Ronto

Overview:

Ronto has earned the nickname "the eye of the storm" as they always seem to be at the center of and remain untouched by the conflict between Awatto and Vicouver. It is overseen by a very long standing dynasty where the heir is chosen for their ability rather than birth order. The City State is known for its diplomatic approach to conflicts and it is whispered that they have a spy network to rival Vicouver's navy or Awatto's military. They are the third largest city state in Amanada.
The city is a place of stark contrasts. It is a place where art is almost worshipped and people will travel from all over to visit its theaters and galleries. Where the nobles throw lavish parties and charities are big business. There is alway something to see or do. And yet if you go past the glitzy part of the city, you will find yourself in shanty towns and squalid slums. Crime is a massive problem and only keeps rising. The poor are taken care of by a number of charities run by noble houses and are given free access to the world's largest stadium, the Heaven's Dome.
Hierarchy of the city is as such:

• The Monarchy
• The Nobility/ Merchants
• Artists/Celebrities
• Scholars
• Police/Military
• General Labour
• Poor

Historical Notes of Interest:

• 1200 years ago the Deity of Love, Art and Beauty (Linrou) decided to see what it would be like to live a mortal life. So they came to Merda and shed their immortality. They built a haven for art, taught that beauty was to be found in all things and that love in all its shades was the best way to approach each other and most situations. A community quickly built up around them and soon that community turned into a village than a city. Linrou fell in love and started a family. Once their children were grown up, they, together with their family, built the citadel of Truth, Beauty, Freedom & Love, a building that still exists to this day and is the bastion of their faith.
On their death the city shut down and took to the streets to pray and mourn the loss of their leader who they were unaware had been a god. As they grouped together in collective mourning around a funeral pyre, something powerful happened when all of the people's faith and love combined. The Deity Linrou rose from their funeral pyre in the form of a flaming bird once it was set alight reclaiming their godhood as their people watched. To this day the symbol of the phoenix is associated with this god and the people of Ronto worship them almost exclusively.

• 1000 Years ago Ronto formed its first dynasty. It had until that point been mostly  a leaderless society, with not clear direction. This lead to many squabbles between community members on what was and was not important or should or should not be done. Little to no growth happened in Ronto during this time, in fact the opposite. It was not until a bard who claimed to be a direct descendent of the Deity Linrou (something that would become a common occurrence of anyone who usurped a standing power in Ronto henceforth) started to consolidate power using secrets and blackmail to control people that Ronto truly began to thrive and decay. Her name was Lucie Lux and she was the first of the Dawn Dynasty. She took Ronto from a back water city state that was little more than a commune to the thriving metropolis it is today. The Dawn Dynasty would last for 250 years.

• 300 Years ago, the latest Dynasty took power with a bloody coup. Ending the reign of the Sun Dynasty and starting the Twilight Dynasty. This is the third Dynasty to take power of Ronto and the first to claim the city as a monarchy.

Places of Interest:

Official Places

• The Citadel of Truth, Beauty, Freedom & Love
• The Palace of Song
• Linrou College
• The Lux
• Heaven's Dome

Areas

• Echo Street
• Busker's Square
• The Commune aka Old Town
• Enlightenment Hill
• The Entertainment District

Business's

• Lucie's Delight
• Dawn's Hall
• The Linrou theater
• The Days end
• The Trudeau

Notable People:

• Her Royal Highness Crescendo Goah
• Prince Consort Roshgar Goah
• Princess Consort Delilah Goah
• Unesco Musk
• Philipa Dalli
• Cannelle
• Dource Shing
• Agon Forte

Other Points of Interest:

• Crime is an ongoing problem in the city. The murder rate is through the roof in the slums and there are whispers that the vast amounts of missing people have been sold into slavery, although there is no proof of this being the case.
• The city is well known for its nightlife and parties, particularly the big galas and charity balls to help the poor in the city.
• At the moment little dogs that fit in your purse are all the rage so it has become common to see people walking around with them.
• It is well known that information is the main currency of this city if you wish to acquire anything truly worthwhile. Much of the culture is built on whispers and gossip. People will collect secrets like art pieces and a bit of light blackmail is the favored pass time.

Current Leadership:

Her Royal Highness Crescendo Goah aka The Master Negotiator

Known Conflicts:

• The rest of the content has a bit of a love-hate relationship with Ronto. Many will flock to the city to see the sights and take in the arts but it is also a common saying that people from Ronto have two mouths. Implying that you cannot trust anything they say.

• There is whispers of an equality movement starting to form in the slums of the city. But few put much stock in such whispers as they always seem to exist and yet nothing ever comes of them.

• Once a month a dead body is found on the steps of the Citadel of Truth, Beauty, Freedom & Love

Customs:

• On the anniversary of the death of Linrou each year, the festival of the phoenix is held. As the sun sets, numerous fires are lit across the city as phoenix-shaped kites that have been enchanted to light up are released into the sky. When the kites reach a hundred feet in the air they start to explode in a show of fireworks.
• Dress Week happens during the month of warmth. This is when the most prominent dress houses put on shows to show off the art of dress.
• Wind Chimes are very common and considered to protect one from evil. it is then common to have people wear them as amulets or charms.
• Once a year over the span of a few months the Heaven's Dome holds a talent contest where anyone can audition in the hopes of becoming the next artistic phenomenon. There is a panel of judges, but the audience ultimately picks the winner. This contest is called Ronto's Got Talent.
• There is a strong-held belief that the best art comes from a place of suffering. That having the slums helps to create great artists and that the opportunity to suffer must be given when possible.

Lore:

• It is believed that a piece of physical art holds a piece of the artist's soul and that a very powerful cleric could use an art piece to bring a dead artist back to life.

• They say that when a bard writes a story or play, another world comes into existence.

• There is a legend that if you walk along Echo Street on the last hour of the shortest day of the year and no one else is present you will hear the voice of the great bard singing his last song.

Demographics:

Population

• Most Populous Races: Half-Elf, Half-Orc, Dragonborn, Dwarf, Elves, Humans.
• Median Age: 100
• Median Income: 500 gp per years
• Average Cost of Living: 5gp per day

Religion

• Most common: Linrou, the Deity of Art, Beauty, and Love
• Second most common: Saftor, the Deity of Suffering, Pain and Loss
• Third most common: Flowst the goddess of Wind, Change and Travel

Workforce

• Most common Trades: Art in all its forms, Theater, Galleries, Charities, Restaurants, Agriculture
• Percentage of Employed: 60%
• Percentage of Unemployed: 25%