Donadea

Donadea (literally gift of the goddess) is an island in the middle of Lake Sairisi, said to be raised from the bottom of the lake by the first Matredeu with the aid of the Almighty herself. Donadea is an entirely autonomous and independent microstate, and though benefitting from the protection and funds of the Crown, has its own set of ecclesiastical laws, its own armed forces, and its own judicial system, governed by the Matredeu. It serves as the seat of authority for the Church of the Almighty, connected to the island of Sairis by two bridges: one for incoming, and one for outgoing, traffic, both of which are retractable at the will of the Matredeu. Donadea is home to the Grand Cathedral of the Almighty, the largest single religious temple in all Rhodenia, renowned both by the Faithful and those of others religions for its beautiful architecture. Across the island are various important institutions of the Church: its armory, its primary educational facility—The Institute for the Faithful—and many bureaucratic office buildings to manage the ceaseless reach of the Church's influence.

Donadea is also home to many permanent residences, various other colleges and universities, and a significant plurality of Vllaistrae's intellectuals and scholars, all seduced by the Church's endless supply of historical, theologic, and magical documents. The center of the island boasts perhaps the most fortified creation in history, known simply as the Imperoculta. The Imperoculta is organized around its centerpoint, the palace of the Matredeu and the Cathedral of the Almighty, sprawling out in five consecutive rings from there, each surrounded by a highly fortified wall.

The geography of Donadea does not end at its surface, however. Over hundreds of years, intricate networks of tunnels and underground fortresses have been built through the island's mountainous terrain. Subterranean buildings beneath the Imperoculta stretch downward for nearly twenty stories before terminating, the bulk of which house ancient artifacts and texts collected from before and after the Church's rise to primacy. Thousands upon thousands of these artifacts remain undisturbed, many forgotten for their sheer, vast numbers.