Kast (Cast)

Kast is a city built to serve the needs of the College of the Sun Orchid, more commonly called "Coso".

Demographics

Kast's population is in somewhat constant flux, due to the comings and goings of students, scholars, and their families. The majority of the population of Kast are native Fréoles, but there are occasionally students from Uleoo, Fedet Daget, and other smaller nation states across Spahl.
The vast majority of Kast's citizens are either directly involved in learning or teaching at Coso, or they are involved in the upkeep of the institution and its denizens. As those who teach at Coso are pledged to provide their wisdom in exchange for the favour of Laelio, much of the exchange of goods that happens within the city is based on favours, barters, and trades. This results in coin and gems being more valuable than they would be elsewhere in Fréole, meaning that new students are often the richest folks in the city. However, many teachers accept "gifts" of coin and gem in exchange for private lessons, extra study time, and similar benefits. Likewise, traders and service people are likely to try and either give students their best goods, or rip them off.

Government

The government of Kast, like much of Fréole, is theocratic in nature. However, because Coso is the dominant purpose of the city, Coso's Guiding Council effectively run the city outside of the institution as well. This Council is appointed by the broader Fréole government (and the Temple of Laelio), along with some internal voting for elevated and important roles.
To keep the city in order, there is a branch of Laelio's Stewards that operate out of Kast, primarily made up of former students who could not afford to leave the city when their education concluded. As Coso does not have a way to generate its own funds, aside from bringing in new students with funds or "donations" from student families, the Guiding Council has enacted a taxation policy that includes paying Coso a significant sum upon graduating from the institution. If a student cannot afford to pay (because they used their coin and gems to get to the point of graduation), they are conscripted into Laelio's Stewards to pay off their debt. This helps maintain order (usually), and serving with Laelio's Stewards offers graduates a way to leave the city, once their debt is paid.

Infrastructure

The primary infrastructure of Kast is related to Coso. The college occupies the centre of the city, but there is only one major bridge and road into the college. As a result, the city's infrastructure has been built sprawling off of that central bridge, stacking and expanding outward off the ground. This is partially to get closer to the institution itself (so that any student who walks out of the college can be hawked at), but also because the ground beneath the bridge/road is occasionally consumed by the edges of the Phalen Sands.
Given that the Phalen Sands seems to almost expel wind from its edges, there are several windmills/turbines built under the bridge. These collect power for the city from wind when there is no sand, and they spin with the sand (like a water turbine) when the edges of the sand engulf them.
Because of the quantity of sand available to the city, Kast is also a major glass production centre, though this occurs at the college itself in a central blast furnace.

Type

City

Population

12,000