Varn
Varn is a sprawling city in a greener patch of the Ros-Mar-Kir, just south of the Al'Biq Desert. Its buildings are mostly one-to-three stories, constructed of stone and sandstone brick. Most of the city's commercial buildings are focused towards the center. The rest of the city radiates out from there into residential districts with smatterings of shops, before it turns into farmland along the outskirts, primarily to the south.
One of Varn's most iconic features, are the numerous Yu'Ten-Ni ruins scattered throughout the city. Many sections have been fenced off and preserved, often included as parts of historical tours or just general sightseeing.
Ever since the construction on the western line of the Farrin Express was completed, Varn's leadership and residents have invested more into building up the city's central commercial district, hoping to capitalize on increased commerce the easier travel will bring.
Districts
Fountain Market
While predating the recent investment as a district, Fountain Market now acts as the both the center and commercial hub of the city. The westernmost Farrin Express train stop pulls right into the the district, giving great access to incoming tourists and cross-continent shipping alike.
- The Whispering Fountain: A continuously flowing, stone fountain in the center of the district, dated back to the time of the Yu'Ten-Ni. From the tour pamphlet:
A fountain that runs off of an unknown water source. On some nights, when it's quiet, you can hear what sounds like whispering. Researchers believe this happens when air bubbles are introduced from the unknown water source. - Eagle Apothecary: Run by a dwarf named Gavin Gridz. He's been known to cut a deal in exchange for interesting ingredients.
- The Desert of Discovery Hotel: A touristy hotel whose main gimmick is its archeology- and ruins- "themed" rooms (primarily in terms of their wallpaper and some decor). It's run by a human named Herbert Huxbill.
Rune-Bind District
- The Rune-Bind Prison: One of the popular Yu'Ten-Ni ruins, for its impressive preservation and mysterious nature. From the tour pamphlet:
Large, 2 story stone structure in generally good repair, with many cubby-like rooms. Researchers believe the building is so well preserved due to some residual magic inducing and reinforcing the structure over time,
Most of the rooms have complicated diagrams and runic symbols on the floor, ceiling, and walls, used to suppress the magical capabilities of prisoners and keep them constrained to the room. Many of the diagrams incorporated crystal-like and crystalline structures and patterns, causing researches to believe that, while now seemingly dormant, these were once powered by some sort of magical capacitance, proving a fairly advanced technological level. At night, you can see the sigils glow slightly from the residual magic.
Gardens District
- The Petrified Gardens: Another mysterious and popular ruin, particularly as to its purpose and how the preserved plant life survived the journey this far north. From the tour pamphlet:
A lush garden of plants native to the Mos’Al region. In addition to the name Mos’Al, this garden is one of the clearest forms of evidence that the Yutenni had migrated from the south to the north.
The strange part about this garden is its full scale petrification. Because of the presence of so many parts of plants that would naturally deteriorate from a dying plant, researchers believe there was some sudden, magical event that caused the petrification all at once. Was this an intentional way to preserve the garden? Was this part of an attack on the Yutenni? Nobody knows...
Other
City of Ruins Tourist Shops
From almost anywhere in Varn's commercial districts, you can find one of its many tourism shops, like Valerie's Varn Valuables. Though normally privately owned, these shops all give a similar franchise-like feel due to their seemingly identical inventories of both daily goods, and both Varn and Oaklahoma Stones merchandise and souvenirs.
