Sarusa

Richest city in all of Mellanvärlden and the last port to the East - Sarusa sits at the southern edge of Människar as a beacon of enlightenment and prosperity. It also ranks amongst the most populous settlements, as the city attracts travelers, pilgrims and merchants from all over the world, seeking either knowledge, wealth or safety from the harshness of the North. Inside its tall and impenetrable walls lies the Red Citadel a literal fortress of Knowledge.

History

Sarusa's history traces back to the days of the Empire (around 1500 IL), when the Susan and Uran peoples fled from the central regions and roamed south, away from the dominion of the The Engelian Empire †. It is written that, already in those days, the Susans were already a very different people when compared to the Engelians: the former were more interested in debate and peaceful prosperity while the latter had a strong need for hierarchy, order and supremacy. When the Engelian expansion happened, the southerners had in mind that Kronstad's influence would never make it past the Sobota, the river that cuts through Bratislen in the present days. Yet, when the Empire kept expanding all the way to the Sky Peak Mountains, the southerners, cornered at the "edge of the world", decided to greatly enhance their defenses - they built intricate and impenetrable castles atop hills (Sarusa) and fortresses on the mountainwall of the western range (Umera). They did so as if preparing themselves for the eventual great battles that would take place when Engelia reached them. And so, in the summer of 300 Innan Länkningen, Sarusa was founded as the settlements around the Trout merged under one banner - to resist the northern oppression.

When the strength of Engelia started to dwindle and the empire eventually broke apart, Sarusa had already built a gigantic fortress-city, yet there were no enemies around, as the Urans, to the west, sought nothing but peaceful relations and commercial pacts. By 350, the Gorgian Keep (as it was called then) had been lying abandoned for over a century in order to cut expenses and provide manpower to other areas of the city, and the Kings of Sarusa lived in a much smaller, less sturdy keep (which was demolished somewhen between the year 500 EL). However, it was in the year 370 EL that the 30th King of Sarusa, Domnicus Bardanes, had built himself a new palace - the Blue Palace, whose roof is almost entirely covered in aquamarines. And then, in a gesture of good faith with his people, he announced that the populace should too, have a fortress of their own, and so, he declared that the Gorgian Keep would be reopened and renamed: the Red Citadel. He expressed the fortification would be a gigantic school and college for the citizens, "the true kings of Sarusa". All individuals would be welcome within, to be taught literacy, noble crafts, philosophy and mathematics. Taxes were created and applied to all merchants and traders to fund the project and turn the fortress into the pinnacle of enlightenment.

"We sow and reap the fields outside our walls to feed and keep our people alive, from now onwards, let us sow and reap the fields of the mind, for knowledge is a garden much prettier and valuable than any patch of land across the world."
Domnicus Bardanes, King of Sarusa - 370 EL

Whether or not this was the king's true intention, it both failed and succeded: as the Citadel gained popularity and began to amass great quantities of books and minds, it slowly began to close its doors to the masses. Only those with the right skills and aptitudes would let in, and any breakthroughs and inventions were to be kept within the walls. This was partly due to external pressure from the merchant class, which sought to improve the quality of the scholars residing in the fortress while making a profit out of their discoveries. The more restrictive the Citadel grew, the narrower the research became, benefitting solely those responsible for its funding, as the cycle perpetuated itself. It was in the January of 510 EL that the immense college finally shut access from the populace to its library, as a means of "protecting delicate and potentially dangerous knowledge from the unschooled".

The merchant class grew richer and richer, as guilds and trading companies could afford to raise entire private armies, bands of mercenaries and even slaver legions from Brandjorden, eventually surpassing the King's own forces, as the monarchy went through a time of turbulence, filled with corruption and cutthroat politcs. By 530 EL, the "Griffin Letter" was signed by the 56th (and last) King of Sarusa - an accord sealed between the nobility and the bourgeoisie which, in summary, argued that since the merchant class had more resources, military power and better represented the interests of the masses, that the crown and rule of Sarusa were instead placed in their hands. And so, Sarusa officially became a Plutarchy - a state in which the ruler would be elected from a council made up by the wealthiest and most succesful traders and burghers of the city.

From that point onwards, the city became the main hub of trade and commerce in Människar, as shipbuilding industries and trading leagues were heavily funded in order to finance expeditions to all corners of the world. As a consequence to the bourgeoisie rising to power, the interests of the Red Citadel also became a priority - Sarusa was to become the ultimate maritime power and axis of knowledge and science in Mellanvärlden.

Present Time

WIP

Mythology & Lore

When Sarusa was founded by the Susans fleeing from the north, they believe Engelia was the embodiment of the Winter God whose objective was to bring the entirety of Manniskar in an eternal night. Although the Susans believed and worshiped the Old Gods, they were convinced there should be a balance, and that no god should rule over the world. This belief led the settlers worry excessively for their safety, which resulted in the building of the fortress that is today the Red Citadel.