Ortho: Harmony's Glory

Harmony’s Glory FD
Proper Name: Harmony's Glory Federal District
Provincial Government: None
Provincial Capital: Harmony's Glory
Leaders: None
Population: Total # - Human 50%, Dwarven 15%, Orc 15%, Beholder 15%, Other 5%
Languages: Orthorian common
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Faiths: All Lords of Order have temples in Harmony's Glory, St. Cubreth

Life and Society
Established a little less than five hundred years ago, Harmony's Glory is the center of activity for the Orthorian Central Authority, the world government of Ortho. This city is the center of political debate, and is home to the representatives of Ortho's provincal governments. It is also home to the heads of the various Colleges and Schools that may be found throughout Ortho. The capital of this district is the central stanging point for the Knights of Harmony, and the nominal headquarters of this organization on the planet. Harmony's Glory is not considered a province of it's own and is under the direct control of the federal government of Ortho.

Harmony's Glory is a temperate rainforested penninsula, with few large cities aside from the capital itself and scattered farms near to the capital. By agreement, the majority of the land of this province is left to federal use, and is amongst the least developed areas of the world. This district is also the site of the largest portal to the Planes on the planet.

Harmony's Glory is centered around a single city of the same name, and Orthorians will use the names interchangably.

Provincial Government
Harmony's Glory has no provincial government to speak of. Within the borders of the district the laws and jurisdiction of the federal goverment preside. Within the city of Harmony's Glory, the city government has jurisdiction, though that is subservient to the federal law system. The city of Harmony's Glory does have a small police force to defend the city, though the active military members of the Knight's of Harmony far outnumber the members of this force. Outside of the borders of the city there are no military resources beyond those of the Knights. Citizens who choose to live in those areas are encouraged to learn how to defend themselves, and are instucted on the relatively safer locations on the penninsula.

Geography
The penninsula is for the most part thickly forested and lush with many small rivers throughout the area. The prevelance of waterfalls on these rivers make navigation tricky at best, and reaching the interior of the penninsula is not an easy task. Since this is a federal district, the Orthorian Central Authority has no concerns with further developing this land and prefers to treat these pristine areas as natural reserves held in safe keeping for the people of Ortho. Populations in Harmony's Glory are centered along the west coast, or within the city of Harmony's Glory itself.

Approaching the penninsula is easier from sea, as the northern part of this province runs into the Flamedance Mountians making land routes inconvient. In the north of the province a series of lowlands are riddled with swamps and marshes. Along the east coast of the penninsula run a range of mountians, renamed the Spires of Perfection since the establishment of this district. There are a number of small islands on the western side of Harmony's Glory which protect the main city, making this area ideal for trade and portage for large ships.

The Spires of Perfection
These mountians are not the largest or highest mountian ranges on the world. They do however comprise the majority of this province, making it difficult to get deep into the penninsula for trade or settlement. The mountians are thickly forested with a temeperate rainforest, and deeper into the range hold many secret cloud forests. Travellers through these mountians are encouraged to know how to defend themselves due to the relatively unregulated nature of these areas. Settlement in the Spires of Perfection is strongly discouraged.

Alae's Island
To the south of the penninsula is a large island with a smooth coast line, and rocky beaches. This island is low laying with lush vegetation to the center of the isle, and enough wheat fields to sustains the small population to the eastern side of the island. It is known as one of the most peaceful places on the planet. The central temple of Alae's faith may be found on this island, surrounded by the meditation groves and training grounds of her clergy.

The Guardian of Order
The Guardian Island is a large island to the west of the penninsula. Its position makes it a shield for the port of Harmony's Glory against both invaders and the powerful storms known to sweep through this area off the coast of Iironda. This island is fortified with the first line of defense for Harmony's Glory secured around the edges with stone and iron walls against a naval attack. Though it has not seen use in many decades, if not centuries, the Knights of Harmony continue their vigilance on this island.

Longear Marsh
This marsh is found to the north of Harmony's Glory, and is a brackish water marsh. It is easily over three thousand square miles, and bosts some of the most varied wildlife in the area. Fishing is plentiful in this area, but travellers are warned to be careful of the large reptiles that may be found in this area as well.

Important Sites
Harmony's Glory
The district capital is built directly on the burned and buried ruins of the elven capital of Shilvestra'lkhana, and is nestled within the valley formed by three tall mountian peaks. It is exemplified by a mixture of architectural styles ranging from tall reaching human towers to lacy beholder warrens carved from the surface of the mountians surrounding the city. The city is generally built like a clover around a central core, with each 'leaf' extending into the valleys of the three peaks. The city is divided into wards, each leaf being the greater wards of Order,
Consensus, and Duty. The central core is called, predictably enough, Harmony Ward. Living quarters are scattered throughout the city, and much of the architecture of the city is built upwards, to most effeciently use the limited space within the valley of these mountians.

Nestled between the greater wards of Order and Consensus, is the Dock Ward where all of the city's port activity goes on. This is also the section of the city that hes experienced the most flooding as the water levels of the planet have risen in the past few centuries. As a result the Dock Ward is riddled with bridges and extensive canals allowing smaller boats to easily penetrate to docks and markets further within the city. Water in the city is generally controled through a series of canals that spread the rising water level throughout the Docks Ward and below to magically reinforced pumps that provide piped water throughout the city.

The greater ward of Order is a business district, holding the head offices of most legal and financial businesses in the city and on Ortho as a whole. This area is home to most of the trade markets dealing in goods as varied as glass and silk, to stocks of lumber and iron ore. This ward is also home to the School of Ethics in Harmony, the first and most prestigues of these schools. The School of Ethics here is located in a series of low laying brick buildings surrounded by tall oaks dating from the founding of the city itself. The students here are a common sight, studying over thick tomes and debating passionately over the purpose and place of law within society. The library at this school holds law books gathered from throughout Ortho, it's colonies, and planar contacts to allow comparative study amongst the graduates and professors of the school.

The Consensus Ward is home to two Colleges. The College of the Arts, which is the primier school of mage-craft on Ortho, and the College of the Chant, one of the best of the bardic colleges on Ortho, though it doesn't compare to the College of the Choir in Iathra. This Ward is generally lit with mage lamps, a gift from the masters of the arcane who make their residences here. In addition this ward is the primary docking location for Iirondian skyships.

The College of the Arts is located in a converted beholder warren carved on the edge of the ward, which towers over the rest of the ward. It is carved directly from the granite of the mountians and is difficult to traverse without either beholder abilities, or a minimum ability with mage craft. Apprentice level classes in this College are taught on the ground floor, with higher sphere magics taught to students capable of getting to the classrooms of higher levels under their own power. The school is presides over by the beholder mage, Rrxachi'tl. Rrxachi'tl may be politely termed 'cranky', though he seems to consider the students of the school to be a part of his own personal 'clan', and has never been known to assault any of them. Rumors also hold that he is completely insane for a beholder. Students of the college are easily recognized by their school robes, a deep red, with stylized eye embrodery reflecting their rank within the college.

The College of the Chant is located near the edge of the ward ajacent to Duty Ward. It is separated by one of the larger canals from the central temple of Balae on the other side. The two complexes are linked by a series of freestanding arched bridges. This College is open to all talented muscians throughout Ortho, and gladly accepts poets as its primary concentration of the musical arts. The College is headed by the poet Joril Windborn, a tiefling touched poet from Pan-Thaera. Master Windborn is commonly found sitting on the bridges over the canal holding lectures on poetic structure in music with the newest students to the school. A recent addition to the school is the House of Numbers, a small building on the edge of campus that was recently aquired to provide space for the study of mathematics and number theory as they relate to musical theory.

Duty Ward is home to most of the temples of Harmony's Glory. All of the powers of the Lords of Order are represented here, and there are smaller temples as well to a few of the most common planar powers that have been accepted for worship on Ortho. The temples provide the larges source of medical assistance in the city, at the Lords' Tending - a circular building of black and green marble jointly operated by all clergy members. Healing at the Lord's Tending is held at a resonable, state subsidised, charge and exceptions for great need or emergencies are available. In addition to the temples, this ward holds the complex of buildings known as The Honors of Passing a series of momuments and mausoleum's of the honored dead of the Pax Harmonium. Most of the highest ranking members of the Knights of Harmony have their ashes entered here. Only those of highest honor throughout Order are given space in this complex for full burial. The tombs of all past Composers may be visited during touring hours.

The core of the city, Harmony Ward, is built out of carved white marble and can easily be seen rising above the rest of the city regardless of your location within it. This core is secured against the flooding that all port cities of Ortho have experienced by a series of levees and force walls. Within the core of the city may be found the governmental buildings of the Orthorian Central Authority. In addition, many of the largest libraries of Ortho may be found in these pristine white towers, covering subjects as varied as magic, engineering, law, and faming techniques. All buildings in the core of Harmony's Glory are warded against scrying by magic and by means of lead used in their original construction. The residences of all Orthorian Council representatives may be found here, as well as the primary residences of the Octave.

An extensive complex of tunnels, pipes, sewers and canals run underneath Harmony's Glory. This complex provides piped water throughout the city to all major buildings and fountians. It is also responsible for the closed sewers that the city has as one of its greatest benefits. This system is responsible for much of the control of flood water through the city, keeping the flow of salt water contained from the city streets. Once every turn of the seasons all inner gates throughout this complex are opened to the sea, allowing the water to flood through the inner chambers to cleanse the tunnels before being pumped back out. Security is increased in the complex to three times normal rates during these activities as even gates to the central core are opened.

The Planar Pool
Located a half days's ride from Harmony's Glory, on the outskirts of Duty Ward and tucked between two of the mountians can be found the Planar Pool. This complex is built of iron reinforced stone with a sprawling series of administrative buildings. The complex is designed to monitor, tax, and control travel through the largest portal on the planet. The portal is a pool located at the center of the complex which is ringed in iron and surrounded by the most potent divine and arcane wards available. It can easily accomadate massive cargo shipments and troop movements, as well as the casual traveller. The chamber containing the portal is roofed in iron and glass, and is monitored routinely by beholder troops above the complex, as well as troops within the chamber itself. This portal is heavily guarded at all times.

The portal can be sealed over with a series of iron plates to prevent travel from one side to the other, though this happens rarely. The last major closing of this portal was during the War of Iron.

Guardian Post
The central fortress on Guardian Island rises on the top of the island itself, standing out as a blocky central building plated in an iron exterior. The island is a rocky jut of land, and has few fishers or farmers beyond those directly connected to the fortress itself. It is not settled by civilians. The iron is recognizable from a distance as a number of the armor plates show exterior rusting from the salt water in the wind. Plates weakened by the environment are replaced on a yearly basis.

The fortress has a series of iron walled channels that lead down from the central rise of the island to the walls allowing defenders to easily get to the island's built up defenses. There is only one location on the island that is still a viable port, and it is heavily secured on the rear of the island by docks manned by the Knights of Harmony.

A single spire rises above this fortress to function as a lighthouse, and fly warning flags for peaceful ships travelling in the area. In times of war - the lighthouse has been known to 'malfunction'.

The Temple of Peace and Persistance
The main temple of the worship of Alae is located on Alae's Island. It is a complex built of wood, stone and brick at which worshippers and those seeking peace of mind are welcome. The complex sprawls with quarters and cells for the faithful. It is surrounded by extensive water gardens, hedge mazes, and meditation chambers, each of which is designed to bring peace and introspection to those present. Also within the complex itself may be found a wide field of white sand on which training in the arts of self defense are offered to all those who ask out of need.

To the west of the island, within a low wind swept forest is a deep cavern that opens as a rocky pit into the ground. This cavern plunges easily 600 feet down, narrowing to twenty feet across at its tightest point. At the bottom, the cavern spreads out forming into a natural arena with sand covering a rocky floor. This is one of the most sacred sites of the religion of Alae as it is the location that Ina took the goddess for her healing. The most secret rites of the clergy are held here, and the highest of titles for those mastering the art of self defense are bestowed here. Worshippers of Alae or Ina are allowed at this site only with permission and the escort of a knowlegable cleric of either of these dieties. Aside from religious reasons there are safety concerns with a journey to this location, as at unusually high tides or during stormy weather the sea is known to flood part of this complex of caves. Rumors persist that a worshipper of Ina, who stays and survives one of these floods may find a way into deeper chambers sacred to Ina alone.