Post by Bannanachair on Nov 26, 2020 14:50:13 GMT -4
Table of Contents
1) Introduction
2) Sitrinis
3) Factions in the City
4) Locations in the City
5) The Rest of the World
6) CS
1) Introduction (1
Sitrinis, the City of Silver Bells, sits at a precipice. On an island in the Bay of Biscuin, between the empires of Arymlap and Odaenath, a hub of trade with ships coming from as far as Men-Thar-Kot, Gagh Buldir and Zarionar, home of the Darist Church and the Threun Guard, one could be forgiven for thinking that Sitrinis is at the center of the world.
Despite the opulent wealth that comes in, and is created by the many guilds and academics in the city, there is a dark underbelly. Gangs have more sway over some neighborhoods than the city guard do. Drug-smugglers bring intoxicating flowers from Ynedar-knows-where, and the shipping companies are more than likely complicit. The noble houses of old are losing their wealth, but arrogantly believe themselves to be far above the rising mercantile class. And in coffeehouses and pubs, political radicals, foreign exiles, merchants and workers speak of revolution.
And beneath even that surface, there are whispers that not all is as it seems. Secrets upon secrets, lies upon lies, conspiracies upon conspiracies – whispers of things so vile they cannot even be spoken of.
2) Sitrinis (2
Sitrinis is an ancient city, and to cover all of its history would take a rather long time. Suffice to say, it has existed in the Bay of Biscuin at the mouth of the River Cand in some form or another for a few thousand years longer than there have been written records, if the archaeologists are to be believed. It has been the capital of kingdoms, it has been part of empires – it even, very briefly, was the capital of Karkemish.
For the past five hundred years, however, it has been caught between the empires of Arymlap to the northwest of the Cand and Odaenath to the southeast of the Cand. After centuries under Odaenathian rule, it spent some centuries as a trophy to be won by the two empires in their wars, given away at each new treaty. When an Arymlapian general was feeling ambitious, he would take Sitrinis for a time, and then an Odaenathian general would come by and pick it back up again.
For the past hundred years, it has been independent as the result of a truce signed by Arym XVII and Odar Thel after the conclusion of Odar Khal’s War. In this time, it has been rebuilt and has thrived, as the competition between Arymlap and Odaenath over Sitrinis became political and economic in nature rather than military in nature. The House of Belat, which had managed to maintain power as sub-kings of both empires, has been able to pour their resources into building up Sitrinis into one of the most influential cities in the world.
Today, Sitrinis strives to take a neutral stance on the rivalry between its neighbours, while simultaneously strengthening ties with other nations. Sitrinian diplomats are among the best in the world, and it is through diplomacy and not military might that Sitrinis maintains its independence. Oddly enough, many of the compromises between Arymlap and Odaenath that Sitrinis has ironed out benefited the city-state greatly – to avoid preferential treatment of one empire or the other, all companies that trade in Sitrinis need to be largely Sitrinis-owned. This has resulted in the city-state gaining disproportionate power in trade between the Cand River and out into the sea from the Bay of Biscuin.
3) Factions in the City (3
Embassies: Some of the most important political factions are the embassies and their ambassadors. Due to the neutrality that the City of Silver Bells has been building up for the past several decades, it has come to host a number of foreign peace-talks and treaties. There are currently almost a dozen treaties named ‘the Treaty of Sitrinis’ in effect. As ambassadors often – but not quite always – seek to further the interests of their nations, chapter 5 will contain information relevant to these factions.
House Belat: The Belat dynasty has been the royal family of Sitrinis for centuries, being placed on the throne initially as puppets of Odaenath. The political acumen of this house’s disciples has, however, allowed it to survive and thrive despite the volatile political circumstances of centuries past, and eventually gain independence for the city-state from both great empires. The goals of House Belat are twofold: Maintain the independence and prosperity of Sitrinis by placating both Arymlap and Odaenath, and maintain the current political order of the city.
Noble Houses: In addition to House Belat, there are six other Great Houses – House Jorin, House Lokren, House Bonic, House Crumit, House Valar and House Perilon. Furthermore, there are approximately thirty-seven Lesser Houses, for a grand total of forty-four Noble Houses. The goals of the Great Houses are to maintain the feudal structure and Sitrinis’s independence while gaining more power for their house individually. The goals of the Lesser Houses vary, but all involve somehow catapulting their (often in-decline) family back into political prominence.
Darist Church: The worship of Ynedar as God, acknowledgement of his brothers Yllios and Ybris as the sources of oppressive and destructive evil respectively, and of Neoran as a prophet of Ynedar is upheld by the Darist Church, which is headquartered in Sitrinis. Though there is not an official religion in Sitrinis, Darism is adhered to by more than nine-in-ten Sitrinisians, and though not an official religion anywhere else, it has scattered populations throughout the world, especially on the banks of the River Cand. The goals of the Darist Church are, ultimately, to increase the influence of the religion, both abroad through missionary-work and in the political sphere of Sitrinis.
Threun Guard: Named for Threus, a disciple of Neoran, the Threun Guard is a militant wing of the Darist church founded during the Zarionar Crusades a thousand years ago. Since then, it has morphed into an extremist sect formed of zealots from around the world but whose membership is illegal outside of Sitrinis, though tolerated in some of the border-provinces of Arymlap and Odaenath. Their goals are to gain power within the Darist Church, initiate an inquisition against other faiths and resume the Crusades to bring the light of Ynedar to the whole world.
Cand River Company: One of the largest trading companies in Sitrinis, the Cand River Company holds a virtual monopoly on trade throughout the Cand River, and is the only company allowed to trade upriver from Sitrinis as a result of some rather cutthroat trading deals. Their goals are to increase their political influence in Sitrinis, Arymlap and Odaenath, increase their wealth and decrease the importance of the historical feudal system.
Karkemish Trade Company: One of the largest trading companies in Sitrinis, the Karkemish Trade Company is the largest competitor of the Garfel Trade Company. Founded by members of the rising mercantile middle-class, and named for the great empire that had fallen almost three thousand years earlier, the Karkemish Trade Company has earned a reputation as a way that anyone can rise the social ladder in Sitrinis. The goals of Karkemish are similar to those of the Cand River Company.
Garfel Company: One of the largest trading companies in Sitrinis, the Garfel Company was founded by the noble House Garfel, and has allowed them to substantially rebuild their wealth, and to diversify family holdings outside of Sitrinis and into a dozen other locations – this way, should Arymlap or Odaenath decide to invade Sitrinis again for one reason or another, the Garfel family can simply leave and continue to thrive, or should the Citizen’s Assembly render most Noble Houses obsolete, House Garfel will maintain its influence. That said, the company doesn’t exist just for the sake of security – the goals of the Garfel Company are to increase its wealth and standing both within Sitrinis and internationally.
Trade Guilds: Trade Guilds are institutions designed to protect skilled tradesmen and craftsmen. Any individual operating a business that falls under the jurisdiction of a particular trade would need to be registered with the respective guild. Beyond keeping track of all the bakers or wheelwrights or smiths in a city, the Guilds also protect their members’ political interests, pushing for tariffs on foreign imports to protect Sitrinian craftsworkers.
City Guard: Though demilitarized, there does still exist an internal City Guard of Sitrinis to keep order. In fact, there are two City Guards operating in parallel – the Blue Guard, who watch the Royal Palace and the districts that contain nobles, and the Red Guard, who patrol the rest of the city. The goals of the City Guard are nominally to maintain peace and order and law, despite the rampant bribery of the Red Guard.
Citizen’s Assembly: A democratic assembly of fifty elected citizens, with one representing each of the fifty city wards. The Assembly serves two functions – first, they are able to veto any legislation that the King and a majority of Noble Houses vote on so long as 34 members of the assembly vote to veto it. This is to ensure that the monarchy and nobility do not pass any legislation that infringes upon the rights of the people. Their second function is as one way to suggest legislation – anything presented to the Assembly that passes through with a 34-member vote has to, by law, be voted on by the Nobles and then presented to the king for approval. Though nominally representing the people, however, the Citizen’s Assembly is just as comprised of social elites as the Noble Houses are, taking in rampant bribes from all three trading companies and a number of guilds.
Sitrinis Republicans: A small-but-growing political faction within the Assembly, the Republicans desire the complete overthrow of the monarchy and abolition of the feudal system, where the Citizen’s Assembly will exist as the only governing body. They envision a world ruled by such ideas as liberal democracy and free-trade capitalism.
Street Gangs: There are a handful of organized criminal organizations in Sitrinis, though many of them operate internationally. There are entire neighbourhoods where these gangs – the Falcons, the Ravens, the Kingfishers and the Vultures – rule with more sway than the legitimate government. Furthermore, competition is fierce within the world of drug-smuggling, with the two main products being a pair of flowers known as Red Violets, a powerful hallucinogen, and Blue Roses, a stimulant. They control portions of the docks, bribe Assembleymen, Company ship-captains, city guardsmen and nobles alike and have become a political power unto themselves.
Sun and Moon Club: Though often considered together by outsiders, the Sun and Moon Club is actually two different social clubs – the Sun Club for men and the Moon Club for women. Very little is known about them other than that they restrict their membership to elite circles, though rumours abound of debauchery of all kinds.
Sagitarrian Society: A society of wealthy intellectuals, mostly historians, philosophers and armchair social scientists, the Sagitarrian Society funds research into these fields in order to better understand the human condition, and tend to meet in nice pubs and coffeehouses to discus the latest trends in these fields over a pint.
Pigsblood Eye: A secret society considered radical even by the Sitrinis Republicans, Pigsblood Eye are named as such for the graffiti that they leave at the scene of their assassinations – an eye, painted in pigsblood. They pledge that their enemies are all those who ‘hold wealth from those who are impoverished’, and advocate, through violent revolutionary means, the elimination of all wealth, governments and hierarchies in general.
4) Locations in the City (4
5) The Rest of the World (5
Arymlap:
Odaenath:
Hairan:
Nasor:
Tadmor:
Enesem:
Zarionar:
Gagh Buldir:
Men-Thar-Kot:
6) CS (6
Name:
Age:
Gender:
Appearance:
Personality:
Organizational Affiliation(s):
Friends and Family:
Personal Goals:
Bio:
Other:
1) Introduction
2) Sitrinis
3) Factions in the City
4) Locations in the City
5) The Rest of the World
6) CS
1) Introduction (1
Sitrinis, the City of Silver Bells, sits at a precipice. On an island in the Bay of Biscuin, between the empires of Arymlap and Odaenath, a hub of trade with ships coming from as far as Men-Thar-Kot, Gagh Buldir and Zarionar, home of the Darist Church and the Threun Guard, one could be forgiven for thinking that Sitrinis is at the center of the world.
Despite the opulent wealth that comes in, and is created by the many guilds and academics in the city, there is a dark underbelly. Gangs have more sway over some neighborhoods than the city guard do. Drug-smugglers bring intoxicating flowers from Ynedar-knows-where, and the shipping companies are more than likely complicit. The noble houses of old are losing their wealth, but arrogantly believe themselves to be far above the rising mercantile class. And in coffeehouses and pubs, political radicals, foreign exiles, merchants and workers speak of revolution.
And beneath even that surface, there are whispers that not all is as it seems. Secrets upon secrets, lies upon lies, conspiracies upon conspiracies – whispers of things so vile they cannot even be spoken of.
2) Sitrinis (2
Sitrinis is an ancient city, and to cover all of its history would take a rather long time. Suffice to say, it has existed in the Bay of Biscuin at the mouth of the River Cand in some form or another for a few thousand years longer than there have been written records, if the archaeologists are to be believed. It has been the capital of kingdoms, it has been part of empires – it even, very briefly, was the capital of Karkemish.
For the past five hundred years, however, it has been caught between the empires of Arymlap to the northwest of the Cand and Odaenath to the southeast of the Cand. After centuries under Odaenathian rule, it spent some centuries as a trophy to be won by the two empires in their wars, given away at each new treaty. When an Arymlapian general was feeling ambitious, he would take Sitrinis for a time, and then an Odaenathian general would come by and pick it back up again.
For the past hundred years, it has been independent as the result of a truce signed by Arym XVII and Odar Thel after the conclusion of Odar Khal’s War. In this time, it has been rebuilt and has thrived, as the competition between Arymlap and Odaenath over Sitrinis became political and economic in nature rather than military in nature. The House of Belat, which had managed to maintain power as sub-kings of both empires, has been able to pour their resources into building up Sitrinis into one of the most influential cities in the world.
Today, Sitrinis strives to take a neutral stance on the rivalry between its neighbours, while simultaneously strengthening ties with other nations. Sitrinian diplomats are among the best in the world, and it is through diplomacy and not military might that Sitrinis maintains its independence. Oddly enough, many of the compromises between Arymlap and Odaenath that Sitrinis has ironed out benefited the city-state greatly – to avoid preferential treatment of one empire or the other, all companies that trade in Sitrinis need to be largely Sitrinis-owned. This has resulted in the city-state gaining disproportionate power in trade between the Cand River and out into the sea from the Bay of Biscuin.
3) Factions in the City (3
Embassies: Some of the most important political factions are the embassies and their ambassadors. Due to the neutrality that the City of Silver Bells has been building up for the past several decades, it has come to host a number of foreign peace-talks and treaties. There are currently almost a dozen treaties named ‘the Treaty of Sitrinis’ in effect. As ambassadors often – but not quite always – seek to further the interests of their nations, chapter 5 will contain information relevant to these factions.
House Belat: The Belat dynasty has been the royal family of Sitrinis for centuries, being placed on the throne initially as puppets of Odaenath. The political acumen of this house’s disciples has, however, allowed it to survive and thrive despite the volatile political circumstances of centuries past, and eventually gain independence for the city-state from both great empires. The goals of House Belat are twofold: Maintain the independence and prosperity of Sitrinis by placating both Arymlap and Odaenath, and maintain the current political order of the city.
Noble Houses: In addition to House Belat, there are six other Great Houses – House Jorin, House Lokren, House Bonic, House Crumit, House Valar and House Perilon. Furthermore, there are approximately thirty-seven Lesser Houses, for a grand total of forty-four Noble Houses. The goals of the Great Houses are to maintain the feudal structure and Sitrinis’s independence while gaining more power for their house individually. The goals of the Lesser Houses vary, but all involve somehow catapulting their (often in-decline) family back into political prominence.
Darist Church: The worship of Ynedar as God, acknowledgement of his brothers Yllios and Ybris as the sources of oppressive and destructive evil respectively, and of Neoran as a prophet of Ynedar is upheld by the Darist Church, which is headquartered in Sitrinis. Though there is not an official religion in Sitrinis, Darism is adhered to by more than nine-in-ten Sitrinisians, and though not an official religion anywhere else, it has scattered populations throughout the world, especially on the banks of the River Cand. The goals of the Darist Church are, ultimately, to increase the influence of the religion, both abroad through missionary-work and in the political sphere of Sitrinis.
Threun Guard: Named for Threus, a disciple of Neoran, the Threun Guard is a militant wing of the Darist church founded during the Zarionar Crusades a thousand years ago. Since then, it has morphed into an extremist sect formed of zealots from around the world but whose membership is illegal outside of Sitrinis, though tolerated in some of the border-provinces of Arymlap and Odaenath. Their goals are to gain power within the Darist Church, initiate an inquisition against other faiths and resume the Crusades to bring the light of Ynedar to the whole world.
Cand River Company: One of the largest trading companies in Sitrinis, the Cand River Company holds a virtual monopoly on trade throughout the Cand River, and is the only company allowed to trade upriver from Sitrinis as a result of some rather cutthroat trading deals. Their goals are to increase their political influence in Sitrinis, Arymlap and Odaenath, increase their wealth and decrease the importance of the historical feudal system.
Karkemish Trade Company: One of the largest trading companies in Sitrinis, the Karkemish Trade Company is the largest competitor of the Garfel Trade Company. Founded by members of the rising mercantile middle-class, and named for the great empire that had fallen almost three thousand years earlier, the Karkemish Trade Company has earned a reputation as a way that anyone can rise the social ladder in Sitrinis. The goals of Karkemish are similar to those of the Cand River Company.
Garfel Company: One of the largest trading companies in Sitrinis, the Garfel Company was founded by the noble House Garfel, and has allowed them to substantially rebuild their wealth, and to diversify family holdings outside of Sitrinis and into a dozen other locations – this way, should Arymlap or Odaenath decide to invade Sitrinis again for one reason or another, the Garfel family can simply leave and continue to thrive, or should the Citizen’s Assembly render most Noble Houses obsolete, House Garfel will maintain its influence. That said, the company doesn’t exist just for the sake of security – the goals of the Garfel Company are to increase its wealth and standing both within Sitrinis and internationally.
Trade Guilds: Trade Guilds are institutions designed to protect skilled tradesmen and craftsmen. Any individual operating a business that falls under the jurisdiction of a particular trade would need to be registered with the respective guild. Beyond keeping track of all the bakers or wheelwrights or smiths in a city, the Guilds also protect their members’ political interests, pushing for tariffs on foreign imports to protect Sitrinian craftsworkers.
City Guard: Though demilitarized, there does still exist an internal City Guard of Sitrinis to keep order. In fact, there are two City Guards operating in parallel – the Blue Guard, who watch the Royal Palace and the districts that contain nobles, and the Red Guard, who patrol the rest of the city. The goals of the City Guard are nominally to maintain peace and order and law, despite the rampant bribery of the Red Guard.
Citizen’s Assembly: A democratic assembly of fifty elected citizens, with one representing each of the fifty city wards. The Assembly serves two functions – first, they are able to veto any legislation that the King and a majority of Noble Houses vote on so long as 34 members of the assembly vote to veto it. This is to ensure that the monarchy and nobility do not pass any legislation that infringes upon the rights of the people. Their second function is as one way to suggest legislation – anything presented to the Assembly that passes through with a 34-member vote has to, by law, be voted on by the Nobles and then presented to the king for approval. Though nominally representing the people, however, the Citizen’s Assembly is just as comprised of social elites as the Noble Houses are, taking in rampant bribes from all three trading companies and a number of guilds.
Sitrinis Republicans: A small-but-growing political faction within the Assembly, the Republicans desire the complete overthrow of the monarchy and abolition of the feudal system, where the Citizen’s Assembly will exist as the only governing body. They envision a world ruled by such ideas as liberal democracy and free-trade capitalism.
Street Gangs: There are a handful of organized criminal organizations in Sitrinis, though many of them operate internationally. There are entire neighbourhoods where these gangs – the Falcons, the Ravens, the Kingfishers and the Vultures – rule with more sway than the legitimate government. Furthermore, competition is fierce within the world of drug-smuggling, with the two main products being a pair of flowers known as Red Violets, a powerful hallucinogen, and Blue Roses, a stimulant. They control portions of the docks, bribe Assembleymen, Company ship-captains, city guardsmen and nobles alike and have become a political power unto themselves.
Sun and Moon Club: Though often considered together by outsiders, the Sun and Moon Club is actually two different social clubs – the Sun Club for men and the Moon Club for women. Very little is known about them other than that they restrict their membership to elite circles, though rumours abound of debauchery of all kinds.
Sagitarrian Society: A society of wealthy intellectuals, mostly historians, philosophers and armchair social scientists, the Sagitarrian Society funds research into these fields in order to better understand the human condition, and tend to meet in nice pubs and coffeehouses to discus the latest trends in these fields over a pint.
Pigsblood Eye: A secret society considered radical even by the Sitrinis Republicans, Pigsblood Eye are named as such for the graffiti that they leave at the scene of their assassinations – an eye, painted in pigsblood. They pledge that their enemies are all those who ‘hold wealth from those who are impoverished’, and advocate, through violent revolutionary means, the elimination of all wealth, governments and hierarchies in general.
4) Locations in the City (4
5) The Rest of the World (5
Arymlap:
Odaenath:
Hairan:
Nasor:
Tadmor:
Enesem:
Zarionar:
Gagh Buldir:
Men-Thar-Kot:
6) CS (6
Name:
Age:
Gender:
Appearance:
Personality:
Organizational Affiliation(s):
Friends and Family:
Personal Goals:
Bio:
Other:
