Ïsendor

Ïsendor (﻿ᛦᛊᛂᚾᛑᚬᛡ), officially the Free City of Ïsendor (ᚡᛡᛂᚮᛊᛏᚨᛑᛏ ᛦᛊᛂᚾᛑᚬᛡ Freystadt Ïsendor), is one of the largest cities in Zusea and the third-largest in Zoria, with a population of 937,306 people in 2020. Ïsendor is the economic and cultural anchor of Salmia, an archipelago just off the northern coast of Zusea, home to more than five million people. The city itself resides on Pelican Island, the largest of the archipelago, which is coterminous with the state of Great Ïsendor, and upon which the broader North Sea Megalopolis resides.

Ïsendor was founded on the banks of the Akelai river in 1630 by religious refugees from modern Doesia, close to a much older settlement of the same name. The city soon grew into a major nexus of the Golden Road, the final major stopping point for ship traffic before Altenburg, and the capital of the Medieval Kingdom of Salmia. In the modern period, the city was the scene of several key events of the Zusian National Springtime, such as the Ïsendor Massacre (often considered the first event of the Mad Months), the Revolt of Ïsendor, the Battle of Alt-Hoffnung, and the Battle of the North Sea. Upon the reunification of Zusea, the city endured as an important port and manufacturing hub, as well as a center for education and culture. Ïsendor's rich history attracts many tourists, with Chembach Hall alone drawing more than 20 million visitors per year.

Today, Ïsendor is a thriving center of scientific research. Pelican Island's many colleges and universities make it a world leader in higher education, including law, medicine, engineering and business, and the city is considered to be a global pioneer in innovation and entrepreneurship, with nearly 7,000 startups. The city's economic base also includes finance, professional and business services, biotechnology, information technology and government activities.