Astrazalean

Astrazalean
A town of white towers and winding streets on the hills of a fair green isle, Astrazalian exists in the mortal world during spring and summer and passes back to the Feywild in fall and winter.

Population: 8,900, plus an additional 5,000 or so who live in small estates or watchtowers elsewhere on the isle. Most are eladrin, although a small number of elves and half-elves also reside here. Visitors of all the civilized races can be found in Astrazalian when it exists in the mortal world.

Government: Lady Shandria is the First Sword of the city, appointed to her position by the Council of Houses. The Council is made up of the heads of each of the eladrin Houses in Astrazalian. Defenses: The Sword Guard is the city’s primary fighting force, a regiment of 600 eladrin soldiers. Astrazalian’s harbor also shelters a small fleet of five warships.

Inns: House of Solace; White Poplar; Swan House. The White Poplar is the largest, and caters to travelers from the mortal world.

Taverns: Laughing Gull; Moon and Stars; Lantern Tree. The latter is a large white oak tree with scores of lanterns above the tables set up under its branches.

Supplies: Star and Dolphin Coster; Aramath Teldorm. Aramath is an eladrin swordsmith and armorer of great renown.

Temples: Tower of Stars (Corellon); Temple of the Lady (Sehanine); Tower of Pearl (Melora). This magnificent eladrin city is the showpiece of the eladrin lands. Appearing on the hillsides of a green island of the mortal realm for fully half of every year, it is the fey realm most well known to mortals.

Most of the eladrin Houses have a representative living in Astrazalian. Trade and treasure pour through the gates as mortal supplicants flood the city every summer. These resources, combined with the semiannual respites from the dangers of the Feywild, allow the eladrin within to rebuild Astrazalian at their leisure. It is one of the few eladrin cities with new towers rising alongside ancient spires. Giant white swans pull delicate boats along the docksides.

The goods of many nations are sold among the brightly bannered stalls of the market. A particularly puissant magic university teaches students within the city’s walls. Eladrin wizards of Astrazalian have the broadest exposure to mortal spellcraft, trading their own lore for secrets unknown in the Feywild. This vibrant combination has given rise to truly powerful new arcane arts.

Astrazalian is ruled by Lady Shandria, an eladrin warlord. Lady Shandria is a distant niece of Queen Tiandra. As a result, the Summer Queen’s Court holds sway here. Some find it odd that a warrior has been placed in charge of Astrazalian when a diplomat would seem better suited to the task. Indeed, Lady Shandria obviously chafes at the role. Though this posting seems odd, Shandria rules here because although Astrazalian’s locale in the mortal realm is tranquil, the location it occupies when it returns to the Feywild every fall and winter is hideously dangerous.

In the Feywild, Astrazalian is within striking distance of the fomorian borderlands. All the eladrin cities closer to the fomorian territories have already fallen. Astrazalian is a fat, shining prize waiting to be plucked. The fomorians do not just covet the gold and magic items lining Astrazalian’s vaults, however. The prospect of an entire city from which to launch a conquering army against the mortal realm is intoxicating for the power-mad fomorians. The giants barely keep from jealously tearing each other apart between assaults on Astrazalian’s walls. Any mortals who return to the Feywild with Astrazalian find themselves in a constant state of siege from the moment the city fades back into existence.

As terrifying as this prospect is, opportunities abound for the fearless and foolhardy. Lady Shandria often assigns hazardous tasks to mortal sellswords rather than risk losing any of her valuable garrison troops. To gain the favor of Shandria is to gain the favor of the Summer Queen. Service to Astrazalian can earn mortals rare magical boons, favors from eladrin scholars, or even shave decades off the time required to petition for an audience with the Court of Stars.