Nox Aeterna

Nox Aeterna is the capital of the Lunari Empire and the central hub of the Moon Elf race.

Located in Plagos, in the far eastern portion of the Sea of Estcharien, is completely built on an island, with a part of the terrain artificially enlarged to make space for new buildings.

Completely enclosed by walls it is considered one of the greatest cities of Rathnir.

Tanks to the riches brought by the King Artaire, wisely invested by Empress Amy into the war industry, incentivized and made famous by the creation of Amy’s Emporium, a state-owned company selling war equipment, Nox Aeterna became, for a time, the richest city in Rathnir, before being surpassed by Tortuga Isle.

The city is considered one of the best cities to live in, given its beauty, the free housing and food given to citizens and the security offered by its position.

Given its status as the capital, Nox Aeterna is the center of political power regarding the Lunari Empire. Housing both the castle, royal residence of the Empress, and the ministry, workspace for the imperial advisors.

The primary religion of the city used to be the Moonsinger Pantheon, based on the deification of the legendary king of the Moon Elves when they still lived on the Moon, comprising his four children as minor gods. Today the main religion is instead the Asitir faith, based around the belief of the Moon as a god of knowledge aiding mortals on their slow path to return to nothingness in everything. Though the city is tolerant of all religions, the local grand temple and the little chapel in the town hall are both dedicated to the Asitir faith.

The city was once the capital of an old and fallen country called Voodin. King Hans Luon and his people later claimed the city, back when they were still nomadic pirates. It was obtained peacefully by an agreement with the last citizen of Voodin and was renamed Lunaris.

The city will then later be named Nox Aeterna after a public poll held during the time of King Artaire Luon. The king refused the result of the ballot, but the vote became a casus belli to start a revolt that would end with the resignation of the King due to a heart issues and the creation of the Lunari Empire with the crowning of Amaranthine Luon as Empress and the officialization of Nox Aeterna as the capital’s name.

Architecture
The architectural style of Nox Aeterna, named after the city, uses in equal measure spruce, dark oak, white concrete and stone, creating an esthetic reminiscent of medieval Germany.

Town Hall
The main representative of the base Nox Aeterna style is the town hall. A two story building comprising: a welcoming area, a little church, a meeting table, a city map and the common storage.

The building has his first floor made primarily of stone bricks, with andesite for detail. Stone brick stairs are used for details connecting the first and second floor. The stair are also use to create a cross-shaped window over the main entrance and to detail the main door, creating the illusion of a big door with an arc-shaped top. Glass windows are spread through the first floor walls, alternating with andesite and stone bricks columns. A little garden surrounds the first floor, comprised of a leaves wall in front of the building and a park on the back, decorated by visitors from Tortuga and housing a stable on the right and a graveyard dedicated to pets to the left.

The second floor is a block bigger than the first one, with stone bricks stairs holding it. Most of the exterior is built of stripped spruce log, comprising glass windows alternating with columns of spruce fences. Spruce stairs are used for detain on columns and windows, while also creating a crown like shape over the side walls, the façade of the second floor also comprise two flower pots made with dirt, trap doors and spruce slabs.

The higher part of the building comprises white concrete surrounded by stripped spruce logs. The roof is made primarily of spruce stairs, with stone brick stairs for the perimeter, creating a pitched roof.

The welcome room right after the entrance is a little cubic space made with stone and decorated with stone bricks.

On the left, an archway leads to the meeting room, a rectangular room with walls of stone bricks and andesite and a floor of dark oak logs and spruce planks. At the center of the room, a trapdoor table dominates the area, surrounded by chairs decorated with trapdoors and green wool. A more prestigious seat is placed at the head of the table, while fake plants made with leaves and fences decorates the angles of the room.

The meeting room was used for important and private meetings, such as the war plans for the Skittles war.

On the right, an archway leads to a little chapel, once dedicated to The Moonsinger Pantheon.

Five rows of seats and a red carpet lead to the end of the room, housing an altar elevated over dark oak planks. The altar is made of barrels at the base, with a moon shape created with various sandstone blocks. A lectern stands in front of the altar, while fake plants decorate the angles of the room.

The chapel was converted to the Asitir faith under the empire, but has not been used for a long time.

Continuing forward stone bricks stairways lead to the second floor, with a map of the city visible midway. The second floor houses the common storage, built with a floor of spruce planks and walls of stripped spruce logs and white marble, with many glass windows.

The storage is organised into three rows of double chests, each of five chests of high, with item frames indicating what items are in the chests. Right in front of the entrance of the second floor stands the old throne of king Moon, made with dark oak doors, trap doors and spruce slabs. In front of it is a big desk made of dark oak while two columns of furnaces decorates the back.

The storage is still used, though not as much as the old days.

Grand Temple
The Sanctum Speculum grand temple is located south of the entrance of Nox Aeterna. It is mainly made of stone bricks, with the details in diorite. The Church Of Jesus in Rome mainly inspires the wings and the entrance, except for the crescents moons on the towers.

The plan of the building is a Greek cross, with a circular center to make space for a glass dome.

The glass dome is detailed with stone bricks arches and has the purpose to always make the sky visible, so that the moon could participate too in the ceremonies.

The glass dome is also the reason for the new name of the temple. Originally the temple was simply called “The Temple of Munas Moonsinger”, but with the conversion to Asitir many names were proposed, all based on the holiness of the dome, such as "Saint Verre" or "Sacré Verre". Ultimately the temple was renamed to "Sanctum Speculum Grand Temple", which translates to holy looking glass, i.e. the dome acts like a lens focusing moonlight into one spot.

The inside of the temple is particularly decorated. The floor has a black stone brick cross on the center, with the border filled with white glass, quartz blocks, diorite and stone bricks. The walls are instead made primarily of diorite and stone bricks, quit quartz columns sustaining the dome. At the center three rows of chairs made with black oak stairs faces rows of tables made with stone bricks stairs. With other, various wooden stairs functioning as side stairs. The center of the temple is decorated with fake plants and banner depicting the Empire’s flag hanging on the columns.

The main altar can be found facing the rows of chairs inside a protrusion in the wall, elevated on an elevated quartz surface reachable with side quartz stairs. Right under the altar five lectern contain the sacred books of Asitir and the theological texts wrote by the past Valyre.

Three side corridors lead to the exits and the entrances, with the one facing the altar leading to the façade of the temple. The floor there is made with quartz blocks, with black stone bricks at the perimeter and stone bricks to decorate the center. On the floor of each corridor is also present a cross of black stone bricks with a block of netherrack, creating an arrow like shape leading out of the temple. The walls of the corridors are plain, made primarily of white marble, with stripped spruce at the bottom. At the side of the front entrance is located a door leading to the bells, but it's staff only.

The temple was originally created for Munas Moonsinger and it was used for important events, like the coronation of the king Artaire Luon. The temple was later converted to Asitir and renamed Sanctum Speculum. The temple will henceforth host Asitir events and even initiation rituals.

Senate
The Senate is made primary of stone, with wood for the interior.

The building follows the oval scheme of an old arena it replaced, while implementing an elongated, stone facade reminiscent of Rome’s Pantheon. Also inspired by the Pantheon is the circular opening at the center of the quasi-circular main structure.

The façade is primarily made of stone bricks, with cobblestone and stone used to make the illusion of degrade and age. Columns, made with stairs at the center for detail, sustain a Greek pediment decorated on the front with black, white and blue marble to recreate the empire’s flag.

On the inside, a little circular corridor leads on the sides to stairs and at the center to the main hall.

The main hall has a floor made with stone at the center and planks on the side. The walls are made with stony materials made to look old, with frequent glass windows on the opposite side of the entrance. Both side hosts three rows of chairs made with plank stairs, decorated with trap doors. At the center of the south wall, facing the entrance, there is a throne made with polished black stone stairs and blue marble, with a full moon shape on top. The position of the throne and the side chairs is inspired by the House of Commons in England. The roof is made primarily of planks. With stripped spruce on the perimeter and creating a cross shape at the center. From the center, a chandelier made of fences descends to light up the area. Looking upwards the second floor is also visible given a hole at the center of it.

This central hall was made to host important, civil discussions, with the throne reserved to the Empress and the side chairs to the Senators.

The side stairs lead instead to the second floor, made with planks for the floor and stony blocks for the walls. At the center of the floor, there is a fenced hole, with woken chairs besides it. On the walls are hanged various paintings regarding the royal family, with even a big painting dedicated to King Hans teaching King Artaire karate. Little offices are also present, although they have not been assigned yet.

The second floor was created to house citizens curious to listen to the public discussion, watching from the hole while sitting on the side chairs.

Proceeding through the stairs the top of the temple can be accessed, made primarily of stony materials and stone bricks, with a little watch room at the top with the empire’s flag on the top of it.

The senate was created under the request of the Empress to house weekly meetings.

Academy
Situated east to the Senate, the Academy of Nox Aeterna is a relatively new building, with parts still under construction.

The exterior is similar to the other buildings, made by a composition of simple houses in typical Nox Aeterna architectural style, all disposed in a rectangular plant, leaving a space at the center for an internal garden.

The building has two floors. The first is made primarily with stone bricks on the front, replaced by white marble on the sides and for the second floor. Stripped spruce highlight the perimeter, with planks and stairs for details. The roof is peaked and composed, as the building is structured like a cluster of smaller ones. The roof is made with dark oak stairs and stone bricks stairs for the perimeter.

The central garden is made of grass, with roads to highlight the entrances. It is decorated with a central pond, with campfire to recreate bridges, a fake tree and leaves and lamps to decorate. A big entrance is situated in front of the fake tree, made with stone, white marble and stripped logs as usual for the Nox Aeterna style. Particular to it are the big glass windows and the wooden composed door, accessible only to staff.

Once inside you can explore the rest of the Academy, with not really much to see, or follow the stairs down to a dark corridor, there a water elevator will lead you to the library.

The underground library is primarily built in stone and nether material, with blue flames to light up the area. An elevated throne is built on the south wall, under the city’s flag. The throne faces the northern wall, housing a giant nether portal. Nether travelling into the portal leads to the entrance of the city.

The library comprises three floors but only two of them are complete, though the third one is accessible even with the precautions taken by the builders to prevent it.

In the library, everyone can consult books on forgotten languages and religions, other than player’s reports, Minecraft tricks and book on war. Of particular importance are the first, the second, and the fourth chapter of the journal of Athaz the Traveler, one of the best-known scholars of Rathnir.

The Academy is currently under reconstruction to become a public library, and thus inaccessible.

Museum
Located inside a residential area in the north-west part of the city, the entrance of the museum can be identified by an archway in the middle of the street and by two armor stands in front of the doors, bearing the heads of the first king and of one of the greatest builders of old. The museum is quite a small building, comprise of two floors. The building is completely made in classical Nox Aeterna style, given that once was the a normal house given to King Artaire well before his coronation.

On the first floor, everyone can find old armors from the first Lunaris and the Skittles War era, with even an armor stand having the old skin of King Artaire, other than the sacred texts of the Moonsinger Pantheon, in addition to the old flags of Lunaris.

On the second floor, various flags can be found hanging on the wall, while the coronations gifts for King Artaire can be found on a central table. On the south wall all the relics of the city can be found hanging on item frames.

Market Square
The market square is located on the north most part of the city, behind the Senate and connecting with the entrance to the grand temple and the entrance to the Seabreeze Pub. The floor is made primarily of stone bricks and at the center stands a fountain, decorated with the statue of a dicephalus villager at the center.

One important shop in located here is Fenrir’s potion shop, the only legal one of the city. Once placed in Eldham, it was removed from there after a local war and ended up in Nox Aeterna. It has the appearance of wood and wool bazaar, distinguished by the red and white colors. The shop, except for moments of re-stock, is always open. It sells all types of vanilla potions, with invisibility as a staple. The available potions rotate every 3-4 days, but is always possible to buy a basic alchemy guide. The prices have always been consistent, ranging from 125 to 375.

Burial Ground
Located on the back of the temple, it is the main burial ground of the city. The entrances are decorated with iron fences, while the inside uses various types of dirt to create the illusion of filth. Most of the graves are empty, but one houses George the pink axolotl, first axolotl of the city and accidentally killed by the Empress.

Port
The Port is the main entrance to the city. It comprise the city’s main nether portal, the biggest merchant ship of the city, built for roleplay reasons, and a side fishing spot.

The port is primarily built with wood, both spruce and dark oak. Fences prevents from falling into the water except for the spot dedicated to fishing. On the right, various barrels are placed for storage, while on the right stands a little house, once dedicated to a lily pad some considered sacred.

In front of the port is the main gate to the city, one of the oldest buildings of Nox Aeterna. During the time of Voodin it housed the throne of the Tsar and a reminiscence of this can be found in the huge window looking at the city. The gate is made of wood and stone at the base, with white marble on top and a pitched roof made whit wooden stairs. Today the lower part is the main entrance to the city, built with wooden gates, while the top part is used as storage. The building is part of the walls that surrounds the city.

Axolotl Square
Located northeast to the city it is one of the most important square of the city. Connecting to the academy, the ministry hall, the market square and district d. It is named after the axolotl pond at the center of the place, the same pond where George the axolotl was killed. The pond is actually empty on the inside but has a glass floor that makes the real, underground, pond visible. At the center of the pond, a floating isle decorates it, whit vines to reach it and a three on top of it. Inside the tree redstone can still be found, once a clue for a treasure hunt event.

Connected to the square is also the newly built pirate tavern, owned by Pirate Lord Ulfier, hosting goods from the pirate nation of Tortuga, and the public enchantment table, free for all citizens.

Inside the Axolotl square are also three lanterns surrounded by trapdoors concealing spiral staircases. One of the stairs leads to a recreation of a chessboard, built using fences as pawns and banners for valuable pieces, fully editable and fully functional, one to the office of the ministry of Floppa, a meme ministry preaching the word of the Floppa cat, and one to a relaxing spot, built right under the pond.

District D
District D is a new district, which is still under construction. Is divided by the rest of the city via a wall inside Nox Aeterna, with the entrance being made of multiple wooden gates to create the shape of a medieval doorway. It houses the main restaurant of the city, the city’s great garden and the castle.

The city’s restaurant is built in a hobbit style, right inside a hill. The entrance can be found on the right of the central street right beside a player’s head; the restaurant incorporates a modern placement of furniture done with natural elements. All furniture is made of wood and natural elements are used to decorate the place, like leaves and flowers.

The city’s garden is located on the hill right on top of the restaurant. It is full of various types of flowers, but it is most important characteristic is the men-made tree in the center.

The castle is the House of the Empress and the biggest residence in the city. It is placed on another hill, right in front of the garden. It is made of various white materials, some like diorite used to fake old age. The insides are empty as it is not completely finished, but functioning living quarters can be found on the second floor. The castle has a rectangular shape, with the main entrance consisting of a fake door and the center used to house a garden.

The city is placed right next to the world’s border, this made possible to build the empire’s flag right on it, flying over the castle.

Cuisine
Being located on an island, the cuisine of Nox Aeterna Is primarily based around fishes, with an abundance of other plant-based food cultivated on the territory.

An important in-role distinctive food is salad, as Moon Elves should be by culture vegetarians. While an important in-game food are backed potatoes, and a free supply of them is granted to all citizens.

The most important tavern of the city is the “Seabreerze Brewery”. Owned by Herveus Luon Atreides, player name FatherFade.

Located in the market district, it can be easily spotted by the aquarium on the second floor of the building.

In the city is also present a big restaurant, located under the gardens in front of the castle. The entrance has a Hobbit-like style, while the inside is much bigger and complex, incorporating a modern arrangement done with natural elements.

The restaurant was built relatively recently and does not have a proper owner, though it can still be use for roleplay.