Thím Gûthuwal
Thím Gûthuwal is the capital and largest city of Talnor, with an estimated population of just over 700,000 as of the present day. The city stands on The Thoroughfare, also known as the River Hinuinaetû, in the southern part of Talnor, and has been a major settlement for at least 4,000 years, changing names as kingdoms rose and fell. The original city, an ancient core that has been buried by subsequent levels of habitation, began as a simple fishing town 300 or so kilometers inland. It was founded by fishermen who were tired of being so exposed on the sea shore where they were often raided or lashed by uncaring storms, and the fishermen named this settlement Neshal.
Split between three of the thirteen duchies of the kingdom: Súvalsabai, Rännír, and Myrné, the city sits upon the point where all three meet. Historically, these boarders have changed over time, with sometimes more and sometimes less until there were just three, of which were appointed by The Sorcerer Queen. As of the present, those three remain where they are, but are headed by descendants loyal to the king.
As one of the continent's largest cities, it has a strong influence on whatever flows in and out of its bounds, such as art, entertainment, fashion, and education. It is the seat of the Monarchy of Talnor, of which is represented by the current ruler, King Rymhûl.
As of now, Thím Gûthuwal is mostly mono-cultural, though there are pockets of other cultures to be found here and there. But since the majority of the population of the city is Talnorine, the main culture is Talnorine. Despite this, over 10 different languages can be heard throughout the city, especially in the city's multitude of marketplaces.
Toponymy
Thím Gûthuwal is a relatively "new" name, having been given to the city after the fall of The Sorcerer Queen and the coronation of King Rymhûl. According to city records and records found within the depths of The Athenaeum, Thím Gûthuwal began all the way back in Recovery 157 when fishermen from the coast of The Moonspan Ocean grew tired of near-constant troubles that came with living next to the sea. They were raided on the regular by pirates, and the storms that came off the ocean thrashed against their homes and damaged their piers and ships every single time. So they moved inland and continued fishing by fishing the river fish, and named their new home Neshal ("watchful town"). Neshal was renamed Tynnchäthil ("river-wealth city") in the early years of the Epoch of Summer when a new industry moved to the shores of the Hinuinaetû: logging and the discovery of gold and garnets in the river. A gold rush commenced and the town swelled into a city as people from all over Aegéfaer rushed to the area. When the gold and garnets seemingly ran out, the population shrank some, but not enough to return the city to a town or to invalidate its name. Even as the industry was reduced to logging, the name didn't change until the king decided to move the capital from where it was farther to the north (in the city of Nírai'anthil) in Summer 527. As soon as the king made it known that he was going to be moving to Tynnchäthil, the city was renamed Fumthyrnír ("new landing"), and that was its name until the Sorcerer Queen usurped the throne. The Sorcerer Queen would then rename it, keeping the meaning but translating it to her made language, Aktigari. Thus, it was named Rootyrniir. When the Sorcerer Queen was defeated, King Rymhûl new that the city needed a new name in order to help the people heal. So, he renamed it Thím Gûthuwal (the "city of new hope").Industry & Trade
Much of the industry and trade of Thím Gûthuwal is driven by that it is the captial, and thus the focal city of the kingdom. Everything in Talnor flows through Thím Gûthuwal at some point, be it travellers, merchants, livestock, or goods. The main exports from the city are flour, metalworkings, education, and art. Many young hopefuls move to the city in order to learn at the Red Phoenix Lyceum, and many young boys are sent to train at the Rymhûl Swordschool.
History
Main article: History of Thím Gûthuwal
For a chronological guide, see [[Timeline of Thím Gûthuwal]]
For a chronological guide, see [[Timeline of Thím Gûthuwal]]
Prehistory
Not much is known about who or what lived in the area where Neshal would one day be founded. Whatever evidence was left was mostly destroyed by the meteroid impact that triggered the Epoch of Snow and then the subsequent snowfall. A couple dwarven and elven artifacts have been found along the river, along with some petroglyphs that managed to not be eroded, but whatever else has been ultimately lost to history.Epoch of Recovery
In Liberty 110, fishing nets from around the time of the founding of Neshal were found fossilized in the slate and shale deposit located along the banks of The Thoroughfare. Only one wall remains from Neshal, as the city went through drastic "renovation" during the Sorcerer Queen's reign, and it has come to be known as The Prayer Wall.Epoch of Summer
As Recovery switched over to Summer, the town's waning population was bolstered when gold and garnets were found in the Hinuinaetû and people flocked to the river's shores in hopes of striking it rich. The town's population exploded as tent-towns popped up, forming new neighbourhoods and quarters, and the gender demographics became unmistakenly unbalanced as most who came were male. This lead to a rapid flooding in of a culture that was diametrically opposed to what the original people of Neshal were used to, as hedonism descended every night with the setting of the sun. Rates of murder skyrocketed as well as rape until there was an outcry for some sort of prevension to bring a stop to this terror and sin. Town guards did their best to up their patrols and maintain order and safety, but it wasn't until several years later and the implementation of strict laws and curfews that these criminals were rooted out and subsequently executed. The public hangings deterred most from following in those criminals' footsteps and peace was slowly restored. Around 30 years later, what would come to be known as The Tynn-äm-Päya Gold and Garnet Rush would come to an end as the flow of gold and garnets waned to the point that it was no longer economically feasible for so many to pan it from the riverbed. But the population didn't lessen much, due to the fact that many who came for the riches decided to stay. Several jewellers had popped up, eager to capitalize on the gold and garnets that were fished out of the river, and many decided to stay and opt to get their needed materials from elsewhere when needed. In Summer 527, the king of Súvalonädír decided to move the capital from the city of Nírai'anthil to Tynnchäthil and renamed it to Fumthyrnír. The presence of the royal family and the fact that the city was now the capital brought a prosperity that the settlement had never, ever seen before. The city swelled in size to the point that a new outer wall had to be built as homes and businesses were beginning to be built outside of the existing one as room began to run out.Epoch of Grief
In the year of Summer 3420, King Nesui married his betrothed. Five years later, she would betray him, and Nesui disappeared. She usurped the throne and declared a change in the city's and the kingdom's name, whilst also changing the kingdom's official language and quickly becoming a tyrant with an iron fist. Súvalonädír became Aktigar and Fumthyrnír became Rootyrniir. And after a few decades had passed, while people began to realize that there was something wrong about how The Sorcerer Queen wasn't aging, she made it law that Aktigari was the only language that was allowed to be spoken, written, or read, and that everyone had to change their names to an Aktigari equivalent while also naming what children were born afterwards only with an Aktigari name. In the twilight year of the Epoch of Grief, a man named Rymhûl appeared and gathered a resistence together. Men, women, and children banded together to get rid of the immortal witch and succeeded when the children performed in a musical "dedicated" to her, which allowed Rymhûl and his men to sneak up and finish her off.Epoch of Liberty
Rymhûl was chosen to be the replacement of the Sorcerer Queen, and was crowned King Rymhûl as soon as they secured the city and control of the kingdom. At first, he tried to refuse, but his most trusted friends got into his ear and reminded him that they had worked too hard to secure their freedom to let it all hinge on the chance that the next one who stepped up to rule might not have the kingdom's well-being in mind. As the clock struck midnight and the old year passed into the new, Rymhûl was crowned in front of most of the city.Points of interest
The Maestoso Hall
The city's largest and only city-sponsored theatre whose reputation was sullied slightly by The Sorcerer Queen and her love for it. It is a grand theatre, built in the style reminiscent of Mainirri architecture (slightly gothic, slightly medieval Scandinavian).The Summer Garden Theatre
The city's largest independant theatre. It is currently headed by the enigmatic "Master Lavender", a well-known author and playwright. It is often at odds with the people of the Maestoso Hall due to how popular the Summer Garden Theatre and its plays are.The Market District
Talnor's largest market, only rivaled by the illegal underground bazaar found in the undercity of Ipaethím — The Undercity. Slightly mixed in with domiciles and squares filled with market stalls, anything legal that you might desire can be found within these streets.The Palace of Gûthuwal
The centerpiece and jewel of the city, first built by the king who moved the capital here from Nírai'anthil. It was added to by the Sorcerer Queen, and then partially demolished and rebuilt by King Rymhûl in order to make sure that there were no remnants of evil hiding in the walls or unseen nooks. It is a gorgous sight, patched together and rebuilt with Bluestone, which has given the palace a gorgeous blue-white sheen when viewed on a bright, sunny day.The Rymhûl Swordschool
A jewel in the sword-training world, the Swordschool (as it is referred to by the locals) is the crème de la crème of schools in general. Rich and noble parents fight to get a spot for their children at the school every year. The school offers excellent weapons training as well as normal schoolwork that will make the student both skilled at the sword and with the word (and math, and etc.).The Thoroughfare
Also known as the River Hinuinaetû, The Thoroughfare is the main waterway—and source of most of the water of the canals—of the city. It has been measured at 881 feet wide in the city with slight variations, and by the time it reaches the sea it has been measured at a max width of 18 kilometers where it empties into the Moonglow Gulf. The river is wide and deep for most of its length, which has allowed large ships to use it for travel inland for centuries.The Prayer Wall
One of the last remnants of Neshal that has managed to survive to the present day. Not much is remembered about whether or not this wall belonged to a building or one of Neshal's original town walls. People have taken to praying to the Creator at this wall, a tradition often used when people are desperate and hope for an expedient answer from Him.[[Map to be added]]
Alternative Name(s)
The City of New Hope
Type
Large city
Population
± 700k
Inhabitant Demonym
Gûthuwine
Location under
Included Locations
Owner/Ruler
Ruling/Owning Rank
Owning Organization
Related Traditions
Characters in Location
Current Demographics:
- Human: 78%
- Elf: 10%
- Dwarf: 5%
- E'duni: 5%
- Lofocûs: 1%
- Mentari: 1%
City Districts:
- The Noble District: Home of the nobles and the king.
- The River District: Following the path of the river, this is where ships are moored.
- The Market District: Home to the largest market in the city.
- The West & East Commons: Populated mostly by the middle and lower classes.
- The Undercity: A place of villany that is out of sight and out of mind.
