Wanisi Siwe

Introduction

Wanisi Siwe is a small town, originally a trading outpost of the Kawini Alliance on the southern fringes of the Madini steppe. It lies on the foothills of the Ipindi Mountains and is thanks to a small rivulet called Tismela, that flows down from the mountain range one of the few Madini settlements that has a constant above-ground water source.

Most of Wanisi Siwes inhabitants stem from either of the two cities of the Kawini Alliance, Ke or Usanga, but also a handful of traders from Andaperna and so called 'gabotonye' ('pale easteners').

Characteristics and function

Due to the constant threat of raids, probably the most notable feature of Wanisi Siwe is its protective city wall that is impressive for such a small town. One could argue, that it is unnecessarily massive, but the Madini people are known to be avid builders, given they have sufficient and fitting materials. The close proximity of the mountains makes stones readily available, even without much trouble of transportation, as boulders can - to this day- be found lieing around everywhere in the general area. In addition, the Tismela also deposits small amounts of clay in and around the town, especially with the spring floods. Creative minds have installed backwater basins to collect more clay than what would be normally deposited. This enables Wanisi Siwe to produce their own pottery on a very minor scale to meet local needs.

The water and relatively rich soil are used to irrigate green areas within the city walls and to grow a sturdy plant called Ṅdefu, which is grown and harvested for its long and wiry fibres. Though not the best for clothing because of their scratchy quality, the fabric made from those fibres is sought after for making bags, sacks and also light-weight body armour or wide-brimmed hats as protection from Madinis unforgiving sun. This makes Wanisi Siwe also a relatively green city, where vegetation is not only found on fields or in gardens of the rich, who can afford such a status symbol, but also in public spaces. This has earned the city the name 'Rupaguri' - home of flowers

Mainly, though, Wanisi Siwe is known as a trading hub, that is taking advantage of the few boons of nature the area offers, like good building materials and water, which sets it apart from other comparable settlements that can be found here and there throughout Madini, whereever the desert or savannah offers a spot not too unhospitable. As the Ipindi Mountains have at least some small brooks and rivulets flowing into Madini only to drain into the sands as soon as they reach them, a major trade route along the Ipindi's foothills connects the East and the West. This makes the belt around the route attractive for bands of raiders and highwaymen and Wanisi Siwe attractive for traders and body guard services for said traders and their wares.

History

Some historical sources mention a trade outpost in the rough area of Wanisi Siwe around the year 2000 of the Era of the Earth. These sources stem from Ke and Usanga alike and sometimes give conflicting information about the area, claiming there is one outpost, that belongs to the respective city or there are two or more competing with one another as Ke and Usanga were competing before forming their alliance.

One more noticable information about the early history of the area around modern day Wanisi Siwe is, that bandits were an issue from the very beginning. It was thus almost inevitable, that Ke and Usanga eventually combined their efforts to keep trade through this more viable belt along the southern fringes of the Madini up.

This actually was not only the catalyst for the installment of a permanent settlement, but also brought about the Kawini Alliance as a whole, as both city's involvement in this collaboration eventually forced the two cities to better coordinate the actions. Especially in the beginning governing and using Wanisi Siwe was an unstable and characterised by distrust undertaking. It took many steps for Ke and Usanga, until Wanisi Siwe became, what it is now: A flourishing and successful tradepoint on one of the important trade routes through the harsh and unforgiving deserts and steppes of Madini.

Type

Town