Pania

No one will stop us when we ride together in the sky

— First Pania's Leader to fly with a Ravi into battle.

Demographics

If you want a warm welcome here, you came to the wrong city.

— Foreign business person.

Pania is divided into districts according to the industry developed in that area. Most of the inhabitants have comfortable homes, excellent education, plenty of good food, clothing and healthcaree. Conflicts between districts are rare and most neighborhoods are safe and friendly for the people living there. The union between the panis and the Ravi keeps the peace inside and outside the borders.

The peace and wealth this city enjoys has a side effect: it allows individuals born elsewhere to visit the city. 'though they can't stay for too long. The authorization to live in Pania, if one had the audacity to be born in another place, is very difficult to get and even then it's not a full citizenship as one never has the same rights enjoyed by those born and bred in Pania. Immigrants from lower classes are often discriminated or even rejected and kicked out. Despite the trading relationship Pania has with other cities, people coming to do business are followed by government agents to make sure they don't stay beyond their authorization's dates. Only important people like leaders, intellectuals, and entertainers are treated with hospitality and honor. These visits are always short and beneficial for the city.

Some families have accumulated more wealth and luxury items than others because their members control the port, ships, land, or factories. Despite their position they have learned the hard way that showing off only causes troubles, death, and chaos. That's why they try to appear modest and helpful with those less wealthy.

Government

-Did you see him fall?

-Are you really asking me that?

-Yes, why?

-I was the poor bastard who had to scrape him from the floor.

— A Dialogue between two workers.

The evolution and development of the city has always been connected to the inhabitants' relationship with the Ravi. Pania's factories and commercial exchanges are focused on transport via sea and land, as they don't use any means of transportation to fly (other than the Ravi). Their sky is strongly protected, and few ships are allowed to enter their airspace. Pania's leaders have always been concerned about technological developments interfering with Ravi's environment and maintaining a balance between all living beings.

Pania is a city ruled by a leader chosen by a council. The council has ten members, every one of them elected by the people of their district. Once every 10 years Pania's citizens choose their representatives, and they present one to five individuals to take the name of leader and rule the city. The candidates face a series of trials to prove they are worthy, just, noble, brave and smart. The Ravi are witness of these trials, and they also play a big part in choosing the leader. Because the Leader has the high honor to fly with a Ravi, the final test is to fly with them. If the Ravi doesn't like the candidate... that's the end of their political career and lives.

Every district has a deputy who manages the recollection of taxes, grants permissions for trade, construction, and workers's rights. The healthcare, education and justice sytems are responsibilities of the Leader and the central public servants. This was done to avoid favoritism.

Guilds and Factions

Pania's population is loyal to the representatives in the Council and the Leader chosen by them. The people trust the Leader because the Ravi's trust them. Of course, the people of each district are proud of what they offer for the betterment of the city. Power is divided between the deputies named by the leader and the representatives. They work together if they know what is good for them, though they sometimes forget it and the Leader has to employ creative ways to remind them.

The representative takes this position of power for their charisma, cleverness, and cunning. Once they have a chair in the Council they, of course, want to maintain it for as long as possible, either trough alliances, favors or smart moves. The ultimate goal is to get a candidate in the seat of the Leader. Because the members of the Council can'thold that title themselves.

History

Foundation

We are the strongest of them all.

— Pania's Army motto

A little group of explorers arrived to the shore of what is now called Pania in search of a better place to live. They escaped a barren island full of dangerous creatures. The explorers chose this place to settle because of the plentiful sea life and excellent farmland. Far away they could see the Red Mountains, but at that moment they weren't interested in exploring that area.

After a century the precarious camp grew and expanded to the size of a town and then a city. For long years the people dedicated their effort to improve their houses, farms, and ships and didn't have the need to trade with other settlements. Once they started to venture south they encountered other towns and cities and began to trade with them in peace. They didn't want to conquer other people. Their goal was to protect 'themselves and keep improving their quality of life. Apart from fishing and farming they began to invest in machinery to manufacture goods and the textile industry soon became famous in the area.

After a couple of skirmishes with other cities, the people of Pania decided to train some stronger citizens, arm them with swords and shields and began the construction of defenses around the most valuable assets they had.

Their ancestors had managed to escape a horrendous island, cross a sea and build a magnificent city from nothing. They were well-prepared to defend it from any threat.

Fall

We were wrong.

— An anonymous soldier's last words.

Pania's prosperity drew the interest of other more distant cities with better armies. In a short time Pania and its people were devastated. The army was poorly trained, they couldn't finish the defenses and when the time to surrender was inevitable the people made a tough decision. Destroy everything themselves.

Some were chosen to flee the city to the mountains. Others sacrificed their lives and stayed to burn the fields, poison the animals and blow up every building and every useful thing. They burnt the ships, tossed every book into the fire, every piece of recorded knowledge, the last thing to go down in flames was themselves.

When the conquering army arrived to the city, they couldn't find anything of value. Death was all around them. Soon a strange illness affected the soldiers. The general decided the ruins were not worth the loss of any more soldiers, and they went back to their own land

.

Meanwhile the citizens of the once glorious Pania were struggling in the mountains. They weren't prepared to live there and in consequence many of them perished. The first years were hard: sickness and hunger reduced their numbers and chances of surviving.

The discovery

"Blessed the children and their fool courage"

— Lucel's Tale.

One morning a group of children left their home because they were hungry and wanted to find food. The adults agreed but only if they didn't go too far away. After all, the mountains were still unknown territory. The children didn't obey their parents and got lost. The adults searched for them for days and nights and couldn't find any trace of them. Their past glory was in ruins, the children and the future vanished in the unforgiving mountains. What remained of Pania's citizens were about to give up when a miracle happened. They saw their sons and daughters flying above giant and magnificent red birds.

The feathered creatures had marvelous wings and were all different shades of red. They left the kids with their mothers and fathers and flew away. The adults were amazed and the questions about these strange birds only grew when the kids told them the birds could speak but in another language. They also told a story about how one of giant bird took care of them. The most incredible thing they told their parents was how the kids also tried to protect their savior for the other birds when they were discovered. At the end of the story the children said their new birds friends decided to bring them home. No one was sure if this could be true or all of them were suffering some kind of collective hallucination. At least the kids were back sound and safe.

Some time later the people began to explore the area where the kids said they found the giant feathered creatures. The little children wanted to leave gifts for their saviors. The adults agreed to make figures out of wood and rock to represent the birds with the few tools they had. They built a shrine for the figures and then came back a week later. The figures were gone, and fresh food was in its place. Food the people were never able to hunt or cultivate by themselves. This exchange of figures (that got more complicated and crafted with much attention) and food continued for a long time until one day the birds appeared to the people, near the shrine. The birds spoke in the same language as the people and called themselves Ravi. The kids were not liars.

The people and the Ravi became allies. Thanks to the children the survivors of the Lost Pania obtained extraordinary protectors. The Ravi revealed secret passages to get to beautiful valleys full of animals to hunt or domesticate, and lands for farming. The Ravi told them they always knew about their presence in the mountains, but they didn't know if they could trust them until the kids got lost and The Ravi realized the funny bipeds were innocent, fragile, foolish but brave. That was the reason the Ravi decided to help them.

Thanks to the Ravi the group of survivors had access to better food and other resources. The people demonstrated gratitude to the Ravi and worked together to rebuild their community. They populated the valley and learned to use the minerals the Ravi showed them to build stronger houses. With time the population grew and their bond with the Ravi became a friendship, even the leader of Pania was allowed to ride one Ravi.

After a century the people heard the call of the sea again and wanted to reclaim their rightful home. But they were afraid to go back and be defeated once more by their enemies. The Ravi decided to help them.

Rebirth

I laugh at you, pathetic soldier. Look at me! I have the strongest and most loyal ally our kind is ever going to get. You will be defeated.

— A general of Pania's army

The Ravi had benefited from the alliance too. The panis had knowledge they didn't. They knew how to heal them and take care of their little Ravi. After they decided to protect the panis their numbers of Ravi grew.

Both species made a new pact. The panis would mine (without predating too much) the precious minerals in the mountain and use them to rebuild the city. The Ravi would be their winged cavalry and the panis would make weapons to attack their enemies from the sky.

They came back to Pania's ruins and worked day and night to rebuild it. Soon enough the other cities knew about the panis's return. After all they started to buy cattle, and resources to build ships, buildings, farms. Panis's enemies waited for a good chance to take the city without giving them time to destroy everything again. They believed Pania's citizens were unprepared and weak. They soon saw they were mistaken.

This time the panis were better trained and most important of all they had the Ravi's help. They were not alone. Many died in the bloody battles alongside the Ravi. But in the end the enemy's army was defeated. No one dared to attack Pania for a long time.

The city and their inhabitants became powerful, much more than what they once were. Pania became one of the most important cities in the area. Centuries passed and its glory shines brighter than ever. All thanks to the Ravi and a group of lost kids.

Architecture

Who needs tall buildings when our friends can take us to heights you can't even dream of?

— A Pania's citizen to a foreign visitor.

Pania's style of architecture hasn't changed much, although they take care to build durable houses and buildings for their citizens. Many cities show off its tall buildings and even compete on how high they can get. Panis's laugh at them and always joke they're over compensating for something else.

The landscape of the city is dominated by the construction to accommodate Ravi's needs when they are in the city and in particular to the Ravi that serve the leaders. But the buildings for the people have at most three floors. Even the wealthiest families obey this rule. This custom exists because the Ravi demanded that the people respected their environment when they got an advanced stage of technological development. The people adore and revere the Ravi so much even after centuries they were saved they agreed to respect their wishes. Also they realized this was a healthier way to live.

by Melu

Pania's flag

White Beach

Alternative Name(s)

Ravi's City

Type

City

Inhabitant Demonym

Panis

Nasi. First Leader of Pania to fly in a Ravi

Some facts about Pania

• Traditional dish: fish pie
• Districts: ten
• Best landscape: sunrise at the beach
• Sacred places: secret passages to Ravi's nest
• Years since the return: 789
• Oldest building: first school ruins
• What citizens love: Ritual with the Ravi

Pania's economy includes

• Fishing
• Farming
• Mining
• Ships
• Trains
• Commodities
• Textile Industry

While we maintain the Ravi's help we'll be rich and glorious forever.

— Member of the Council. District 9

Every district in the city has a special talent. Maybe they are good at fishing, baking, farming, building houses or ships, and so on. Once a year a team of 10 people are chosen to practice another district's talent. This celebration is not a competition but a tribute to what every area of Pania has to offer for the glory and pride of every citizen. After the team perform their assigned task everyone celebrates around the city and the beaches all day and night.

The city hosts great celebrations but the best of all is The Joining of Lives

Living in Pania is a privilege. In what other city can you fly when you decide to start a family?

— A happy couple

The balance of power is a fragile thing to control in Pania. If a representative or a deputy betrays their duties they face serious consequences, accordind to the offense. The punishment can go from expropiation of private property to jail or exile.
If the traitor is a Leader they must answer to the Ravi. No one sees them ever again.

Pania's defenses

• Many weapons for air defense
• Hundreds of border checkpoints
• System of identification for non citizens
• Big army with well trained soldiers

All the cities of the regions envy us, but they would never defeat us.

— Lonkio, current leader of Pania