Aquilae
Aquilae, bearing the epithet The River Queen, was among the most celebrated cities of the ancient world. According to A History of Rislandia, it stood in the eastern river delta in the territory that would eventually become the city of Perryton, and at its height supported a population of approximately 800,000 inhabitants.
Description
The city was constructed across dozens of islands, each connected to the others by a network of bridges. This unusual geography shaped every aspect of Aquilae's character, from the floating markets that crowded its waterways to the shipyards that lined its shores. Wind-powered vehicles moved through its streets and across its spans, reflecting the strong influence of the city's most prominent institutions. According to A History of Rislandia, Aquilae was "the empire's greatest port, trading with distant lands," drawing merchants and travelers from across the known world.
Role in the Orethan Dominion
Aquilae served as the joint headquarters of both the Windcallers' Brotherhood and the Tideweavers, the two great orders whose mastery of wind and water made the city's maritime dominance possible. The presence of these orders shaped Aquilae's culture and technology alike, and the city's shipyards and wind-powered vehicles stood as testament to their influence.
Fall: The Night of Shattered Crystals
Aquilae's prosperity came to a violent end during the Night of Shattered Crystals. According to A History of Rislandia, both the Windcallers and the Tideweavers fled the city by wind-ship before soldiers arrived, escaping the destruction that overtook the settlement. The nature and full extent of that destruction are recorded in the sourcebook but the city did not survive as a functioning settlement.
Later History
The ruins of Aquilae did not pass entirely from history. According to A History of Rislandia, "Jory and Wyranth met in Year ~545 in the ruins of Aquilae," recording the encounter between Jory Malaky and Wyranth Ashenblade amid what remained of the once-great city. This meeting took place long after Aquilae had ceased to function as a living settlement, underscoring how thoroughly the city had been reduced.
Legacy
The site of Aquilae eventually gave way to the city of Perryton, which rose in the same eastern river delta. Whether Perryton was built directly upon Aquilae's ruins or merely in the same geographic region is not specified in A History of Rislandia.