Serasarda

Serasarda
Nation: Snefaldia Function: Religious and learning center Population: 2 million Leader: Council of Librarians

Serasarda is an ancient city in the Centralized Mountain States of Snefaldia, located in the south of the northern region of Sring Issa. It is the headquarters of the religion of Aatem Nal, as well as the former capital of the nation. Most notably, it is home to the Grand Library, the largest and most important Aatem Nal institution in Snefaldia, as well as the University of Snefaldia.

History

Origin & Early history

Founded around 230 CE by the earliest Sringi, the city was of almost no importance until Trimna I Yazdaran, a powerful nomadic warlord, seized the city, made it his capital, and declared himself King in 325 CE. His descendants subsequently increased the power and prestige of the city through conquest, building, and development of a manorial system. Under Trimna III Kelangat, Serasarda became preeminent, destroying the highly-developed Bajeong Guea, bringing back the riches and culture of Bae.

Under the Trimnaid Kings Serasarda became the chief power in the north, extending hegemony over the other princely states and kingships in Sring Issa and north Dayan. This continued until 1035 when Edram Ta'us, a Dayan prince, formed a league of Dayan nobles and attacked Serasarda, killing the King and inaugurating the Dayaniram period.

Dayan Period

During the Dayan period Serasarda was largely unimportant. She largely escaped destruction in 1035, which perserved the ancient structures, and had largely maintained her stock of ancient objects and Bae implements. The city was ruled by a board of electors; nobles from the surrounding countryside who elected a single Mayor from their ranks.

In 1215 Kshaytha arrived in Sring Issa with his Amershaman Medrahov, preaching the tenets of Aatem Nal. With a group of followers he arrived in Serasarda in the spring of 1216, and Aatem Nal took root in the city. The office of the Mayor-Elect was replaced when the nobles converted to Aatem Nal, and an ecclesiastical council was formed in 1300. The waning Dayaniram elite were replaced in the north and central areas by Sringi, and Aatem Nal spread across the country.

Aatem Nal

Serasarda became the center of Aatem Nal, with the first library being built there in 1255 (the original foundation can still be seen today, in the Grand Library), and the riches of Aatem Nal flowed into the city, turning it into a theocratic and educational haven. Coupled with the religious support of education, collection of knowledge, and science, Serasarda became the preeminent centre of learning in Snefaldia.

Architecture, art, and the sciences flourished from the inception of Aatem Nal almost to the end of theocratic rule in 1895. In 1590 the Grand Library was begun, and is continuing to expand to this very day. A triumph of architecture, the Grand Library houses the most precious and expansive library in Aatem Nal, including ancient artifacts dating from the Terangal period and the earliest Bajeong Guea. When, in 1701, the secular Segovan took over the administration of the nation from the Aatem Nal leadership, Serasarda became the official capital of the entire country.

Modern Day

Serasarda was the official capital from 1701 until 1895, when Sargedain became the seat of the national government. However, the Tuhran Bel still meets in Serasarda, and the ancient city is far from declinging in importance.

Serasarda is a mixture of ancient and modern. Skyscrapers rise out of the streets and sit alongside thousand-year-old houses, and the organic, twisting nature of the streets will leave visitors delving deeper and deeper into Senfaldian history with each step they take.