Overview
Like the other large cities in An'mani, Seian City is a bustling metropolis of people from all walks of life. It is filled with modest homes, merchant stalls, open courtyards, gardens, and temples dedicated to Paolu. Seian City is lit by electric lights and is the most technologically advanced city on the surface world of Ilisara, complete with a rudimentary telegram system, gondolas powered by steam engine to reach the upper hills, hand-painted "moving pictures", and a universal coin exchange.
Though it was founded by the Mani, Seian City has many mixed-race inhabitants and residents from other nations due to it being a massive trade hub. An'mani is bordered by Okuna to its west. Many Okunans have settled in Seian City.
A large river runs through the center of Seian City and leads all the way up into the mountains, where the Azure Palace sits. Seian City is loosely arranged around the river's banks and sprawls on for miles upstream. Great ships from the Tanukin Sea dock throughout the city, bringing goods and travelers from abroad.
Inhabitants
Lowborn
Lowborn peasants and commonfolk form the bulk of Seian City’s citizens. They are farmers, cobblers, bakers, and others with menial jobs.
Merchants
Merchants flock to Seian City to cater to the needs of its 2 million inhabitants. These merchants are so numerous and wealthy that they constantly generate new forms of luxury and entertainment to occupy their time. Drama, storytelling, woodblock prints, stone and porcelain ware, silk brocade, and lacquerware are a few of their innovations.
The Kyō
The leaders of different armies (the Kyō) control pieces of land in An’mani. They are an important part of the Azure Empire's military and political scene. They are required by law to keep a home in Seian City as well as maintain their distant realm. These wealthy military men and women keep men-at-arms, and invest in the city to keep their families safe and entertained. Their compounds exist primarily in the city's aristocratic quarter.
Entertainment
Seian City has much to offer. A ferry service takes visitors upriver to the aristocratic quarters and secluded mansions of the Kyō. Glimpses of the Azure Palace can be seen from afar. There are dozens of gardens, well-tended bamboo forests, and exhibitions of knowledge from around the world. Scientists and engineers are well respected in Seian City. These gifts are often put to use creating art and new forms of entertainment.
Seian City is renown for being a relaxing place, too. Set in a pristine valley of natural beauty, it has several exports of flower wines and terrace crops. Hiking up into the mountains, past terraced fields of rice, can be a spiritual experience for a weary traveler. Bathhouses and spas are frequent attachments to inns with comfortable bedding and hospitable hosts.
Seian City, and by extension the Mani as a whole, find artistry very valuable to society. The theatres in An'mani are full of dancers, singers, and talented artisans. Ceremonial dinners, evening dances, and ritualistic hospitality is common. For artistry of another kind, travelers can seek out the “Pools of Mortal Delight”, where rich merchants spend fortunes to cavort with beautiful courtesans.
Celebration, relaxation, and enjoyment of life are strong values to the Mani who live in Seian City.
Notable Locations
Academy of Flight
Animal Exotica
The Moving Pictures
The Azure Palace
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