Rithnidloi
A medium-to-large Bell community roving the Nidari Reach , Rithnidloi is a centre of learning for the entire region. With a population in the tens of thousands spread over 4 bells, and hundreds of years of illustrious history, Rithnidoi is a jewel in the crown of the Nidari people.
Caziyel and Ghellim live in a tent-apartment in the teytonol district of the great (now Lone) twin.
Questions/to-do:
- How quickly did the little twin die? Was it evacuated? Was it stolen instead, as part of the ransom, and is still missing/later found trashed?
- Possibly dives are mounted to recover from the body, possibly a yearly (or less frequent)remembrance of the event - possibly hijacked by the mercenaries to improve their image?
Demographics
Though more than 50% of the population are Nidari, there is a very large number of groups from around the reach, as well as rarer groups and individuals from further afield.
The cuisine is built around shrimp/prawn/krill as a protein base/staple. This is provided by a fleet of fishing ships that moor for the night among the tentacles of the bells for protection from the beasts of the ocean. Something like 40% of the town's population is engaged in this work. They are almost exclusively Nidari, and are largely peripheral and ignored by those who live above.
Government
Rithnidloi is ruled by a chief magistrate, traditionally selected from among the leaders of the law colleges. The position is lifelong, with the option for earlier removal under arcane situations. In general there is a good amount of freedom afforded to the residents, though this entirely at the magistrate's whim.
The expensive colleges are funded through two main models: firstly through tuition fees, particularly around the areas of specialist essence manipulation (learning to be a desalination adept, for example) and the arts of law and statecraft (chiefly the children and advisors of rulers and aristocrats and secondly, by producing their own experts in these and other areas, that are then franchised, indentured or employed by the colleges and guilds and "loaned out" to other organisations for a regular fee (which is split between the individual and the organisation).
These fees are sometimes waived for certain students; for instance, the children of professors (Ghellim) or those with such rare infusions that they are considered of value unto themselves (Deyoctrun).
there are certain collection points for new students to take the long journey skyward to begin their education, and graduates and advisors descend to find prospective employers: for instance, there is one in the southern Barren Isles at a Trader's League outpost.
carrying more weight means a higher calorific load for the Bells, which are partly wild-fed and partly supplied by the fishing-fleet. Some of the cost of that fleet falls on the Magistrate, so there are tariffs based on weight of goods loaded and offloaded. This process is rife with corruption.
Industry & Trade
Rithnidloi has experts in many different fields, including history, poetry, and engineering. The three loosely-related areas it specialises in most, however, are:
- Comparative essences: the different infusions throughout the world and the various arts by which they can be manipulated. Focused on inanimate essences, as it doesn't have the space for large menageries.
- Theology and religious studies: with representatives of many of the world's religions, where various holy texts and practices can be read, interrogated and discussed.
- Law, governance, politics and statecraft: experts in many different legal codes, the study of forms of governance, tutoring for future rulers and aristocrats and the like.
Infrastructure
see "history" section for more details about the various Bells that have made up Rithnidloi over time.
Where the curve of the bells' flanks become too steep to easily build on, grassy verges are planted to provide food, spices, medicine, gardens, research plants etc. these are fertilised using collected night soil.
fresh water is valuable in Rithnidloi, with several competing desalinators and rain collectors hoarding large reservoirs and charging prices for water.
Some city locations:
- Magistrate's palace
- Food processing/storage areas
- Residential areas
- Temples
- Lookout/nav tower
- Colleges – lecturer that is a sentient Quetzal (from far afield).
- Old guard hq (now defunct)
- Eyrie – has Cormorants and sea-quetzals (sea-snake crossed with albatross)
- Urchin district
- water towers/tanks
- public (saltwater) baths
Guilds and Factions
- The Rodera: Noun, lit. Grip, Grasp, wrap, entangle (as with a fist or tendril). The mercenary company that have taken de facto command of Rithnidloi. Still run by the daughter of the founder, a force of personality who is in charge and has been for over 20 years. she took the company from a minor concern to a large (~900 person) military unit.
- Imnocleni College: the college of the current Magistrate, among the largest and most prestigious of the colleges for producing legal advisors that are exported around the Nidari Reach. now largely a mouthpiece for the Rodera.
- Oremani College: the college where Ghellim and Deyoctrun studied, and where Ghellim's parent(s) are lecturers. Focuses on Comparative essence studies - possibly just an abstract interest, possibly to develop new magics and techniques. funded by the mysterious benefactor, Oremani, who visits on occasion but whose identity is otherwise not well-known. Possibly, now subverted by the Rodera to develop weaponry?
- The Three-toothed beasts: a rowdy trident-based sparring club for students and faculty (not duelling in the classic Nidari sense). Deyoctrun formally learned to fight here.
History
Time of independence:
During Ghellim, Deyoctrun and Thaffter's studies, Rithnidloi was at a relative height of success. It was formed of 4 Bells:- The great twin: 990m diameter, a jumble of houses, shops and businesses, and college and guild buildings.
- The little twin: 860m diameter, similar to the great twin but with more greenery around the flanks. It was named because it and the larger Great Twin grew from the same polyp, over 500 years ago.
- Magistrate's Bell: 420m diameter, containing the courts, the magistrate's palace, the nicest temples, and other fancy official buildings.
- The Infant: 180m diameter, kept wild for now except for gardens and a small research station.
Time of submission:
in 9LF, Rithnidloi suffered a devastating attack by pirates/raiders off the coast of Sarlim, killing the little twin and kidnapping many student heirs of powerful families. The magistrate hired a mercenary war-bell to protect the city, but once invited in the mercenaries settled down and now effectively run the city. Roving mercenaries are above the law and cause continual chaos and damage; taxes and fees are hiked; the city's routes now have to support mercenary as well as academic business; academic freedom is more curtailed in general; the city's reputation as a centre of learning and political brilliance is in decline. But the city has developed a secondary role as a hub and clearinghouse for mercenaries, adventurers, and those who seek the business of such bravos. Some go to War-bell troops, but others are taken by independent adventurers. Looking to acquire a new 4th bell in the near future.- The great (or lone, or just the) twin: 990m diameter, now considerably more crowded with displaced libraries, colleges and guilds than it was before.
- Magistrate's Bell: 420m diameter, now moved to the centre of the formation for protection.
- The Infant: 250m diameter, pressed into service as extra accommodation and consequently rough and slummy. Still growing, resulting in shifting "land".
- War-bell: 720m diameter, steely grey, the exclusive domain of the mercenaries and technically still not part of the city (though it's just a gated district to all intents and purposes at the moment).
Architecture
The diverse populace shows in the architecture of Rithnidloi, which features districts that are built in the styles of The Giteri, Teytonol (tents, though true Teytonol residents see these tents as dead mockeries of true tents), Sarlim (marble), Lacrestand (wood carved with fern motifs), Barren Isles (bamboo) And Sokani (thatch or turf roofs, grass-bundle walls), as well of native Nidari styles.
Type
City
Population
15,000-25,000
Location under
Characters in Location
Related Professions
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