ILAHIYERI
Ilahiyeri is a small country on the western coast of the western continent. It's climate is hot and dry in the summer, with milder and more humid winters. The land is rather mountainous to the north, with extremely flat and sandy lowlands to the south. Vegetation is sparse on these southern lowlands, with forested areas across the higher elevations.
The history of this region is marked by its position between the two major continents of the world. It has, since its founding some thousand or so years ago, acted as a passageway between these two landmasses, open and welcoming to a variety of travelers. However, for a brief period of time towards the beginning of the cycle, it was occupied by the country Santaresa through its former capital, Sanctuary of Rose, as a means for controlling trade before the Rose Blight set in. Ilahiyeri attempted to gain its independence, but shortly after Sanctuary of Rose fell to the Blight, Rimellion began attempting their own occupation of the country. The two countries were locked in a war for decades. It was uncertain who would be the victor, but with help from the resources left behind by Sanctuary, Ilahiyeri managed to prevail and drive the Rimellion forces out.
While they had won the war, the country made the decision to close its borders and cease trade with the outside world while it attempted to recover what it had lost. What seemed like what would be a brief moment of solitude for the country turned into centuries of complete silence. Those who attempted to visit the country and discern what had happened inside were surprised to be met with empty expanses of land, as though the sprawling cities of Ilahiyeri had never been there in the first place. While traces of magic could be felt across the landscape they traveled, they were never quite able to determine what exactly happened to the country to explain its sudden disappearance, even when troops of Rimellion wizards and knights came to make a formal investigation.
Some 600 years later, the country quietly opened its borders again, making no comment on where they had been or what had become of them. For all intents and purposes, leaders of the country seemed to have no idea they had ever become so inaccessible, and during this time had made no attempt to resume trade with anyone. They enjoyed their solitude, and had dedicated themselves to scholarly pursuits. The country had turned their sights to the sky. The capital city, which had been known by many names through the periods of occupation Ilahiyeri had consistently gone through, was now known as The Observatory, and became focused on all things celestial.
The Observatory as stated before, is the capital city of Ilahiyeri, dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge regarding stars and other celestial bodies. It's large and sprawling city, taking up the space at the top of, and between three of the tallest peaks in the mountains of northern Ilahiyeri. The Observatory is named for its most notable landmark, and the thing that draws a majority of the denizens to the city- the giant observatory built atop the tallest mountain's peak at the city's center, hosted by the University of Besidou. While the city is often referred to as a whole as The Observatory, the portions of the city on the other peaks and farther down the mountain are sometimes referred to as the city's former name, Kutsalara.
The religion of The Observatory is particular. While they recognize the gods worshipped by a majority of the world as very real and powerful entities, most are not worshipped by the people of the Observatory as true gods. Instead, the people of the Observatory and in most of Ilahiyeri recognize The Night as the sole god of their pantheon. As such, the night sky is an important part of their worship. The night sky is also considered important to their faith as a large basis of their recent history is focused around a god-like entity known as The Prince, who came from the stars and was believed to be sent to them as a messenger of the Night.
The Prince is a figure that was instrumental in the founding of the University of Besidou, though it's uncertain if the Prince was a godly figure as most have begun to paint him as or if he has become mythologized over the course of the story's retellings. It's said that the Prince came from the stars, falling in a great ball of fire and with the last of his great power protected the country of Ilahiyeri by obscuring its true location from the outside world. During his stay, he imparted knowledge of worlds deep within the cosmos to the citizens of the city and showed them unique ways to utilize the stars for divination and spellcasting. In return, all he asked is that the people of the city take care of him and treat him as family. He was seen as a hopeful, if naive figure, who showed great curiosity about the world he had found himself in. However, by the end of his short stay with the city he became inconsolably depressed, stubbornly fixated on the whereabouts of a person he loved dearly. He refused to speak to anyone. Then suddenly, he vanished. His whereabouts are entirely uncertain, but the place where he stayed later became the University of Besidou, named after his home which the people of The Observatory continue to search for to this day.
The University has had great contribution to the culture of the city, namely in their newfound draw towards preservation of knowledge and the art of star-focused spellcasting. The people of The Observatory have come to believe that through the tracking of the movement of the stars they can commune with the Night and discover new methods of magic unlike they'd ever used before. The pursuit of knowledge, whether it be through study of maths and sciences, the arts and humanities, or magic are highly valued. Education is considered a necessity when living in the city, and the government of the city has gone through great lengths to ensure that schooling is accessible to anyone who wants it.
Kutsalara has always been known for its skill in the realm of metalwork and textiles, but after it was concealed from the rest of the world, they became even more dedicated to this craft. The Prince was a major advocate for any activity that supported community and trade, and their penchant for the production of artisanal goods was said to be one of his favorite aspects of the city. Additionally, the Prince also contributed to the generally lively and family-oriented attitude most people hold in The Observatory and Kutsalara. Feasting, festivals, and parties are all major aspects of life in Kutsalara. Milestone birthdays and weddings are especially celebrated events, often becoming extravagent to the point of garnering hundreds of attendees even for smaller families.
Most of the infrastructure to support the Observatory is located farther down the mountain and in the fertile valleys between each peak. Mining and all forms of animal husbandry are highly valued and highly honed practices. Having once been a meeting place for people of all cultures, the sheer number of varieties of crops and animals cultivated by the people of The Observatory is unmatched by most across the world- excepting, perhaps, Wisteria. In addition to their craftwork, they're large exporters of spices and unique fruits and vegetables. This region of Ilahiyeri grows a majority of the country's food and has revolutionized practices for the production of mass amounts of food with the aid of magic, managing to keep the entire country afloat through its no-contact period.
The current government of The Observatory consists of a central ruler and their cabinet, and two houses. One house was quite small, and dealt primarily with executive functions and military, while the other was large and handled most civil affairs. The central ruler of the Observatory is called the Astral Scholar, who resides in a palace known as the Astrolabe. The Astral Scholar typicall rules until they choose to retire, and is succeeded by their apprentice once they are considered ready to take up the mantle.