Orion

Orion was a city in the north of the Corian Peninsula, east of the Apollonios, and north of Mount Lira. It was the anchor and political center of the Orionese civilization, which spanned both continents and centered around the Corian Straits. In its prime, Orion was the leading city of the Sargonian and Azal seas.

Orion was the setting of the Orion War described in Dellik mythology. Following the end of the Bronze Age, the city appeared to have been abandoned. It was repopulated by Dellik-speakers who built a classical city that became along with the rest of Ancotania, a part of the Peomid Empire. Orion was liberated by.

The legacy of Orion is preserved through rich archeological sites, oral legends, and the influence it left on the Dellik civilization. It was Orion that inspired the ancient Delliks to found the city of Torosyium, which would eventually be renamed Consentina, and become the largest city in the Serephanian.

History
Orion was believed to be a remnant of the indigenous Serephanian civilization with large populations Sargonians, Ancotanians, and Delliks. In contrast to the neighboring Dellik city-states, Orion was a multicultural metropolis that anchored a sprawling transcontinental maritime trading empire.

Culture
For most of its history, Orion was one of the dominant cities of the Azal Sea. Owing to its strategic location on the Apollonios, any traders from the Sargonian or Azal Seas were required to pass through the city. Orion was a central hub for military activities and trade, and the chief site of a culture called the "Maritime Orionic Culture," which extended over the region between the Sargonian and Azal Seas. Orion was widely known as a beacon of liberalism, freedom, and secularism within the ancient world. Anyone who lived inside its borders was afforded citizenship and granted the freedom of religion, language, and culture. Many languages were spoken at the time, although Corian served as a lingua franca among the different groups.

From the viewpoint of the ancient Delliks, Orion was associated with the supernatural, occultism, and barbarianism. This stereotype may have developed from the importance of spirituality in Orion's culture, which was completely different from the Dellik world. Many Orionese worshipped an omnipotent energy known as Watti, which they believed composed every aspect of the known world. It connected people, animals, nature, and the elements; providing a harmony that upheld the order of the natural world. In contrast, the Delliks worshipped a pantheon of gods, titans, and deities that allegedly had a physical form. Historians believe that the Orionese religion descended directly from an early Serephanian belief system, and shared a common origin with many Numunian religions including Taurism and Alafism.

Mount Lira had a special significance to the Orionese, who believed the mountain was a conductor of the Watti energy. Numerous monastic cults took residence in the mountain's caves, building a complex network of sanctuaries and temples. It was a rite of passage for men to journey to Lira's summit upon reaching manhood. The chief exports of the Orion were textiles, jewelry, copper ingots, tin ingots, glass ingots, bronze tools and weapons, ebony and ivory, ostrich eggshells, jewelry and large amounts of pottery. The location of the city was extremely practical during ancient times, making it the prominent trading center of the region. It acted as a middle ground for long-distance trade between Orillia, Ancotania, Khozaria, Aegeos, Dellos, the far north, far west, and the far east. In its prime, Orion would have been one of the largest and most important cities in the world.

Architecture
The architecture of Orion was noted by many to be the most sophisticated and elegant in the ancient world, rivaling those in Dellos. The city itself was designed with architectural elements that the population believed encouraged the flow of energy. Many great structures were erected and preserved by the Delliks and Tonans, notably the Dome of Inara, the Henti Temple, and the Azziya at the top of Mount Lira. The most striking feature of Orion was that it was a walled city composed of several smaller walled cities. This made the city nearly impossible to capture since invaders could be sealed off and defeated at numerous points in their quest.

The main city of Orion was built roughly one mile inland from the sea. In its center was the Citadel of Dakuya, a walled area with three gates roughly the same distance apart from each other. One gate was pointed towards the harbor, one towards Mount Lira, and the other towards the Plains of Muza. Inside the citadel was the Henti Temple (which sat at the direct center), a large market, numerous villas, a natural spring, and the palace with a tower overlooking the citadel. In accordance with Orionese tradition, there was a direct unobstructed path from each gate to the temple to encourage the flow of Watti. Outside the citadel was traditionally farmland and pastures. As Orion grew more populous a second wall was constructed around the city and urbanization increased towards the harbor. Two large pillars were also erected outside of the gate facing Lira.