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geopolitical:ǣdyihozh:start [2024/01/17 14:14] – shyriathgeopolitical:ǣdyihozh:start [2025/11/06 15:06] (current) – shyriath
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 ====== Ǣdyihòzh ====== ====== Ǣdyihòzh ======
-**Ǣdyihòzh** (/æːdʲihɔʒ/) refers both to a city on the [[avishraa:geography:sekhaa:region:Abethine Coast]], and to the state that centers upon it.+**Ǣdyihòzh** (/æːdʲihɔʒ/) refers both to a city on the [[geography:sekhaa:region:Abethine Coast]], and to the state that centers upon it.
  
-Ǣdyihòzh the city is positioned near the southern tip of [[avishraa:geography:sekhaa:region:ordeths_claw|Ordeth's Claw]], the long peninsula that helps separate the Inner [[avishraa:geography:sekhaa:marine:abethine_sea|Sea]] from the Outer Sea. The tip of the Claw being separated from the nearest point on the [[avishraa:geography:sekhaa:region:Jade Coast]] by but a scant few miles, all sea traffic between the two halves of the Gulf is forced to travel through this relatively narrow space, known as [[avishraa:geography:sekhaa:marine:giants_gap|Giants' Gap]]. Ǣdyihòzh is well positioned to take advantage of this due to its location, and is notorious for charging fees from throughgoing ships in a procedure that can often only be distinguished from extortion by being practiced by a government rather than a private individual.+Ǣdyihòzh the city is positioned near the southern tip of [[geography:sekhaa:region:ordeths_claw|Ordeth's Claw]], the long peninsula that helps separate the Inner [[geography:sekhaa:marine:abethine_sea|Sea]] from the Outer Sea. The tip of the Claw being separated from the nearest point on the [[geography:sekhaa:region:Jade Coast]] by but a scant few miles, all sea traffic between the two halves of the Gulf is forced to travel through this relatively narrow space, known as [[geography:sekhaa:marine:giants_gap|Giants' Gap]]. Ǣdyihòzh is well positioned to take advantage of this due to its location, and is notorious for charging fees from throughgoing ships in a procedure that can often only be distinguished from extortion by being practiced by a government rather than a private individual.
  
 ===== Name ===== ===== Name =====
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 The city was originally founded as a village at the bottom of the sinkhole, on the narrow gravel beach that lay between the shores of the lagoon and the sides of the sinkhole. In the modern era, however, both village and beach, as well as chambers carved into the rock wall behind them, have long since been replaced by docking facilities, along with the usual accompaniments: warehouses, shops, inns and taverns, the more plebeian sorts of temples, and so forth. Similar arrangements have also extended into the channel as well due to the city's expansion, the lagoon itself no longer being large enough to contain the desired traffic. The city was originally founded as a village at the bottom of the sinkhole, on the narrow gravel beach that lay between the shores of the lagoon and the sides of the sinkhole. In the modern era, however, both village and beach, as well as chambers carved into the rock wall behind them, have long since been replaced by docking facilities, along with the usual accompaniments: warehouses, shops, inns and taverns, the more plebeian sorts of temples, and so forth. Similar arrangements have also extended into the channel as well due to the city's expansion, the lagoon itself no longer being large enough to contain the desired traffic.
    
-The walls of the sinkhole have been fashioned into multiple levels of columned galleries looking down on the lagoon and channel, generally increasing in elaborate decoration and socioeconomic class as one goes up: the working classes occupy the floors immediately above the docks, the more prosperous merchants and artisans above them. The houses of the wealthiest and most powerful, by contrast, are not carved into the rock, but constructed - often of marble - on the ground level above; this includes the [[geopolitical:ǣdyihozh:principal_palace]], which serves as the seat of government. Also on the high ground are the city's landward defenses, including walls, towers, and barracks for the city's garrison.+The walls of the sinkhole have been fashioned into multiple levels of columned galleries looking down on the lagoon and channel, generally increasing in elaborate decoration and socioeconomic class as one goes up: the working classes occupy the floors immediately above the docks, the more prosperous merchants and artisans above them. The houses of the wealthiest and most powerful, by contrast, are not carved into the rock, but constructed - often of marble - on the ground level above; this includes the [[geopolitical:ǣdyihozh:Principal Palace]], which serves as the seat of government. Also on the high ground are the city's landward defenses, including walls, towers, and barracks for the city's garrison.
    
 Although those close to the sinkhole and channel, on any level, can relatively easily move to another level by means of a short flight, this is not always convenient - especially for pregnant females, or the elderly, or those with children or heavy burdens - and therefore, aside from stairways scattered throughout the city, there are also crude elevators, lightweight wooden platforms operated by rope-and-pulley arrangements, as well as long ramp-tunnels for heavier loads. Although those close to the sinkhole and channel, on any level, can relatively easily move to another level by means of a short flight, this is not always convenient - especially for pregnant females, or the elderly, or those with children or heavy burdens - and therefore, aside from stairways scattered throughout the city, there are also crude elevators, lightweight wooden platforms operated by rope-and-pulley arrangements, as well as long ramp-tunnels for heavier loads.
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 ==== Government ==== ==== Government ====
-The city and colonies of Ǣdyihòzh are ruled formally by the [[geopolitical:ǣdyihozh:grand_princess]]. The ruling family of Ǣdyihòzh is descended from one of the privateer captains who entered into the service of the city soon after its independence; her daughter subsequently became immensely rich through a combination of overt commercial savvy and covert piracy, and leveraged a place in power for her family after outright buying up most of the city's docks and warehouses of the time. The current Grand Princess of Ǣdyihòzh is [[person:ednam|Èdnam]], who despite projecting a simple, amiable exterior has a reputation for shrewdness; the merchants of the city tend to say of her, with the self-mocking pride that is characteristic of locals, that she is a better swindler than even her most underhanded subjects.+The city and colonies of Ǣdyihòzh are ruled formally by the [[geopolitical:ǣdyihozh:Grand Princess]]. The ruling family of Ǣdyihòzh is descended from one of the privateer captains who entered into the service of the city soon after its independence; her daughter subsequently became immensely rich through a combination of overt commercial savvy and covert piracy, and leveraged a place in power for her family after outright buying up most of the city's docks and warehouses of the time. The current Grand Princess of Ǣdyihòzh is [[person:ednam|Èdnam]], who despite projecting a simple, amiable exterior has a reputation for shrewdness; the merchants of the city tend to say of her, with the self-mocking pride that is characteristic of locals, that she is a better swindler than even her most underhanded subjects.
  
-The authority of the Grand Princess is, while ultimately supreme, not absolute; out of a combination of spirit of inclusion and stark //realpolitik//, there has developed a system in which substantive decisions are made in concert with a [[geopolitical:ǣdyihozh:council_of_magnates]], composed of representatives of the city's most powerful merchant houses together with several military advisers. Certain decisions of national import, and which are judged to have a potentially significant affect on public opinion, are submitted to the people in a sort of national referendum; all adult female (and married male) citizens of the city and its colonies are permitted to vote, though the value of each vote is weighted according to wealth and status. Such votes are considered festive occasions, essentially holidays, with families gathering in the public places for food, drink, games, and relaxation in addition to casting their ballots, and in recent cycles their popularity has led the Council to also call votes on somewhat more frivolous grounds.+The authority of the Grand Princess is, while ultimately supreme, not absolute; out of a combination of spirit of inclusion and stark //realpolitik//, there has developed a system in which substantive decisions are made in concert with a [[geopolitical:ǣdyihozh:Council of Magnates]], composed of representatives of the city's most powerful merchant houses together with several military advisers. Certain decisions of national import, and which are judged to have a potentially significant affect on public opinion, are submitted to the people in a sort of national referendum; all adult female (and married male) citizens of the city and its colonies are permitted to vote, though the value of each vote is weighted according to wealth and status. Such votes are considered festive occasions, essentially holidays, with families gathering in the public places for food, drink, games, and relaxation in addition to casting their ballots, and in recent cycles their popularity has led the Council to also call votes on somewhat more frivolous grounds.
  
 The everyday management of Ǣdyihòzh, by contrast, remains firmly in the paws of the Grand Princess, who heads a hierarchy dedicated to that purpose. Ǣdyihòzh proper, as well as each colony, is managed by a chief magistrate (whose actual title may vary) appointed by the Grand Princess, who carries out the directives of the government and, where a situation is not covered by said directives, fills in the gaps under her own authority, sometimes (in the case of larger settlements) with the assistance of lesser magistrates. Provided that a colony is viewed as sufficiently loyal - which is true of most of them - and that it hosts a qualified candidate, a magistrate will generally be appointed from the local population. This serves the dual function of negating any perception that the colonies are being excessively dominated by the home city, and of providing, should something go wrong, a scapegoat whose mismanagement (real or imagined) can be remedied by the actions of the government. The everyday management of Ǣdyihòzh, by contrast, remains firmly in the paws of the Grand Princess, who heads a hierarchy dedicated to that purpose. Ǣdyihòzh proper, as well as each colony, is managed by a chief magistrate (whose actual title may vary) appointed by the Grand Princess, who carries out the directives of the government and, where a situation is not covered by said directives, fills in the gaps under her own authority, sometimes (in the case of larger settlements) with the assistance of lesser magistrates. Provided that a colony is viewed as sufficiently loyal - which is true of most of them - and that it hosts a qualified candidate, a magistrate will generally be appointed from the local population. This serves the dual function of negating any perception that the colonies are being excessively dominated by the home city, and of providing, should something go wrong, a scapegoat whose mismanagement (real or imagined) can be remedied by the actions of the government.
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 Ǣdyihòzhis toleration has led to what is, from the point of view of other takmar, an especially troubling facet of local life, in that Ǣdyihɔzh is one of the few places in the civilized world where witches - the [[Chosen:]] - are openly tolerated, and even have a degree of acceptance. Indeed, the vital aid of local witches during the rebellion that resulted in the city's independence cemented their place in society, and remains well-remembered up to the present. The name of Chosen is not known in Ǣdyihòzh, and while they are sometimes referred to with the positive euphemism 'wonder-workers', most often they simply call themselves witches, and do so with pride. Ǣdyihòzhis toleration has led to what is, from the point of view of other takmar, an especially troubling facet of local life, in that Ǣdyihɔzh is one of the few places in the civilized world where witches - the [[Chosen:]] - are openly tolerated, and even have a degree of acceptance. Indeed, the vital aid of local witches during the rebellion that resulted in the city's independence cemented their place in society, and remains well-remembered up to the present. The name of Chosen is not known in Ǣdyihòzh, and while they are sometimes referred to with the positive euphemism 'wonder-workers', most often they simply call themselves witches, and do so with pride.
  
-Ǣdyihòzh is not a city run mostly on magic as the [[geopolitical:citadel:]] is; there are not enough witches to do so, and the demand for their services is high enough that they generally cannot be spared for all the kinds of mass menial effort that would be possible in the Citadel. In Ǣdyihòzh witches tend to occupy a middle rung of prosperity; they are artisans and specialists and directors of effort. There is, for example, a long and fairly prestigious tradition of stone-shaping elementalist witches: the subterranean chambers of the city are hollowed out by them, deposits of marble and limestone are located by them and frequently shaped into art and architecture by them; indeed, the [[geopolitical:giants_gate|facilities at Giants' Gap]], on which the city's toll-collecting depends, were largely made by them, with the fortresses being shaped from the cliffs and the moorings for the sea-chains being called up from the sea floor. Even a relatively unskilled witch is usually able to make a decent living, and a very skilled one can, under the right circumstances, become rich; at least one witch family managed to leverage its wealth to obtain a seat on the Council of Magnates, though their participation in government is by no means common.+Ǣdyihòzh is not a city run mostly on magic as the [[geopolitical:Citadel:]] is; there are not enough witches to do so, and the demand for their services is high enough that they generally cannot be spared for all the kinds of mass menial effort that would be possible in the Citadel. In Ǣdyihòzh witches tend to occupy a middle rung of prosperity; they are artisans and specialists and directors of effort. There is, for example, a long and fairly prestigious tradition of stone-shaping elementalist witches: the subterranean chambers of the city are hollowed out by them, deposits of marble and limestone are located by them and frequently shaped into art and architecture by them; indeed, the [[geopolitical:ǣdyihozh:giants_gate|facilities at Giants' Gap]], on which the city's toll-collecting depends, were largely made by them, with the fortresses being shaped from the cliffs and the moorings for the sea-chains being called up from the sea floor. Even a relatively unskilled witch is usually able to make a decent living, and a very skilled one can, under the right circumstances, become rich; at least one witch family managed to leverage its wealth to obtain a seat on the Council of Magnates, though their participation in government is by no means common.
  
 Marriage between Chosen and Unchosen is not frowned upon, at least not in the city proper, but is less common than same-type marriages. The possible challenges of someone without magic sharing their life with someone possessing it are viewed timorously by the Unchosen majority, although those able to make such an arrangement work are viewed highly by society and a successful match to a witch husband or wife is considered lucky. All this said, over the long term mixed-type relationships are becoming more common, as the children of previous such relationships, already accustomed to the intricacies involved in that kind of family life, grow up comfortable with the idea. That the government now quietly offers a small financial incentive for each of up to five Chosen children born to a family is another factor. Marriage between Chosen and Unchosen is not frowned upon, at least not in the city proper, but is less common than same-type marriages. The possible challenges of someone without magic sharing their life with someone possessing it are viewed timorously by the Unchosen majority, although those able to make such an arrangement work are viewed highly by society and a successful match to a witch husband or wife is considered lucky. All this said, over the long term mixed-type relationships are becoming more common, as the children of previous such relationships, already accustomed to the intricacies involved in that kind of family life, grow up comfortable with the idea. That the government now quietly offers a small financial incentive for each of up to five Chosen children born to a family is another factor.
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 ==== Religion ==== ==== Religion ====
-Although the Abethines generally share the same [[mythology:imperial_religion:|central pantheon]] as the core of the former [[geopolitical:empire:|Empire]] - albeit frequently with different names - there is a considerable difference in emphasis. The [[mythology:imperial_religion:siathar:|Sixfold Eminence and Her Court]] are seen as real, but not extremely relevant to everyday life, and their worship tends to be done in single, consolidated temples, or - as in Ǣdyihòzh - is done in the temples of Their Children, which are much more common. Particularly popular are Siathar that align with national interests:+Although the Abethines generally share the same [[mythology:imperial_religion:|central pantheon]] as the core of the former [[geopolitical:Empire:]] - albeit frequently with different names - there is a considerable difference in emphasis. The [[mythology:imperial_religion:siathar:|Sixfold Eminence and Her Court]] are seen as real, but not extremely relevant to everyday life, and their worship tends to be done in single, consolidated temples, or - as in Ǣdyihòzh - is done in the temples of Their Children, which are much more common. Particularly popular are Siathar that align with national interests:
  
-  * [[mythology:imperial_religion:siathar:orika]] the Merchant, known in Ǣdyihòzh as Dyēsham (/dʲeːʃam/), a goddess prayed to for wealth and material success. +  * [[mythology:imperial_religion:siathar:Orika]] the Merchant, known in Ǣdyihòzh as Dyēsham (/dʲeːʃam/), a goddess prayed to for wealth and material success. 
-  * [[mythology:imperial_religion:siathar:tarishaar]] the Wit, known in Ǣdyihòzh as Òkhyil (/ɔxʲiɮ/), a male god, of no fixed occupational portfolio but depicted as making his way in the world through cleverness and trickery.+  * [[mythology:imperial_religion:siathar:Tarishaar]] the Wit, known in Ǣdyihòzh as Òkhyil (/ɔxʲiɮ/), a male god, of no fixed occupational portfolio but depicted as making his way in the world through cleverness and trickery.
   * [[mythology:imperial_religion:siathar:nyelik|Nyèlik]] (/nʲɜlik/) the Mariner, an exclusively Abethine goddess not considered equivalent to the god Hadim the Fisher seen on other coasts. She lends ship crews, both naval and merchantmen, skill and luck on the seas.   * [[mythology:imperial_religion:siathar:nyelik|Nyèlik]] (/nʲɜlik/) the Mariner, an exclusively Abethine goddess not considered equivalent to the god Hadim the Fisher seen on other coasts. She lends ship crews, both naval and merchantmen, skill and luck on the seas.
  
 In addition, worship of the [[mythology:imperial_religion:lamnar:]] is popular, particularly the gods of the sea and wind. [[mythology:imperial_religion:lamnar:uvuun]], as usual, is not worshipped; but, against the tendencies of other takmar, Adyihòzhis at sea consider it possible to bargain with Him for their lives and souls in the face of imminent death away from places near land. In addition, worship of the [[mythology:imperial_religion:lamnar:]] is popular, particularly the gods of the sea and wind. [[mythology:imperial_religion:lamnar:uvuun]], as usual, is not worshipped; but, against the tendencies of other takmar, Adyihòzhis at sea consider it possible to bargain with Him for their lives and souls in the face of imminent death away from places near land.
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