Solaria's Last Light

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Solaria is a prosperous country on the continent of Iqux. Legends say it was created out of nothing by the deity Sol, along with a select few mortals, deemed their forgers, who assisted the god in creating a livable country. It was divided into ten major cities, and those cities were marked with ten special stones that deemed them a part of the god's country, before the deity laid to rest in a floating isle it had created for itself over the capital city.

There was of course Aelius, the capital city of Solaria. Home of Sol. The streets were paved with gold by Sol, making their resting place one of true beauty. Many used to say they could see the god Sol peering down on them from their resting place above Aelius. Those who lived there were the first settlers, those who followed the deity to this new home. They would plant their own roots there, solidifying who would remain there for centuries to come.

Next was Mercury, an industrial city where nothing but work was done. Crafted its own 'Grounding Stone' at the will of Sol. The hissing of steam and smell of oil can be smelled for miles upon miles. It sticks out like a sore thumb compared to the neighboring cities. Still, it is the heart of Solaria, making everything the god Sol wanted possible as they went to rest. People from there are certainly wealthy, but unlike those in Aelius, they earn their money from how absolutely hard they work.

Third was Venus, the city of the arts. This is where many bards planted their roots, making the city one of performance and life. Gifted the 'Devotion Stone' by Sol. It continued to grow until it was known as the city of stardom. Everyone wanted to be in Venus, everyone wanted to live the life of those who lived in Venus. It was so heavily romanticized just due to all the good prosperity the city produced. It masked the dirt and grime of Mercury with bright spotlights and pretty faces, keeping those in Solaria heavily entertained despite what happens behind closed curtains.

Fourth was Tellus, one could hardly call it a 'city,' seeing as it was more of a reservation for the fauna and flora that existed before Sol settled here. Home to the 'Guidance Stone' which was bestowed by Sol. Its bustling beauty attracted many druids and rangers who plot out its beauty and bask in the naturality of it all. It truly separates the lower cities from the higher, shrouding the lower classes in thick jungle in order to pass through into the bright shiny upper classes of Solaria.

Fifth was Mars, a strong-hearted city of warriors and wisdom. It was gifted two stones to represent its virtues, the 'Wisdom Stone' and the 'Strength Stone'. Sol once spoke of how genuine and loyal the city was, and in earning the favor of the deity they wore it like a badge. They sit comfortably in the middle of the wealth scale, meaning that they didn't have to have anything terribly special about them to stick out. Many do believe it is full of those who weren't hard-working enough to live in Mercury.

Sixth was Jupiter, the agricultural powerhouse of Solaria. Gifted the 'Channeling Stone' by Sol. While Aelius was the biggest as the capital, Jupiter was by far the second biggest. The people there took pride in their home and the duty of raising crops and livestock for the rest of Solaria. This gives the people a bit of a snotty nature, but at the end of the day they deserve it due to just how hard they work for the rest of the country.

Seventh was Saturn, the golden city. Gifted the 'Glittering Stone' by Sol. While Solaria was known for its gold-lined streets, Saturn truly took the whole "gold" thing to an entire other level. Many think the people who reside in Saturn could even bleed gold. Despite being so low on the caste system, they are the prettiest outwardly. "Graced with the features of Sol" as many say. They are proud of their beauty, as well as the beauty of their city. Many people can't stand to be around a Saturn native for too terribly long due to just how much they brag, but none can deny how quickly they fall for their looks.

Eighth was Uranus, a crystalline and pristine city. Gifted the 'Understanding Stone' by Sol. While Saturn's thing was gold, Uranus was opalescent. Despite having such a low place on the system, they were also very prideful individuals. Many healers and apothecaries reside in Uranus, earning it an almost sterile feeling. They also happened to be the most technologically advanced of Solaria. If someone has a health problem on the lesser end of Tellus, then they ought to just travel right to Uranus because there would be a healer with a cure for their pain.

Ninth was Neptune, the city built on the sea. Gifted the 'Heaven Stone' by Sol. Neptune is an absolutely beautiful sea-side city. While it was a bit cooler up there, many loved visiting the ocean. Of course, it was not the wealthiest, it still dealt with many imports and exports for Solaria due to its access to the sea. It does receive quite a bit of rain, but it's just one of the adding factors to its beauty. Neptune also holds the bridge which gives access to the tenth and final city of Solaria.

Pluto. Gifted the 'Clarity Stone' by Sol. Many don't know why people settled in such a cold place, and for a while no one considered it a part of Solaria. However, Sol loves all their people. Even those who were unlucky enough to live where the sun just barely shone. Pluto began as a frozen wasteland, and would most likely end as one too. This was only solidified when things began to go downhill...

For years, the country grew in size and stature, each of the cities growing for differing reasons. No one dared to move out of Solaria because everything seemed so perfect. Until what historians refer to as "the last blink of sun." Solaria went to sleep one night and woke up in that same darkness.

Sol hadn't made the sun rise. People didn't start to panic until it had gone on for much longer. They all hoped that their lord would return with the brilliant light of day once again. But by the time they realized how bad things had become, Sol's forger's had disappeared, ecosystems were dying, everything had gone to complete chaos. That was centuries ago, however.

Things became livable once again in Solaria, as livable as it could be. Each city still had its issues, though. Many have fled their homes, but many still remain, claiming that Sol will still return and save them all from terrible darkness. There are a few though, who believe that something is wrong within the tower that looms above Aelius. Those believe that mayhaps those stones bestowed to each of the cities had more to do with the god than just a pretty trophy from them.