Elishunn

Elishunn is the second largest city of Lacrienta, following the capital of Qazali. It is considered a hub of civilization and the city sees much trade and commerce despite it being one of the relatively newer cities to have formed in Lacrienta considering its long history since its founding about 1600 years ago. Before it was formed out of the villages and towns in the area it was known as The Cluster of the Northwest Harbors. The Queen’s March Road passes right through it and with it, many travelers as well. Outside the city farms span in the east and much of the city’s produce comes from said farms. Some of this produce is also exported ensuring different forms of income for the farmers. The Leha River also passes through Elishunn and splits the city in two and ferrymen make a living taking folks for a boat trip in the river and around the docks. The city's population is about 100.000 and counting.

Trade
The city hosts the most sought out bazaar in Lacrienta second only to Qazali’s own market. The Merchant’s Crossing section of the city is one of the most busy areas of Lacrienta and it boasts quality goods that many other cities don’t have; this is due to the presence of its port through which the city does all of its foreign trade with other places like the Four Kingdoms of Faliaanti, and even Heikkon and the Scorched Coast of Risalla Desert. Elishunn even trades with the famed and illustrious Evira’s Academy of Spellcraft while it comes to magic items and materials for Elishunn’s own magic school.

Since Elishunn is the one of the only two major cities situated next to the sea and with access to an immediate port, the other city being Gil-raha-lish, it firsthand enjoys luxuries and goods other cities in Lacrienta get secondhand. The city’s renown regarding trade has made it a must in trading destinations; a destination which merchants are always happy to go to and are sure to make money. It also has the much sought consumer confidence that aspiring trading centers seek to obtain.

Landmarks
Besides trade, the city also has some interesting sightseeing landmarks to boast.

First and foremost is the Mage’s College of Elishunn which is one the largest structures in the city. The college is seated upon a hill inside the city’s walls and is built with sturdy and beautifully cut stone, accented with obsidian and decorated with bismuth; a sight to behold for sure.

Next to the college is the Elishunn Pond which has clear water, decorative fountains inside the pond and also various animals that live by the water like ducks and frogs. Some say that during the hour just before dawn, pixies and water nymphs appear and frolic in the pond and that their magic and purity is what keeps the pond so clear and beautiful; a story which the city workers that strive to keep the pond clean don’t like one bit. Some claim to have seen said fairies in the pond but the stories vary and most are believed to be tall tales and attention grabs. Nevertheless the pond and the park around it is indeed a nice and relaxing place and definitely worth visiting.

The Cathedral of the Protector Gods is also an important landmark of the city and its size rivals that of the College. Its outter walls have large paintings on them with the images of said gods and scenes from various religious moments. The cathedral is located in the Upper Eastriver District and many of the faithful and sightseers visit it daily.

Other notable landmarks in the city are the so-called Three Cliffs, three huge and impressive karst-like rocks just outside the city’s walls that rise from the ground and are seemingly out of place. They are reminiscent of the karst of Kar-Eryal in the Saltmere area southwest of the city and the mountain-like Tem-ila-nur or Magna Rock for foreigners. The district built around said rocks shares the name of the landmark.

Districts
There are five districts in Elishunn, some inside the walls while some are outside. These are the Chest, the Barrel, the Eastriver District, the Three Cliffs and Newfold.

The Chest: This is the district where the wealhiest of the citizens live and also where the Mage’s College of Elishunn and the Elishuun Pond are located. It is the cleanest and most meticulous district in Elishunn. The west part of Merchant’s Crossing and the west Docks are considered part of the Chest.

The Barrel: One could say that the Barrel is the complete opposite of the Chest, and they would be right. The Barrel is where the poorest folk of Elishunn live and it is not that well adorned one could say once again. Its simple structures that lack the flair of the Chest portray the difference between the districts well, but one need not look as much as smell the difference; the Barrel smells of wood and canal water especially near the river. However, it is not an ugly place, just more common and without a square.

Eastriver District: This district is divided into two unofficial sectors; the Upper Eastriver District inside the wall and the Lower Eastriver District outside of it. While technically the same district, the Lower Eastriver District mostly looks like the Barrel; though not in the same state it certainly has a closer aesthetic and also the smell of the canal is also prominent here as well. Similarly, the Upper Eastriver District isn’t in the same league as the Chest but looks more proper than its other counterpart. The east part of Merchant’s Crossing and the east Docks are considered part of the Upper Eastriver District.

Three Cliffs: The Three Cliffs district is built outside the city wall and took its name from the three huge cliffs that rise from the ground. Beyond it the farms lie across the land. This area also has the Sage’s House, a neighborhood where people that want to relax and be outside of the hustle and bustle of the city live and have retreats. It’s an ideal place for a change in scenery and it is favored by scholars of the Mage’s College who want to come here, relax and think of new ideas and theories while enjoying the view of the countryside and the farmlands. Painters also frequent the Sage’s House in order to combat an artist’s block or use references from the landscape to incorporate to their drawings. Many other artists come here as well to further their art and appreciate what the area has to offer. There is always a tune or another playing in the background of this place as bards and musicians tend to exercise their performance here.

Newfold: As the name suggests, this is the newest district out of all the others. It was originally designed to be a commercial area of attractions for travelers and tourists, however the city's demographics started growing and instead it was turned as a residential area. However, the attractions were never taken down or redesigned for other purposes. So, scattered throughout Newfold one can find things ranging from a deserted museum to large statues of Queen Qazali that were supposed to walk through magic, to a half finished aquarium. Some folks say that the deserted museum is haunted but others dismiss this as superstition because no signs of hauntings have been seen.

Authorities
The authorities of Elishunn answer to the city’s official called a Quehja who is not a noble ruler but more like a mayor. A Quehja changes each four years with democratic elections held in the city. The current Quehja is a human named Lested Ilmesh and he is on his second year of service. Of course, the Quehja answers to the queen and enforces her laws. All cities in Lacrienta follow this example, even Qazali. That said, Queen Qazali is the absolute authority in the realm and her rule is felt as Half-Medusa officers are present in all cities and creatures that can petrify anyone that are trained by the Queen’s own Order of the Gaze are pretty common sights in the streets.

Elishunn is no exemption to all of that, and it also has a section inside it, like all cities do, where criminals of serious offends are petrified and displayed for all to see. Sections in cities such as this are called Prison Gardens. The term was coined by the commoners and the authorities haven’t abjured this term. Besides the city guard who utilizes trained Basilisks in the role of hounds and Gorgons as mounts, the city also has an Order Hall where members of the Order of the Gaze live and oversee the city and also help keep the peace. They don’t act as guards though, but rather they are like special forces that come in when things get out of control. The queen also uses the Order as agents and ambassadors of her will and many of the Order’s members are tasked with missions that take them all around Lacrienta and, rarely, outside of it.



Crime
Crime is present in Elishunn like in any city. There are gangs and thieves guilds that operate within its walls as well as outside but also below. Organized crime groups are mostly found in the city’s sewers but some that are more prominent also have safehouses and getaways in the city as well. Citizens of Elishunn call these groups and thieves guilds gangs.

There are three prominent gangs in Elishunn that pretty much rule the underworld of crime in the city and around it. They are called the  Big Three  and they are dangerous as well as effective. These rival gangs are the Foxglove Threats, the Red-Winged Angels and the Blind Eyes. They each have their own territories in the city and they have a common arrangement that each one be operating inside their own territory and not encroach in the territories of others. The Foxglove Threats control the Barrel and the Lower Eastriver District, the Red-Winged Angels control the Chest and Newfold, and the Blind Eyes control the Upper Eastriver District and the Three Cliffs. Through the mutual agreement the Big Three operated within their turfs without bloodshed for the last six years. This agreement has also helped them operate quietly without much provocation from the guards. Though the guards do have things under relative control, the independence of the Big Three and freedom to work without other gangs in their feet tends to keep most of their works away from the eyes and reach of the authorities. At least, that was all true until recently.

The Gang Wars
The agreement that kept the Big Three in their territories and businesses was broken without warning in the worst way possible. The gangs found members of their ranks murdered and all evidence pointed to another gang. Negotiations failed and the Big Three started retaliating against one another. One thing led to another, and skirmishes in the sewers and safehouses started spilling into the streets and so a full blown gang war started. The gang wars lasted for almost a month and the city guard and the gangs lost many members; even some citizens lost their lives in the chaos. City structures were also damaged and after the gang wars ended, the city looked like a warzone. The Big Three were displaced and many arrests were made but the leaders all eluded capture. Now, the city is in a state of recovery and the guard has its hands full cleaning the place up of either stragglers or citizens in need of help and among others, maintaining the strained and hard-earned peace.

The three main gangs may have not disbanded but their turfs are now up for grabs and other smaller gangs and groups start to move and step up to take their place. Things are not looking good for Elishunn as these smaller groups will do anything to establish their territories and take advantage of the state of Elishunn and the guard.

The Big Three also don’t sit idle while all this happens and word on the street is that they have undergone a second wind and their agents are on the move with eyes to reclaim what they have lost. They have strained relationships among them since they were killing one another for nearly a month, but once it was known that they were manipulated by a rebel group in order to raise chaos and strain the image and control of the queen, they have calmed down and while they are bitter enemies they left their grudges to focus on what was lost. That’s also the way the gang wars ended; when the Gatha Sisters of the Order of the Gaze revealed to the public what they had discovered, the fighting began subsiding and the gangs opted to end it in order to save what could still be saved.