Rowa (Row-uh)

Horizon Canopy by Noah Bradley for MTG, used under WoTC fan policy

Known for:

• Scholarly culture

• Massive machine base

• Year-round pleasant weather

• Academic competitions

• Nocturnal-positive lifestyles

• Handmade instruments

• Rad parties

The southwestern city of Rowa is known as the City of Scholars for its proximity to the Scriptorium Soiram, a tie that Rowans of the city are extremely proud of and devoted to. They cherish intellectual improvement in all forms and strive to create opportunites for all to learn, keeping their inquisitive and inventive spirit alive with accessible education and yearlong community projects and experiments the same scale and enthusiasm level of other cities' sporting events.

Culture

Competitive Smarts

Rowans host Olympic-esque competitions of mental acuity, finger dexterity, and good senses throughout the year, relishing opportunities to encourage devotion to a craft or study. Some of these different challenges include:

• Historical trivia

• Invention competitions of all kinds, including everything from hackathon-style quick designs to robot-building competitions (of course with strict oversight from Warmhearted Cold Metal to ensure ethical standards are in place)

• Research Races, where competitors see who can document the most information about a specific topic by interviews, library referencing, or their own brains

• Theorem Busting, where complex formulas are laid on boards for competitors to solve within a specific time period

• Translation Tests, challenging polyglots to transcribe and translate passages between as many languages as possible

• Geo-Guesser, where those with keen eyes and cartographic minds are challenged to identify a hyper-specific location by an artist's sketch

• Name That Thing, where anything from bugs to plants to magical dust to unique metallic compounds are up for identifying in quick Jeopardy-esque rounds based on description, artist rendering, or even sensory tests like touching or smelling

Contest prizes are donated by local artisans, businesses, benefactors, or fans and typically are themed to the contest, such as a golden quill or particuarly snazzy alchemical beaker set.

Nerd Parties

The temperate climate allows Rowans are frequently bare-skinned, unbashful about this casual exposure as they consider themselves scholars and sapio-minded enough to prioritize comfort over base depravity. This is not to say that Rowans are prudish or frown upon bacchanal and hedonism; in fact, the opposite is sometimes true, with important scientific breakthroughs or new inventions succeeding generating parties that are revolutionary, cheers and revelry echoing through the clear night as people scamper through the sands that kiss the southern gates of the city.

Accessible Academia

Rowans elevate inquisitive younglings in particular, frequently funding scholarships to send teens and young adults on internships, apprenticeships, or scholarly sojourns either within the city or abroad. They also frequently host ambassadors from other locations, keenly focused on capturing the information they bring and cataloging it in the Scriptorium.
Additionally, the gravest sin one can commit in Rowa is to impede the progress of exploration (be it an invention, a scientific experiment, or a research project). As such, there is a huge focus on respecting others around you and empowering them in their work by aiding as a subject matter expert or partnering on a project. Pride and claiming ownership of a discovery is less important than the discovery itself and acknowledgements and speeches of recognition often stretch on as people thank all involved in a process, no matter how seemingly small it was.

Bulletin Briefs

The exuberant embrace of partnership and lifting up your neighbor in Rowa is sometimes a double-edged sword, as there is a strict cultural (and sometimes legal) taboo against research being kept secret. Residents of Rowa are not required to be actively researching or creating something in order to reside in the walls, but those who are creating or crafting are required to provide a brief of their project via posting to the great bulletin boards in front of the building where city council and ethic debate meetings are held.
Upon posting a new brief, the poster(s) are required to attend the next weekly Discussion of Progress, where they present their brief and answer any questions. This can be extremely useful for generating leads and partnerships with others, so even those who are not required to attend frequently do. However, for cases where ethics concerns are raised by a brief, the people attending host a discussion or debate afterward to assuage concerns or even shut a project down if it is deemed unsafe or unethical. (See Defences for more on this.)

Dungeon Scampering

Many of the historians of Rowa have an adventurous spirit for the ruins that dot the southern coastline of Ostelliach, organizing trips to the Bay of the Blue or even to the shipwrecks of the Dreadswirl for relics and the most important treasure of all, knowledge of the past.

Distant Sisters and Far-Flung Allies

Rowa is also tied to a city in the north that would seem unlikely were it not for the shared name: Sadora Rowa. The origin of the sisterly tie is related to Sadora Rowa's founder, a noble scholar by the name of _____ who left Rowa for the north with the intention of establishing research posts. Rowa is still the larger city given its proximity to the Scriptorium Soiram and willingness to harbor travelers not staying in the cloisters there; they frequently send missionary-esque trips to Sadora Rowa to bring supplies, news, copies of important scholarly texts, and immigrants to aid the smaller town with niche specialists they may lack. Volunteering to move to Sadora Rowa for a stint abroad like this is seen as a huge gift and praised back home in Rowa.
Additionally, Rowa has long held a partnership and debt to the people of Arnun-Ohx, who assisted in the creation of Rowa's great gears hundreds of years ago, before Arnun-Ohx was even a city, when the secrets of Ohx Electrum were closely guarded by Orcish smiths who took great risk giving the materials to the city builders in the name of innovation and invention.

Demographics

Rowa is first and foremost a city of intellectuals, and intellect has no species or age requirements. Young and old are welcome (and young inquisitive types are especially encouraged), as well as all types of people. Rowans recognize the value of different perspectives and the chilling effect bigotry has on social and academic progress. This open-mindedness attracts a wide variety of species and anatomies (especially given that many scientific types enthusiastically embrace their diversity and even pay to get the chance to interview or study them, though of course some people find this to be a downside rather than a draw to the place).
The temperate climate often attracts cold-blooded species or those less-suited to either extreme heat or cold. In addition, the city's inclusive design toward both nocturnal and diurnal sleep schedules often attracts people who otherwise are sunlight-challenged such as vampires and other creatures of the night.
Due to its proximity to the Placidia Ocean as well as the incredibly important port that is The Breakawa, many Rowans have some knowledge of shipbuilding and sailing, and indeed many of the residents are retired sailors seeking peace and dry feet; some have only half-jokingly called Rowa the City of Sailor Scholars due to the common sight of a burly, weathered pirate type wielding stacks of books rather than a cutlass.

Government

Rowa is governed by a council of democratically elected members that represent different academic disciplines, widely divided into:

• History

• Arcana

• Natural Science

• Social Studies

• Craft

The council is elected every 2 years after a brief campaign. Community pillars are often favored for a spot based on contributions to their area of study, but young upstarts and promising prodigies are usually prioritized as a sign of investment in the future. Occasionally, a person will specialize in more than one area or in an area that overlaps (such as artificing, a combination of arcana and craft) and the campaigner will have to decide which seat they choose to represent, though this is not a disavowal of their other interests so much as a technicality to know which seat they are sitting in for meetings; they can still weigh in on matters of import to Rowa in the other areas they know.

Defences

To a degree, Rowa benefits from the same volunteer defense force that patrols and protects the Scriptorium Soiram: the presence of the spellsword militia generally keeps much of the Illuvian region safe from danger. In addition, many of the scholars, attendants, and caretakers of the Scriptorium either live in or frequently visit Rowa, meaning the same "hands off, this is important" protectiveness that much of Ostelliach carries for the libraries also extends to the city.
The great cogs that turn the city are additionally imbued with a multitude of wards to prevent both natural decay and deliberate sabotage. Additionally, many of the mages and artificers of the region have loaned their expertise and time to create magical protection for the city from things like calamitous weather or biological warfare.

Law and Order

In terms of policing and a judicial system, Rowan police prioritize preserving the civility, order, and academic accessibility of the city, which is to say destruction of property, disturbing the peace, obstructing another's work, or theft of another's materials (be they tools, texts, or time) are viewed harshly.
The harshest punishment that can be visited upon a person in Rowa is restriction to or even banishment from the city, and with it, the Scriptorium Soiram. Given both the cultural significance of the Scriptorium (and how poorly it would be viewed by most people to learn someone had received a ban from it) as well as the fact that many who visit or live in Rowa are scholars who view the building as their holiest place, this is usually enough of a deterrent to scare people straight.
For those who are not deterred by the threat of being locked out of academic heaven, Rowa maintains a small jail block but generally prefers simply ousting people from their city instead. Enough mages live in the city that some may be called upon if needed to create wards to keep a specific person from the area. The fact is that Rowa is too far away from The Tryst or the Forgotten Gaol to bother with imprisonment; they'd rather banish the person and return to their studies.
Trials are held on a weekly basis on Alwin, the first day of the new week, and are attended to by a 7-person jury that people volunteer for (as bringing in obligate jurors from the populace would just make them grumpy and harsher than they need to be). In the event a jury cannot come to a conclusion, the Council (government body) is brought in to pass judgement.

Ethics and Safety

Though Rowa is built on a culture that firmly establishes itself as accommodating, with scientific and academic progress the highest priority, there very quickly were efforts established to be sure this progress was not at the cost of the health, happiness, and wellbeing of others.
It is, of course, impossible to pretend no harm can ever come of any discovery, as when an invention is turned into a weapon, and what one person sees as harmless may be diametrically opposed to what another does and be seen as a grave insult to the gods or all moral decency. Because of this, ethics and what is "allowed" or "good" science is not a clear black-and-white. Instead, the city council appoints representatives from different areas of study and cultures (species, geographic locations, belief systems etc.) to serve in lively debates and discussions about safety, morality, and wellbeing regarding ongoing work in the city.
These debates, held weekly, are preceded by a town hall style meeting called the Discussion of Progress where new projects are discussed and given the community's support or brought to discuss and debate. These debates can be heated and long, stretching for hours as points both cultural and technical are raised about the sanctity and safety of a process. In the end, if a project is determined unfit to continue, the owner must abandon the work or leave Rowa entirely. This does not count as banishing but the person's name will forever be remembered with distrust and scorn by those who were aware of why they left, and word spreads quickly in academia. All efforts are made to make these rulings as fair as possible, but there are always disgruntled types that leave in disgust and it is for these villain-origin-story moments that the wards and protections of Rowa exist.

Industry & Trade

Due to their proximity to The Cradle, Rowans enjoy some of the easiest access to animal products in Ostelliach, and in particular often make crafty use of the livestock to export a wide variety of unique musical instruments from stringed lyre-types to drums of all sizes.

Infrastructure

One feature of Rowa that is of particular intrigue to travelers to the region is the city's shape and positioning.
Rowa is actually slightly elevated from the sand and clay-rich soil of the area, located on a series of vast metal plates and cogs that gently rotate the city. The rotations were timed to follow the rotation of the moon Kitan, completing a full revolution every 17 days.
The movement is slow enough that most people do not notice it after their first day or so visiting, and the unconscious shifting is thought to be another reason sailors feel so at home in the city even after they end their nautical adventures. Still, some visitors do not even believe the city is on such mechanisms until they are brought on a tour to see the structures down below or the vast complex dedicated to maintaining them above.
The cogs are made of combinations of metals specifically designed to not absorb or refract too much heat from the earnest sun overhead, and the city itself has pavement, roads, yards, and parks like any other city, with the mechanisms hidden from the everyday thoughts of residents. One of the metals present throughout the cogs in just enough quantities to be effective in arcane warding is Ohx Electrum, the magically-charged alloy from Arnun-Ohx far north. This addition was integral to both the function and the safety of the wheels (keeping them moving, keeping people or creatures from interfering with them) and established a fond partnership with the northern city where trade is common and Arnun-Ohx visitors may find discounts on inns and taverns the same way those from Sadora Rowa do.
The mechanisms remain an architectural and mechanical marvel that inspires both artists and inventors alike.

Districts

Rowa does not segregate its intellects by type, encouraging a mixing of foci that breeds further innovation and new perspectives. Similarly, being that they prize educating the younger generations, Rowans do not separate into groups based on age or experience level either.
That being said, the city instead divided itself by the times its people best focused, with sections roughly divided like shifts of a 24-hour business to allow people to stay where they would be around those sleeping and quiet when they wanted it and active when they were.
This is, of course, an imperfect science, both because people's sleep schedules may fluctuate due to any number of factors and because it is not practical to divide the city into sections based on shifts or individual hours. However, Rowans do their best to adhere to this structure as best as possible as it was formed in their best interest; especially given that Rowans are known for their raucous parties as much as their silent studying and cool experiments, so you learn quickly both when you are most annoyed by noise to avoid and how serious those around you are about you being the one person disturbing their rest. Visitors to Rowa also quickly learn this lesson, sometimes the hard way.
No sleep schedule (and according region) of the city is viewed as more or less important than others; in fact, the encouragement of different sleep schedules and nocturnal support is a selling point for the city and great effort is made by both inhabitants and visitors to ensure people can need when they want and party when they want without disturbing others.
Many inns and taverns make their business supporting the different districts, residing either on the fringes between different areas to accommodate in-betweeners or being sure to keep rooms open to allow people who find their sleep schedule suddenly changed. After all, sometimes an experiment makes you nocturnal for a while or you get a grand commission that requires a change in work schedule, and that doesn't necessarily mean you need to up and move entirely. Some Rowans actually make their life this way, however, refusing permanent home ownership in favor of hopping between inns as their fancy and shifting sleep schedules allow.

History

Creation

Rowa was formed long before The Breaking, long before many of the cities on the continent of Ostelliach, tied as it is to the sacred Scriptorium Soiram. After the creation of the great libraries, a desire for a place close to the archives but not in them arose, with proponents seeking a place to rest from their academia, or retire when not actively engaged in study but not far from the ability to return. Thus, Rowa was planned.
However, given the ambitions of the creative and scholarly types that held this goal, a plain old city was not acceptable. And so, they challenged themselves to create an architectural marvel, an artificing feat not seen before. They enlisted the assistance of the tribes of smiths in the far north where Arnun-Ohx was not even yet created, leveraging their magic alloy Ohx Electrum in exchange for an established scholastic partnership. They brought in crafters from the world over, telling the tale of a scholar's city built above the ground.
They worked on the project for 17 long years, building prototype after prototype to test the load bearing, the magical wards, the logistics of the spin and speed of the revolutions, the mundania of keeping sand and grit from the gears. But, finally, in 708 PB, the great plates stood, spinning gently, almost imperceptibly, to the music of the moon above. Rowa was built. (Or, at least, the first few buildings on the sturdy plateau that was the mechanisms.)

Sadora Rowa

Much later but a relative blink of the eye in Ostelliach's history, in 310 PB, a delegation of missionary-esque scholars established the sister city of Sadora Rowa in the north, both as an outpost of knowledge of the area and a waystation to the partnership in the city of Arnun-Ohx, since sprung up where the Orcish smith tribes had made their home.

Post-Breaking

The Breaking very nearly destroyed Rowa, the magic integral to parts of the mechanisms leeched out in the instant of that terrible crack heard 'round the continent. However, fortunate for the people living atop the slowly spinning top, the non-magical craftsmanship of the cogs and gears held just enough to prevent a total collapse. It was this same devoted craftsmanship (maintained and enhanced by those in the city in those times, much after their original creators) that would keep the city moving in the time between The Breaking and Rebuilding the Temples.
Later, once the reconnection to The Web was established, the electrum was reimbued and the wards were reestablished. Fortunately enough, the proximity to the Scriptorium Soiram had kept most of the mages of the age close to Rowa (and indeed, the meetings of the Finite Architects and the abject lack of an idea where else to go in the meantime had brought many more to Rowa in the time since). Thus, Rowa was fortunate enough to be perhaps the only place in Ostelliach to be able to say it had ultimately benefited (more or less) from the Breaking, in that it was a safe haven for grieving mages during that time and a common destination for those on their Godcrafting pilgrimages afterward.

Tourism

People primarily visit Rowa for one thing: the Scriptorium Soiram. However, even the unscholarly visit the area, enjoying the temperate climate year-round as a vacation destination or way to escape harsher areas in the summer or winter. Additionally, the academic competitions are great fun for visitors and attract many tourists. Finally, visiting scholars and artificers love seeing the great cogs that turn the city.

Architecture

Structures in Rowa are commonly made from the light-colored clay found in the Illuvia region, building relatively open-air structures with high ceilings and wide windows to allow the pleasant weather entry. Lighting is a big priority in the structures to allow studying to be unimpeded by time, with many-a-lamp and lots of natural light.
The decor is typically focused on comfort, ease of movement, and lots of clutter: the people of Rowa are scholars, creators, inventors, and thinkers; they do not want to be burdened by discomfort or minimalist organizational systems. As such, most places are full of low cushions, comfortable floors for sprawling across, and many, many bins and piles of everything from alchemic ingredients to books to metal bits and bobs, depending on the flavor of scholar's home you visit.

Geography

Rowa is located with lovely views to each side:

• The rollicking waves and massive structure of The Breakaway to the west

• The calm cerulean of the Placidia Ocean and its wide beaches to the south

• The proud jewel of their culture, the Scriptorium Soiram as well as wide oasis of Illuvia to the east

• The pastoral fields of The Cradle and the nurturing Rowa River to the north

The city itself is located on a plain over clay deposits and elevated slightly by its great, slowly-turning metal mechanisms.

Climate

Rowans benefit from a temperate location in the region of Illuvia, with the warm anger of the Chained Forge dissipated by the aptly-named Placidia Ocean to create a climate that sees little snow or sweat.

Natural Resources

Clay from the region is valued as a building material (as seen in Rowa's own homes and businesses). Various materials used for reading such as papyrus and stone are also exported from the area.

Founding Date

708 PB

Alternative Name(s)

City of Scholars

Type

City

Inhabitant Demonym

Rowans

Related Historical Events

• 725 PB
  Creation of Rowan Mechanism