Zhilisky
Zhilisky is a large town in the Plains of Pesht that sits between the Dukeswood to the north, and Tsä-Yrsa to the south. It is de jure a part of the Duchy of Gol-Kasha, though has had no official connection to the polity for many years. It is currently under the control of the Brotherhood of Autumn, a cult of necromancers led by They-Who-Bring-Dusk.
Demographics
Defences
Zhilisky is surrounded by a low wall of blueberry and rosemary bushes forming a 1.8m (6') hight, 0.9m (3') thick wall known as the Hedgerow. This structure appears to be magical in nature, having existed since the time of the Ihmisii settlement, and is woven through with an Assassin Vine megaculture, serving as defense. Some sections of the Hedgerow have been lost, however, and in their place stone walls have been constructed.
Infrastructure
Two gates lead into Zhilisky: the Southgate, which is currently permanently closed due to apparent raids from the Duke's forces, and the Eastgate, which is staffed by zombies, skeletons, and cultists, who examine and question people attempting to enter the town. Petitioners are given documents listing their names, places of birth, and ethnicity upon entry, divided into two categories: Aomenii, who are given a sheaf of paper to sow onto their sleeve, and Non-Aomenii, who are given a heavy rope lanyard to wear around their necks.
Zhilisky once had a functioning sewer system, but it was largely abandoned by the town council c.100 BE due to operational costs, and most entrances to it have since been locked. Now, the Old Sewers is only reliabily accessed by old thieves routes, and private entrances from resident basements. It remains in use as a hiding place for unscrupulous characters, and the Brotherhood of Autumn has been patrolling it recently to stamp down on acts of resistance.
History
Zhilisky was originally built — under a different, now lost name — as the first Ihmisii settlement after the Disjunction. However, it fell into decline at some point after its founding when the Ihmisii shifted eastwards and settled in the Plains of Pesht.
Zhilisky was ultimately lost to the Vekhen Empire with the 874 BE invasion of Gol-Kasha, wherein it was occupied and refashioned. It has undergone several bouts of reconstruction since, and little remains of the original settlement, save the Hedgerow that rings the town.
The town was originally a holding of House Albescu before the Aomeni Enfranchisement, but increasingly became a hotbed of republicanism as merchant houses gained significant power from lack of oversight. In 398 BE, then Duke Sorin V Albescu attempted to defuse this sentiment by marrying one of the leading merchant heads, Iuliana Armăsar, though this ultimately proved fruitless as the town erupted into open rebellion during the Autumn Rebellion of 378 BE. This rebellion forced the Duke to sign a free charter to the town, installing the Zhilisky Town Council as its governing body.
In recent years, it has been taken over by the Brotherhood of Autumn, who have established martial law within the town.
Points of interest
Though much of Zhilisky remains unknown to the Scofflaws' Guild, the following points of interest have been found:
- The Pitted Sickle, a tavern just within the Eastgate,
- The Crown of Autumn, a ring of twelve trees apparently caught in perpetual autumn (which, upon investigation, is an ancient Ihmisii calendar which seems to be broken, suggesting it is still High-Autumn),
- The New Zhilisky Town Hall, a converted courthouse where the Brotherhood are conducting hearing of unknown purpose,
- The Scofflaws' House, a ruined old guild hall for the Scofflaws' Guild,
- And the Chancery of the Fecund Fields, a monastery dedicated to the Church of Eighteen Eyes, which has been closed.
Geography
Zhilisky is easily divided into two sections, the Hightown — dominated by three hills, comprising the majority of the town, and named so for sitting on a rise of the karst — and the Lowtown (sometimes called the village of Zhilisky) where large farms and homesteads can be found. The Lowtown spills out to the south and west, past the Hedgerow, but such lands have since fallen fallow and appear to no longer be claimed as part of the town.
The eastern half of the town is cut through by a stream — the Setos — that surfaces north of the town and submerges once again to the south, that is visible for less than a kilometre upon the Plains. The Setos crosses the dividing drop, forming a small falls into the Lowtown. The western half of the town has a lake divided by a falls known as Lake Deplin which frequently floods the Lowtown, depositing minerals into the farmlands from further north.
Natural Resources
Zhilisky is famous for its abundant crops, including wheat, millet, corn, as well as the natural fruits which grow within the Hedgerow.
Sigil of the Zhilisky Town Council
Per pale Tenné and Vert, a Roundel Or, a Garb counterchanged
Maps
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Map of Zhilisky
Founding Date
c.3750 BE
Type
Town
Population
~2000 (living)
Owner/Ruler
Owning Organization
Comments