Citystate of Gartcha
Located in northwest Tarien, Gartcha is a small nation-state that once belonged to the Zennonaize Confederacy. Currently protected by Empire of Eldoria who use the city's famous War College and the fact that the city falls under siege every few years - as a training ground for the Imperial Legion. A hub of both information and traffic travelling into and out of region, Gartcha is often called the Gateway City.
Structure
The city-state is ruled by the royal Khankari family which, in turn, is ruled by its eldest male. Currently that Prince is Verin Khankari, a direct descendant of Count Mandaran Khankari, who defied the Dono to become the first Prince of Gartcha. His family is small, with just his wife and two grown children. His only sibling, a sister, married a Yatian sea captain and moved into his small estate years ago.
The city-state also maintains a small bureaucracy of tax collectors, city watch, and judges. The city watch handles most day-to-day legal issues, and judges try all cases. While the Eldorian Legionnaires stationed in the city do have the power to arrest citizens, it is rarely exercised. In general, Gartcha is a law-abiding town, focused on commerce. Taxes, for the most part, are tariffs levied on goods entering and leaving the city and most tax collectors are more inspectors than census takers.
With great commerce, however, comes smuggling. The Brotherhood of Thieves does have a large presence in Gartcha and for the most part, has formalized its relationship with the traders and tax collectors. Ships entering and leaving the city have two options: either pay a small tariff to the Brotherhood, which in turn pays bribes to the Prince’s bureaucrats, or pay a larger tariff directly to the city, and suffer the consequences from the Brotherhood. This system is extremely pleasant for everyone except the Prince and in general, as gold changes hands freely, with each party taking a piece and while it may be corrupt, it is peaceful and rarely interferes with trade at hand.
Culture
The traders of Gartcha are, in general, a wealthy lot. The commoners, in general, are not. Socio-economically, Gartcha is a city of sharp dichotomies. Beyond the Prince wealth and power, however, do not reside in hereditary titles and large estates, but rather in the power of commerce. As the Khankari family has never bestowed any titles, those that master the art of trade are, in effect, the nobles of the city. Even so, with space at a premium behind the city walls, few of the wealthy build the sprawling estates that are seen in other lands. Instead, their homes are merely taller, more exquisite structures than otherwise mirror the red wood of the city.
Below the wealthy merchants are the merchants struggling to make ends meet. While a few have risen in wealth and power, the majority live no better than soldiers or craftsmen. Smaller in number than the merchants the craftsman may not have tremendous wealth, but their skills earn them a comfortable existence. Wealthiest among them are blacksmiths and wheelwrights.
As with any city steeped in commerce, Gatchan’s have learned the value of protecting their caravans and ships. Hundreds of sell swords and caravan guards, therefore live day-to-day, job-to-job, in the city. Combined with the Legionnaires, the city has one of the highest ratios of warriors to commoners of any city of Tarien
Finally, as in most cities, the common laborers and farmers sit at the bottom of the socio-economic ladder. As in other nation-states, these poor people struggle to put food on the table every night. When the Zennonaize clans raid, they are the ones that lose their homes, their crops, and their lives.
History
Humans first arrived on the eastern shores of the Gulf of Gartcha over two millennia ago. While many stayed in the towers and villages that dotted the coastal forests, the adventuring spirit of second and third sons, seeking land of their own, led them North, to the Malpighien Steppes. As luck would have it, the most ambitious of the men settled along the northern edge of the Steppes, and over the course of 1,500 years, built the cities of Wargun and Zennon and founded the Zennonaize Confederacy. They are a culture of horses and cattle. While they build small boats, fish in the cod filled Zennon Sea, they never considered the construction of great sailing ships and as such, despite the excellent harbor along the Gulf of Gartcha at the mouth of the River Sind, nothing larger than a small manor house was built.
All of that changed when the brilliant and ambitious General Hans Zantak commandeered the Dono's s army in 224 AC. Embarrassed, and effectively powerless without his army, the Dono attempted a bribe to get him help – offering vast rewards for Zantack’s capture. The private cavalry units of individual lords and counts were too small to challenge Zantak’s to a direct confrontation, and hundreds of years of politicking and bad blood prevented them from uniting. By 228 AC, the price on Zantack’s ears had risen to a million gold and enough land on which the claimant could build an estate. The lands around the River Sind, occupied by only a few minor lords without any counts to represent them, were put up by the Dono as the estate in question. Now, any many, simply by killing the rogue general, could become what amount to a count.
Still, the General eluded capture for another half-decade, ravaging the armies of the lords in small skirmishes and even threatening Zennon, the capital. Despite the terror that created for the Dono, in all his escapades, Zantak never pillaged the homes of the serfs. The strict discipline of his army meant that the only stores of grains stolen were those belonging to lords and only mansions were left charred and smoking after his army moved on. This generosity to the common folk of Zennon raised him to the status of a folk here among the serfs. They denied knowledge of his army’s whereabouts and even donated some of their own meager food stores to his cause. It seemed certain that one day he would supplant the Dono as ruler of the Confederacy; and when that day came, he promised to free the serfs.
Finally, in 233 AC, a scout for the Count of Wargun’s army, known simply as Kelkantin, slunk over a rise on foot and crept into the center of Zantak’s army. Slipping passed the guards, he found the general reviewing supply lists with his senior staff. Amazed that he had made it this far, and unsure what to do next, Kelkantin simply cleared his throat. With a bold voice, loud enough for the guards outside the tent to hear, he challenged the General to single combat – on foot. Surprised, but confident in his skills with the saber, the General accepted. A circle was cleared by the men and the General spoke loudly, praising Kelkantin for his guile and courage. According to legend he even offered the scout a place in Zantal’s army. Kelkantin politely refused, and the duel began. Like most duels, it was short and bloody. Within a minute, Zantak lay dead, the hilt from Kelkantin’s boot dagger protruding from his throat.
The army returned to Zennon, Kelkantin at its head, and every man bowed, re-swearing oaths to the Dono. True to his word, the Dono named Kelkantin “Count of the South” and bestowed both gold and land upon him. Within three years, Gartcha had been built. Keltantin’s family ruled the County for over a hundred years, when his great-grandson died childless. As is often the case in disputed claims, a small war broke out. Nemo Khankari of Romajin, a small town to the north, along Finkley's Ridge, proved victorious and was named Count of Gartcha.
By now, the city had grown substantially in size. At the suggestion of Yatian sea captains, channels had been dug into the banks of the River Sind and the magnificent wharf in Gartcha had been built. The city had become the center of trade to and from the Zennonaize Confederacy. Over the next hundred years, Count Khankari and his heirs built the city’s wide boulevards, public plazas, and great wall to astound and defend against rivals. By the time of the Great War, Gartcha had become the jewel of the Confederacy, both its largest and wealthiest city.
Despite its rise in affluence, the old Zennonaize nobility still considered the city, with its merchants and artisans, nouveau-riche, and the city always remained on the outside of mainstream Zennonaize culture and politics. When the Mage Wars began in Eldoria , in 606 AC, most Gartchans sympathized with the magi. They took in refugees that fled the Empire and its former holdings. Their attitude, however, changed sharply when a Imperial fleet arrived to blockade the harbor and began using burning pitch, flung from its ships, to burn the magi out. The Dono, who had sent his army to Gartcha to defend the city, watched helplessly. His vast cavalry could do nothing against Eldorian warships. Yet, he stubbornly refused to turn over the magi to Eldorian hands.
With the burning of the city, public sentiment had quickly turned against the formerly sheltered magi and riots begin in the center of town. After the third day of rioting, Count Khankari had his loyal soldiers push the back and stood at a hastily erected podium In a bold voice, he read the Proclamation of Independence. With sparse words, Gartcha declared its independence from the Confederacy. After a raucous applause, an Eldorian admiral, who had been smuggled into the city a few hours earlier, recognized the fledgling city-state in the name of the Emperor and declared that Khankari was the city’s Prince. Imperial Legionnaires poured in the square. With little ceremony, a hundred magi, bound blindfolded and gagged, we led into the square and immediately put to the torch.
The Dono was outraged, but the Legionnaires, who had vowed to the support the Prince, were true to their word. With the Prince’s own soldiers standing side-by-side with Legionnaires, the Dono was forced to lay siege. The Eldorian navy kept the city well stocked and within a few months, an emissary from the Dono arrived, recognizing the city-state – along with Khankari’s ancestral home of Romajin, as a sovereign state. The Dono’s generals, determined to curry favor with their lord by retaking the city, have since returned every few seasons with an army to try to take the city back. Fortunately, by agreement, a full legion of Eldorian soldiers were permanently stationed in Gartcha to defend it.
Less than two decades later, in 635 AC, in a city sharply devoid of the arcane, hysteria broke out. A cabal of priests, known only as the Society of the Sacred Shadown Secret Society of the Shadow, committed a rash of horrific murders. Priests of Anderi, brought in to restore order, blamed the followers of the Tiras the Velvet Lady, claiming that the society consisted of her zealots. The Temple of Tiras officially disavowed any relationship with the Society, but doubts persisted and a mob nearly burned the temple to the ground. Regardless, the murders ceased after they had reached a dozen and the perpetrators were never caught.
In 640 AC, another joint venture with the Empire of Eldoria took shape - the War College of Gartcha. The Lord General of the Eldorian Legion, recognizing that the Empire’s ally to the northwest had superior knowledge of horsemanship, combined the intermittent sieges led by the Zennonaize, saw a unique opportunity. The college now trains officers for the entire legion, giving them both academic and practical experience, in the traditional strengths of the legion – naval and infantry operations – as well as in scouting and siege warfare.
Demography and Population
Most Gartchans are Human. Those demi-humans that live in the citystate are typically citizens of their homelands who have taken up residence here for the purposes of trade. As one might expect, Gatchan society is extremely tolerant of other races, especially of Nerrid. In fact, the city boasts a Nerrid Quarter – a small section of the city in the northeast that provides a home away from home for Nerrid merchants and craftsmen. There are few other places on Tarien where the Nerrid are treated with such respect. Unlike other cities, where Nerrid are often considered pests, Gartchans put up with the small folk’s foibles with a laugh and a smile, always remembering that their goods have made the city welcome.
A few Khadric craftsmen and Soulmeliti traders have also taken residence in the city. There is even a consulate for the Elanthai Council and a few Elynthi traders operate within, albeit the with the city under the careful watch of the Eldorian Legionnaires, no Blacksteel is available. Finally, it is not uncommon to see a band of Wemic who have travelled far from their Narmouth homeland, to trade for fine weapons with Zennonaize merchants.
Territories
Located in northwest Tarien, along the northern shores of the gulf that gave birth to its name, lies the free city of Gartcha. Its location along the Gulf tempers the weather in the region – keeping it warmer than the Malpighien Steppes to the north in the winter. The city still receives its fair share of snow, but the cold winds that rip across the steppes during the Frost Moon are blocked by the tall trees of the Deerpath Woods to the west. Springs are wet, especially when the winds shift form the northwest to the southwest, bringing storms up the gulf to dump torrents of rain on the city. Summers are hot and direr, although the occasional thunderstorm will roll in from the north. Autumn brings cooler weather, with leaves of the Deerpath Woods changing to bright crimson and gold as the weather moves back to winter.
The citystate proper only extends to its great walls. Being a coastal city in a forest, many of its three and for story building are made entirely of wood, or only of stone for the first floor. Wealthier residents have paid to have great slabs of marble and slate trucked south from Finkley’s Ridge, to build magnificent white palaces, but they are fewer than one would imagine in a city of Gartcha’s size. Even the walls of the city are mainly wood – the hard auburn of the regions great Redwoods mingling with a granite foundation. This reliance on wood makes the city susceptible to fire – something that Eldorian officers know well. During the naval blockade of the city in 609 AC, they rained lit casks of oil down on the city, burning much of it to the ground. As a result, Gartcha does not appear to have an organically grown plan. Instead, broad, tree-lined boulevards cut through the city in straight lines, making navigation simple to even the newest resident.
Beyond the city walls are farmers and loggers that call themselves Gartchan. During Zennonaize raids, they leave their farms and homes for the protection of its walls. As a result, the Prince taxes them although at a lighter rate than those living within the city limits. Similarly, over a hundred miles north along the River Sind lies Romajin. A sleepy town near Lake Zeron, the residents of Romajin have gladly paid a small tax – usually in slate and marble – to their Prince for a Gartchan garrison of their own. Just south of Finkley’s Ridge, the weather is harsher in Romajin. Still, the soil here is good and the air is clean. People refuse to move despite their unenviable position between two hostile neighbors. After over a century, this southernmost town of the Steppes is more Gartchan than Zennon.
Military
As a small city-state, Gartcha has little in the way of its own a standing army. They simply lack the resources the - both in terms of gold and manpower - to fund a large standing army or navy. Instead, they rely on their treaty with the Empire of Eldoria to effectively contract out their defense. By treaty, for over a hundred and fifty years, Eldoria has station two Imperial Galleons and 2,500 Legionaires in Gartcha. The arrange provides benefit for both the city-state, which gains a military, and Eldoria, which gains an influential foot-hole in the northwest. As many of the Legionnaires are Gartchan by birth, the arrangement also gives poorer Gartchans an opportunity to raise their station through a bit of hard work and discipline.
The War College of Gartcha
Religion
Gartchans are free to worship as they see fit. Temples to each of Tarien's nine gods may be found throughout the city. Anderi is probably the most loved by merchants and artisans, while outside the walls, common folk typically worship Chetria.
Rumors of a dark cult, an evil cadre of Tiras' faithful are still whispered in a shadowy corners of sailors' taverns, about. They speak in hushed tones that the Khankari family lights black candles to commune with Prince Verin for advice and with Tiras' darker minions to solve problems. While these rumors have no basis in fact, when the occasional cutpurse, who forgets to pay bribe, tumbles from the dark roof-tops, Tiras takes the blame.
In general, however, most Gartchans are not overly religious. Most prefer to worship the gold coin daily, fitting in an acknowledgement of the gods as time permits.
Foreign Relations
In a shred political move, when declaring independence, Count Mandaran declared himself not a king, but instead a prince. This “humility”, combined with the sacrifice of the magi that had sought protection in the city, helped him earn the aid of the mighty Eldorian Empire which at the time, desperately sought allies in northwest Tarien. After formally receiving their freedom from the Zennonaize Confederacy later that year, Prince Mandaran agreed to an alliance with the Empire – allowing five ships and 2,500 Legionnaires to remain in the city. Over the years, this force has been reduced to a more manageable number – 2 ships and 1,000 Legionnaires, who are in effect more Gatchan than Eldorian. In fact, over 90% of the Legionnaires are Garthan by birth – with only the ever rotating roster of officers travelling from the Empire to the War College and back again. Fortunately, the Prince’s goals are generally compatible with the Empire’s goals – as long as the city remains safe and trade profitable, loyalties have no need of being tested.
Gartcha has one direct neighbor – the Zennonaize Confederacy to the north. While the Zennonaize do not have a large standing army, per se, each Lord has thousands of light cavalry that it can call upon if desired. Conflicts between lords typically keep them focused upon each other, and therefore keep Gartcha safe. This does not prevent the occasional raid on caravans moving goods from Gartcha to Romajin, but it has, when combined with a few well placed gifts, prevented the Confederacy from reclaiming its southernmost port.
As far as trading partners go, the Nerrid Alliance is by far Gartcha’s most profitable partner. The Prince and the Small Council of Nerridon have close ties that date back centuries. The rest of Tarien sees little threat from Gartcha, as well. In fact, most see it merely as an outpost of the Eldorian Empire – one that provides an inlet for raw materials and an outlet for fine goods that are often unable to be found in the northwest.
Agriculture & Industry
As one might expect, outside the city walls, the economy thrives on agriculture. Wheat, barley, and oats are primary crops, though further north turnips, leeks, and other root vegetables are prominent. Furth from the city, small heard of goats, sheep, and cattle are raised for consumption within the city. These herds are dwarfed by those of the Zennonaize, but serve Gatcha’s needs well enough.
The Deerpath Forest provides a bountiful supply of hard wood – especially from the great sequoias that grow along the coast. A dozen lumber mills line the streams of the forest, sawing wood in to boards for export to the south and east. Next to Nerrid goods, hardwood is the city-states largest export.
Finally, many Gartchans take to these as fishermen, sailing beyond the Gulf to the currents of the Darsiac Ocean and filling the tables of the city with salmon, crab, and other cold water delicacies.
Trade & Transport
Within the walls of the city-state, most people are either traders, artisans, or fishermen. While the artisans of a Gartcha are not renowned throughout Tarien for any particular talents, the traders of the city rial those of Yaty for their shrewdness. Goods from the Zennonaize Confederacy and even the Nerrid Alliance make their way through this port to the rest of Tarien. The Confederacy supplies large quantities of fine wool from its herds of sheep, as well as fine leather both in its raw form and as finished goods.
The Nerrid Alliance, however, has made Gartchans rich. Nerrid merchants make their way south, across the Malpighien Steppes, bringing with them engineering marvels. Fine clocks, pocket watches, exotic weapons, and elaborate porcelain overflow from bins in the Gartchan bazaar. Raw metals and rocks pile up in warehouses along the wharf, awaiting transport othemore densely populated markets around Tarien’s twin central seas. Dealing with Nerrid traders, of course, requires a special license. Via ancient treaty, the right to trade with the Nerrid Alliance is bestowed solely to the Prince, who’s primary responsibility is maintaining this exclusive relationship. He then issues licenses, obtainable only due to shrew negotiations and carefully completed paperwork, so that only a few Gartchans possess it, limiting the distribution of goods to a few who then resell them to the bulk of the merchants. Truth be told, dealing with the Alliance can be so frustrating (and time consuming) that most traders are glad to pay the inflated taxes that the Prince and his designees charge to serve as intermediaries.
The sight of white sails on tall ships and sailors of all shapes, sizes, and colors, wandering the wharves on leave; the sounds of merchant scrying their wares in a dozen tongues; and the smells – of the bouquet of fragrances – wafting from the stalls on spice street; the sensory experience makes Gartcha my favorite of Tarien’s marketplaces.
Along the Gartchan Port
Maps
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The City-state of Gartcha
The Siege
General de Champs paced atop the ramparts. Outside, just beyond the range of his archers, the Zennonaize Army camped. “Hrumpf!” he grumbled, scanning the picket lines and counting the catapults. "Four this time, huh?" He elbowed his young adjunct, frightening him. "Looks like they are starting to learn their lesson. That’s four more siege engines than they brought last time.”
“Yes, sir” gulped Lieutenant Nevri, his dark curls a stark contrast to his ashen face. He stared at the rows of horses – thousands of them – calming eating from feedbags in the sepia light of dusk.
“Looks like we might have some action come dawn. Must be one of the Dono’s newest Generals, looking to make a name for himself. Or, it could be that bloated Count from West Harbor again, looking to suck up some more.” He sighed. “At least he seems to have heard of the word siege before.” The adjunct continued to stare, his lower lip trembling. “son,” the general muttered softly. The you man did not look up. “Son!” He jumped. “Stop staring with your mouth open”.
The adjunct shudder. “Sorry sir. There’s just – well – a lot of them”.
Shrugging, the General put his hand on Nevri’s shoulder, fingering the man’s single bar that denoted his rank. “First sign of action, right son?” The young man gulped and nodded. “Its natural to be a bit frightened – keeps you on your toes. Just remember your training.” He nodded again. “Not much to worry about from those lancers though – we have a pretty good size wall and horse don’t fly so well.”
The adjunct looked a bit puzzle. “And they don’t have any towers, do they sir?” The general shook his head slowly. “Nor do they have any ships – so the harbor will remain open, right?” The general’s head started to nod. “So…what do they hope to accomplish, sir?”
The general smiled, his grey mustache turning up on either end. “They’re here to give our boys some practice before they transfer to somewhere really dangerous, son. Like Carboth or Grennig.” He chuckled and the adjunct followed suit, if somewhat half-heartedly. “Come son, lets go get a drink. Tomorrow our archers get some live target practice.”
Founding Date
609 AC
Type
Geopolitical, City-state
Capital
Training Level
Professional
Veterancy Level
Veteran
Demonym
Gartchan
Leader
Government System
Monarchy, Absolute
Subsidiary Organizations
Location
Official Languages
Controlled Territories
Neighboring Nations
Notable Members
Related Species
Magic in Gatcha
Unlike their Zennonaize neighbors to the north, who often turn a blind eye to the Dono's anti-magic prcolmations most Gartchans are firmly anti-mage. With the arcan so intricately tied to the city's recent history, the art is strictly prohibited. Strangely, this distaste and prohibition does not seem to affect the large cadre of Nerrid in the city. WIth their hearts, Gatchans know that the Nerrid as a race are extremely comfortable with magic. THey know that within the Nerrid quarter, magic happens on a daily basis - even if it isn't out in the open. They simply turn a blind eye to existence.
This attitude, however, doesn't extend to other races. Particularly humans. Ships and merchants are routinely scanned by priests of Anderi, contracted to help control the arcane. While magical items are not always confiscated (though some are), magi are flatly refused entrance to the city. Those that do slip in are subject to harsh penalties - including public burning - for using magic to endanger the lives of Garchan citizens. Historically, the definition of endangered has remained somewhat loose.
Unsolved Murders
It has been over 100 years since the murders, but the mystery remains unsolved. With dozen nobles and wealthy merchants as the victims, most historians are surprised that the Khankari family did not even find a criminal in their dungeons to blame publicly – even if the investigators from the Watch would have known it to be a scape goat that burned. Instead, by calling in the Lords of Light, they lent a divine twist to the murders, sensationalizing them even more. When an unheard of cult, the Secret Society of Shadows was named, society panicked. A mob even tried to storm the temple of Tiras. Of course the priests denied the acts, but the murders ended around the same time – a strange coincidence indeed. In the end, without a culprit, public sentiment was clear – they were ritualized sacrifices to the Velvet Lady. In low tones, people even whispered that the Khankari’s themselves had sanctioned them as a way to curry some dark favor to extend their power.
Looking at the sketches of crime scenes now, drawn on crinkled and fragile parchment, you can see the evidence that supports the theory. Bodies drained of blood, dismembered, and arranged in a crescent pattern, suggesting Mora on a dark night. Black and red candles, burnt low and surrounding the scene in a circle, the outline of Verdin, the blood moon. And cryptic writing, supposedly done in the blood of the victim, tying it all together. Unfortunately, the sketches do not contain the actual words, rumored to have been written some flowing Thalloxian script. They have been lost to conspiracy or time, depending upon whom you believe.
So this winter, during the icy nights of the Wolf Moon, when the young wife of a clock merchant was found dead in her home, the body supposedly arranged in the same fashion, you can imagine the panic in the men and women of the Watch. Of course, the reports deny it. Officially she was killed during an act of burglary, an unskilled knife cut to the throat by a panicked thief. But enough of the story leaked out before the story changed that people in Gartcha remain on edge. Could it be happening again?
Cherry Blossoms in the Prince's Sanctuary
Today, I find the ideals of the citizens of Gartcha so at odds with those of the Zennonaize Dono on the subject of the dangers of the magi. This gulf, I fear, is to broad to cross. And as such, it is with great regret, that I, declare Gartcha a free city, no longer subject to the Dono’s rule.