Post by Chris on Dec 10, 2009 10:50:41 GMT -5
Capital | Tear |
Public Happiness | 80/100 |
Military power | Perhaps somewhere in the order of 40,000 men, mixtue of Heavy infantry and light cavalry |
Details | Tear's distribution of wealth is highly top-heavy; the vast majority of it resides with the Tairen nobility. Tairen lords believe that commoners are actually lesser beings, and the societal rift between haves and have-nots is intense, to the point where they even dress differently. Furthermore, the inner city of the capital is surrounded by a high wall of gray stone, which protects the finer houses and palaces of the nobles, which line streets paved with stone. Outside the wall, commoners trudge through unpaved, muddy streets. Unlike most nations, Tear is not ruled by a king or queen, but rather a council of High Lords. The number of High Lords has varied over time from six to twenty, as they are chosen by societal rank. Godan is very much an exceptional case, as the High Lords, wary of any other town growing to rival Tear, place stringent restrictions on urban development outside the capital. For example, no villages at all are permitted downstream of Tear, in order to prevent rival seaports. And almost everywhere else in Tear. The city of Tear is dominated by the Stone of Tear, which towers above the city like a small mountain. It is believed to be the oldest stronghold (and oldest surviving structure) of mankind. Deep within the Stone is the Heart of the Stone. This is where the crystal sword Callandor was kept, waiting for the Dragon Reborn to claim it. None except the High Lords were allowed to enter the Heart, and even they rarely do so: four times a year for the Rite of Guarding there, and at infrequent intervals to raise Lords of the Land to the office of High Lord. Indeed, if the High Lords could manage to forget that the Heart of the Stone and Callandor existed, they undoubtedly would: Tairens of all classes have an avowed fear of anything to do with the One Power. This is due partly to the fact that it is prophesied that the Stone of Tear will never fall until the Dragon has been Reborn. The High Lords like to think that by protecting Callandor, they are protecting the world from the Dragon Reborn. The most prominent geographical feature of the country is the vast river delta, a maze of waterways and swampland called the Fingers of the Dragon. This lies immediately to the south of the city of Tear and extends for some miles to the Sea of Storms. Tairen pilots board all foreign ships to guide them through the Fingers. |