Sapher, the Wingèd City

General Overview

The Baldachin Woods is an immense forest extending from the Xoti Plains in the west to the Sunbreaker Mountains in the east. The plains cover two-thirds of the border of the forest, extending more north than south, and the mountain chain curving from the south to form a veritable wall in the east.   The city of Sapher rests atop the trees of the forest, for the trees of the Baldachin are formidable in bulk, able to support the stone spires and dense network of bridges that form the city. Sapher is homed to the Umequoi, winged elves that spend their days enmeshed in art and displays of grace and skill, gliding from spire to spire. The children of the Umequoi have wings too small to support their weight, and thus must walk from place to place, a practice that would be considered shameful for an adult. The roughly 2,000 residents of Sapher keep to themselves, a practice enforced by their strict Council, which is a body of 13 representatives who may only be chosen by a vote among those aged at least a half-millennia (which is approximately 500 Sapherites). The culture of Sapher holds that only one so aged holds the wisdom to decide the fate of their people.   The forest below the sun-soaked city is in a constant state of darkness, as the thick canopy of the forest and the structures of Sapher combine to block out nearly all light. However a society of centaurs has gathered in these woods, founding the torchlit city of Tanbu. These people, the Tanbuans, strive to light the way for travelers, and in so doing, reap the trade these travellers bring. The Tanbuans were once warriors in a bygone era, but have since forsaken their violent ways to follow the guidance of the Light in the Woods, which they worship as a god. The Tanbuans number ~2,000, and have considerable agriculture and woodworking skills. The Tanbuans live in longhouses, each housing a clan of around a hundred individuals, composed of various extended families, and with a chieftain ruling over each clan. The government of Tanbu is composed mainly of an assembly of all chieftains called in session to solve a specific issue.   Traders, travellers, and adventurers from across the land gather in Tanbu, brought by the intermittent torches of the Tanbuan roads, or the luminescent fungi on the banks of the Faefire River, which runs north to south through the forest. Notably, the Tanbuans have exceptional relations (trade or otherwise), with the dwarves of the Sunbreaker Mountains, who have taught the Tanbuans about metalworking in exchange for knowledge of agriculture and trade. However, there also exists a small but influential minority in Tanbu, a population of Umequoi with clipped wings, sent down from Sapher as punishment for crimes against the cultural purity of the elves.

    Governance

      Government presence: 4 Rule of law: 3 Social services: 1 trending upwards  

Government Presence:

  Umeqoui: The government of the Umequoi has one primary objective: ensure they do not lose their way of life. They accomplish this by limiting contact between the two races, mostly by confining the Umequoi people to the upper layers of Sapher and the Tanbuans to the lower. They also actively work to undermine and erase reminders of the devastating Underwood War. Not only did the war have tragedies and losses for the Umeqoui people, they also committed horrible atrocities that the government would much rather the people forget.   Tanbuan: Government is Tanbu is a hard term to use, the leaders of each clan make up the council of elders who make decisions when they impact the entire city. Otherwise, ruling and enforcement is left to each clan independently.  

Rule of Law:

  Umeqoui: The rule of law in Sapher is widely upheld by the Sapher Guard, who investigate crimes and pursue criminals. However, the grunt work of patrols and deterrence is enforced by the Groundmen, Umequoi soldiers who have lost the function of their wings and must travel by foot. While the Sapher Guard are respected officers of the law, the Groundmen are seen more as lowly (if disciplined) unfortunates kindly granted a place in Sapherite society. The Council of Sapher represents the governing body responsible for setting the laws of Sapher, and oversees the final judgement of criminals accused of treason, smuggling, neglection of duty to the state, and crimes against the cultural purity of Sapher. Other lesser crimes are overseen by a network of courts presided over by judges, all of whom are required to be at least a millennia old.   The punishment for crimes follows well-established precedents and recommendations encoded in the books of laws. However, the punishment for crimes varies substantially. The punishment for most crimes are relatively lax, such as theft merely being punished with the returning of any stolen goods (plus a fine to the state equivalent to their combined value). However crimes of neglection of duty, unlicensed interaction with the outside world, and otherwise disrupting the cultural purity of Sapher results in harsh punishments, most commonly the clipping of the criminals wings, and depositing them on the ground beneath the trees, bereft of their possessions, to live as a lowly groundling. Other common punishments for such crimes include public execution and eternal imprisonment (which is considered to legally continue past the point of the death of the imprisoned).   Tanbuan: The rule of law in Tanbu is inconsistent. What is criminal is generally determined by the Speakers of the Light, but this is not codified, only collectively agreed. When an individual does a possibly-criminal action, they are brought before their chieftain, who makes a decision on whether and how to punish them, usually with a Speaker of the Light present and advising. However, the chieftain gets the final say, and thus punishments vary wildly, with the occasional case of a soft/hard punishment purely because a chieftain liked/disliked you. However, going significantly against the Speaker’s judgement, or making a judgement that is generally agreed to be immoral can cause an assembly of the other chieftains to confer on if the chieftain is fit to lead. If not, then they are expelled from Tanbu (though members of their clan can choose to apply the exile themselves too, if the chieftain is still favored by the clan). In the event of a clan-wide misconduct, then this assembly is always called.   When a clan is expelled, their wealth is forfeit, and distributed between the other clans, thus sometimes the assembly is influenced to exile a clan for personal gain, or a clan that has done wrong is pardoned because of a promised gift to certain other clans (who then get more wealth than if they exiled the clan and split the wealth evenly).    

Social Services:

  Umeqoui: The Umeqoui fervently believe that one should subsist on one’s own merit, and thus have very little social services, whether governmental or charitable. However, the vast majority of citizens are already wealthy enough to not need any assistance anyways.   Yet, many soldiers were permanently injured in the Underwood War, and thus cannot work. There were enough cases of disabled soldiers going through their savings and beginning on the streets (and even worse, people producing artistic works about such), to convince the council to enact some aid for the soldiers, if only to get them off the streets and properly out of sight. These services provide food and housing for the soldiers under the stipulation that the beneficiaries limit interaction with wider society, and only interact with others within their housing blocks, ostensibly to prevent the harmful reminder of the troops lost in the Underwood Wars among the general population, but within the circles of the council the reasoning given is to avoid contaminating cultural purity with their physical reminder of the loss of the Underwood Wars.   Tanbuan: Within a clan, all wealth is shared, and thus struggling individuals need not worry. As for struggling clans, the other clans usually ban together to donate food and necessities, so as to not see their brethren suffer. This works well, and generally prevents any clan from losing anything more than prestige (as receiving this aid is considered a dishonor, and indicates low societal standing). However clans that have done great wrongs are exempt from this service (and wider society as a whole), as their suffering is their penance.    

Economics

    Economic strength: 3 Wealth distribution: 4 Agriculture and trade: 3  

Economic Strength:

  Umeqoui: The Umeqoui have amassed a considerable bounty of wealth over the long history of their civilization. However they don’t particularly have interest in amassing more. Their mindset is somewhat similar to the view of a lot of old money nobility: we’re considerably well off, very powerful, and social standing is more important as a tool for power than wealth. However, this did not serve them well during the costly Underwood War, and certainly didn’t improve after the decree of isolation and cessation of trade.   However, this has stabilized over the last 40 years, and being isolationist means that while they aren’t gaining any wealth, they aren’t losing it either.   Tanbuan: The Tanbuans have been building up to achieve considerable prosperity. While for most of their time in the Underwood, they were merely humble farmers and woodworkers, they gradually built up a trade network over the course of centuries, creating safe roads for people to travel through the darkness of the forest, and presenting the major source of food and woodworking for those adjacent to the forest. However, this wealth is rather new, and the rebuilding of various structures in Tanbuans after the Umeqoui occupation cost them a great deal. As a result, their total wealth is still only a fraction of the elves, though that distance shrinks every year.  

Wealth Distribution:

  Umeqoui: The wealth of the Umeqoui is quite well distributed, as their society long ago attained the point where wealth was abundant enough to provide for all, and influence became the real measure of power. Those near the top of the chain of influence and government structure have more resources and a higher quality of life, but for the most part that’s a difference of whether you have sheets of luxuriously weaved cotton or silk interwoven with gold.   Tanbuan: Within a clan, wealth distribution is high. Each clan lives communally in a longhouse, with food, goods, and luxuries shared between them, with everything aside from a few sentimental objects being owned by the clan (like a doll given to you when you were young, or a favored blanket). Of course, the chieftains or any Speakers get a slightly higher quality of living, as well as any artisans of exceptional skill, or otherwise favored individuals of the clan.   However, the wealth gap between clans can be substantial. Each clan is responsible for making its own wealth, though any struggling clans will often be given food and essentials to ensure that they are not suffering. Clans use wealth as a status symbol (second only to number of Speakers in the clan), and those clans that produce exceptional goods, have a high quantity of Speakers, or facilitate trade tend to be wealthier, while farmers, guards, and laborers tend to be poorer.  

Agriculture and Trade:

  Umeqoui: The Umeqoui have significantly skilled farmers and artisans, but farmers are considered little more than a necessary evil, and trade with groundlings is banned. Thus the Umeqoui have long since stabilized to have sufficient agriculture, and poor trade.   Tanbuan: Both agriculture and trade are crucial to Tanbu and its culture. Agriculture is the gift of the Light in the Woods, and is considered a sacred practice, as is artisanship, for the carving of the Effigies of Light, as well as the utilitarian interest of the Tanbuans.   Their city has become a nexus of trade, with most of a clan’s influence deriving from its wealth (which is mainly earned through trade).    

Social Relations

  Race relations: 1 trending upwards Class relations: 3 Gender relations: 4 Sexual orientation relation: 5  

Race:

  Within the Baldachin Woods live two main species, the Umequoi, a race of winged elves, and the Tanbuans, a clan of centaurs. The two species loathe each other and have built their civilizations isolated from one another. The Umequoi, given the benefit of flight, constructed their metropolis, Sapher, resting in the canopy, high off the forest floor. The Tanbuans, built their village, Tanbu, on the ground of the woods. The two complexes have been isolated from each other for 2 generations and the hatred and prejudice have been passed down to the Umequoi children. As the youngest generation reaches fledging age, around 15, groups of rambunctious kids have been venturing closer and closer to Tanbu, trying to sneak peeks at the barbaric centaurs that dwell below them.  

Class:

  Umeqoui: The Umeqoui have a rather rigid class structure and moving up is quite difficult to achieve. Because wealth is abundant amongst most citizens, a person’s class is more attributed to connections and how reliable they are for exchanging favors. Achieving high social standing requires an Umequoi to be at least a few hundred years old while spending most of those years trying to befriend others already above them in class. There is a level of understanding within the highest ranks of the Umequoi that “hard work” through servitude is the only path to improving one’s social standing. Because of this, if the offspring of a high class lord or lady is determined to be unmotivated or lazy, the child could lose their social standing very quickly. It is, of course, easier to regain or climb up the social ranks if you have a familial connection.   Because of the difficulty, most Umeqoui do not devote their lives to climbing the social ladder. Most (90%) Umeqoui live in the lower class, enjoying their wealth and comfort, while at the same time not being able to change their society as a whole. A few in this category - mostly the younger generation - believe the system they have is outdated and have begun congregating in illicit groups - the largest being the Sparrows. These groups aim to solve the rigid class structure by introducing new ideas from the outside world.   Tanbuan: The clans of Tanbu each have their own class, with wealth and number of Speakers being the primary factors in determining how high up each clan is placed.   Within the clans, leaders - the chieftain and Speakers have the highest class. The other members are all roughly on the same social level, with those who work hard and make more money for the clan being valued over those who do not.  

Gender:

  While each gender has its societal norms, relationships between them are overall quite strong. Both parents usually must work to provide for their family. Mothers generally do provide more care for children, especially during the first few years of life.   There are a number of cityfolk, particularly among the Umequoi, who do not conform to either gender. This is overall pretty well accepted, and many of these folk form families as well, choosing to either bear children or adopt if they cannot.  

Sexual Orientation:

  One of the few beliefs that the Umequoi and Tanbuans share is the idea that love is love. All sexualities are nearly unanimously accepted. While homosexual couples are unable to produce children, they often (and are encouraged to) adopt orphans and raise them as their own.    

Cultural Influences

Military: 2 trending upwards Religion: 2 Technology: 2 Arts: 5 trending downwards  

Military:

  Umeqoui: As the influence of the expansionists grows in Sapher, the council has called for an increase in military presence to crack down on the dissidents in the city. Meanwhile, the expansionists have been stockpiling weapons for the last 40 years. However, as the Wingèd City has been a peaceful city for most of its lifetime, the military is relatively small, only having ceased being ceremonial in the leadup to the Underwood War.   However, many of its troops have actively trained for hundreds of years, and their mastery of the bow is unparalleled. They typically employ hit and run tactics, striking where the enemy is most vulnerable, and are unused to prolonged ground engagements. All troops are trained in both archery and spear techniques, using the reach afforded by their flight to maximum effect. However, squadrons typically specialize in specific types of combat, such as long range marksmanship or close-quarters strafing. They are typically lightly armored in order to enable easier mobility, and because too heavy of an armor prevents their flight, which the Umeqoui consider near-sacred.   Troops who suffer permanent injuries to their wings are typically relegated to “Groundsmen”, and serve primarily as heavily-armored and shielded guards for domestic affairs. This is considered a lowly position by the Umeqoui, and Groundsmen are typically ignored unless directly needed for their service. In a war, however, they serve as frontline combatants, holding down and delaying opposing forces while the flying troops flank and/or shoot into the fray.   Tanbuans: As for the Tanbuans, they were originally a people of warriors, before they heard the words of the Light in the Woods and settled in the Underwoods to become a people of craft and trade. Thus, even though they no longer invade the lands of others, they maintain a strong culture of warriors competing to display their skill in ritualised tournaments. This has left much of the race capable with the bows and the lances that had long ago led them to great success in battle.   They had originally been known for ranged harrying and shock tactics (with their troops effectively being composed entirely of cavalry), but in the Underwood war adopted guerilla tactics, ambushing elven forces from heavy cover and then fleeing before their position could be located, as was advised by the Speakers of the Light.      

Religion:

  Umeqoui: The Umeqoui are not a very spiritual people. They have no formalized religion, and do not attend services to worship. However, they have a generalized reverence for the sky, which is often depicted in their artistic works, and they believe themselves descended from the heavens, under archaic orders by long-forgotten gods.   Tanbuan: The Tanbuans are a highly spiritual people. They were originally nomadic raiders, but when their migrations brought them to the heart of the Underwoods a millenia ago, several of their chieftains had visions of the Light in the Woods, which instructed them that if they settled in the woods, they would find great prosperity. The chieftains were greatly affected by the experience, undergoing great changes in personality. The contact with the Light stole away their lust for glory, and gave them great peace.   Soon certain individuals among the herd spoke of hearing the voice of the Light in the Woods in their dreams, and displayed the ability to grow crops without light, as well as luring animals to them with torches. These individuals were named Speakers of the Light, and grew to become essential to Tanbuan society, both as providers and advisors to the chieftains.   Their settlement grew to become Tanbu, and now sacred bonfires and braziers can be found throughout the city, as well as a plethora of torches. The centaurs carve totems of the Light, which they name Effigies of Light. These effigies adorn public places, especially the fronts of the longhouses. Each week, each major bonfire selects an effigy to burn and symbolically become the Light.   However, no one has actually seen the Light in the Woods outside of dreams and visions.  

Technology:

  Umeqoui: For millennia the technology of the Umeqoui has surpassed all others. Their structures immaculately architected, their farms highly efficient, and their smiths unparalleled by all but a few of the dwarves. All of this is afforded due to the Umeqoui’s ability for artisans to learn for hundreds of years. However, for millennia Umeqoui technology has stagnated. When one is already perfect, why try to improve? Thus, the generational knowledge of the dwarves and Tanbuans has started to catch up. Umeqoui is still ahead, but less populous than most races.   Tanbuan: Technology within Tanbu is constantly (but slowly) improving, as Tanbuans learn more about the ways of farming and woodworking, with the occasional (possibly) divine guidance. By now their wooden crafts have become nearly on par with the Umequoi. After the Underwood War, they leveraged their farming knowledge to convince the dwarves to teach them the ways of metalsmithing, which has recently led to a great improvement to the lives of both people.  

Art:

  Umeqoui: In times of peace, with little conflict greater than marital disputes, art had been flourishing in Sapher. The beautiful stone city is adorned with statues depicting war heroes and other political and historical figures. Stained glass and other elaborate art pieces hung on every house and on every street corner. Frescos line every wall.   However, as the conflict between the loyalists and expansionists brews, the time spent devoted to art is dwindling, as brushes are dropped in favor of blades.   Still, both groups find value in building fortresses of philosophy, conscripting squadrons of singers, and exchanging volleys of propaganda.   Tanbuan: The Tanbuans have always been a practical people, and tend to see artwork as vain and superfluous. The only change to this since their nomadic days is the crafting of the Effigies of Light, which adorn various public places, before eventually being burnt in a bonfire-ritual.