Slëmonoch, the ancient seat of Issqara
This city has stood since history itself was young. Bacchanals or saintly works of pity, this place has seen it all, in bawd and piety. She stands amidst deep forests, which yet harbor wolves and not with feet, but snow-shod paws to hunt and hang upon the city huntmaster's fire. Under her, stone; around her, woods and all her bounty to harvest by us, the Imperial Kiri. Buildings rise, and forests fall; progress some call it, others hubris. Necessity I would name it. By mastering the land and only by mastering the land do we truly master Man, and eventually our fears. So does our Lord strike down the first stone on what would become a forge of learning in this place of Fathers' Year of 5-559. Who would speak the unspoken-- perhaps in time even the Sea will fall, if not the City. If it is to happen, it will - noman now alive will see it come to pass.
An unnamed scribe in his diary, dated Early Harvest, 5-559, the founding year of University of Slëmonoch.
Demographics
85% of all citizens of Slëmonoch are native Harnothi-speakers. Language is the one thing to unify, as only about half of all people in the city were born there, or somewhere within day's walk-- Being a university town of considerable note, many come to study in Slëmonoch to become botanists, or other men of science, or arts. Philosophy does not flourish, nor any other science or art per ce, as much as in other, larger centers, but the utmost credibility and gravity with which these arts are supported and encouraged leads to the city having a considerable (c.a. 2 000 strong) group of university students.
Craftsmen, smiths, artisans and workers abound in the city: many of them assist the university, and the city printing press is amongst the most famous in all of Kiria.
Being a university town with a presence of soldiers and gunworks, the citizens are quite young, mode roughly in 22, with the average being close to it.
Government
Botanical Council holds true power, as they include all walks and estates, including the common. Professors, nobles, officers, the common and the druid all have a say in the City council, yet it is clear the the nobles dominate there, whilst Botanists often receive grievances directly, which are addressed according to what the academically proven Botanists see would be best in a highly utilitarian manner.
Defences
The Walls are mainly modern, with Cal Mihur-inspired ground works where the ground would otherwise be prone to tunneling. These works are not stone at all, but soil and grass, trees and rocks, which creates an exceptionally strong wall, which is used to block the line of sight for cannons, as well as hinder any and all scouting from the enemy during day time.
On the other side the wall of soil is a strong, thick wall, with a moat. West and North walls are covered thus, as building a full square soil wall would box the city defenders in-- The Spire of Berl Ar-süruk is an ancient tower by the city square, 65 meters tall, wherein observers would remain during siege, but is now mainly used in surveying and occasionally astronomy.
Industry & Trade
Slëmonoch university takes in a considerable sum of tuition and rent. This mainly pays for professors and librarians (research specialists) and does not, and is not meant to cover for other expenses. There are several banks, and smaller money lenders to see to any thegns looking to own property and business. House-land legislation denies non-nobles, the non-knighted to possess land. These businesses often deal in goods such as specialty tools, furniture, artisanal goods, smelted metals (iron, copper, lead and silver from Khaerlemmen) and do this with exceptionally low costs and exceptional expertise. House of Khórr subsidies these aspirations, looking to compete with the much larger city of Tvbéra, as well as the houses of which.
The typical citizens works, for example, as a runner between a public house and a bakery, delivering orders for a sudden spike in consumption, or one of the roughly two thousand teamsters, who curiously enough do not drive, but themselves pull and push coal and metal loads to forges, (large carts tend to nearly sink into the muddy streets during rain) and return with the finished products, deliver to stores and depots, and then load goods to foreign lands as well as the major factory and smithy in nearby Vaerg'vara.
Corruption is remarkably low. Bureacracy is in good condition, able to see to the function of the city and the faculties of which. The city prospers under Khórr and the Botanists.
Infrastructure
Roads, bridges and buldings are maintained by City Council edicts, often requiring the owner of the nearest property to see to the streets, lights, sewer grates and such to be managed-- Laissez faire works to a point, in that nobody will, or can, by law decide against a projects against which there is no legal barrier. However, Botanists have the final say in the 7-600s. They are the ones to approve zoning, as well as different budgets, or their cuts. Being inland, Slëmonoch relies on the port city of Monoëch Iss to deliver much of her goods from Cal Mihur or Tvbéra, thus the focus on roads and depots has lead to merchants gaining considerable power as well. These men speak of trade with the Khaerlemmen, and opening border with the southern neighbours...
Assets
Slëmonoch would be to resist siege for a full year, with a garrison of 6 000 men, which is rather formidable. Grain, wells and munitions exist in abundance for war. Walls are kept well, even if the mason's guild does not command as much respect as in Tvbéra. Before a siege, the city would be emptied and sent to Monoëch Iss for safety - hence the expression, Guardian of Monoech Iss, the far less defensive coastal city.
The University is rumoured to possess Qum-instruments, and thieves are sometimes caught in the premises. City treasury is generally humble, even if during tax and levvy, much gold and goods may be stored inside the walls.
Guilds and Factions
Botanists, Masons, Officers (noble and professional both), Metal workers, as well as several factions of Houses Harkgan and Khórr, professional sergeants and thengs all have their 'funds' and 'huph'vas', meaning parties, and seek to better their position in various ways. Generally, the city dwellers distinguish themselves either Khórrian, or Harkganite. In the 7-620s Khórrians were virtually universally supported, as House Harkgan had been isolated and docile for several decades.
The main difference between these Houses was, that Hargkan supported tradition and druidic lore, whilst Khórr was for progress and militarism. Harkganites sought to keep the artisanal population strong, whilst Khórr was in support of another attempt in 'industrializing the city' so that machines could be used to outweigh their maintenance with their production alone. Harkgan supported the arts, and was in favour of bulding theatres and symphonies, where Khórr would see the same locations for offices and workshops.
History
Founded well before the 1st Kiri Empire of the 5th Era. City rights can be traced back to the 4-100s: evidence suggests the name 'Slëmonoch' is amongst the most ancient east of Poeorec.
Architecture
Granite walls, as well as base layers of stone for individual buildings which are warmed with water pipes during winter, whence it comes to wealthy parts. Utilitarian in nature, the city architecture is build to last. Wood used is of high quality, timber from the Fringe, and other places. This wood is painted yellow, white, green or brown, or combinations, or simply black: streets are quite straight, and long and tend to have stepping stones for crossings, as flooding can turn main streets into soup.
Geography
Surrounded by light woods, small hills, natural springs and old, dried bogs turned farmland, Slëmonoch is a pleasant position, in a good position to feed and cover the inhabitants. The city proper sits on very steady bedrock, which happens to be quite even, creating a very tough basis for larger buildings. However, the city sees heavy rains, which tend to sit on top of the bedrock, trickling down slowly into the groundwater, which is slowly being polluted by the city, and the university. Methods to filter, and projects for aqueduct are in the works as of 7-640.
Alternative Name(s)
Guardian of Monöech Iss
Type
Large town
Population
City proper, roughly 25 000. Roughly 20 000 soldiers, warriors, pike troop and other type of men-at-arms can be housed in the city's general sphere.
Inhabitant Demonym
Slëmonochi
Owner/Ruler
Related Tradition (Primary)
Characters in Location
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