More brain drippings (Nine and one gods, the city of the sun) · 8:42pm Dec 6th, 2016
I wake up. I shower. I have ideas. Might as well get them down here before I forget.
It is said that when the world was created, the one god Law stood upon the world and said the one thousand and one laws that govern the universe. This spot was the center of all the universe, and law gave the world and all its bounty to man from this one place outward, and on to the ends on the universe. From this place, the greatest city in the world was created, shaped by Law's will: Solaumbarr.
The reality is somewhat less dramatic, but without question Solaumbarr is the oldest of the Great cities. It sits on the isthmus connecting the northern continent with the eastern continent, resting almost precisely on the equator. The two rivers Salumbis and Solhumbis meet before flowing west to the inner sea. The terrain, once wooded, is now utterly given to farm lands of wheat and rice, and irrigation webs extensively across the region. The Golden Road passes right through the city by law, and its entire length is a vast commercial center of trade. As one might expect, the local climate is quite hot, and the area's light winds bring little relief. Locals are accustomed to it, but visitors are often forced indoors to escape the heat.
The city itself is set like a great wheel, with roads radiating out from its central point like a great wheel, with circular avenues connecting the spokes. The closer one approaches the center, the larger, grander, and more palatial the structures. Local yellow limestone gives way to imported white marble decorated with golden spires. At the very center of the city is the palace of the sun, both temple to the one god, and seat of power for the priest kings that rule Solaumbarr. The actual government takes place in two large buildings to the east and west, the house of the dawn, that deals with domestic issues, and the house of the dusk, which deals with foreign policy and military matters.
The people of Solaumbarr, the Solumbarri, or Barri, range from black skin to dark brownish red skin. Hair is short and curled, and is often shaved off completely. Beards and mustaches change frequently according to style. The Barri are a tall, strong people, standing over six feet tall on average. While men and women are the two predominate races, urban beastfolk (cats, mice, rats, dogs) also make up a tenth of the population. Harpies are a small minority, tasked as aerial couriers and scouts for the army. These minorities are poorly integrated into the society as a whole, and frequently live in the outer reaches of the city, or outside the city walls entirely. The farmland outside the city sees sizeable populations of cow, ox, horse, and goat folk. Barri dress in light white cotton, and even the poor are clothed in something passable. Toplessness is permissible for men but not females.
The Barri all revere the sun and are an orderly society, with crime punished severely. Guilt is determined by a council, and punishment is decided by the guilty. The arrangement favor the wealthy, who frequently buy their way out of trouble. Poorer people select servitude, army service, or disfigurement. Visitors are encouraged not to challenge local authorities, who give little leniency to foreigners. Foreigners are encouraged to visit the palace, and to see the stone where it is said that Law's own footprints can be seen. They are also encouraged to give a tithe. It is crude to pray to the sun to bless an individual.
While Law is by far the most revered diety in Solaumbarr, eight of the nine also have temples. The house of Beasts is the religious center for the beastfolk of the city, mostly focusing on keeping instincts in check and knitting the community together. The tower of clear skies rises up to the second tallest building in the city, made of shining white marble. Harpies flock here from all over to give praise to Storm, and to keep her visits to the city brief. The Deep is a holy church to the few delvers, and the congrigation is more humans interested in the wealth of the earth and visitors taking refuge from the heat. The temple of the two gates is one that is devoted to both good and evil, with long debates over what each is being carried out.
Aside from the temple in the center of the city, the other remarkable institution is the House of Law. Not a temple, this sprawling structure is the oldest university in the world. In it, scholars attempt to determine the 1001 laws used to create the universe. Debate over each is fierce, and scholars work tirelessly to promote which laws they think are and are not of the 1001. A duel was fought to the death between twenty scholars to maintain that "All ducks quack" was one of the 1001. The House of Law is also home to the world's sole legal university, cataloguing the evolution of law in the great cities all across the world. It's final role is in the study of magic. While magic is forbidden in Solaumbarr, its study is permitted... in the interests of learning how to prevent its use and abuse, of course.
Because magic is an aspect of Chaos, neither magic, nor any worship of chaos is allowed. Elves must wear chains of iron and be tattooed with a mark signifying who in the city is responsible for them. These caretakers face the same punishment as the elves for any act of chaos. All other fae are forbidden on pain of death.
Solaumbarr's military is a bit of a mess. Countless efforts have been made to streamline and make the army more uniform. All fail, however, due to the widely disparate power structures. The city soldier is armed with a spear, a cotton uniform, and a leather cap decorated with brass disks to denote their authority. They are tasked with both law enforcement and city protection. Because legal penalties are so severe, corruption is suppressed, but not eliminated. Above this is the 'midnight watch', which wear leather armor reinforced with metal sewn inside the vest. Their name comes from the fact that they are dedicated to maintaining the Law, even at night. Some accurately call them 'legal assassins' as they can met out death to individuals. Of equal rank are the variety of bodyguards employed by the city's rich and powerful elite. Theoretically, all these forces can be conscripted in times of war, but in reality it would be almost impossible to do so. Solaumbarr protects itself through formidable and maintained walls. When the city is expanded, the wall system is increased. Currently the twenty meter tall walls are three times the height of the innermost walls. The sheer size of the city makes a siege improbable.
Sexually, the Barri are relatively conservative. Marriage is encouraged and arranged from birth between families. Infidelity is a religious violation against the sun itself, but infidelity only exists if a member in the marriage presses the issue. Thus adultery is commonplace. The rich often keep stables of exotic mistresses and companions, and poor see this as a way to a comfortable life style. Children of such a union are forbidden inheritance rights, however, and there are many poor illegitimate. For the poor, most marriages are far more amiable and used to support the family and thrive. Marriage to women is most common, with beastfolk unions have some stigmatization of extreme poverty. Many rat and mouse beastfolk never marry and serve as a sexually exploited class.
A sizable population of Barri men are homosexual. This is seen as the 'purest form of love' and men can marry each other legally. Adultry for these relationships, however, is enforced far more stringently. 'Faithless lovers' are an affont to the sun itself. Heirs are generally forbidden from these marriages, and Barri dramas are full of stories about two men in love denied because of their marriage to women. This theme is common in art as well. The masculine form is idealized, and is often depicted both exposed and erect in art.
Economically, Solaumbarr is fairly stratified. The poorest work as labor, with farm work being seen as the lowest as they are paid in crop, not wages. Solaumbarr is production powerhouse for pottery of all kinds, ranging from clay to delicate porcelain. Leatherworks and cloth are also produced by hand, and the city produces some of the finest artwork in the world. Much of the city's economy is centered around the market, taking the constant flow of raw goods and transforming them into hand crafted products. The city lacks and spurns 'industrialization', demanding top prices. Above the poor are the owners of production: shop keepers, tanneries, gold smiths, and such. This enviable middle class is small, but growing steadily when opportunity allows. The wealthiest are all associated with trade caravans that ply the Golden Road. Trade is so vital to the city, that wagons have the right of way through the center of the city, and disrupting its flow is punishable by death.
Cuisine in Solumbarr is fairly complex. The Barri eat food of both wheat flour and rice, heavily seasoned with cumin, cinnamon, or ginger and whatever meat is available. Citrus is extremely common, and used in 'tart wines' and to season meat dishes. Most food is round and served in wedges. It's considered an insult to offer someone an arc rather than a wedge. Other food is served in bowls of rice with bits of pickled vegetables. The morning meal is moderately sized, with a small snack at mid day, a second in the afternoon, and a large supper after sundown. Sugar is commonplace, used to make both sweets and crystallize fruit.
While locals rarely notice, Solumbarr stinks. It smells of body odor and hundreds of trapped smells within the blocks. It's also a noisy city, growing noisier the closer to the central palace you get. The markets are a cacophony of trade, ranging from people selling wares to large trade companies conducting business. It's also extremely crowded. Homes are built three, four, and even five stories tall to house the dense population. Rooftops are home to elaborate gardens, and in the center of each block is park / garden that also serves as the aqueduct. All buildings have shutes made that residents dump their waste into. These shutes lead to sewers kept flowing with river water, which carries the waste to the sea. "Down the shute" is a common term for things going bad. "A blocked shute" is a phrase used for a bad situation that is getting worse.
I really like this random world builiding you are doing.
It is very interesting to read.
i rather liked reading about the gods on the last chapter and was wondering what you would be doing with the world. i was not disappointed. i look forward to more
Stuff like this makes me wonder if there isn't a potential genre made entirely of setting descriptions. There are stories that are about locations, but that's still a normal kind of story. I've always found imaginative and interesting setting descriptions to be compelling in and of themselves, even though they don't have any kind of story or narrative going on.
It's no "veni, vidi, vici," but I could see that going on a T-shirt if nothing else...
4333557 It also happens after binge watching Rick and Morty.
4333628 I'll try to fit that on the shirt, too, but no promises. The T-shirt company charges by the word.
Maybe it can go on the back?
4331662 Cold in Gardez does his Lost Cities which is somewhat collaborative.