Telseae

Telseae is a city in Hesperia, located on the western coast of Ingardia. It is a sparkling coastal city, famous for its fishing industry, astronomy and architecture.

Architecture
Telseae has very iconic architecture that makes it one of the most recognizable cities in all of Hesperia. A few miles from the city are old mines of a white rock that early explorers nicknamed "glowstone", for when moonlight hits the material it appears to have an internal glow. Glowstone is sturdy and is used in the architecture of the older, more regal buildings in the center of the city. It has the properties of marble, but with the added glowing effect. Spires of glowstone mark the main central districts of the city, where places such as the Telsean Museum, the Courts and the Grand Forum are. Even though the glowstone has been dirtied over time, it still makes an entrancing site whenever moonlight graces the city.

Industry
Since Telseae is a coastal city, its primary industry is fishing. Ships go out at all hours of the day, from the early morning to late in the evening. There is rarely a time when there are not boats out on the water.

Telseae is also a port city and so ships from all parts of the known world arrive and the merchants travelling from these sell their wares. Telseae is perhaps Ingardia's most important coastal city because its geography makes it an important connection with the outlying islands.



Geography
Telseae has many outlying islands that stretch out for miles past the coast of the mainland. Some of these are inhabited and some are large enough to have their own city or cities. The only practical means of reaching them is through Telseae itself, but ships can come in from the north and dock at the islands from there.

As the city expands to the south the terrain grows steeper until there are sheer sea cliffs that the city expands to the edge of. The Great Observatory is located on these cliffs because of the height and because it is less populated there.

Attractions

 * The Telsean Museum of Ancient History, Artifacts, and the Sciences: This museum houses rare artifacts believed to be from the time of Creation. The Hall of Artifacts draws many scholars due to the eight artifacts the museum houses.
 * The Docks: Although this area is not very safe and is known to harbor a less-than-savoury crowd, it is home to some good restaurants and bars which have unique food envied throughout the city. These restaurants are lauded by the frequent patrons, and it has been said that if one was to make a visit to the Docks it would be a priority to go--if you can fit in.
 * The Marina: People who own personal boats have them moored in the Marina unless they have a coastal home and can afford to dock there. On the beach there are numerous restaurants, shops and places to socialize, and with the pleasant coastal climate makes it a tourist attraction.
 * Architecture: Telseae has very iconic architecture which alone is a tourist attraction. During special times of the year and during full moons, special tours of the city are given which highlight the architecture, and during full moons tours are given which give people the best vantage points of viewing the glowstone architecture. If certain holidays coincide with a full moon, it is considered to be very good luck, and the city puts on firework shows over the bay.
 * Festival of A Thousand Lights: When a full moon coincides with a holiday or a special event, a rare celebration occurs in Telseae. The custom of the Festival is unique to Telseae because of the city's origins and the glowstone architecture. Special lanterns are strung throughout all parts of the city a week in advance and are lit at dusk for a week. On the holiday and the day of the full moon, the normal holiday customs are celebrated but special fireworks are also lit off in the bay. Merchants and business owners typically lower prices for everyone because of it being a festival week. These rare celebrations do attract tourists, but for the most part the Festival is celebrated only by the city's inhabitants.
 * The Great Observatory: Situated on the highest point in the city near the edge of a steep sea cliff, the Great Observatory houses the largest telescoping device in Ingardia. It is home to many astronomers and some astrologers who make it their business to chart the movements of the stars, the moon, the sun, and other celestial events. The first floor is open for tours but the rest of the building is closed off from the general public. Only drawings of the telescope can be viewed unless the telescope is in use and is visible when it is peeking out of the dome housing it. The Observatory is actually a complex of buildings, which has an astronomical library containing vast amounts of charts and histories adjacent to the main telescope building. A different, unattached and smaller library of astrology is situated away from the main library and observatory. Both libraries are open to the public but materials inside are not allowed to leave the buildings. The Expansion Society Chapter of Telseae (ESCoT, as known by the citizens) is situated near the observatory, since Telseae's special science is astronomy, even though some advancements in sea travel have been developed there. Nearly all the workers in the Observatory are members of the Expansion Society, although the astrologers tend not to be members because they are viewed by some scientists as "backwards", or that some workers wish to remain unbiased so that the science is not corrupted by views at any point.