Niria

General Description

Any traveller approaching the city of Nirnia will notice a giant, towering central tree rising up from the distance. It's great white trunk reaches hundreds of feet into the sky, before branching off into a canopy of blue leaves. Keen eyed observers may even notice green crystals growing out of the tree, almost like fruit. Those with a magical aptitude may feel the tree pulsing, radiating from both the tree and its roots, giving off a cleansing aura.

There are no clear walls or defensive fortifications around the city, as the main roads around the city meet up and connect to the winding inner roads of the city. Travellers will notice trees, expertly grown and crafted into usable buildings and structures. On the outskirts, the tree dwellings are short, stumpy affairs, with wide bases and are usually one one or two stories tall and hollow in the center. As one would make their way towards the center of the city, the tree dwellings become thinner, taller and more elaborate, made of the same white-trunked and blue-leaved species as the central tree.

In the center of the city, stands the massive Eiffeltree, its trunk hovering a hundred feet above a glistening circular lake. Its aerial roots envelop the lake, melding into the paths around it, and forming a series of walkways to the trunk. Visible from ground level are massive windows seemingly grown into the outside of the tree trunk.

The Cathedral

(Based off of the NOTRE DAME CATHEDRAL, LAON in France)

First Floor

Built and grown into the core of the massive Eiffeltree lies the Cathedral dedicated to Mundus. All of the root walkways lead around to one major entrance to the South- two massive Blue doors, each shaped like a candle flame. Inside, there is a small entryway (about 20-30' deep) that contains doors leading to the outer ring of the cathedral, and a set of stairs to bring you to the second level. The main hall is divided into three parts- The outside ring, which is formed from wooden columns and arches that create a sort of "pathway" all around; the inside ring, full of wooden benches facing the center; and then the inner circle, formed by arches coming in from the outside, and housing a thirty-foot tall statue of Mundus herself. Carved into the columns and walls are blue elven runes, which glow slightly in the darkness. They range from prayers, to magical spells of fortitude, to wards, to poetry and history.

Starting from the left, inside the pathway on the outside wall, are paintings every so often. They represent the history of the elves, from the first towns settled in the forest millennia ago, the First Great Invasion and the elves fighting alongside the dwarves, to the discovery of the Irongrove and settling of Niria itself, the Second Great Invasion, The Great War, etc., up until near present day.

The inside circle contains black benches, for normal elven-heighted persons, oriented around the "gazebo-like" structure housing the statue in the center. All of the columns and arches retain the white coloring of the wood they are grown/carved out of.

The outer ring of the first floor, accessible through the doors on the sides of the entryway, has a hallway that runs between the inside wall and the many rooms on the outside of the ring. Those rooms have windows grown into the outside trunk of the tree, letting in light, and are used for a wide range of tasks: research rooms, storage, classrooms, private offices for the priests to work with the lower-ranking clergy, prayer rooms, etc. On the Northern end of the hall, another set of staircases, mirroring the South side, lead up to the second floor.

Second Floor

The second floor fairly open, consisting of more archways and columns everywhere. A faint trickling of water is heard, as at the center is a small fountain, water bubbling over the top. Spread around the floor are other small shrines to the other Gods and Goddesses (with Novella's being at the center), as to permit any needed worship to other deities as needs require. There are no shrines to the Dark/Evil Gods, but there are also small shrines to many demi-gods, such as Teilen or Bosque. Along the outer walls at the Eastern and Western points are another two sets of staircases, each blocked off with a set of locked heavy wooden doors. A pair of guards stand at each doorway, and the design is such that they can see across the floor to the other side clearly.

Third Floor

The third floor is very rarely seen by guests, as it houses the private chambers of the Goddess' Council. it is fundamentally split into quarters: The staircases from below terminate at the Northern and Southern points, and there is a hallway between them straight up the middle. At the halfway point, the hall splits again, this time East to West. In the center of the hall, is a spiral staircase that leads up to the fourth floor. The Northeastern quadrant is reserved for the Grand Priest- it has her private chambers, a common area for guests, a bathing area, and an office. The Northwestern quadrant has a common area, a bathing area, and four small private chambers for the Arch priests. The Southwestern quadrant holds prayer chambers, offices, and a sort of "war room". The Southeastern quadrant holds storage rooms, and is where attendants to the Goddess' stay. Four guards are also posted on this floor, one at the end of each hall.

Fourth Floor

The Fourth floor is a single tall, nearly one-hundred foot high, cavernous room. Crystals grow and are embedded in the outer walls, which do not have any windows. Suspended from the ceiling is a massive, ten-foot tall blue glowing crystal, held in place by vines and tree branches. Carved around the outside of the room, are a dozen intricate sets of circular runes, each forming a circle around 10-12 feet in diameter. These are one-way teleportation circles, allowing high-ranking Elves to travel to several pre-set locations. Currently, only six of the runes are lit up, the rest lying dormant. They only allow travel to specific locations, and do not permit any back-travel for safety and security reasons.

City Layout

Sections of the City:
A)
B)
C)
D)
E)
F)
G) Eiffeltree & Lake