Arcadia
From Storing Don
The first four sections of this page were written by Kilvaer, with some additions by Mashiro.
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[edit] Description
Arcadia is a massive construction of marble and sandstone. It is the capital of the Sons of Sand nation, and where the Magister, ruler of Sons of Sand, resides, in the Dahab Mahal palace. The entire city is ran by magic; plumbing, water purification, street cleaning, aand many other useful things. The air, very much unlike the desert, is cool and refreshing, and the sun's heat is dimmed down so its wrath does not torture the residents. The stones used to build the streets and roads in Arcadia were specially enchanted to repel Morphs and summons, ignited into effect when Adramalech was exiled from Nabata and began to foment her armies; the city dissipates and banishes any Morphs that tread on them, reducing them to Quintessence that cannot be woven together again. The city is incredibly huge; its counted as a region in itself. Arcadia is divided into two sections; the Dahili Daire (Inner Circle) where the upper class citizens live, and the Harici Halka (Outer Ring), where the common citizens live, populated with rich bazaars and stores. The Heart of Arcadia is also the great lake-oasis of Lake Khuraib, where the palace of Dahab Mahal is built in its center.
In order to keep Arcadia safe from outsiders, numerous security implements have been put in place. The most prominent of these is the enormous wall surrounding the city: made from compacted sand, they are enchanted to resist attack and are so smooth that scaling them without the aid of magic is impossible. The only way in and out of Arcadia is through the Teleportation Network; however, most individuals in Arcadia have no reason to leave (as the city is self-sufficient). Outside the walls, massive sandstorms incited and maintained by ritualistic spells keep the city safe from invasion.
[edit] The Dahab Mahal
The grand palace of the Magister, Dahab-Mahal is a masterpiece of architecture in itself. Built from immaculate white marble and crystal clear glass, the Dahab-Mahal seems to glow in the calmed sunlight enchantments in the area provides. The palace is built over a great lake that was cleansed and purified into an exceptional clarity like diamond; Lake Khuraib. Small barges glide over its glossy surface, supporting hedges of flowers and fruit trees. The island Dahab-Mahal sits on is covered with nature life unheard of existing in a desert. A long bridge of marble bricks separates the lake in two from Arcadia to its entrance. Fruit trees line the bridge that lays akin to the water's steady level, and vibrantly dressed mages guard the entrance.
The palace interior is a clutter of atriums and masterful hallways, and round arches with short rays of red outlining them. The floors all bear mosaic designs of expert craftsmanship, with thin grooves in the walls, ceilings, and floors passing water through, supported by magic, to manually cool the beautiful palace. Vibrant tapestries cover the walls, and opulent rugs and carpets clutter the floors of the great rooms, with masses of decorated cushions of all colors cluster about. Long chairs and hookahs also accompany the cushions for seats of rest and luxury.
Servants are dressed in robes of white belted with silver, and are never permitted to speak unless delivering a message; hundreds roam the palace's halls. Concubines, male and female, take residence in the lounging rooms described above for the noble's use, and are dressed in seductively incomplete articles of clothing.
On the palace's roof, the Dahab Mahal sports one of Maris' Wonders of the World; the Shalimar Gardens.
[edit] The Shalimar Gardens
The Shalimar Gardens are a miracle atrium paradise in the nation of the Sons of Sand. It is located in the grand palace of the Magister, Dahab Mahal, and is reserved to only residents of Arcadia, and only influential ones at that. The gardens are accessible through a great hallway whose walls are inscribed with images of epic stories and heroes on the walls, outlined with thin grooves that circulate cooling water. The hall is known as the Passage of Nirvana, which heavenly grants peace of mind and release of stress from enchantments on the stone that enhance those qualities of whoever walks through, preparing them for the perpetual feeling from every stone in the gardens.
The Passage of Nirvana opens up into an immense expanse of ethereal beauty, accentuating the isolated power of nature in one region of the world. The sky is designed to mirror an illusion of a light blue sky with thick, rolling white clouds during the day, a blackish blue sky with a spray of stars cast across it at night. Shallow pools of clear, fresh water and fountains with frothed and churned water litter the gardens, and thick, but shallow canals create a network of channels. Trees never lose their leaves, but some do change colors with autumn. Bushes drape over walls and single pillars that rise from the great groves. Flowers of every color bloom from the bushes and trees, and fresh fruit grows bountifully from many boughs. Sandstone planters levitate in mid-air with leafy shrubbery flowing off the sides, covered with more flowers. Another prominent water feature in the gardens is a stilled pillar of twisting water, crystal clear and cool to the touch.
[edit] Saraad'ahn
Nestled in the center-end of the Shalimar Garden paradise is a magnificent pavilion of immaculately white marble. It has but one wall in its back, the others merely columns with capitals of detailed flora, suspending a roof through arches that bears a multitude of flower bushes that drape over the eaves carelessly. Banners that ripple in the unnaturally cool wind hang at the main archways with the emblem of the current Magister flying on them.
Inside, the spacious room is kept at a constant coolness, with thin grooves etched into the stone floor, pillars, and ceiling; water being magically propelled in them to cast off a cool radiance on those residing within. In the center of the room is a shallow pit rounded with stairs; colored carpets and rich cushions furnish it almost entirely in such opulence over a mosaic tile base detailing the Dragon of Nabata. Long chairs and larger cushions rest on expensive rugs close to private hookahs and a steady flow of refreshment.
The Magister's most trusted; scholars, commanders, advisors, nobles, councils, and other high-ranking authorities of commission delight themselves in their sovereign's company to gain favor, or to discuss domestic and foreign affairs; necessities to the nation and gossip enjoyed by the noble-caste. Servants navigate through Saraad-ahn in the dozens, in constant service of those there, obviously noticeable by their plain white garb.
On the one wall is depicted an epic mosaic of all previous and current Magisters, outlined by grooves that channel water. The image is magically enchanted to add the next sword Magister in through ancient magic lost to time.
Outside of the Saraad-ahn, down the short flight of stairs is a wide terrace of stone benches that line canals of fresh running water that tributary off into the gardens. Small bridges span the narrow distances across, and the great terrace is neatly adorned with fruit trees of all kinds. In the center of the terrace in front of the pavilion is a wide, flat fountain of crystalline clean water rimmed with flowerbeds of various chromatic schemes; lily pads and water-borne flowers, such as lotuses, floating gently across the smooth, glassy surface. Some carpets and other furnishings are brought outside on the wide terrace edged off by the thick canals to enjoy the peaceful sky with clouds forever rolling over it, even if there aren't any if you look at the Shalimar Gardens from outside.
[edit] The Mahayana
The Magister's personal quarters, a place hidden to all but a few individuals. The entrance can be found in the Shalimar Gardens, wherein a small set of tiles are enchanted to lift the occupants up to the top floors of the Dahab Mahal. One enters the room through a small balcony at the top of the gardens, wherein a silken cloth and many strings of beads act as a doorway into the huge Mahayana. This spacious living space is topped by an enormous glass dome that can only be seen through from the inside, making it perfect for privacy and watching the sky. The foyer of the room is walled with all manner of tapestries and mosaics, as well as bookshelves and glass windows. All sorts of plush sofas and chairs lay across the middle ring of the room. Soft, smooth carpets accent the cool tiles, while a cooling breeze constantly flows through the room (a fine enchantment on the Magister's behalf). Twin flights of marble stairs lead up to a platform above the foyer, wherein the Magister herself sleeps. The bed is surrounded with a set of diaphanous tapestries, allowing the sunlight to shine through in the morning and the starlight to filter gracefully in at night. Also on the balcony are numerous maps, artifacts, trinkets, and other such rare objects that should remain secret. In the center of the room is the most grand part of the entire Mahayana: a magical, terraced bath, lined with numerous faucets and soaps from all over the world. The bath is lined with incredibly soft grasses that thrive under the rejuvenating waters, grasses which can be used in a number of prominent healing elixirs and medical treatments.
