Zandria

When the orcs came to the Library at Zandria, they found a magical circle of protection empowered by a human wizard named Fei-Tang. He told them, “This is a place of knowledge and wisdom. You can burn the empire, but you will not burn its books.”

The orcs moved on. Fei-Tang helped the city to rebuild, and eventually took the crown. His reign oversaw the continuation of the mission of Zandria, which since its founding had been to further learning and research. The city sheltered elven refugees, and in some ways, little has changed in Zandria after the Fall.

The elves notice the difference. The humans are more brash, under their king, and less deferential. They treat the elves as equals, which was disquieting to those who once brought them here to serve as clerks and librarians.

Eventually even wizards must die, and Fei-Tang had named his apprentice Wu-Song as the next king of Zandria. He has ruled since then. His reign has been mostly focused on caretaking, but with such great resources at hand even his limited ambition is enough to put the city into the ranks of the most powerful in Myrnia. Many towns exist simply to sell supplies to the mages and scholars of the city, who in turn are payed enormous sums by those with mysteries to solve, curses to remove, or who simply need a miracle.