The capital of Gilaud, the truly radiant Florentia City is considered by many the jewel of the five nations. It boasts the grandest markets, the finest theaters and galleries, and is the home of most of the greatest scientific minds of this era. It is the cultural center of the world, with denizens of all her races calling it their adoptive home. Each of the other nations, Dalestia, Nuniare, and Ilcedun hold an embassy in the city. At its center lies the Gilde Castle, a sprawling marvel of architecture with no equal.<br/><br/>Florentia sits at the west end of Lake Azur. Throughout it's growth, the city was built up on the very rivers that feed the lake. A pair of canals carefully curate the flow of water through the city, ultimately joining into one in front of Castle Gilde. Closest to the castle is the administrative district where the embassies lie. Further from the castle, the cultural and academic districts sit to the north and south respectively. On the east side of the city, near the lake, the docks import and export the goods for trade at the markets in the northeast district. As with all large cities, if one spends enough time at the docks, shadier dealings can be sought nearby... for a price.<br/><br/>North of the markets, just east of the North Gate that leads out of the city to the Gilder Plains, one can find the guild halls, (and more taverns than the average adventurer would admit to frequenting these days.) where various adventuring troupes have essentially retired in this age of peace. The barracks are here as well, to the west of the North Gate.<br/><br/>The East Gate leads travelers to a path towards the mountains that feed the Tea River, so named because the tannins that seep into its waters from the pine forest up river tints the water the color of tea. Just inside this gate you'll find private homes of the poor and nearly poor. These people have suffered the most over these past six months, as the city guard has begun to abandon their posts as the Queen sends them on errands far and wide.<br/><br/>The southeast district of the city is where all of the prime waterfront property lies. Here are the homes of the wealthy, who remain untroubled in so far as they have the means to cope with the recent strife in the city as the Queen squanders the national budget on her obsessive search for something. The South Gate is here as well, and leads to the foothills of the Silverlight Mountains which feed the Sterling River, the larger of the two rivers feeding into and around the City.