[h2][center][b]High Kingdom of Itherae[/b][/center][/h2]

[h3][center]Visiting Family[/center][/h3]

[i]Dearest Sister, 

I have written to you to ease your mind as I have safely arrived in Thermydon, the capital of that nation who has yet to engage in saber rattling war games, Itherae. The first sight I was greeted to when I had first entered the nation was the great amount of untouched land within it, some views were remarkably breathtaking and it reminded me of the views from the farm we grew up on in  Cydernia. A man by the name of Kaenas Mnesus, a coal miner native to the country, explained to me that the reason for much of this untouched land was for the mere fact that Itheraens prefer to stick to their roots rather than industrialize heavily like the nation of Tyria. 

When we had arrived to Thermydon, it had become clear that the city was more of a large trading hub than a large industrial power and we had passed many farms outside the city for what seemed like kilometers after the untouched land had ended. In fact there was maybe a handful of factories at most, so we could presume that many Itheraens, like us, make a majority of their income off of farming to be sold in the city, or mining for coal. Nevertheless, Kaenas had offered to show me around the foreign city in which I had agreed to. Outside the train station, was a rather large and bustling market, advertising the consumerist views of the people who lived here. There were many shops and I passed by a professional camera man who had offered to take my picture in exchange for a very small amount of money. I agreed and Kaenas followed me into the building the man took his pictures in. This man was named Thero Hyllus and when I made conversation with him, he explained that in actuality, many Itheraens who lived in these cities worked in small businesses, mainly run by families but really the people just wished to get money to go to the theatre, a common pastime in Itherae. However, I was soon accosted by a group of thugs who had said some rather xenophobic things, only told off by the two I was with, which was explained that it was actually rather typical of Itheraens to do. 

It seemed that people such as Kaenas and Thero were a rare breed in Thermydon where many did not like outsiders such as myself. That explained the rather isolationist view the nation seemed to take when it was not dealing with the political troubles of the world, such as Cadian and Tyrian war games. 

Regardless, after my picture had been taken Kaenas took me to a grand sight. It was the ‘Palace of the Gods’ which was built in the year 1056 and, while I could not go inside to view myself, told the stories of ancient gods that many Itheraens had believed in before the rise of our own religion. The palace was large and opulent, and virtually untouched and stood out as a marker of old architecture within the city that had built around it. 

While I would have loved to stay and learn more of the city, I had to retire to our cousin’s home on the edge of the city and say goodbye to Kaenas, though he did invite me to go to the theatre.

Best wishes,
Leopold Balkanski [/i]

[center][img]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f5/Steiner_um_1905.jpg[/img]
[sub]Leopold Balkanski[/sub][/center]