Ruma

Of mortality and Ruma I sing. Be with me, muses, as I recite woe And greatness dashed upon history's stones. Oh Ruma! Ereb's star! We weep for thee! And each day celebrate your memory.

— Lines 1-5, Exodus, A Tragedy, by Hirmus of Saldar.

Ruma began its existence as a small settlement under Lymian rule. It grew quickly into a town due to its coastal location, and expanded to engulf nearby settlements within the first century of Lymia's ascent. Over the course of the Lymian empire, it grew to become a powerful provincial capital. Removed from Domiceclos's political intrigues, it became a centre for learning and culture. It responded quickly to the volcanic eruption that choked the Lymian empire, and arose from the ashes as a light that would shine over old Lymia's territories until the city returned to ashes.

Today, Ruma is being slowly rebuilt. It remains a centre of power, albeit of power reduced from what it once was. It is a symbol of the once great Rumain Empire, and by extension the Lymian Empire. The meaning of this symbolism differs depending on whom one asks. To some, Ruma is symbolic of the hubris that ends empires. To others, it is a symbol of a golden past. Present-day Ruma's economy relies on education and archaeology. The city's population, roughly numbering one million, is primarily human and elven, though merfolk and halflings are also common. Mixed races are modestly common. Ruma prides itself on welcoming all races, though this is a doubtful truth.

The city is governed by the Accipitridae Council, a representative assembly whose members stand for the Divisions of the city and each of the Twenty Guilds. It is protected by the Legion, a name taken from Rumain history and applied questionably to the city guard.

History

Arising from humble beginnings, Ruma became the capital of an empire that overshadowed the Lymian cloth it was cut from. A centre of learning, culture and technology, it was the heart and head of the Rumain Empire, pumping Imperial will along the roads and aqueducts it constructed. The Imperial colossus was brought to a sudden and shambling halt by the Karthani magi. Incensed by the Empire's attempt to ensconce the Karthani peninsula beneath Imperial wings, they utterly decimated the city in a cataclysmic conflagration that left golden and red remains.

Reconstruction

The thousand years since the destruction of Imperial Ruma has seen parts of the metropolis restored. It is a slow process,

Politics & Power

The Acciptiridae Council

Divisions

Patricians, plebeians, sanguine magna.

Twenty Guilds

At any given time, there are twenty guilds that represent the workers of the city. This is a holdover from Imperial politics, and the guilds' interests will often overlap and be broader than their guild name suggests. For as long as the guilds have existed, there has been contention over the double representation Patricians have on the Accipitridae Council. The names of the twenty guilds are as follows:

• Patricians
• Gladiators
• Builders
• Academics
• Legionnaires
• Bureaucrats
• Servants
• Rhetoricians
• Priests
• Scribes
• Clothiers
• Painters
• Cleaners
• Smiths
• Jewellers
• Inventors
• Tamers
• Diplomats
• Entertainers
• Merchants
• Carpenters

Economy

Construction

Academies

Tourism

Society

Arts & Culture

Academics & Philosophy

Social Tensions

A work in progress! Publishing ahead of schedule as the SC is ending. Follow if you'd like to receive updates! Questions? Comments? Please leave them below!

Type

Large city

Related

The Grand Coliseum of Vofencio | Rumain Deities