The Pirai

The Great Bazaars, Life amidst the Ruins, Prosperity in Diversity.

A network of city-states, commonly considered to be the center of the Archipelago, both culturally and geographically. The twelve city-states and their various vassal states are built on trade, and as such, they are extremely diverse, and very wealthy. The original twelve Monster Hunter Lodges were founded in The Pirai - one in each city - to help combat the threat of the wilderness on salvaging expeditions and merchant shipping, and to keep farms and outlying villages safe. The Pirai is also a center of scholarly learning, where all manner of subjects are studied. The Pirai is governed by the Grand Senate, where representatives from the twelve city-states meet to determine common policy. Beyond this, each of the cities have their own system of government - usually a council of nobles linked to their senate representatives. The city-states of the Pirai are some of the largest settlements of the Archipelago, despite the mountainous terrain of the area, and they are considered some of the most impressive and beautiful, featuring an exciting mix of architectural stylings from the four corners of the Archipelago. The most common building materials in the Pirai are brick and stone, though fine wood comes in at a close third, and multi-storey structures are very common, scaling the terraces, interspersed with gardens and large plazas, where citizens gather to barter goods and meet friends. Houses are decorated in a variety of styles, from simple white-washing to elaborate tiled mozaics and wall murals, carved and painted wood or even materials such as Beast bones or hides, laminated or laquered wooden slats, or even plant fibres treated with a variety of hardening resins. While architectural styles vary greatly, both tall, pointed roofs and flat rooftop gardens or terraces are common, and many structures are originally built to house Logho, Makkali or Tahaki, but modified to also provide room for Ska’a in the basement, and Lesshen on rooftop additions. Imposing public structures such as temples (of a large variety of faiths, though the majority of the Pirai’s permanent residents are Mikhami), public forums, often in the form of amphitheaters set into the rock, with a view of the city, where Senators host public debates and receive the suggestions of their constituents. Most of the Settlements also have large floating cities along the coast, where migrant Ghol and Makkali sailors live, moving from city to city in an endless circuit. The watercraft that makes up these floating cities vary wildly, from ocean-going skiffs to broad-bottomed barges, small sampans and simple coracles. The larger cities of the Pirai all have extensive public works, such as aqueducts, sewers and waste reclamation facilities, most often powered by windmills - though some are powered by Ancient Structures - which serve to make the cities clean and healthy places to live for the vast majority of the populace.

Structure

The Pirai is a network of republican city states, each represented by a member of the Grand Senate. Each city is also home to one of the Great Hunting Lodges

Founding Date

642

Type

Geopolitical, Republic

Alternative Names

The Twelve Cities, Twelve

Predecessor Organization