Endirholm: Endir, the City of Scholars

Endirholm: Endir, the City of Scholars

The city stands on the shores of the Sea of Isha, just to the west of the Summerstream River. It is an old city compared to others, but very young compared to Cintra or Ayleid. Its houses are mostly of stone and in every color of the world. One of the defining features of Endir is the canals that flow through the city with gondolas and barrages traveling along them. There are almost as many canals as normal streets, something which can be quite confusing to visitors (especially the Nahmil).
The truth of this that Endir stands atop flooded foundations. If you were to venture down one of the city’s manholes you’ll find nearly endless ranks of arched columns supporting the entire city. Several of these columns have Dwarven runes glowing on them so they’ll be able to withstand the weight from above.
But even more than its waterways, Endir is known for its scholar societies and intellectual guilds. Every scientific organization in the known world has at least an embassy somewhere within the city walls. Most famous among all of these is the Arcane Academy and the seven Colleges of Magic. The Arcane Academy is the largest of the city’s many towers, rising up from the northern section. It is within its hallowed halls that tomorrow’s magicians are taught and trained.
The seven Colleges of Magic are the next step for budding Wizards after graduating from the Arcane Academy. Each College will train them to specialize in a single Ether, though most Wizards branch out a little. Upon joining a College, the novices are bestowed the seal of the College which is their proof of membership and the key to many doors (both literary and figuratively).

Places of Notice:
-Albus Marvin Square: The Explorer’s Guild and the Adventurer’s Guild both have their headquarters on the same plaza and each are basically the same guild only for different levels of society. The first for the rich and the latter for the rest. Around the square is also the Guild of Florists and the Institute of Mathematics. The square is named after the second Arch-Wizard of the College of Alteration, one of Endir’s founding fathers.

-The Domed Docks: The area received its name from the wide stone domes of the older warehouses, but the name has in turn inspired the architects of later years and now you’ll be hard pressed to find a single roof there that isn’t domed. The docks themselves are massive stone structures that reach straight into the Sea of Isha, making the modest ships that dock seem tiny by comparison. Francis Marlette, the architect of the port, was more of a visionary than a realist.

-The seven Colleges of Magic: Each of the seven Colleges has its own campus and the areas around these campuses are aptly named after the color of the College it houses. The College of Destruction is located in the Red District, the College of Restoration is located in the Yellow District, and so forth. Each of the Collages’ campuses are unique in appearance and style, symbolizing the teachings of its School and the nature of its Ether.

-Arcane Academy: The largest tower in Endir and the true school for Wizards. It is located in the north, more precisely here.

-The Waterworks: Below street-level, under the city proper, lie the arched columns supporting Endir. It is not all columns, for a lot of the cities buildings and basements that stretch down into the water. These lower levels are halfway sunken and cast in a constant twilight by the lack of sunlight and the glowing Dwarven runes that strengthen the stone foundations. Endir also savors a sweet irony in the fact that its criminal underworld is indeed a true “Underworld”!