When people visit Xelha, and indeed Xelhans themselves, landmarks are often a reminder of how people connect the past with the present. Landmarks and monuments are testaments to events from a bygone era or something awe inspiring from nature. Yet there is one city in Xelha where almost all of these things are curiously absent. Raine City.
Though the skyline is one easily recognized, markers of the past are mostly absent in the city of about 3 million. One can almost say that this is a trait the city has had since its inception, when Queen Raine I established the city that now bears her name, destroyed the Raftfleet that had catapulted her to power over the fledgling nation of Xelha. Something to which Thora constantly reminds them of and a fact most in Raine City resent bitterly.
Beacon Lighthouse is perhaps the closest thing the city has to a historical monument. Its history though is an accurate depiction of the city itself. Before the lighthouse was built, locals would set bonfires upon the hill to lure shipping vessels to shore, making them believe they were further from land then they were and they got shipwrecked among the rocks, making easy pickings for scavengers to row out and salvage materials. The original lighthouse was built around 1850, before it was burnt down in 1900. The lighthouse was rebuilt before being destroyed during the Viserian Siege during World War 2. The lighthouse was again rebuilt but was destroyed during the Nobility Army’s Siege of Raine City during the Civil War. The current structure was completed in 2010 just after the war. Though lighthouses are not required to navigate, the city itself wanted the monument to stand watch over the harbor entrance.
The city itself was established as a trade hub and naval center following the overwhelming victory of the Raftfleet. It had rapid interior access to Lake Selita and the mountains via the Ukkonen River and open sea access further south than Merle, allowing for Eastward sailing almost year round. Citizens who settled here after its establishment were fiercely loyal to the crown because of Queen Raine’s treatment of them during their seaborne years, something that has held true throughout history. Perhaps, because of this, the city has suffered the most when the crown was not in a favorable position. The Mysidia Massacre aside, Raine City has probably suffered more sieges and been on the receiving end of more war hardships than any other city in Xelha. Historians point to Raine City’s strategic importance which is control of the Eastern waterways in and out of Xelha, as well as their sheltered port as a favored target for attacking deeper into Xelhan territory. The tenacity of its residence does not help with going through unscathed. Invasions of Sol and Noctus Territories usually resulted in capitulations after a few days. No battle around Raine City has lasted shorter than three weeks.
The long sieges and bombings, as well as the willingness to destroy their own infrastructure as shown in World War 2 to slow down enemy advances are additional contributions to this dance with destruction. "We may often joke about Raine Avalon’s never say die attitude, but she personifies the city exactly as it has always been," Historian Mikka Flo commented in a recent publication. "They have a victory at all costs mentality and if they can’t win, they’ll take you down with them. They are the masters of attrition and care little for public opinion so long as they can live without having any regrets on missed opportunities."
"Raine City was born due to the destruction of a previous home [Raftfleet] and they’ve been so bitter ever since that they refuse to cede their homeland again. Though buildings fall, the people don’t. Raine City has nearly been reduced to rubble five times in its history, yet the people remain and have always rebuilt it. The Avalon, Flo, Asgard and Fox Families have all endured and remain proud Raine Citiers through the generations, with most being able to trace their ancestry back to Raftfleet."
As Raine City commemorates the final Raftfleet Victory over the Xel Forces this weekend, here’s hoping that the only dust the city will have in its future is dustings of snow.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyrAnd7JsiG
