Sole City

Sole City is located on the far southern coast of the nation of Fiore. It is situated near the Fiore Royal Military's massive headquarters, and is home to many soldiers. Also, in close proximity to the city lies the grounds of the Vista Manor. It has a population of around 700,000 citizens; is one of Fiore's largest cities—rivaling the capital city of Crocus. It is a very prosperous town that has been an economic and cultural hotspot since times past forgotten.

Overview
Standing as one of the most populated cities in the Kingdom of Fiore, Sole City is one of the most economically prosperous cities in the nation. It is, in fact, only truly rivaled by the capital city itself. Sole is characterized by multifaceted success, in areas such as banking, magic, trade, and even the arts. As it lies near the Military HQ, it is home to many famed soldiers of high rank and prestige. Also, many mages pass through the city as it's a hotspot for high level job requests due to the wealthy sector of the city.

Geography
Sole City is located in the most southern region of Fiore, on the coast. Originally, far in the past, Sole was a town that relied on the fishing industry heavily. It sat near waters that were a prime location for commercial fishing, with an excellent variety of marine life that today are served on plates in the famous restaraunts of the city or on the dinner table in a family home. To the west of the city is the mighty Thunderas River that snakes as far back that it nears the region the Magic Council's Fiore Branch is located. To the northwest is a small mountain range known as the "Florencia Mountains". At the foot of the farthest mountain on the eastern side is the House of Vista's cemetery.

On the seafront side of the city is the Solean Bay, this place is where the merchants are usually located for multiple reasons from buying large stocks of fish from local fishermen to shipping a variety of goods to other nations. This all happens at the inner most part, Sole Harbor. The western half composes the city's public beach that is of course a hot spot for relaxing locals and tourists alike. Also, there's dozens of seafront stores located around there. The far eastern side is lined by a number homes that are apart of the "Asafa Row". Asafa Row is a one of the most affluent areas of the city. In these large homes live all sorts of important people from famed and successful writers to established businessmen to heirs to family fortunes and beyond.

Sole's geographical location makes it a prime area for trade. Ships can easily dock and be on their way in matter of hours. It goes without saying that the city's location has been half of the reason for its' success. Also, it sits near the headquarters of the Military. A few hours north is the Capital city of Crocus, and along the way is the Council's Fiore Branch.

Notable Locations

 * Florentia Bridge
 * Peterson's Grocery
 * Isshi Diner
 * Pantheon Complex
 * Paxia Trade Guild
 * Acazia Quarter

Locations near Sole City

 * Vista Manor
 * Fiore Royal Military Headquaters
 * Buchanan Residence

Culture
Sole City is well known as a prosperous and innovative city. It's known for being a place of opportunity; more or less, a stepping stone to success for many different types of people. Laxus Dreyar once commented that there are few places that rival Sole as a place to live and grow in whatever endeavor they immerse themselves into. Due to it's high population of native citizens, and high levels of visitors coming in each and every day, Sole is a very busy and bustling city. It dwarfs large and successful towns like Magnolia, home of the Fairy Tail Guild, in both size and standing easily. The culture of the city is much like the rest of Fiore, but there are quite a few festivals here and there.

The people of Sole City are generally referred to as "Soleans". They are widely seen as friendly and hardworking, however, equally diligent and blunt. Due to the higher standard of education and the widespread belief that every child should have a chance at education, every child that is a resident in the city is given the opportunity to go to school for free from the age of 5 till 15 years of age. As it stands, they are the only city in Fiore that has taken the initiative to do so. Also, as a result, there are a number of elite ranking academic academies for higher learning here. Each specializing in some aspect. The most famous of the lot and recognized as the most prestigious academic institution in the kingdom is the Veritas Institute. This academy specializes in the social sciences and humanities. Mina Ozolin's mother was educated here for a considerable duration of her young adult years.

Magic is nearly trivial in this town. With over half the population being able to use some sort of magic, the city is both a central recruiting area for the military and a gold mine of potential mage prospects for guilds. Magical vehicles are quite normal here, but many choose to walk anyhow. Sole City is a very built up city, that is, it has a very urban feel while still being a clean and more or less safe city. Not to say there are no poor areas, as such things are inevitable but it's poverty rates are notably low. There are many somewhat high rising buildings throughout all of Sole. A major part is the massive city square, Florian Square, where festivals, fairs, etc are held .Also, Florian Square is home to dozens of high end stores serving a number of purposes.

Standing on edge of the Florian Square is the massive Pantheon Complex, in the middle. This large, ornately designed building, characterized by its' golden colored roofs and large greenish dome is the center of political life. Here is the work place of the Mayor, also there is a substantially large Magic Council outpost within the building. Also, within the building is office assigned to the House of Vista. In addition, there is a public library where anyone can go immerse themselves in literature through out the day. It is hailed as not only a cultural landmark to the city but to the kingdom of Fiore, to a lesser extent.

The people of Sole City, as briefly touched on before, are rather festive people. There are a number of festivals throughout the year for different holidays. These are usually celebrated in the city square or generally around landmarks of the city. One such place was Florentia Bridge. Though, as noted by Drake Vista, has been abandoned for such events for some reason. The city has a high respect for the military due to being so close by and that many have personal ties to the countless soldiers that live and pass through their hometown.

As stated before, Sole is a haven for business and trade as a whole. As such, there are a few respectable trade guilds in the city. Two of which are some of the most prominent in the kingdom of Fiore. Hailed as the number one trade guild in Sole, the Paxia Trade Guild is a landmark of the city. Its' headquaters were constructed decades ago, and is an iconic building for the citizens of Sole. Many wealthy patrons visit the Paxia Trade Guild on a regular basis.

However, regardless of how propsperous a city or town is, there are always the "haves and have nots". While Sole's poverty rate is very low, it is still ever-present; is an issue that has no perfect solution. The Acazia Quarter is one Sole's many residential districts; furthermore, is the most prominent of the few low income boroughs of the city. Sometimes referred to as the "Black District", Acazia Quarter is home to many working class and struggling families. As a result of its' economic woes, it's a nest for crime -- though the severity isn't alarming. Due to the presence of the Military and the Magic Council outpost near city hall, serious crimes such as murder and rape are not fears that the struggling citizens have to fear. Amusingly enough, a young Sanjo Vista would sneak into this area in spite of the risks and play with the neighborhood children. Though the young Sanjo would get scolded and corrected by his parents every time they found out. In addition, note that Xena Daniels spent alot of her time here prior to meeting Raimo Vista.

Trivia

 * Sole is Italian for "sun".
 * Essentially, Sole City is the hometown of Sanjo Vista.
 * Sole City's high rising buildings rival that of Crocus'; the city is praised for its' architectural beauty by many around Fiore.
 * Many soldiers and some mages have taken residence here.
 * Sole City is commonly referenced and visited in the storylines Chronicles of a Mage and Tales of a New Generation.
 * Heartfilia Konzern did alot of business in Sole; had connections with some of its' immensely reputable merchant guilds.
 * Many of the images used for Sole are from Republic City in the new TV series The Legend of Korra.
 * In the days of Ancient Rome, the Pantheon was a temple for all the gods of Roman mythology; more importantly, the center of polictical life, as it was where elections were held and gatherings for the military as well.(*Note that its' purpose would altered through time.) Said structure, of course, influenced the name Pantheon Complex for the major political building in Sole City.
 * "Veritas" simply means "truth" and was a goddess in Roman Mythology.