The Grand and Beautiful City of Lumos

90% Human, 5% Dwarf, 3% Halfing, 1% Elf, 1% Other   The capital city of the Radiant Empire is a microcosm of the empire as a whole, overwhelmingly human dominant, with scattered communities of minorities on its outskirts. In Sunfoot Alley, a slum ghetto, elven gangs, dwarven mafias and halfling pickpockets roam free, vying for control of the district and the cities underground.

The capital of the empire is a fantastic achievement of scale and administrative capability. The city is ruled by Count Frederick Salblanc in an administrative sense. He oversees the local military garrison, the public works, taxation, and construction of the city. His jurisdiction ends with the policing of nobles (which is handled by a self policing policy known at the Grand Game) and matters outside the city. Matters of imperial interest are handled exclusively on the grounds of the "White Tower", an impressive fortress which impossibly reaches for the sky. Here the senate, courtiers, and royal family live and work on matters of the state.

The city is surrounded by walls made of reinforced stone. Watch towers are placed regularly along this wall. The city garrison and military forces are centralized in the southwest quadrant of the city, commonly known as "Lostside". The garrison regularly maintains a battalion (approx. 1000 soldiers) which is active at any given time to man the walls, patrol the streets, and investigate crimes. The city hosts three battalions which rotate duties on a yearly cycle. One battalion mans the city, the second performs active duties across the province such as touring, exercising, and maintaining the peace, and the third battalion will be granted a year of light duties and rest. Approximately half the personnel in each battalion are cold-cons employed in a variety of roles but never as officers.   Lumos also houses the Imperial Guard which are known as the Chevaliers Saphir. The most elite guard regiment in the empire, each soldier is an extremely fierce combatant, loyal to a fault and articulate enough to match wits with the average noble. They are charged with the protection of the empress first, then the castle grounds, and then the nobility. Only cold-cons are permitted to be in the guard. It is said that a single Chevalier is worth a company of soldiers and a platoon of cold-cons.

Economically, the city is kept afloat by its large market in Westgate which trades goods from all over the continent. It is well known for its wide variety of shops and goods. A local saying goes, "If you can't find it in Westgate, you're better off in the ocean", meaning that the market will assuredly have whatever you are searching for. The Silverarch district is also famous for it's metalworkers. From brawny blacksmiths to sophisticated goldsmiths, nothing less than the best comes from here. This district also features the Imperial Bank.

The city has benefited from centuries of development, however haphazard it may have been at times. The old town, known as "Sunrise Town", is well developed with many shopping districts and manufacturers. It also houses a large portion of the population in apartments. The newer districts outside of the walls have found their own small niches as well. The Charlespont district is well respected for it gardens which provide much of the cities rarer foodstuffs like fruits, herbs, and vegetables.   Bone Bridge is the district which connects the eastern and western sides of the city. Here an old pagan stone formation has stood since time immemorial. The structure is known by many names: Pelors Fingers, the Dead Hands, Ol' Pelts Nails. It is here where many gather for festivals, religious observance, social gatherings, and rallies.

Many guilds and factions exist in this metropolis. The Goldsmiths of Fallen Stars are famously notorious for running the guild like a crime syndicate, extracting protection fees and price fixing against outsiders.

Lumos began as a pastoral settlement under the shadow of the First Theran Kingdom in the ancient days. There is some evidence to suggest the city was built atop an earlier city due to the evidence of ancient catacombs. However, these catacombs are remarkably unexplored due to fear of the masses and what could be lurking below. Every few years or so, an expedition is purposed and is usually quickly smote down. There is some evidence to support the theory that the catacombs are connected to much deeper caverns and forgotten structures.   The old city centre, known locally as "Sunrise Town", was settled in a basin of multiple hills with the River Marne close by. The town got it name due to an ancient standing stone formation that still resides in the central forum—a peculiar hangover from the old pagan days that has been allowed to continue to exist without too much defacement.

The tall colourful spires of Lumos are famous the world over. It would never be said that the Radians, and more specifically the Lumosians, have a deft eye to architectural art. Most of the buildings of Lumos are brick with a stone exterior. Even the poorer districts have, at the very least, stone foundations. Cobblestone makes up the roads and marble statues line the many bridges that cross the River Marne. The only exception to this is Sunfoot Alley which is the closest district the city has to a slum. The buildings there are mostly wood and the roads are beaten earth. It is also where the poor nonhumans live as well. Elven gangs, dwarven mob bosses, and halfling pickpockets make their homes here, each vying for control of the district and the cities underworld.   The noble districts favour white stone spires topped with colourful roofs, doors, and windows. Flowering ivies and frescos are currently in fashion among the nobility.

The city rests in a small river valley along the River Marne. The White Tower's immense height is amplified by the hill it sits upon, creating the illusion that the tower is much taller than it is. The surrounding hills provide good placements for defences, and the River Marne rolls from the south to the sea in the north. Here the river is relatively shallow, allowing for small boats and sailboats to pass by consequence free. The area has fair weather and is only lightly touched with snow each winter.

The early inhabitants of Lumos were supported by well irrigated soil from the river and plenty of fresh fish, though now the fish are more sparse due to pollution run off. The hills provide lumber and pasture for livestock and the fields surrounding the city are bountiful with grain and even some wines and olives.