The primary settlement of humanity, situated at the base of the Peak and home to a combination of all of the Old Tribes, aside from the disgraced Derashi, though they allegedly no longer exist.
Luthal is a mixture of all of the surviving tribes that banded together at the end of the
Battle of the Peak. As such, they are comprised of the descendants of the
Zunthr,
Hundri,
Kollin, and
Collga tribes from all ages and walks of life.
Luthal and the surrounding regions are governed by the Council of Elders, lead by an appointed king. This king need not be of the age to become an elder, much like Thog would have been at the time of his appointment. The Elders act as an advisory body and are elected by other members of the Elders.
Luthal is a central hub of trade which is led largely, but not exclusively, by the descendants of the Kollin tribe. Within Luthal is a massive marketplace featuring permanent buildings as well as open spaces for temporary setups to be made.
Trade is largely done through barter, however as recently as 13 years ago, salt shards began to be used as a form of currency.
These shards are thumbnail sized pieces of opaque, polished salt-stone that are cubed in shape. These salt shards are grown in shallow pools at the southern edge of Luthal by people specially appointed by the Elders to what is called the Saltmaker's Guild, the exact secret of their growth being kept a mystery to the populace as a whole. The color of the salt denotes its rarity and therefore its value, with white crystals being the least valuable (equivalent to $1 for GURPS rulings), followed by pink ($5), red (10$), yellow ($20), and black ($100). In present times most places of business or trade will accept these shards, however there are a few who may still not want anything to do with it, thinking the use of salt, a holy substance, for such a base pursuit as trade to be distasteful, or sacrilegious at worst.
While there are no official guilds at present, some of the citizens of Luthal tend to identify or work within specific factions which formed as a byproduct of the mixing of cultures during Luthal's founding. Present day ones ancestral tribe holds little bearing over their position or role in society, though some do proudly cling to their lineage, especially if they believe they were descended from the First Radiants.
Within Luthal are two primary factions of power: The Council of the Elders who are the official leaders of Luthal and its surrounding territories, and the
Arcaniam, the guild of Radiants and scholars.
Within Luthal are also smaller guilds related to specific trades, such as the Potter's Guild, the Farmer's Guild, and the Saltmaker's Guild. Some guilds offer open memberships as long as you are part of the trade, others, such as the Saltmaker's Guild, are much more secretive.
Luthal was founded following the events of the
Battle of the Peak after the remaining tribes formed an alliance amongst themselves. While some of the tribespeople returned to their native lands, many chose to stay and found an official settlement at the base of the Peak, eventually forming a base of power within the Basin. Little is known about the actual formation of the settlement into a city as written records of this do not exist, but after the founding many believe that Thog led the people through an era of growth and peace, defending the people against the creatures of the night and against the raids from Zunthr splinter faction formed from those that broke away from the other tribes when Garth departed. Throughout Garth's life, this splinter faction initiated many raids against the new settlement and continued to do so irregularly for several generations after his death.
Early versions of buildings in Luthal consisted of wattle-and-daub huts. As the years progressed, however, buildings began to be made of early unfired brick and clay construction, with lumber being used as a supporting element. Buildings tend to be fairly rectangular, with a slightly sloped roof. Some structures are made from cut stone, collected from areas other than the Peak as it is forbidden to take from it.
Luthal is situated at the base of the Peak, respectfully keeping its city borders a distance away. As a result, the southern portions of the city are mainly rocky stone where not paved, while the northern sections eventually transition to dirt or soil. Further north still are the farmlands that support the city and its inhabitants.
Flowing along the western side of Luthal is one of the great rivers that flow down the Peak into the Basin. the salt water provides the citizens with clean drinking water, and further along the rivers channels are starting to be built to provide more water further inland for the newly discovered "irrigation" technique.
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