum is an open marble-tiled plaza with emerald granite columns surrounded by tall trees, lush gardens, and pleasant fountains. At the end of the agora rises a tall and magnificent palace-temple, bathed in golden light and radiating innumerable glimmers. Its peaked rooftop has beveled reliefs of the gods, and across its front are engraved the words, the
Basilica of Justice. Within these great chambers sits the
Tribunal of Justice, the highest judicial body in the realm. The adjoining galleries have courts that are sometimes used by the provincial
Justicar, or possibly even the local
Prefect. But the great court, with its high bar and three thrones for the
Archons is a sight that strikes awe and fear into the hearts of citizens. At the center of
Basilica Plaza is the tranquil and reflective
Fountain of Justice, with its mile-long pools and centerpiece three tiers of cascading waterfalls with subduing floral fragrances.
Beyond the Basilica itself, this segment plays host to a series of halls and structures housing agencies and institutions in the service of Justice.
The Mercat
Just beside the
Capitolium, bordering the columns of
Capitolium Square, is the Mercat, the commercial power center of the realm. Constructed of deep red brick, the semicircular complex houses public markets for the use of citizens wishing to barter and trade. Within the
Mercat segment, is the
Marketplace, which in times before the
Mercantile District had been established in the early
First Empire period, had been used as an informal port of exchange featuring goods from throughout the world. Today, the hundreds of covered small rooms are used for citizens to set up stands to sell services and wares on their own terms. In the center of the open square of the Mercat rises the seventy level tall and golden and gem ornate
Tower of Commerce, where pronouncements on the state of the economy are issued by the Lord
Exchequer.
Above the struture of the Mercat in the upper levels, as well as within the tower, can be found offices belonging to certain functionaries and officials of the realm.
The Courts Estates
In the southern edge of the vast expanse of the Forum rise magnificent walls enclosing elegant manors, majestic palaces, and regal villas. With the Royal Coat of Arms cresting above arched doorways amidst the stone walls, visitors to the Courts Estates will first be greeted by an open courtyard known as the
Plaza of Arms, where the flags, arms, and banners of every family and faction across the realm hang upon the walls and over the battlements in honorable deferrence to the greatness of the realm. Directly south is the
Bastion, a tall thick-walled fortress built in a classic early
Kingdom style, housing the advisors from prestigious families, sacred orders, and trusted adventurers who separately and collectively provide counsel to the
Crown. To the east is the
Sede, an elegant cathedral with spired towers and stained glass windows, the legation seat of power for the
Church. To the west is the
Asento, a beautiful enclosed indoor amphitheater converted to house an assembly of citizens and subjects throughout the realm seeking an audience for their petitions.
Within the Courts Estates are hosted various institutions of power and respect that provide critical guidance to Aelyria.
The Regia
White stoned parapets and circled towers enclosed by battlements surround a great square on the other side of the Forum, and it is within these high walls that a golden city within a city can be found. The Regia, as it is known, sits above a sharp rise in the hilly basin of the Forum, and is the legendary center of the
Crown's power in the city, and uses its position to project its might across the realm. Within the
Regia segment of the Forum can be found the castles and palaces of high ranking functionaries in the service of the throne, and its influence is sometimes subtle but no less effective. Courtiers and magistrates appointed to the Regia by the Crown tend to travel back and forth between the Regia and the regal residence, one of the royal palaces[/wiki], in order to effectively conduct the business of the realm.
The Regia hosts the workplaces and residences, multipurpose manors and estates, of select magistrates representing the monarchy beyond the Palace. Most famous of these is the
Totalitate, the Seat of the
Chief Viceroy, from which the feared
Viceroyalty operates in exerting the will of the Crown, by being the eyes and ears of the throne and acting on behalf of the monarchy throughout the realm. It is also believed that within the forbidden city of the Regia can be found the administrative offices of the
Royal Court.
The Rostra
At the western edge of the Forum is a massive marble podium, capable of holding hundreds of speakers, with a separate elevation for a principal speaker, known simply as the
Rostra. Citizens and adventurers across the realm climb the ninety-nine steps of the stairs leading up to its mighty pulpit and speak their minds, present news, issue statements, and plead for aid. Innovated by
Empress Michelle the Great, the Rostra is considered to be the most publicly accessible spot to project one's voice, as magical enhancements imbue the speaker's position with the ability to have his or her voice heard throughout the Forum. Word travels quickly, and then spreads through the city and the land beyond in a matter of hours. On both sides of the great podium of the principal elevation are great long brass trumpets and horns, no doubt for the use heralds.
The Rostra segment of the Forum is home to various offices of major bodies of state committed to the propagation of news, the preservation of events, and the chronicling of history.
The Square
At the very center of the Forum is an opulent marble-covered, granite-columned, gold-capped and ornate square. Flanked by the columns and archways leading to the other various segments of the Forum, at the very center rises an immense colossus built of solid
Aelyrium. It is the figure of a winged Aelyrian woman wearing the simple robes of state; her wings are spread out in victory, her arms stretched outward in a warm embrace. Her face is neutral: both strong and reaffirming, but resolute and comforting. Upon her shoulder-length hair is a civic crown. It is the great
Giana Khrystalis, the statue of power, the colossus of the realm; it is the highest and tallest structure in all of Aelyria, measuring over three hundred stories. The glimmer of her crown is said to be seen even in the farthest reaches of
Arakmat. This spot is also known as
Zero Mile, the place from which all other distances in Aelyria are measured, including the military and civilian mile markers on the major roads and highways.
The Square features prominent art and architecture, symbols of the unification of Aelyria and the embodiment of the state. All marches through
Procession Way lead into the heart of the square, circle the Giana Krystalis, and then exit through one of the walkways.
Forum
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