Thripia
"Never will you see a city so drunk on gold."Sometimes known as the True Free City, the Golden City or the Auric City. Thripia, meaning golden gate in the Thalassian tongue, is said by many be the greatest civilization in the world. An ancient, powerful and independent city-state with a long history of conflict and prosperity, Thripia is found where the Meleatte River meets the sea in the continent of Arad. It is a city built around trade, particularly concerning its unique resource; ichor. It's people worship the sun god Sargos who is said to rule the destinies of men.
Appearance
Thripia is found along the coast by the Western Sea. It is a bustling city of streets, back alleys and courtyards. Statues of sphinx rest by buildings and merchants swamp the roads. The north side of the river is more populated, with wider streets crowded by people of all kinds, including in particular thieves and beggars, with shorter, humbler buildings that have flat roofs and less elegant construction. The south side is older, more elaborate and decorated with color, home to a richer population. The Two Bridges connect the halves. Buildings are made of large, sandstone bricks with square roofs and arched windows. Larger palaces have more rounded shapes with great tiled domes atop their rooms, pillars supporting roofs and tall towers which sprout from walls and chambers. The streets of Thripia are cobbled with a light-colored stone. Vibrant banners, patterned in flowing shapes, hang from the buildings. Gardens adorn corners, courtyards, terraces and balconies; vines wrapping around stone and bees rummaging through the multi-colored greenery. The alleys between the two-storied buildings of the city are twisting and elaborate with many stairways, archways and parapets linking together walkways and other passages. Statues and fountains are a common sight in the city's many courtyards. Some spaces are filled with people, others are secluded and secret. On the shoreline of the interior of the the city's bay, harbors can be found accompanied docks and small markets. Outside Thripia's walls, which stand at a height of ten meters and span the rocky coast, is the remainder of the city. On the east is farmland which spans a great length within the Meleatte river's fertile lands. Here, buildings are of lesser quality, crumbling in some places and with obvious repairs in others. The denizens are relatively poor, largely farmers. Buildings are larger and more spaced apart, lacking the tight alleyways of the inner city, and thus more greenery abounds such as towering forests of palm trees and clusters of grasses. This vegetation paves the way for fields of crops which live off the waters of the Meleatte.Notable Buildings
The architecture of Thripia is world renowned thanks to many famous buildings, constructed over its long and elaborate history.- The Gate of Halemica is the city's most famous monument. On an island in the middle of the mouth of the bay is built a great fortress atop which an enormous statue stands. It depicts Halemica the Conqueror, with motifs of the war goddess Thenia, dressed in a long robe, holding in her outstretched hand a blazing torch that serves as a lighthouse and points outward towards the Western Sea from whence the Thalassians who founded the city came. Her other hand holds a large blade rested at her side. From the fortress underneath the statue extends on both sides, connected to towers on each, a large and heavy bronze chain that normally rests at the bottom of the bay. When raised with a weighted mechanism in the Gate's fortress, the chain rises and blocks enemy ships from entering the bay.
- The Old Palace sits atop the High Hill on the south side of the river. Rising above the city, it is a grand structure built of white stone. Its central chamber is round and vast with five floors and a domed roof tiled with blue. From this court, other circular rooms expand, along with tall towers of which there are fifteen of various heights. A wall surrounds the palace, inside which are grand gardens. Once the throne of the Dynasty Kings, it is now home to the Wise Council who overthrew the monarchy in the People's Uprising.
- The Great Gold Bank is found near the Tower Market south of the river and is one of the most important institutions in the city. Though in appearance it seems little more than a simple, if ornate establishment of square design barely larger than three homes together, below the surface it is a sprawling vault of tunnels, passageways and sealed chambers where ichor and wealth are kept.
- The Hall of Order is the center of Thripia's justice system. A long, rectangular building with a flat roof whose longest side faces the street and is columned by white pillars. It is found on the south side of Thripia near the First Bridge. It contains various courts in which feuds are decided. The largest of these is the Grand Court in which the most important individuals are brought before the law.
- The Temple of Sargos is located on the north bank of the Meleatte at the end of the First Bridge and is run by the Cult of Sargos. It is made up of a central rotund chamber of worship that has multiple stories and is surrounded on all sides by pillars. It has a domed, gold-plated roof and sits on an artificial hill up which flights of stairs ascend. A statue of Sargos stands at the center of the building's interior. Various other smaller chambers extend from the temple's back for use in private prayer, teachings and theological discussion as well as to serve as living quarters for the magi. Once, the temple was dedicated to the sea god Auromon and maintained by his cult.
- The Blue Bathhouse is found in the north side of the city in the east sections not too far from the wall. Once, the Blue Bathhouse was one of the most luxurious retreats in Thripia surrounded by beautiful and carefully maintained gardens. However, it is now surrounded by urban sprawl. The influx of lower wage workers and poorer inhabitants into the area surrounding it has also lead to it being considered a bathhouse for the common people, run by criminals and populated by thieves and prostitutes. The Blue Bathhouse stands atop a small hill. In design, it is only a single story with square buildings and multiple blue-green angular roofs from the openings of which pour steam. The walls once bore light turquoise paint most of which has since faded. It has numerous different baths of varying temperatures, some with open walls to allow for breeze and some walled off and more private. Mosaic designs, once decorating the walls, are now chipped and falling apart. The building is, overall, dilapidated.
- The School of Philosophy, a relatively new institution, was first founded by the legendary Polymanis though not given an official building until much later. Found in the northern half of Thripia, it stands atop a low hill directly by the coast and is built out of a pale red stone. It's buildings have high ceilings and domed roofs. Easily accessible by large archways in the walls, an external garden runs down the hill and contains various courtyards where discussions are held. The majority of debates, lectures and practices however are done in circular halls of the building itself. The school is at the forefront of Thripia's philosophy and Oracular Arts, second only to the Temple of the Sargos.
Government
Thripia is currently ruled by an oligarchy known as the Wise Council. Made up of ten members, each a Merchant Lord, who meet on a regular basis in the Old Palace on the fifth floor of the central chamber, known as the Room of Ten. They are represented in the public eye by the Merchant Prince who is elected from among the other Merchant Lords. The role of the Prince is mostly symbolic. He delivers messages to the population of the city and acts as a spokesperson. Most often, they are skilled and charismatic orators. Each councilman may at their disclosure raise an issue to their fellows, usually petitioning for a certain outcome in the process or suggesting a course of action. From there, deliberation occurs following which is a vote. The vote may be delayed if a resolution is unlikely. The Merchant Prince votes along side them however his only counts if there is a five to five tie. Otherwise, the majority rules. When a councilman dies, is removed from power or steps down from his position, the remaining nine present alternative members who may be taken from any position in the city, including that of the Merchant Prince. Generally, however, Merchant Lords are the only candidates considered. Several votes are taken from among the council which slowly narrow down the candidates until two remain and the successor councilman is chosen from among them. Although corruption is rife among the members, who serve the interests of the guilds more than that of the city, as well as factionalism and infighting, there are certain measures in place which attempt to ensure that the Council sees to the best interest of Thripians. Primarily, this takes the form of the Cabal of the Black. An ancient order established during the reign of the Dynasty King Xartses, they were founded in order to hold those in positions of power accountable for their actions and execute punitive measures of great severity should their Obligation to the People be breached. The Cabal chooses a representative known as the Black Hand to be present during Council meetings and remind them of their duties. Should they agree to an action that the Black Hand and by extension the Cabal itself disproves of, the Black Hand may report back to the triad in charge of the Cabal recommending action. They have, in the past, assisted with entire revolts as was the case in the overthrow of the Dynasty Kings during the People's Uprising. However, in many cases there is little threat of blatant corruption from the Wise Council as they fear the power of the people who are given extensive rights in Thripia and are ultimately more likely to attack one another than anything else. As such, the Cabal of the Black has decreased in relevance over the years and many Black Hands have themselves have become corrupt, though in general such men are executed for their crimes by the Cabal itself.Economy
Thripia's economy revolves almost entirely around ichor. It is farmed by beekeepers who build hives around the base of the Meleatte and then refine the substance in distilleries. Many households have their own apiaries as well. From there, it is sold by farmers to the guilds who, in turn, exchange it for goods with sailors, traders and travelers. Prices are high, but the best hagglers and merchants are rewarded with higher positions in the guild. Goods and resources received from traders are then sold either to other guilds or the general public. Guilds will also sell ichor to other wealthy individuals. If it is not sold, then it is stored in the Great Gold Bank. Ichor is so highly valued that it forms the basis for Thripia's currency, the sungold; a coin which the bank produces and exchanges. By law, no ichor can be sold without the involvement of the guilds; this supposedly for regulatory purposes. As a result of this policy, Thripia has a sprawling Black Market in which ichor is sold directly by farmers for higher prices than they use to sell to the guilds but lower prices than the guilds use to sell to their customers. This often attracts the interest of sailors and traders but is, however, highly illegal, and thus the mercenaries in service of the Guilds are always on the hunt for such transactions. Criminal guilds who run such enterprises ensure that they are bribed away from the Black Market itself, though.Maps
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Thripia (Outdated)
Alternative Name(s)
The True Free City, the Golden City, the Auric City
Type
Large city
Population
500,000
Related Ethnicities
Inhabitant Demonym
Thripians
Location under
Included Locations
Owning Organization
Related Professions
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