Kubuadac
Summary
When the tokyau fled across Mount Skyreach thousands of years ago, they settled into a massive river valley within Jerhegn. Their proverbial backs toward the mountains, and the front yawning into the massive jungles, this middleground proved ideal for their new city. While it looked to be on the 'edge', in the end the same amount of troubles invariably found their ways to them. Predators and disease alike rampaged through the fledgling settlement, pushing the tokyau to their limits from the very start. But for them, who had nowhere else to go, yielding was never an option. They embraced the brutality needed for survival, shoving back against the jungle and its awesome dominance. It took years upon years, but they quarried stone, built massive fortifications, and took the valley in its entirety for themselves. Through blood magic they cleansed disease, and through necromancers they appeased the dead, finding solace in the suffering they were trapped in. So the old ways of the tokyau were subsumed by the needs of the new settlement, and birthed their unique culture. The cult of Teohcxe arose to dominance, a necromantic religion that married concepts of life and death in a union of struggle. Both supported each other, so that one day they might escape from the eternal cycle, and reach the proverbial paradise that violence didn't exist within. Living space is a premium, and so the dead themselves were incorporated into the growing settlement. Ground down and mixed in with their stone mixture, the tokyau stylized faces, bodies, and entire families into the relief of the stonework. Those of greater prestige were 'entombed' within statues, guardian golems that the necromancers could invoke in times of dire need. Families who owned homes created small shrines and burial vaults, honoring prior generations and seeking guidance when needed. Indeed, the form of a mausoleum versus a home blended into one and the same idea. Thus Kubuadac, 'Temple of the Living Dead', came to be. A name for a family home that soon represented the fledgling city. Armed with their determination in both life and death, the tokyau pushed back against Jerhegn. Soon the Relentless came, almost as if in response. The inglorious beginning of their timeless war began, Kubuadac pushing for space and resources, the Relentless driving them backward. Every mile of reclaimed territory was earned in blood and bodies, the tomb city growing steadily. The bounty of the jungle, and the plentiful bodies of the Relentless, ever fueled their expansion. A relationship of a kind, even if the self-conscious tokyau scholars scorned it. Their steadfast perseverance didn't go unnoticed. Disparate tribes, reclusive settlements, and others who survived in Jerhegn took note of the 'new arrivals'. Trade, in a form, began principally in food and medicines, then knowledge and culture. Those who weren't frightened by the tokyau's necromantic arts soon moved into Kubuadac itself. These long time native populations offered unique insights into Jerhegn, and their expertise massively bolstered the tokyau's efforts. The combined arms saw a surge in Kubuadac's growth, and for the first time mighty pyramids began rising above the canopy of the jungle. Old and long secreted away tokyau innovations began forging again, a semblance of peace finally found within their heartlands. To Jerhegn, who hadn't seen such an enormous city so successful in millennia, its presence wasn't ignored. More native populations moved in, and the relief from struggle saw even more population growth. Relentless, ever drawn to masses of people, grew increasingly frantic and ravenous in their assaults. The tokyau drew upon their arts, forging new supreme weapons, and even changing themselves. Their set work upon their very blood, infusing strength and vitality until they themselves were all but excellent weapons. The Relentless couldn't keep pace against the overwhelming might brought against them. But to them it is never a single battle; it is war, and they continue to fight even when losing. Kubuadac had finally fortified its walls beyond breach, but the price was constant sacrifice against nature's unnatural predators. Undaunted, they continued to refine their martial forms, innovate new weapons, and push toward that idyllic ideal. Relentless or not, the determination of Kubuadac's people for their safe future is unwavering. To uplift the dead who yet carry them in life, and to ensure that they will all live on eternally. So it is the history of Kubuadac, the greatest city in all of Jerhegn.Demographics
Due to the isolated nature of Kubuadac, there is little foreign presences or species found outside of Jerhegn. While others do exist in the vast city, they are not in statistically relevant quantities.
Infrastructure
Kubuadac is a city of layers, with the oldest parts it built deep within the veltron. Being in a river valley, annual flooding is an issue in its ground-level areas. Its foundations are akin to massive flood gates, channeling the awesome river to a variety of paddies, terrace farms, and water filtration plants. Despite its clear clarity, the water itself is quite filthy, and so enormous cleaning areas are purposed.
Between these basic necessities, much of Kubuadac's lower levels is taken up by them. Amidst the smooth stone and detailed reliefs, waterfalls and flowing greenery frame an almost idyllic scene. Unlike the rest of Jerhegn, no one has to worry about predators hiding in the leaves.
The vast majority of Kubuadac can be found in the middle layers: personal and public housing, food processing and sorting, public bathing, and recreational districts. Unlike the uniform lower layer, which required meticulous planning, the middle layer is far more chaotic. Desire informed purpose, which guided the form to which every area took up. Being the most populated area, it also holds the most scars of old Relentless invasions. Perhaps as a result of that, rebuilding after an attack was left to those who cared to reclaim the damaged areas.
As one goes deeper into the middle layer's cliffside presence, warehouses become more the norm. The issue of air flow being what it is, the stable environment is ideal for long-term storage. In the thin area between everyone else and the storage houses, a great deal of workshops exist.
With materials close at hand and deeply insulated from outside weather, Kubuadac's industries can work in enviable peace. As a matter of course, food, pleasure, and performers tend to find their work around the workshops. Thus houses are squeezed in between and everywhere else. Depending on who asks, the unluckiest of ones live on the edges (the platforms furthest away from the cliffs) where weather hits the hardest.
There is no real upper layer, in terms of deliberate planning. Those who think of this idea typically regard the four great pyramids at the 'corners' of Kubuadac. The centers of Teohcxe, these structures handle the bulk of religious affairs–worship, sacrifice, honor, and so forth. Large chambers and common rooms are built in and along the surface, handling everyone's needs.
The deeper portions of the pyramids store immense amounts of sleeping dead, entombed within finely equipped statues. They represent a final defense line, the most extreme option needed to save Kubuadac from invasion. There is no real count to the amount of sleeping dead within the pyramids; when more space is needed, they dig out deeper chambers.
The outer layers of Kubuadac are a series of massive fortifications. Enormous stone walls filled with sculpted passages, reinforced by sealing-ready doors, arrow/spear slits, and churning machinery. The outside would see it as a monolithic mass, but the reality is closer to a labyrinth. Relentless are far more willing to chase down narrow corridors than claw at stone, making their behavior somewhat manageable.
Keeping this in mind, all sorts of foot holds, temporary positions, and advantageous features are made to aid warriors. It is here countless generations have fought, bled, and died. Its own pipe system delivers much of the bodily waste and blood which result, flowing into enormous blood pools for reclamation later.
Alternative Name(s)
Temple of the Living Dead
Type
City
Population
1,500,000+
Location under
Characters in Location
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