Tsin, City of Sapphire

Beautiful cerulean waves break on the sands and rocks of a wind-swept, palm-adorned shore. In a large rock, a tower rises into the sky; behind it, a harbor is filled with boats. Beyond the water, a large collection of white buildings of various sizes are haphazardly arranged.

Lore

Upon the western coast of the Asaro Sea lies Tsin (/t͡siːn/; tseen), the City of Sapphire. The major city of Central Fao, it stands alone as a beacon of true civilization for hundreds of miles. The unique producer of Azurian Bajari, a sharply alcoholic shot that greatly raises the power of the mages who consume it, it is also a city of significant military concern.

Adorned with palm trees, carpeted with white sands and sea-blue grasses, and glimmering in the sunlight, the City of Sapphire moniker is a well-earned one. Local birds, particularly redheaded laureline parrots, flit from tree to tree and vocalize to the crowds moving through the city’s streets, accented by the sounds of harbor tradespeople coming in on the easterly winds.

Atlas of Central Fao, Cerulean Fields: Tsin

Techniques

This was a matte painting with an emphasis on painting. The shoreline and rocks were heavily painted, as were the clouds and the distant shoreline. The city was a mixture of photographs, most of which were from areas of Greece, which I overpainted to remove any semblance of technology and to keep the colors consistent with my worldbuilding. The tower was photobashed for texture, but the rock, trees, and the tower were hand-painted, as were the waves breaking on it.