Wintering in Ost’Aura was not something Thæon had ever imagined he’d do. He was familiar enough with Hawn from the many occasions he had travelled with Mother and Father fought where they we remaking effort to outline the peace treaty with the Scorched King; although Thæon had preferred when he and Father took a ship from Erehn’s west coast and travelled south to the three territories of L’lægyn to solidify tradelines, just as they had sailed across the passing tide that separated Angrenost’s eastern coast and the stretching islands of Elæg’s most northern islands. It was where he had made more than one appearance on the bordering cities of Carcest for the sake of keeping up relationships.
But beyond duty, and the threat they might possess should the treaties ever be abolished, Thæon didn’t care much for the southern kingdoms. Especially Ost’Aura, Ered Naur’s capital.
He had thought them to be backwards: certainly advanced in magical studies and having accomplished great feats of architectural design—the structure and walls of the city built from smoothened granite polished white, reflecting the sun in a way that made it look like it shone from a distance—but Ost’Aura had abandoned their roots and in forgetting the trials of their ancestors, they had forgotten things crucial to simply being one among this world that still thrived with the magic of dormant gods; magic everyone possessed within their bodies. They cherry-picked the Gods and their teachings, and cast aside those that didn’t fit their ideals.
Even if Thæon disapproved, Ost’Aura was nothing to scoff at.
She had been built in Næsol, the Isolated Era some thirty-thousand years ago, when a gathering of ancestors broke from the clans and settling in the south, building and expanding her reaches as the years progressed and eras passed, until it was that she was the largest city in Braern; capital of Ered Naur and the shining jewel of the southern kingdoms. She was home to the Golden Athenaeum, housing scholars, teachers, historians and hard-workers of all age, descent and magical expertise who allowed their curiosity to further their questions, in search of answers to the past, the present, and future.