Tala'ril

The Citystate of Tala'ril is a country consisting of one city, situated on the Torn Coast, west of the Black Forest. It owes allegiance to no one, and its rather isolated location has made any attempts to contest that point fairly difficult. On the surface, Tala'ril seems to have the standard hierarchy of a Kingdom, with a King and his nobles ruling over the common peoples.

History
The History of this City State is about as old as the history of Astyria itself. During the Vengeance Crusade, in which humanity sought to subjugate the elves, there were some humans who had not been overtaken by the Bloodsinger's rage. When the Crusade's purpose turned from subjugation to extermination, some of those who still held their minds broke away from the bloodthirsty mob, escaping through the forest and over the mountains that ringed it.

They found themselves on the Torn Coast, a jagged coastline with few resources. They settled here, transporting some lumber from the ruins of the Black Forest and relying on fish from the Ethereal Sea to feed their population. However, the charred lumber did not make good boats or structures, and so, desperate for shelter, the humans made contact with the dwarves. The mountain folk were resistant at first, but eventually agreed to aid the humans, so long as the humans had something to trade that was of equal value to dwarven craftsmen. Certain promising wizards among the humans knew that they had nothing of the sort, and so they travelled high up into the mountains, promising a solution based on some stolen writings from the elves. There, they devised a ritual to syphon light from the stars in the night sky, and a method to contain this stardust. This crystalized mana was extremely potent, and the dwarves found that it allowed them to craft powerful runes much more easily than before. Trade began, and for the first large shipment of stardust, the dwarves aided the humans in the construction of Tala'ril. At its heart stood the Tower of Vyr, a great citadel that stretched impossibly high into the sky. From its apex, the Wizards of Tala'ril continued to syphon stardust, and with it, they ensured the survival of their people.

Tala'ril has stood ever since, and even established trading relations with Memoria once the two nations became aware of each other. In trade for food and lumber, they also began trading their Stardust to them, as well.

Rumors and Legends
Some claim that the humans of Tala'ril rescued a small number of elves when they escaped, and have since interbred with them. Those bloodlines have become increasingly diluted in recent years, but it the tale is to be believed, the elven blood grants outlandish abilities, such as the ability to change your form and live without sleep.

Another strange rumor concerns the Tower of Vyr. According to the official statement, the tower was named for the ancient elven goddess of stars. However, some contest that there never was such a goddess, claiming that the current master of the tower, Vyr, who seems quite human, must be impossibly old, and had the tower built to suit her. While Vyr most certainly exists, she is rarely seen.

Concerning Vyr, many believe that she is the true power behind Tala'ril. While the King certainly seems to rule over diplomatic matters, those who have come from the city tell tales of the Myradi, a strange guild of thieves and mercenaries who seem impossible to tie down. Some claim that the Myradi answer directly to Vyr, but such accusations are baseless, with few things to substantiate them besides hearsay.

Another rumor states that there exists a mirrored version of Tala'ril that stretches beneath the earth, an undercity just as expansive and twice as dangerous as the one on the surface. Dark whispers abound about the reverse of Vyr's Tower, speaking of horrific experiments and dangerous rituals conducted by the mages of the city. Again, there is little to substantiate this besides half-sane ramblings from people who claim to have seen it.