«They stopped to admire the boats leaving streaks in the canal and to look at their passengers, each of whom had a different color, appearance or dress; Belssoriad —the center of the world— was a cosmopolitan city that gathered people of all races around its commerce, its religion or the wisdom of its wizards and priests.»

— Codex Draconis, Kúr. 1, I, v. 336-341.

Belssoriad (once called «The City of Belssa’s Tomb» or, simply, «Belssa»), is a city in Luarand, capital of the kingdom of the same name and of the Commonwealth of Great Godan. With an estimated population of 3,000,000 inhabitants at the year 3742 B.C. (gentilicio: Belssorians), it is the most populous city in the Commonwealth. The area formed by the four duchies has 4,500,000 inhabitants, which also makes it the most populated kingdom in the alliance. It is located on an island in the middle of the Godan River, about 190 km west of the Ethrän mountain range, although most of its buildings, since the population has far exceeded the island territory, stand on columns that emerge from the riverbed. Because of the white glow of its walls when seen from afar, as well as the fact that it was the first city to have a sewer system and for its famous architectural beauty, sung by poets and minstrels alike, it is also known as «The Pearl of the Godan». It is home to the seat of the Supreme Monarchy, the Jadehite Hierarchy and the Order of the Wizards of the Eye.

It is still a matter of discussion how a walled village, relatively small and without the expansionist aspirations of its southern neighbors, came to be transformed into the main city of the conglomerate of kingdoms known as the Commonwealth of the Great Godan, behaving, although it was never formally consecrated as such, as the capital of a true empire. It has been spoken of its excellent geopolitical location, allowing it to connect both the northern and southern as well as the eastern and western kingdoms, at least in times prior to the prohibition of the supreme Kurgoris II to cross the mountains. The Jadehite priests, and also the Belssorians themselves, are often seduced by the idea of a pre-established destiny of greatness, which they attribute to divine protection; some scholars, however, unable to contradict the historical coincidences that support such a claim, have established that possibly the magical protection of the Twin Axes had something to do with it. Those most interested in highlighting the majesty of the Pearl of the Godan were, by the way, its supreme kings, eager to justify their presence on the throne of Belssoriad beyond a strategic alliance with the clergy. The historians of the golden age, one of the best sources to know the events of the years prior to the hegemony of the Belssorian monarchy, deified by the fast growing influence of their city gave in to the pressures of the monarchs almost voluntarily, filling with wonderful (and at times fictitious) elements a glory that, although undeniable, was far from being what the Belssorians wanted to believe or were willing to accept.

LEO OF MONTE CRISTO

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