I was lead through the city at first in complete darkness, and I could perceive its form only through sound. A river must have run beneath, and the city was suspended above it by some great feat of engineering. It impressed me even more when I could finally set my eyes upon it.— A Rektouzk trader
Onett is the oldest
Beuttepeun city, and the capital of
Tteunor. It is situated along the river Ttor, deep within the darkness of
Tchaoxlik.
The Unseen City
Onett is rarely seen in the traditional sense, as the Beuttep are blind and thus have no need for light. However, if one were able to bathe its streets in light, they would find that much of the city sprawls
over the river Ttor rather than along its shores. Many vertically stacked and interlocked stones form round pillars that hold wider elliptical slabs, joined by intricate interlocking edges to create the platform upon which the city is built, 25 feet above the waters below. None truly know how this was constructed, but most Onetteun would tell you that
Auroull herself built it to welcome her children into the depths. Over the years, various stairways and inclines have been built along the edges so that people and goods may come and go.
Nobles, elders, the
Council of Mothers, and Auroull herself reside over the northern center of the city, where another set of pillars rise to create a heightened area upon which they can hear all of the city below. Their location upstream symbolizes their power, and Auroull's blessings flowing southward to the city's inhabitants.
Almost directly beneath this affluent section of the city lies a district of
aurobolls which serve the ever-growing populace. Among them sits the first of its kind, a humble, small structure that many believe to be where Auroull gave birth to the first of their people, known as the
Auroullbor. The Auroullbor is surrounded by a holy plaza filled with striking geometrical stones that represent this tale, areas to pray, and a raised platform for their all-mother and her priestesses to address the faithful.
Underneath the city are various stone walls upon which moss is farmed, and collected. Large stone-carved fishing boats travel up and down the river here as well, utilizing nets to catch what they are able. While they may be blind and unable to see into the water— so are the fish, making this method decently successful. At the southern end of the city lies a lowered platform, which acts as a wharf. Other goods such as algae, mushrooms,
reull stone, weaponry, body parts— and soldiers come and go through here.
Homes are spread throughout the city, and markets are mostly situated along its southeastern quarter. Alchemical breweries are more typically seen along the west side, nearer to the city's fortifications and Bneull— hunter— training grounds. Single men typically live at the very edges of the city, and are tasked with watching over the outer edges and warding off any
monsters that get past the Bneull. Few live down along the river's shores, rather than above in safety. A woman who finds herself here not by choice would be offered a man's home in the city— not because she would be in danger here, but because the work of hunting should be below her.
A Rapid Transformation
With the founding of
Pottott and the resulting civil war, the Beuttep have been thrust into the first known war in their short history. With this development, the city has had to adapt along with the people living within it. An entire slab along the southern end of the city was destroyed in the earliest fighting, collapsing into the river and bringing many homes and families with it into the darkened waters below. It is unknown which side caused this, and each claim the other to be at fault. The Council have spun this event into a patriotic sacrifice, and have largely ignored public outcry to fortify the pillars keeping them above the river.
There was no military to speak of at the time of this incident, only Bneull— who were hunters, primarily. Now many find themselves trained and organized into military units— hunting prey that are as familiar as the Bneull are inexperienced in fighting them. Fortifications and training grounds, formerly meant to defend the city from monsters, are being fortified and used to train a new generation of Bneull to fight their former countrymen.
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Author's Notes
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