Chikheni
Chikheni, on the lower Dhobe River, was once the capital of the Kingdom of Avunta. With the country under the control of the Castorhagi Far East Company, the hereditary ruler (now a mere mehtar, or prince) is reduced to ruling his own estate and advocating for his people while the company’s factor controls everything else in his name. Chikheni still has many beautiful temples, and wide marble steps lead down into the river so huge crowds of people can simultaneously immerse themselves in the water for the various holy festivals. Other than during the colorful spectacles of festival times, though, the city feels rundown and the people dispirited.
For three generations, many young people of Chikheni have gone to work in the Castorhagi city of Hethwarp (a name considered ugly by the local Jaati). Others, listening to the blandishments of the royal army recruiters, go to take training as warriors. For some, this provides a way to improve their lives, while for others, desperate enough, it means taking on the work of a lower caste. (As the saying goes, “you can’t eat caste.”) Of those who remain in Chikheni, the majority now are forced to work for the company for the benefit of Hethwarp or Castorhage itself. Few have been able to continue to live their lives in the traditional way.
For example, the city was once home to a lively community of expert woodworkers, but now only a handful are permitted to practice that trade anymore. The cabinetmakers of Chikheni once were renowned for their ebony pieces intricately inlaid with lighter woods and bits of ivory and mother-of-pearl, with the inlays in elaborate patterns of flowers and vines, or repeating geometry. Now only one or two such items are crafted a year on the entire Ebony Street; most of the wood goes to foreign carvers to make their own furniture.
Settlement
Chikheni, City of
Type
City
Owning Organization
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