Zion - Light of the New Moon: City of Shrad
Zion - Light of the New Moon
World Information, Part 5
Shrad, City of the Darkened Sky
copyright 2011 comidacomida
The Good
The most northern of all city states, Shrad is city constantly tested by the weather. Summers are full of wind storms and rain while the winters can freeze a man to death in minutes. The warmest seasons bring with them floods, mud, and swarming insects while the land is covered in ice and snow during all other times. It is a region for the hardiest of settlers and every last resident of Shrad is a survivor through and through. During the summers the ever-present cloud layer permits only muted light to shine from the sky; during the winter there is less than 4 hrs of daylight. These traits are just a few of the many reasons that Shrad is known as the City of the Darkened sky.
The city state itself is walled in by thick, nigh impervious stone blocks that rise nearly 40' into the sky. Buildings are small and squat, built thick and able to resist the weight of several feet of snow. Most living structures are partially buried underground, helping to insulate them against the deadly cold that lingers for nearly 7 months of the year. Streets are thin, scarcely wide enough to fit a standard sized cart down, but that rarely causes issues as foot traffic is rare in any great numbers, though street intersections are the exception, providing a large amount of room for maneuvering wagons-- useful for piling snow aside when clearing the roads.
Nearly all structures in Shrad are built with a combination of stone and soil. Most storage buildings are actually seasonal and made of pure ice, allowing the residents to construct them out of water; by the time the warm months come any goods or provisions stored therein have long since been consumed-- the structures are broken down and melted, allowing the land (and ice water) to be put to use in other ways. This kind of ingenuity is the hallmark of Shrad, adding creative intelligence to a land where more than just physical fortitude is required to survive... and survival is a great focus for its people.
Although Shrad is not a city of plenty, its people have learned to make due. Very few citizens are concerned with gaudy presentations, thus most live very simple, minimalistic lives. The most highly regarded article of wealth, in this case, is a well-crafted fur-lined coat-- something that anyone and everyone greatly desires but only the most well-to-do can claim ownership of. (The clergy, being the richest class in Shrad are thus identified by their finely crafted coats). Though the temple prides itself on its bounty, but, at the same time, is always willing and able to grant displays of generosity through of banquets and feasts for the populous, especially during times of great need. This kind of wealth-sharing on the part of the temple reaffirms the dedication to service on behalf of the clergy and strengthens the bond between the priests and the common man.
Despite the lack of material wealth, class distinctions are alive and well in Shrad, based on needed goods and supplies rather than coin. The wide majority of people would fit in what would be considered the traditional middle-class with only a select few being 'rich'. Due to the extreme living conditions people tend to look out for one another, thus limiting those who would be considered otherwise poverty-stricken. This system of mutual preservation encourages camaraderie and builds lasting bonds between groups of individuals who provide aid within their neighborhoods. It is not abnormal to see one of the more well-to-do families take an entire city block under its wing, providing care and help for their less fortunate neighbors, following the temple's example of giving to those who do not have enough.
Although all city states have very strong temple support, Shrad is considered a true Theocracy; there is no administrative branch to separate the clergy from governing the people. The faith is the law of the land, providing very clear and simple direction for its people. This method provides a direct and easy-to-understand system of living without the bureaucratic waste from which other cities are known to suffer. The people of Shrad know that, unlike politicians, the clergy truly have their best interests at heart.
The Bad
Although 'altruism' would be a wonderful way to describe the sense of community in Shrad it is simply not the case. There is no true monetary system in place in the City of of the Darkened Sky, thus everything is based on a combination of property, favors, and power. Those with the power get the property and those with the property have the chance to collect favors from the 'have not's. Survival does require interaction with others, but it is summarized in one of three kinds of relationships: controlling/controlled, give/take,and hunter/prey; there is no equal benefit in Shrad.
While it can be easily argued that there is no crime in Shrad, the simple fact of the matter is that there is no formal legal establishment in Shrad, thus there can be no crime. Personal grudges are handled in whatever manner is seen fit; if someone offends, wrongs, or humiliates another then either they are strong enough to get away with it or they are sneaky enough to avoid having a finger pointed in their direction. Likewise, someone carrying out 'justice' had either be stronger than the target of their retribution or able to have enough cronies to back up their claim for vengeance. There is no murder in Shrad-- just a body of someone who didn't belong that far north.
The one exception to what would be an otherwise law-less city state ares spheres of influence in which a powerful faction maintains control of a portion of the city and sets expectations to their liking. Rich families often impose order over the poor families of a city block, neighborhood, or even, in some cases, an entire city quarter. This control is usually based on a combination of fear and obligation as these large families and rich individuals who claim the control are directly responsible for the welfare (or, in more harsh areas of the city, the harm) of their fellows.
In a similar manner to the most powerful private citizens and families of Shrad, the temple itself maintains similar control over the entirety of the city. The divine protection afforded by the clergy is paramount to the continued survival of Shrad; this is a truth that is quickly and often given as a reminder of the importance of faith and serves as the greatest bargaining chip the temple has. Anyone, group or individual acting against the temple can expect swift and merciless retribution, ranging in severity from banishment into the cold to an even more gruesome citywide hunt being called-- once the temple's displeasure of an unfortunate target is made known there are any number of sycophants seeking to gain favor with the clergy.
The most successful people in power other than the church are usually one of three types: the ruthless overlord, the conniving patriarch, or the criminal mastermind. The ruthless overlord is characterized as an individual who gathers many men to him through sheer force of personality (and usually a great amount of physical might). The conniving patriarch is the individual who is capable of pitting his or her enemies against one another and dancing across the social battlefield without calling too much attention as his or her holdings increase. The criminal mastermind is a nasty combination of the worst aspects of both, usually making ample use of intimidating and fear tactics on top of physical and social might.
The inequity between the sexes often puts a wife as a husband's possession, and more than one pragmatic man has seen the value in focusing a little more closely on his own life than that of his mate. To this end, many women are bartered as chips on the power market. A new faction recently arisen in town, however, is a coalition of females, seeking to extend protection to abused women. While most established groups consider it a laughable and feeble attempt at a power grab it has, nonetheless, picked up followers... but how long it lasts is anyone's guess.
To summarize, Shrad is an inhospitable place to live because of the weather. It is a deadly place to call home due to the number of unpleasant deaths possible. To survive, most individuals must either become ruthless leaders, willing underlings, or sniveling servants. The clergy does what it feels is necessary to increase its control while maintaining a thriving competition among the front runners of the eternal power struggle occurring within the city and the common man fears for his life.
The Ugly
Although nobody knows it, every single group that has any real power in Shrad is, in fact, backed by the temple. The clergy realize that to maintain control of a city that has no temporal law and order they must install a system of checks and balances, and the factions vying for power within the city are just that. This control is indirect but complete and so subtle that very few citizens realize it even exists... in fact, many of the largest factions in the city are completely oblivious to the fact that they serve the temple whim.
The most recent faction to gain a foothold in the city, a rag-tag group of desperate women and men who banded together for mutual protection against stronger foes is a pet project taken on by Armenius Tenge, the current High Priest of the temple in Shrad. His mechanizations brought together victims in an attempt to turn them into bullies. He considers it an amazing experiment in sociology and watches the goings-on very closely, even to the point of sending temple hit men against select factions that would have otherwise chosen to challenge the still-weak defensive front.
Were this an isolated incident then it might be considered a minor quirk of the system, but this is far from the case. The highest ranking members of the clergy are often prone to influencing different factions, even going to the point of playing 'chess' with them. The priests who take part in these games choose a faction to back an subtly manipulate the members of their chosen household into a given set of actions that may either increase their holdings or else leave them ripe for a take-over. Some of the more eccentric priests play these kinds of games whether they can find an opponent or not-- they feel compelled to tinker with the world around them in a way that can cost hundreds of lives. Considering the clergy, it is not surprising to hear that little to no sleep is lost over it.
Finally, it is spoken in whispers only when there are no ears around to hear it, that Shrad had never held true to the sacred tenants agreed upon by the city states during the wars. Not only did Shrad pay little more than lip service to the crusades against both elf and dwarf, the City of the Darkened Sky did, in fact, harbor members of both races. Known only to a privileged few, members of both races live still this day and remain service-bound to the temple of the New Moon. What this means for the rest of the empire is anyone's guess, but there would be little doubt of the retribution Shrad would pay if ever this information got out. Considering the fact that Shrad would have elven magic and dwarven steel on its side, any resulting altercation would be... dramatic.