Izar
OVERVIEW
Izar is a fiery, red city that sits away from the other cities, separated by a vast wilderness filled with smoking forests and towering mountains. The city itself holds thousands of citizens that are primarily dragons, wyverns, wyrms, lindwurms, lung dragons, drakes, some humans, and lots of spirits or ghosts that are attracted to the lanterns and candles dotted around the city. Most of the citizens prefer to stick to themselves and only socialize with others of a similar species, mainly because of language barriers but also because some human tourists and citizens still fear the dragons that also live here. Because many of the citizens are dragons or similar species, the homes here are naturally larger than most apartments or homes in other cities or worlds as wings and long tails are quite a hassle to navigate through small rooms and halls with.
The architecture is very close to traditional Japanese homes, just tripled in size and in many shades of reds and browns. Most roofs always have a dragon or two sitting on them and talking away from the packed streets below, so it’s very normal to hear low roars or grumbles coming from your ceilings during all hours of the day. In the center of all the massive mansions and vast ,highly decorated streets lies the towering Halls of Bone, home to the current reigning king Gulassyd and his few sons and daughters that stay with him. Citizens can enter the lower sections of this castle where the Carmine Greyhound also sits hidden away from the blazing sun, but anyone caught on any of the upper floors is sentenced for trespassing and in rare cases exiled from Izar. Dragons are also forbidden to fly too close to the windows or walls and are escorted away by the royal guard if they are seen flying nearby.
RANKING
The highest rank throughout Izar, the king or queen rules over everything and has the ultimate power over everyone else that steps foot or paw into the city.
Any of Gulassyd’s children automatically become princes or princesses as they are related to him and therefore have a right to the throne should Gulassyd pass or be challenged. They tend to stay hidden within the Halls of Bone but sometimes embark on journeys far from home and return a few years later to see if the king is still alive.
Only made up of dragons, the Royal Guard regularly patrols the streets of Izar and tends to any problems anyone may have within the city. They also make sure no dangers happen to anyone exploring the wilderness, especially the mountains as that is where a certain Devil known as Aerostatz hunts.
Anyone not a part of the royal guard, free to roam and live within Izar as long as its laws are respected, and they do not cause any trouble to others.
A dragon lover’s dream.
FACTIONS/ORGANIZATIONS
The Royal guard is a well-respected and known group that protects Izar and tends to any of Gulassyd’s needs. You can tell if someone is a part of the Royal Guard as they always wear their red, black, or gold armor, depending on their rank.
Vithef is a hidden, massive institute that focuses on fire magic and dragon skills. This large white and red building is hidden away in the Smoke Mountains and protected by the Royal Guard. Entry into Vithef is only permitted to certain dragons that come of age, and these selections are far and few as to keep Vithef safe and uncrowded. Usually rich dragon familys will pay a lot to have their children attend, so there isn't much room for poorer dragons to attend.
One of the most popular and well known sushi restaurants among all of the main cities, the Flaring Fish is always packed with drooling dragons and other creatures and humans that are just dying to get their hands or paws on some sushi. The restaurant also sells fish dishes and a few sugary desserts.
The Jade Teahouse is the only teahouse in Izar, making it difficult to find somewhere to sit as tea is essential in almost everyone's lives, so thousands of dragons and people try to flock to the teahouse early in the morning to avoid having to wait till the afternoon or evening to get their cup of happiness.
The Onyx Inn is always packed full of tourists or citizens looking to escape their home for awhile, and obtaining a room can be impossible unless you book months ahead of time. The building itself is huge and towers above its surroundings, offering a multitude of lavishly decorated rooms to choose from.
Izar has an old, but well looked after, temple that sits at the very back of the Smog Glade. This temple has several different Gods and Goddesses decorated on its walls and each one also has a medium statue crafted with rich gold and a gemstone that represents their color. The temple is usually quiet and close to empty, but a few dragons can be seen tucked away into corners or bowing their heads in thought before one of the statues.
LAWS
- Any and all crime is strictly forbidden within Izar. The Royal Guard does their best to keep criminals out but cannot do much if a crime has not been committed within Izar itself as they do not like to involve themselves in anything outside of the city.
- All dragons are to be respected, even if they are feared or others find them repulsive. This is to keep citizens safe as an angry or fearful dragon is a deadly dragon. All citizens should be respected regardless of this, but dragons are more noted to avoid unwanted massacre or bloodshed.
- Dragons as pets or anything less than citizens is forbidden and shameful.
- The upper floors of the Halls of Bone are forbidden to enter for citizens and any royalty that was not personally invited to enter.
ABOUT
Izar is flooded with life during winter but soon burns to a crisp when the scorching heat of spring and summer returns. The plants themselves are very resilient and can survive intense conditions, but the animals migrate away to the nearby Alucinar or Odume to wait out the fires. The city is fireproof and is completely safe at all times of the year.
Rain is extremely rare within Izar but can appear and shower the city with brief excitement before the scorching heat returns. Snow never happens, although most of the scaled residents are thankful for this.
BASICS
NOTABLE LOCATIONS
SMOG GLADE
A smokey forest that’s filled with dead trees and burnt leaves for half the year but come the early winter months the forest springs back to life during the night and all the colorful leaves and animals return as quickly as they had vanished the spring before. The majority of the trees here are large mahogany or oaks with massive trunks and branches that fill up the canopy with bursting, red and orange leaves. Many species of squirrel prance between the trees and raccoons are present around the bases where they scavenge on the fallen nuts and fruits before they flee when the fires return. The forest floor can be quite barren in areas where only thick mud or dirt lays, but in denser areas the red grass grows tall and many flowers like lotus and lilies sprout from the rich soil. If you’re lucky you can spot herds of elk trekking through the thick forests as they migrate over to feed before quickly moving back to Odume to wait out the fire. Once spring returns to Izar the forest suddenly sets alight and spends the rest of spring burning and filling the sky with dark smoke and embers. During this time larger dragons fly to the forest edges to help push back the smog with their massive wings until it clears up and nothing is left except for black dirt and ashes. The forest remains this way until the next winter returns and the cycle continues.
CARMINE GREYHOUND
Arguably the most popular place to be in Izar, the Carmine Greyhound is always packed full of people, dragons, and all sorts of other species. Gulassyd also likes to spend his time here and watch over many of the ongoing games from his resting spot atop a ruby-red balcony that overlooks the whole hall. The whole of the casino is a bright red with gold and black accents as well as many spots of true ruby or carmine that have been carved into the walls or floor, emitting vibrant reflections that make the whole casino glow. There are many statues of small, stone dragons or greyhounds with carmine for eyes – giving the casino its nickname. The hall itself has to be huge as many larger dragons enjoy the spoils and risks of gambling and cannot fit in small rooms without squashing everyone else, although there are a few smaller rooms that connect to the main hall where Gulassyd’s staff team can relax away from the hussle and constant sound of dice, cards, and everything else. The Carmine Greyhound is open 24-7 with alternating staff teams of both dragons and dogs that work tirelessly and are rather strict with rules and regulations. Many of Gulassyd’s children also like to dwell here and participate in games themselves, but also use it as an opportunity to spot any other rich dragons they could possibly be interested in.
HALL OF BONE
The center palace that sits within Izar for all to see. The Halls of Bone tower over every other building in Izar and casts a huge shadow over the city during certain times of the day. The outside walls are a dusty color, but the inside is a clean silver, white, and beige with dark accents of color here and there. Most hallways have a rib-like structure along the ceilings that keeps the buildings from collapsing, which is also why this place is referred to as the Halls of Bone. Many decorations such as banners, plates of armor, vases, jars, bookshelves, and all sorts of magical objects are dotted around the whole palace. Gulassyd’s room sits right at the top of the palace and holds a much darker atmosphere than the rest of the place, but his massive clear window allows him to quickly fly and exit the building and return to his room with ease. He enjoys resting on his silky, black pillows and rugs during the day and then awakens to tend to his duties come the first sign of the moon at night. During this time he makes his way to the underground sections of the palace where he focuses on his important wine industry and makes sure everything is in working order.
SMOKE MOUNTAIN
Named Smoke Mountain because of the dark, grey rocks and drifting clouds that surround these mountains, Smoke Mountain is a bit of a treacherous area to traverse unless you are flying. Avalanches are common and some wild predators like to roam these risky cliffs in search of smaller dragons they can knock out of the skies and prey upon below. There are also many towers of bone that stagger and stretch all over the mountains and hold the dark cavern where Aerostatz retreats and waits for any signs of movement from flying creatures. Gulassyd commonly flies through here to visit other distant worlds, and often comes into contact with Aerostatz which results in many large battles that shake the valley below.
RED RIVER
A long, winding river filled with vibrant orange jellyfish and soothing red water. Most sea serpents or water-oriented dragons come here to fish for the jelly’s or sift through the sands for tasty clams and shellfish that are hidden away. The Red River is also a popular place for dragons and even birds to come to in search of mates as the space is open and clear of most obstructions like trees or rocks, allowing the dragons or birds to have enough room to perform their ritualistic dances to attract the attention of any nearby ladies. During this time, most dragons will also brawl and wrestle each other into the water over space and dancing opportunities, the losers often suffering the stings from the orange jelly’s waiting below.
DEATH ROCK CAVERN
A deep and vast stretching canyon that sits far behind the city of Izar. The surrounding rocks are a charred black covered in loose dust that irritates skin and makes those that inhale it gag, but peering right down into the canyon you can see the slow-moving lava that circles around and flings burning embers up into the red skies. Many creatures avoid this area as the heat is scorching as is the constant dust unbearable, but dragons and wyrms suited for fire or lava love to dive deep into the red lakes and enjoy the burning bath or fight over ladies. Despite being filled with lava, this canyon was named Death Rock Cavern because of the actual, pitch-black cavern that’s hidden deep under the canyon itself. This area is filled with tunnels and pits of sharp rocks that skewer any unlucky dragons who end up here and cannot navigate the tight spaces. Connecting all of these tunnels together is one massive cave where the parasite king Strey stays with all of his little parasitic minions who bring him scraps of bone or volcanic rocks to snack on.