Tel Amnora

The alabaster spires of Tel Amnora can be seen from far away, a beacon of light on the fertile plains of Amnora. The city is located in and around a natural harbor, and its island city has many canals. Tel Amnora is a city of elven excess, where the ruling class live in luxury, carried around on palanquins, rowed in gondolas, or in quillstrider-drawn carriages, while the poor work themselves to the bones in furnaces or mills for enough silvers to feed themselves.

The population of Amnora is dominated by the working class who create fabulous wealth for the ruling families, be it through working the vineyards, artisanal crafting, or trading. There are only a few hundred members of the princely families, yet they own a vast majority of the resources. In Tel Amnora, around seven tenths of the population is elven, with only around a tenth each of half-elves and humans. Smallfolk, dwarves, and more exotic species make up the last tenth. The non-elven population is almost exclusively in the lower classes.

History

Tel Amnora was founded by Arien Araeril in 70 AUC. She was a powerful sorceress and a general in the armies of Lucius Corillon, and was granted governorship of the province of Amnora as a reward for her conquest of it. She spent a decade surveying the land before settling in what would become Tel Amnora. Each of the princely houses can trace their lineage to her. The Amnoran form of government was established by her, and has continued to this day.

Locations

Amnoran architecture is tall and graceful, building vertically to use the available space to its fullest. Most buildings are made of white or light grey timber, often incorporating arches and domes that follow natural curves. Trees and greenery are everywhere in the city, often bound up on trellises. Marble statues, elaborate fountains, and stained glass windows are common embellishments, especially on Telacine.

Telacine, the City on the Water

The central part of Tel Amnora is the City on the Water, which sits at the center of the lagoon. A guarded causeway connects it to the mainland, where the city spreads out on the plain. Built on several low islands in a natural harbor, the City on the Water is a marvel of elvish construction. Each island is criss-crossed by canals and connected to others by bridges, blurring the original lines between them. Non-elves can only (legally) access the City on the Water by invitation from a Prince of Amnora.

Telacine is a maze of narrow streets, canals, and alleys between tall houses. Living here is the most important marker of status in the city - property is at least ten times more expensive here compared to the mainland.

Each of the princely houses have a manor house here. These elaborate compounds take up a majority of the available space. Most nobles rarely leave Telacine except on business. Only members of the noble families and members of their retinues are allowed to carry weapons on the islands. However, if you can carry yourself like a noble, the guards are unlikely to stop you if you have a rapier on your hip.

Ambar Araeril

At the center of the City on the Water lies the Ambar Araeril (lit 'Golden-Flame Palace'). Its white spires tower over all other buildings of Tel Amnora. It is the seat of Amnoran politics, where the current High Prince holds court, issuing decrees and judges legal cases petitioned before them. The palace also holds banquet halls, several arcaded gardens, galleries, and more.

Manor Houses

Each princely house has a manor where most members of that family live.

• Cael Fenalar
• Cael Isneril
• Cael Eriliex
• Cael Aenidin
• Sinsire , the grand houseboat of House Elentirel
• Imon Silroth
• Cael Adhonin

Telacine Market

The square where the causeway connects the islands with the mainland is the heart of commerce in Tel Amnora. A few artisans have shops in the area, but most sell their wares from carts or stands.

A large marble fountain is located at the center of the square, with magically propelled jets of water in geometric patterns.

A Silken Touch

This tailor's shop caters to all tastes and is considered one of the best in the city. The display windows towards the market square are filled magically suspended garments, as if worn by invisible mannequins. Their flagship location is split over two floors, with the upper floor for gentlemen, and the bottom floor for ladies. Attendants take measurements for custom orders, provide suggestions, and fetch garments and fabric samples from behind the counters.

The Scent of Victory

This perfume shop smells heavily of roses, musk, sandalwood, and honey. Arriving unscented to a party would be a major breach of etiquette. It is not a very large shop, but they have dozens of different scents, soaps, and kinds of incense to choose from, or you could commission a custom one.

Virie nan Amnora

(high elf, 144, NG): Purveyor of the shop. She learned her craft as an alchemist in the retinue of House Aenidin.

All That Glitters

The most distinguished jeweler in the city. The storefront on the bottom floor holds several runeglass-paned display cabinets with gem-encrusted pieces of gold, platinum, or mithril. The second floor houses a workshop where half a dozen jewelers work hard to keep up with the never-ending demand for elaborate pieces. On the top floor, the owner of the store has a small apartment and a vault for the precious raw materials.

Maerath Arelifin

(high elf, LG, 172): Owner of the store. He is a devout follower of Freya, and has a small shrine to her in his apartments.

Arfina nan Amnora

(high elf, NG, 39): A young apprentice jeweler, who has a sharp eye for matching accessories with clothes.

Amphitheater of Herminia Casta

An open-air amphitheater in the Teccan style, where performances of music, dance, theater, and poetry are performed almost every night. During inclement weather, large cloth covers can be extended over the amphitheater. The amphitheater was built by Teccan masons as a gift from its eponymous empress, as a token of imperial favor.

It also houses a temple to Balder and a bardic college, specializing in dance. It is not uncommon for the students here to earn income on the side teaching dance to nobles. The headmistress of the college is Galwen Elentirel. Her students are often hired to play music at or perform intricately choreographed numbers at Amnoran feasts.

Aelith nan Amnorae

(high elf cleric, CG, 121): Priestess at the temple of Balder.

The Silver Harp

Aristocratic inn

The most expensive and upscale tavern on Telacine. A small army of waitstaff cater to the guests, providing luxurious food and drink for parties both small and large. The waitstaff all wear a distinctive silver harp pin in their black velvet hats. The Harp also has a rooftop garden bar that has hosted many lavish feasts.

Cristopher nan Amnora

(half-elf, 67, LN): Head chef and owner of the Harp. He is a gourmet of the highest order, always seeking new ingredients. He has a penchant for exotic animal parts, and often has well-paying contracts for adventurers to fetch wyvern eggs, giant shark roe, fresh rawsley, or some other hard-to-acquire delicacy.

Arcanae Miscellanae

The glowing entrance to this permanent Magnificient Mansion is located on a small but beautifully gardened park close to Imon Silroth. Inside lies one of the greatest magical shops in the Estian Sea, where you can buy anything a wizard desires: spellbooks, quills, inks, rare scrolls, spell foci and components, magical trinkets, dragonchess sets, robes, and more.

The magical goods sold here are made by House Silroth, and their violet banners adorn the walls inside. Security here is tight, with conjured elementals ready to intervene at first sight of trouble, and several defensive enchantments laid over the space.

In a sideroom, the Tel Amnora Dragonchess Club has a room dedicated to playing. The room has a small bar and several plushy chairs where competitors can play. The dragonchess club is helmed by Halath Silroth, who is a very good player himself (+10). He enjoys teaching the game to younger elves, providing stipends and scholarships to those who show an aptitude for it.

• Scribes/library
• Upscale inn
• Mint/Hall of Trade
• Monuments
• Park
• Artisan's row
  • Barber
  • Leatherworker
• Museum

The City on the Land

The outer city of Tel Amnora spreads out from where the causeway connects to the mainland. Here, industry is plentiful, with many runeglass furnaces, weaveries, and markets providing employment opportunities. The houses here are lower and wider, as space is far less of a premium.

Saint Rheawyn Memorial Hospital

A hospital run by the Pilgrim Knights, built on land donated by House Adhonin, and named for the Adhonin ancestor. The Charitors here provide food and healing to anyone in need. A company of Spears are also stationed here, who are technically mercenaries of the House Adhonin retinue.

The hospital grounds also holds a small chapel to Saint Rheawyn, who the Pilgrim's teach was actually an early preacher of Freya's truths. The chapel is centered on a twenty-foot statue of Saint Rheawyn meditating in Charitor dress.

Crossroads District

The Crossroads District is located where two major thoroghfares of Tel Amnora meet. It is centered on the Crossroads Market, an anthill of vendors, merchants, hawkers, and tradesfolk from dawn til dusk. It is a large paved square, lined with artisan workshops. At the center of the market square stands a 200-feet tall obelisk of white stone.

Silverscales

On a corner of Crossroads Market stands a busy pawn shop, where the poor inhabitants of the city can sell their belongings. The pawn shop usually has plenty of cheap jewelry, and occasionally some magic items pass through here.

Huded-fe'al

(silver dragonborn, 59, LN): Owner of the pawnshop, whose name translates to Silverscales. He is knowledgable about precious metals and stones.

The Two Unicorns Inn

Poor inn

The Two Unicorns Inn is located along one of the busiest roads in Tel Amnora. It is a large inn and tavern that caters to a wide clientele, on account of their low prices - it isn't fancy, but it'll get you drunk!

There is usually plenty of gambling going on in the back rooms of the Unicorns, and the staff is known to look the other way when contraband is traded or unfavorable loans are bargained.

Harbor District

The harbor of Tel Amnora is one of the busiest parts of the city. While gondolas and smaller boats can make landfall all around the basin, only the western coast is deep enough for larger ships. Basic supplies, building materials, and luxury goods are all shipped through here, and carted to large warehouses. All princely houses have businesses and interests here, but House Elentirel dominates the maritime industries and controls the harbor master's office.

The harbor is usually awash in activity, with much goods being brought to Telacine by barges to avoid the congested causeway. Sleek gondolas are also paddled along the canals to take passengers to where they need to go.

• Harbor master's office
• Shipyard
• Gondola HQ

Temple of Aegir

A marble temple extends far into the water, with pools of seawater flanking the statue of Aegir in the main chamber, holding a trident aloft and crowned with a coral crown. The office of High Priest in this temple has always been held by a member of House Adhonin.

The Beacons

The narrow inlet to the Tel Amnora's natural harbor is flanked by two large fortified lighthouses, known as the Beacons. With their guiding light, ships can pass the treacherous waters outside Tel Amnora. The beacons also house the control mechanism for a great chain that can be raised in the straight to stop all traffic.

• Furnaces
• Silk mills
  • Weavery
  • Dyeworks
• Temple of Idun
• Quillstrider stable
  • Racetrack?
• Cheap inns
  • Brothel
• Newspaper?
• Fighting ring (White Dove recruitment)
• Commune of the Path outside the city