Astrum, City of Magic

For centuries untold, Astrum stood as a beacon of power. Astrum is a city of magic, and it was said that just standing inside the great walls would be increased powers and abilities. Adventures, mages, wizards, witches and sorcerers traveled there in hopes of acceptance at the University of the Untold, devoted to magic, while others came to marvel at the great Tower of the Future, a massive stone structure dominating the sky about Astrum.

Then, the dragon came. In a storm of fire, the dragon Nexena attacked the city. Luckily, Astrum was forewarned, and as the city burned, magic, arrow, and spear attempted to pierce the hide of Nexena. Finally, the great dragon feel from the sky, crashing upon the ruins that once was a shining jewel in the world. Astrum was devastated.

But the people didn’t give up, and slowly Astrum was rebuilt. At present day, the city is only one third of the size of the original. The Tower of the Future, once shattered, was rebuilt. The name changed however, since the new tower never reached the size of the original. People say that on the date that the dragon attacked, every year the shadow of the original tower can be seen stretching across the city, which changed the name from Future to The Tower of Shadows.

Unfortunately, with many of the teachers destroyed in the battle against Nexena, the University of the Untold was never rebuilt at Astrum. The remaining instructors left the city, and rebuilt the university miles away on the countryside.

The reconstructing is over, and Astrum stands as a shadow in the face of the city it once was. Lord Darius Balthald commands the city from the Tower of Shadows, attempting to regain the glory that the city once held.



As I was working on my project for the firstlight challenge, my idea kept getting more and more complex. The city was renamed Astrum (Meaning star in Latin). Instead of having half the city raised, i'm now going to raise the entire city up. This is going to allow for sewers, crypts, dungeons, basements, etc.

I'm splitting the work of Astrum into sections. First I will be concentrating on the northwestern corner of the city.



Sorry, if it's hard to read. T-3 stands for a 3 storied tower for example.

Dragonstone Inn: Dragonstone Inn was one of the first buildings to be built after the Dragon attack. As the Nexena fell from the sky, it is said her head landed in the orginal inn, crashing through all five stories and finally below ground. Dragonstone Inn was then built upon this site. It is said that the head still rests as a token of that time of destruction.

Zaire's Store of Magical Items: A long time adventurer, Zaire eventually moved back to Astrum for retirement. She opened up a store which has, much like the shopkeeper, stood the test of time.

So far, I have finished two wall sections, one story of Dragonstone Inn, one of the houses, and the Smith. I'm now concentrating on the rest of the wall section so I should have pictures soon.