The Great Forks Theocracy

Great Forks often called the City of Temples or the House of Festivals—known simply as Decadence to others—Great Forks is one of the most prosperous and enlightened cities in the Confederation of Rivers. It is known for tolerance, art and culture and is a favored destination for those seeking self-indulgence and hedonism. Spirits and elementals compose a significant part of Great Forks’ population, assisting in everything from military matters to bureaucracy and culture. The place positively swarms with godlings, spirits, cults and even some Fair Folk.
While the major exports of Great Forks are drugs and medicines, the place is also a center for the slave trade, as thousands of workers are required to maintain the city’s marijuana, qat and tobacco fields. It is a place of revelry and festival, but it is founded on a solid working structure that depends on both mortal and divine contributions.

Founding

Great Forks was founded in Realm Year 278, when three groups of refugees arrived simultaneously at the confluence of the Rolling and Yellow rivers, each led by a powerful spirit that had protected it during the journey. The spirits were named Spinner of Glorious Tales, Weaver of Dreams of Victory, and Shield of a Different Day—generally shortened by mortal tongues to Talespinner, Dreamweaver and Dayshield. As the three groups readied for battle over the land, the spirits entered negotiations.
At this time, the nearby shadowland (now known as Walker’s Realm) was ruled by the Deathlord Princess Magnificent with Lips of Coral and Robes of Black Feathers. The spirits knew a war between their three peoples would leave the winner too weak to withstand an attack from the Princess. However, they found that they and their people all had much in common, so they ultimately agreed to share the lands they had all claimed and to make their peoples one.
After they had settled their united folk, Talespinner and Dreamweaver crafted a story of a mighty victory over the Deathlord, while Dayshield warded the people and their spirit allies behind walls of illusion. The sorcerous story drove the Princess away in fear of her own annihilation. Within a year and a day, Great Forks arose from what had been plains and beaches, built by the three peoples and by lesser spirits and elementals. Within a decade of its founding, the city had grown prosperous, and it was a charter member of the Confederation of Rivers.

Current day

Great Forks is a thriving city of more than a quarter of a million citizens, and nearly twice as many slaves. The Three, as the gods are known collectively, rule the city by decree and example, tending toward leniency and tolerance, and a merit-based human bureaucracy runs the city from day to day. The Three also encourage learning and education among their citizens, and Great Forks is home to some of the River Province’s most famous sorcerers and savants. Many of these individuals vacation or dwell in Great Forks in townhouses subsidized and staffed by the government, in exchange for lecturing at the city’s famous university.
The city goes to great lengths to maintain good relations with its neighbors and contributes large amounts of logistical assistance, medical drugs and jade to Confederation undertakings. Its military, though still recovering from the devastating losses sustained at the Battle of Mishaka, counts a number of spirits and elementals among its ranks and is backed by the power of the Three.
While Great Forks bases its economy on slave labor, slaves have many rights in the city. They can own property or marry, they may be subjected to only certain forms of punishment, and they may not be cut off from their families. Manumission is possible, at a set price. However, they are ultimately property and the law treats them as such. Killing a slave is a civil rather than a criminal offense, for instance. Most field slaves receive a ration of mete leaf, which acts as a physical stimulant while dulling the mind and memory, keeping them at their tasks and quieting any thoughts of rebellion.
What often troubles visitors—and particularly ones from the Realm—is the sheer number of spirits and elementals in Great Forks. Water elementals bring fish to the city’s nets, ifrit guard the palace, wood spirits scout the forests and grasslands around the city, and gods serve alongside mortals in many different capacities. God-Blooded are common in Great Forks, and many inhabitants claim descent from a minor godling or greater elemental. Other God-Blooded, not born there, journey to the city to find a place where they will be accepted. There are even Fair Folk in Great Forks, drawn to a city so devoted to the expression of passions. The Three tolerate these visitors, as long as they do not hurt anyone unconsenting or attempt to extend their influence among the population.
With the city full of godlings and spirits, cults abound, and the Temple District takes up a full third of the city. Hardly a day in Great Forks is not holy to half a dozen different cults or religions, which usually honor it with parades, music and festivals. The Temple District is one of the most crowded parts of the city.

Type

Geopolitical, State

Parent Organization

The Confederation of Rivers