Chittuwai (Cheet-to-why)

Introduction

The Chittuwai are small tea houses that can be found across Arc and other cities in the Arclands. The Chittuwai and the Chitu (the tea vendors) are originally from Del'Marah, but have become a much loved institution on the streets of Arc. Chittuwai range from large tea 'palaces' close to the The Trophym, to small wooden lean to's with a woven yenduri (a traditional Del'Marahan curtain) for a door. Some enterprising Chitu simply throw down rugs, cushions and blankets at street corners and serve tea in small cups for a debtors penny (also known as a Rialto), the cheapest tea in Arc (though not necessarily the worst), is known as 'debtors penny tea'.

History

Chittuwai, whilst being originally a Del'Marahan institution, emerged out of the confluence of cultures precipitated by Arc’s economic expansion. As such it combines elements of the tea drinking cultures of Oloris, Ghotharand, Del’ Marah, Harenis, and Hothis, with the Samovar culture of the Arching mountains. The first Chittuwai were founded by Del'Marahan tea merchants from who found themselves stranded in Arc following the impoundment of their ships by the Arcish authorities, as part of a series of economic sanctions against Del’ Marah. 
The merchants pooled their earnings into buying dilapidated storehouses in the environs of Arc’s docks, furnishing them with the surplus cargo they brought ashore with: silks, incenses, chairs and tables carved out of cedarwood, copper samovars, tapestries from The Vertical Republics, fetishes from Oloris, and celedon from Hothis into an unparalleled bricolage of styles irreducible to any single decor. A multitude of teas from all throughout Aestis, were sold at prices which undercut even the lowliest taverns, with superior blends attracting the connoisseurs of the nobility, who were compelled to venture from the shadows of The Trophym under which they dwelt and mix with the unwashed masses of Arc for a gastronomic experience like no other. 

The meeting of rich and poor

Chittuwai cater for all castes and classes, constituting the truest microcosm of Arcish society, for the experience they offer the wealthiest of their clientele cannot be exported to the palaces of Arc’s elite districts. Consequently, Chittuwai are one of the only places it is acceptable for a high ranking Arcish citizen to mix with the lowest classes without sacrificing their status in the eyes of their community. As such, they have become the favored meeting places for illicit transactions and liaisons. For instance, Arcish noblemen, unwilling to be seen entertaining criminal elements in their mansions will meet them in the Chittuwai inviting them over, as is the custom, for a glass of tea and a smoke. Since the elite Chittuwai were the only places in Arc where one could obtain the finest teas in Aestis, the wealthiest citizens of Arc, so often above the law in all other spheres, found themselves compelled to observe meticulously the sophisticated systems of etiquette that governed the conduct of the chittuniks, as the patrons of the Chittuwai were called. 
The lowest beggar without Arcish citizenship who observed these customs precisely and publicly could, in spite of their marginal status, become known as a gentleman or woman, possessing a nobility that the most vulgar and churlish of the mercenari could never attain, and so each and every noble or merchant of the higher castes sought to distinguish themselves as the most refined chittuniks, receiving lessons from tea masters in everything from the pouring and drinking of tea, to the precise way in a which a chittunik must relinquish their weapon at the threshold of a Chittuwai, so as to maintain face in the company of the lower classes.

Inside a Chittuwai

  Chittuwai are typically hexagonal, furnished with cedar. At each entrance each patron is purified by a smudge stick of either white sage, or sometimes juniper, they must wash their hads in a copper basin, take their shoes off, and relinquish their weapon. Swords are never unsheathed but are passed still in the scabbard to an attendant known as a mitre. Every Chittunik must cover their head with a skullcap called a sundor, they must remain silent until they reach their table, always walking behind the attendant that shows them to their table. Patrons cannot purchase tea directly, they must exchange their money for square coins known as seun, which they throw in the copper basins patrons use to wash their hands while entering and exiting the Chittuwai. It is said that these coins act as a cypher for the tea, a token given as an offering to appease the earth itself, for extracting and consuming the most sacred and sensuous leaves it is capable of producing, for the most exquisite teas are said to make the earth that sired them jealous. The coins are thought to absorb the impurities of the quotidian world that reside in the chittuniks, trapping the impurities within the coins, which are put at the end of each day in thuribles full of sage and juniper, which is swung around the six cardinal points of the Chittuwai while the Ars Aruhvava, the most sacred and sensuous hymn in the Aruhvian religion is chanted. No voices are raised, or are any quick or sudden movements permitted, every movement is to be slow, considered, and deliberate for the atmosphere of the Chittuwai hangs upon a knife edge, the smallest incongruity could destroy it.

Duelling and the Chittuwai

If one patron grievously insults the other, the injured party motions calmly to the mitre who retrieves their weapons and leads them out to a courtyard in the back. The mitre mediates between the parties and orders the aggressor to scar himself. If both parties are at fault they are handed their weapons and must fight until first blood is drawn. After washing the wounds in ointment the aggressor party publicly invites the injured party to their table and shares a teapot with him, by accepting the tea, the injured party publicly acknowledges that the aggressor has made amends and recognises that parity has been restored. If the injured party refuses then they are led out once more the aggressor is compelled to make another mark. If the dispute cannot be resolved after six marks have been etched into the aggressor's skin then all patrons are led outside into the courtyard and handed their weapons. 
The unforgiving injured party is ordered to open their stomach with a sharp ceremonial knife called a scian or else they will be stabbed to death by all the assembled patrons. There has been only a few recorded instances of this occurring as those who prove themselves publicly to be incapable of making peace with an aggressor who has made amends lose such significant face among their peers that their reputations will never recover. Successful businessmen have gone bankrupt after word of their poor etiquette at the Chittuwai beame common knowledge among their clientele, whereas a chittunik who forgives an insult thrown at them enhances their reputation, at the expense of the churl who insulted them, who will lose respect among their peers, particularly if they repeatedly insult others in the Chittuwai. In order to restore the reputation of a chittunik made to scar themselves unjustly, the mitre will use the lines to create an intricate tattoo, using inks expertly distilled from a blend of five different tea leaves, testifying that the marks they bare are not a source of shame but testify that their desire to maintain the peace of the Chittuwai is so great that they would be willing to inflict unjust injury open themselves to maintain it. Those with Chittuwai tattoos are greatly respected for their nobility of conduct, and are given out so sparingly that an onlooker can be sure the owner of the tattoo deserves the respect of the mitre.

A taste of the streets

Alcohol in Arc is often prohibitively expensive. Unlike many drinking cultures across Aestis, the Protectors of Arc never saw fit to encourage cheap alcohol, imagining that it would have all manner of negative effects on the city overall. The only exception to this are the taverns of Storm Row in Arc, which are awash with cheap drink that is bought by the barrel from merchant ships docked a stones throw from the tavern door (cheap drink being known as backdoor ale, because it is normally brought rapidly into the tavern's back door before any customs or tax can be levied on it). Because of the cost of alcohol and the relative absence of a strong drinking culture throughout the city, the Chittuwai are places where poorer Arcites congregate to discuss business, exchange stories and rumours, and are vital social hubs. Some Chitu are Del'Marahans, and there is an often misguided assumption that the tea they serve is better or somehow part of a more authentic experience (something commercially minded Del'Marahans are keen to encourage). The role of the Chitu (or Chato, Cato, Shanto, Shandu or Sander, as it has been progressively bastardised into), is no longer exclusively a Del'Marahan one, however. Arclanders, Olorians, Ghothars and others hoping to make a reasonable living serving thirsty customers now run Chittuwais across the city. The Chitus of Arc are highly inventive and compete with each other to flavour their tea in exotic ways, using ginger, rosehips, lavender, cardomoms, vanilla, honey, mint and other flavours to attract a small but loyal following. From time to time a member of the The Azure Chamber or the The Houses of Coin will patronise a particular Chittuwai and propel its owner to temporary fame. It is customary for wealthier customers, if they wish to eat, to give the Chitu-Jai (the Chitu's son or daughter, or 'tea-boy/girl), some coins to fetch bread, cakes, smoked meat or fish from nearby stalls. Rarely do the Chitu themselves store and prepare food. An eagle eyed Chitu-Jai is often an excellent source of information for Chittuwai patrons who are keen to find out about a particular neighbourhood.

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Type

Cafe / Tearoom