Duken
Duken is a quiet, peaceful community of pious, hardworking people. Life is peaceful, simple, and everyone knows everyone. Nobody new moves to Duken. Nobody visits Duken. Nobody leaves Duken.
But why would you want to? In Duken, all your needs are met. The wall around the community keeps out the strange, dangerous things that lurk in the rest of the world. Wild animals, Strangers, Revisionist Adenists.... No. Better to stay within the walls.
But why would you want to? In Duken, all your needs are met. The wall around the community keeps out the strange, dangerous things that lurk in the rest of the world. Wild animals, Strangers, Revisionist Adenists.... No. Better to stay within the walls.
Geography
Duken is a very rural community. It consists of one main urban area with the Council building and some shops (a forge, cobbler, tailor, baker, etc), and then scattered smaller communities that branch out from the main hub like spokes on a wheel. Each of these little communities has about 50 - 75 family homes and surrounding farmland. These communities are numbered rather than named, and each has a dirt road leading back to the hub. Almost all buildings are made from wood.
The most notable buildings are the Council building, the monastery built into the southern cliff, the wall, the number of wooden bridges crossing the Pankalas, and the watermill built on its shore.
The most notable buildings are the Council building, the monastery built into the southern cliff, the wall, the number of wooden bridges crossing the Pankalas, and the watermill built on its shore.
The Wall
Duken was built on the lower slopes of the Tamak Mountains. A cliff to the south forms one impassable barrier. In a semi-circle against the cliff is the wall, a fifty-foot high defence of granity blocks. The wall encircles the entire community, containing all their farmlands, forested areas, and the Pankalas River. The river leaves the town through an iron grate on its eastern side.
There is one main gate at the apex of the semi-circle. The wall itself is ten-feet thick, so to pass through the gate, one must first go through the portcullis at the exterior side of the wall and then through the thick oaken doors at the interior side. The gate is constantly guarded from the inside. Nobody can get into the community.
Nobody can get out.
There is one main gate at the apex of the semi-circle. The wall itself is ten-feet thick, so to pass through the gate, one must first go through the portcullis at the exterior side of the wall and then through the thick oaken doors at the interior side. The gate is constantly guarded from the inside. Nobody can get into the community.
Nobody can get out.
Structure
The Council of Duken consists of ten elders who oversee all governance in the town. When an existing council-member dies, the remaining council selects a replacement by voting among themselves and then offers the position to their choice.
The Chief Elder is the ultimate ruler in the town. They are elected by their peers ont he council and must have been on the council for at least 5 years. Once elected, they serve for life.
One spot on the council is always reserved for the abbot of the Duken Monastary, who is second in power to the Chief Elder in terms of civil matters, and the ultimate authority on religious matters. The abbot is the only member of the community regularly permitted to travel beyond the walls of Duken, so that they may visit with the church authorities to whom they answer.
The Chief Elder is the ultimate ruler in the town. They are elected by their peers ont he council and must have been on the council for at least 5 years. Once elected, they serve for life.
One spot on the council is always reserved for the abbot of the Duken Monastary, who is second in power to the Chief Elder in terms of civil matters, and the ultimate authority on religious matters. The abbot is the only member of the community regularly permitted to travel beyond the walls of Duken, so that they may visit with the church authorities to whom they answer.
History
Historically, the Valaran Empire - and most Rall peoples - belonged to the Orthodox Adenist church. About 200 years before The Fourth Reckoning, that changed when a new Imperial Rector converted to Revisionism and made it the state religion. Orthodox Adenism slowly became a minority religion.
After the Reckoning, Orthodox Adenists blamed the blasphemy of Revisionists for causing the disaster due to their moral decay and turning away from the gods. A group of Orthodox Adenists set up a community along the banks of the Pankalas River in the lowlands called Kalavul only a few years after the Reckoning. It was intended to be a haven for Orthodox Adenists, where they could work together to recover from the Reckoning and get back to the fundamentals of Adenism.
Over the years, a split grew in the community between those who wanted to embrace the outside world and establish trade relationships with Revisionist towns nearby, and those who wanted nothing to do with the "blasphemers" and "sinners". Eventually, the difference of opinion led to about half of the community to split off and travel upriver, where they would begin again to create a "proper" haven for true believers. They began building what would become Duken about 200 years ago.
After the Reckoning, Orthodox Adenists blamed the blasphemy of Revisionists for causing the disaster due to their moral decay and turning away from the gods. A group of Orthodox Adenists set up a community along the banks of the Pankalas River in the lowlands called Kalavul only a few years after the Reckoning. It was intended to be a haven for Orthodox Adenists, where they could work together to recover from the Reckoning and get back to the fundamentals of Adenism.
Over the years, a split grew in the community between those who wanted to embrace the outside world and establish trade relationships with Revisionist towns nearby, and those who wanted nothing to do with the "blasphemers" and "sinners". Eventually, the difference of opinion led to about half of the community to split off and travel upriver, where they would begin again to create a "proper" haven for true believers. They began building what would become Duken about 200 years ago.
Demography and Population
All residents are ethnically Rall. Immigration is strictly forbidden, so there are no outsiders at all. Dukenites have many distinct cultural practices that set them apart from the majority of Rall people.
Dukenites classify themselves into one of four age classes:
Dukenites classify themselves into one of four age classes:
Infants
From birth to age 4, roughly 7% of the total population. Infants have no responsibilities and are treasured by the community.
Children
From age 5 to 19, roughly 20% of the population. Children attend school and help their parents on their farms. After age 5, they are old enough to understand rules and expected to abide by them. Children are encouraged to have imaginary friends.
Adults
From age 20 to 49, roughly 60% of the population. Adults are expected to be good role models for children and to uphold the teachings of Orthodox Adenism. They are also expected to marry and have children. Upon becoming an adult, a person receives a name rather than a number for the first time.
Elders
Age 50 and over, roughly 13% of the population. Elders are the most respected members of society. Their wisdom should always be deferred to. Elders work on the city council and make all of the decisions for the community. They usually live with their eldest child, and are supported by their family.
The age of a person is the most significant social class, because Duken does not have extremes of poverty or wealth. Even the poorest people still own their home and their livestock, and the wealthiest simply have a few more aurochs.
Duken is a self-sufficient community that does not trade with the outside world. The majority of residents are farmers, who produce enough agriculture and livestock to feed the community. Those who aren't farmers are those who work as blacksmiths, bakers, midwives, etc.
Duken is a self-sufficient community that does not trade with the outside world. The majority of residents are farmers, who produce enough agriculture and livestock to feed the community. Those who aren't farmers are those who work as blacksmiths, bakers, midwives, etc.
Imaginary Friends
Perhaps the most curious custom within Duken is the way the whole community embraces and encourages children to have imaginary friends. These friends persist all the way through adolescence, and it isn't unusual for someone to still have one only a year or two before reaching adulthood.
The entire community encourages this creativity in children by playing along and pretending to also see and interact with the friend. Whole families will play along and act as though they have an extra child. Some children even have imaginary siblings, with parents setting out an extra plate of food at every meal "for so-and-so". Whole groups of children often have a joint imaginary friend that they communally develop and play with.
Imaginary friends are seen as a healthy outlet for children. Imaginary friends say and do things that real children are raised not to do, like ask questions, behave rudely, or disobey rules. Having pretend friends to do these things discourages children from doing them themselves. Then, one day in adolescence, the child will outgrow the imaginary friend.
This is sometimes a difficult transition for children. Sometimes, they don't immediately understand that the friend was just imaginary, and they may ask parents about where their friend has gone. Their memories of their friend can feel very real, especially when many children mutually reminisce about an imaginary friend they've all just abandoned.
But in the end, all good children come to terms with the truth. The rebellious, questioning friend they remember hasn't mysteriously vanished... they simply never existed at all.
The entire community encourages this creativity in children by playing along and pretending to also see and interact with the friend. Whole families will play along and act as though they have an extra child. Some children even have imaginary siblings, with parents setting out an extra plate of food at every meal "for so-and-so". Whole groups of children often have a joint imaginary friend that they communally develop and play with.
Imaginary friends are seen as a healthy outlet for children. Imaginary friends say and do things that real children are raised not to do, like ask questions, behave rudely, or disobey rules. Having pretend friends to do these things discourages children from doing them themselves. Then, one day in adolescence, the child will outgrow the imaginary friend.
This is sometimes a difficult transition for children. Sometimes, they don't immediately understand that the friend was just imaginary, and they may ask parents about where their friend has gone. Their memories of their friend can feel very real, especially when many children mutually reminisce about an imaginary friend they've all just abandoned.
But in the end, all good children come to terms with the truth. The rebellious, questioning friend they remember hasn't mysteriously vanished... they simply never existed at all.
