Hopki
When the Soulmeliti and Human settlers first sailed into Hopki Bay to begin what would become the greatest experiment in nationhood on Tarien, the deep blue waters of the bay, so unlike the dark-foul smelling waters of Karradone took their breath away. Carefully navigating up the Hopki River past brilliant reefs of rainbow coral, they anchored at a bend in the river to build their home. Naming the site for the financier of their journey, a Soulmeliti sympathizer who did not survive the voyage, they vowed to build their new home so that it amplified its natural beauty.
With the patience that only the long-lived Soulmeliti exhibit, they have done exactly that. Hopki is unlike any other city on Tarien. It seems to have grown from forest and river rather than have been built. To avoid the filth that comes with cramped quarters, planners laid out strict guidelines requiring over an acre of space between buildings. Massive cedars and hemlocks were protected as small fields were cleared for farms and winding cobbled paths laid out in the forest to connect the community. Homes were built into hillsides in the Nerrid fashion, strung up into the massive trees as one sees in New Solarin or seemingly grown from the ground with river worn rocks that fit together without the benefit mortar. Those farmhouses built more simply out of wood stand out for their solid construction and brightly painted walls.
Public gardens line the streets, more splashes of color as wildflowers are carefully cultivated to retain the natural feel of the forest. Even the pastures for the fine wool-bearing sheep for which the city is famous are fenced with fallen timbers and huge, glacial stones, arranged artfully as if they are merely part of the forest's natural lifecycle. Maintaining such a garden city requires tremendous effort, something that the Soulmeliti priests of Tyloma and human priests of Chetria see to with both mundane and divine means; their partnership in cultivating natural beauty symbolic of the partnership between races. Fortunately, the population remains quite small and the fertile land provides an easy bounty. Farmers gladly donate food, wool, and gold to the cause.
Over the years the settlement has attracted a few Khadric residents, typically those of the Lost Clan, which lent their expertise in stone-working to the project, helping to shape public buildings from the massive stones found in the region. And while in the early years both visitors and new settlers were welcomed with open arms, the Palatiir Republic has found that their experiment is on that requires great reflection and moral fortitude, something that most on Tarien do not possess. Combined with the fact that their communal economy and desire to live as one with their natural surroundings seem to work best with a smaller population, the city has developed a bit of a reputation as being cold to outsiders.
All matters of law and public safety are debated in public forums, with the citizens meeting in various outdoor spaces to set policy. The careful selection of morality among its citizens means that crime is unthinkable and their distance from the rest of Tarien keeps them safe from rival, potentially hostile states. Many are surprised at how long the great experiment has survived, considering how poorly the notions of a republic faired in Sarnyan. Others thought that once Thantherian Styvalhyme freed the Soulmeliti homeland that they would return. While some did make that journey, they found themselves longing for their new homes and the energy that human neighbors had brought to their lives. Much to the dismay of the Soulmeliti people as a whole, most returned to Hopki to stay.
Shrine of the Tree, Hopki
Founding Date
530 AC
Type
City
Population
5,000
Inhabitant Demonym
Hopkinners
Location under
Included Locations
Owning Organization