⊱ Bandar al Kahin: The Port of Diviners [O/A] Win Gold!

[Just Sky]

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⊱ Bandar al Kahin: The Port of Diviners ⊰

❧ Bandar al Kahin, the seaside port city known to most simply as Bandar, is richly steeped in culture and religion handed down through hundreds of generations. It has traditionally served many roles, primarily as an exchange point for trade goods and knowledge, though the city proper evolved into a stronghold fort with excellent defenses. The city has never been seized by a foreign power, a fact directly contributed to the religious practices of its people.

❧ Natives of the city have long employed the services of specially chosen priests to oversee a special ceremony over young children, to determine if they will serve a higher purpose within their culture. The children of the wealthy and prominent can be seen by a priest for a small nominal fee; however, many of the poor will opt to sell their children into a lifetime of slavery for a hefty sum. The children are ensured care throughout their lives, but their social status is severely reduced and will be based upon their future works.

❧ During the ceremony, a priest will forge a connection to the forces of nature, asking an elemental to bond with the child. If one chooses the child, the type of elemental (water, air, earth, or fire) will generally not be able to be determined until the child begins to show signs of coming into power. The signs will vary often vastly between individuals, from the playful lighting or extinguishing of candles, to creating moving toys of earth or water.

❧ Elementalists, regardless of social status, work for the common good of the city. Those who are sold into their professions tend to fill the low ranks of labor, although some achieve such proficiency that they elevate their status near or equitable to those entered willingly into partnership. The caste system is defined publicly through various displays which mark the individual's element and social status; the elite wear specialized jewelry of choice, while those in lower ranks will sport visible tattoos or brands.

❧ People are organized within the caste system primarily by type of work, but also by elemental affinity. The elements are treated equally across the board and are not required to keep to their own groups outside of work; conversely, the social classes fall very distinctly from priests down to the unskilled, and have little contact outside of work. The full titles of elementalists are combined from the options below, while non-elementalists will retain only the first portion.

⊱ Priests - Brahmin | al Nar - Fire ⊰
⊱ Warriors & Rulers - Kshatriyas | al Ma' - Water ⊰
⊱ Skilled Professionals - Vaisyas | al Rih - Air ⊰
⊱ Unskilled Workers - Sudras | al Ard - Earth ⊰

For example:
A skilled water elementalist would be classified as Vaisyas al Ma'.
An unskilled fire elementalist would be classified as Sudras al Nar.
A non-elementalist priest would be classified as a Brahmin.

❧ Historically, the fort proper has never fallen into the hands of invaders or enemy forces; in times of war or emergency, there is enough space within the fort to temporarily house the entirety of the city population. However, this luxury of enhanced safety does not come without a price. The elementalists of the city are all trained in the basics of defense during childhood, turning the work force into a cohesive, if conscripted, fighting force. It is directly due to this training regimen that the city has no need to actively train an army, aside from those who would potentially lead.

⊱ Rules & Information ⊰

1. Respect other players and anyone designated 'in charge.'
   
2. Have permission to control or kill another player's character. Godmodding will not be tolerated.
   
3. Follow the Gaia ToS. Mature themes will not be tolerated.
   
4. Confirm any major plot devices or story arcs with those designated 'in charge.'
   
5. Character profiles are not required, but are highly encouraged. No format necessary, emphasis is on completeness of character.
   
6. Include an icon from this post in your first post, to confirm that you read the rules.
   
7. Semi-literate and above. Occasional mistakes are forgivable, but chatspeak is not.
   
8. Fancy posts are not required.
   
9. All races and species of character are welcome, playing a native is not required.
   
10. The OOC can be found here.
    
11. Do not hesitate to contact Sky about any questions or concerns.
    

[Just Sky]

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♔ The Great Palace ♔

❧ Centrally located within the fort walls, the Great Palace towers over the surrounding buildings; it is, without a doubt, the most intricately designed and well-maintained building in the city. With rich decor and ample space, it serves not only as quarters for the small ruling class of Brahmin, but also as headquarters for the city's political affairs. Generally, only the top half of the castes will perform duties within in the great palace, with officials choosing to delegate tasks or decrees more locally to the lower classes.

❧ This structure often captures the heart and soul of young elementalists with desires of being accepted into the Kshatriyas caste of warriors. Many will serve as guards within the walls of the fort; however, only the elite will work within the palace itself, or as personal escorts outside of the palace and surrounding temples.

[Just Sky]

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☪ The Shrines & Temples ☪

❧ Directly outside the Great Palace are four main temples, each dedicated to one of the four schools of elements. These are the workplaces of the Brahmin, toiling in their effort to keep the work force sustained through the rituals required to bind a spirit with a child; they communicate frequently, as their goals are common. Outside of performing and perfecting rituals, the work done centers on the training of burgeoning priests that show an exceptional connection to the spirit world. The ritual, although simple, requires much mental training to adequately subdue the free elemental until the child learns enough mental control to use the elemental as a tool, instead of the elemental taking control. Although fatalities are very uncommon, they still persist in a small number of bonded children, hence the emphasis on perfecting the ritual.

❧ Shrines dot the city outside of the fort walls. They cater to most religions, having been established over the centuries by traders frequenting or settling the area. Some belong to the Brahmin and the city, but all others are maintained by respective sections of religion residing in various neighborhoods. Although they serve different purposes, the architecture remains similar to the overall design of the city, due to legislature requiring all construction be confirmed by city officials.

[Just Sky]

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♈ The Libraries & War College ♈

❧ Within the fort walls, adjacent to the Great Palace and the four Temples, sits the Libraries and War College. This elaborate, sprawling structure includes a number of interior courtyards and dormitories, serving as the seat of education for the city. All children that are bonded with an elemental are sent here for their initial training and education once they begin to show signs of tapping into their power, although non-bonded children of those who can afford the steep fees are educated alongside them. In this way, even the children of the lowest social classes are given the opportunity to ascend the ranks through hard work and natural aptitude.

❧ Both Kshatriyas and Brahmin work with students aging from three years old and up, depending on when the child begins showing signs. The earliest that a student is discharged with completed training is at age 12, for those that have been determined inadequate for any work above the skill level of a Sudras. Subsequent training levels vary, depending on the intricacy of the skill set being required of the student; some may become an initiate into the ranks of the Brahmin as early as their mid-twenties. For those that fall into the two median castes, training and honing of skills continues outside of the War College under the supervision of those in charge of their new workplace.

[Just Sky]

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♒ The Port Authority & Docks ♒

❧ Along the ocean coast, the docks dominate the scenery. This is the center of trade for the city, where both air and sea travel will come to port, trading everything from goods to people from the holds. A vast majority of the people here that belong to the caste system are either Vaisyas or Sudras, although there are equal numbers of foreigners and regular laborers, as well.

❧ Centered on the coast sits the Port Authority. All incoming and outgoing ships must register their logs and credentials here, or risk having their property held by the Kshatriyas guards that patrol the docks, generally under suspicion of piracy. The local waters are extremely safe from the likes of pirates, directly due to the efforts of the guards that patrol the waters. They are primarily composed of air and water elementalists, extremely proficient at halting any unauthorized transit while making the movements of their own craft (sail or otherwise) unnaturally nimble.

[Just Sky]

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♨ The Forges & Metalworks ♨

❧ Near the Fire Temple within the fort's walls sits the Metalworks. Although this building is overseen by a handful of Kshatriyas al Nar (ruling class of fire elementalists), the day to day operations are controlled by the next highest class, Vaisyas al Nar. They are among the most skilled smiths and tinkers in the world, having dedicated their lives to invention and craft.

❧ Throughout the city, in and outside the fort walls, the city sports a number of forges. Many of these are small and not run by elementalists, but by average citizens in the business of metallurgy; however, most will employ less skilled elementalists simply to keep their forges hot, greatly cutting costs overall. Any type of metal product can be found within the city, or at least special ordered.

[Just Sky]

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❁ The Construction Yards ❁

❧ Outside the city limits, the Construction Yards encircle half the city, paired on the opposite side with the lush fields and Botanical Gardens that border the river. While earth elementalists will work throughout the outlying portions of the city, this portion belongs solely to them. Responsible for a majority of construction in and around the city, they gather resources from the vast desert with ease, wasting little. The lower skill levels are essentially strip miners; the experts study heavily in architectural design and craft beautiful, striking edifices, buildings, statues and fountains that decorate the city. Occasionally, fire and water elementalists will confer with the designers to ensure that sections of buildings will have the proper specifications to house running water and gas lamp fixtures.

[Just Sky]

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❀ The Botanical Gardens ❀

❧ Between the fort walls and the river, adjacent to the Construction Yards, the Botanical Gardens share space with very carefully tended fields. All are welcome to patronize the clearly marked Gardens areas. Vaisyas and Sudras workers, primarily earth and water elementalists, tend them both; they provide a significant amount of crops and fresh water, while the river is also a source of food, providing a large and otherwise unused area in which fishermen work to feed the city.

[Just Sky]

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￡ The Marketplaces ￡

❧ Close to the fort walls, between the fort and the docks, the marketplaces sit on a number of leveled terraces in open buildings that used to function as minor shrines. Their open layouts served the purpose of trade extremely well, which leads to much minor scrabbling for the best locations along major routes into the fort. Some of the goods made in the city are sold here, but a large portion of them are diplomatically traded to other nations for goods that cannot be produced in situ. Most of the elementalists working in this region are Vaisyas; although they ply their wares in the marketplaces, groups of craftsmen will rent space within the fort to serve as guilds.

[Just Sky]

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☊ Middle Class Living ☊

❧ The middle class holds the majority of the populace and they live in relative comfort. Multi-story homes are the norm, but this is due to the city having more vertical space than horizontal. Sleeping spaces tend to be very sparse, partially because of the heat that comes along with the nearby edge of the desert. Houses will have large windows and balconies with shutters rather than glass to provide ample flow from the ocean breezes. The mix of culture from incoming traders can influence decor within homes; however, the outside style of buildings is similar throughout the city, having been built entirely by designs certified by the ruling class of earth elementalists. Many families will rent out rooms to travelers, while some will run inns.

[Just Sky]

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≸ The Slums ≸

❧ Although the residential portions outside of the fort walls are called the Slums, very little of the area actually lives in a way that accurately fits the name. Most of the upper-middle and upper class have modest homes within the fort walls, but the city's prosperity is more evenly spread than some imagine. The region is decidedly packed with buildings and small businesses, giving it a very confined, secure atmosphere in spite of falling outside of the physical protection of the fort.

[Just Sky]

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☁ Travel ☁

❧ Three forms of travel will get one to the city: land, sea or air.

❧ Land travel is the least of the three, as the city lies on the edge of a vast desert; however, there are desert nomads that frequently journey to and fro throughout the course of their work, which usually entails shepherding. Camels are the primary mode of travel over land.

❧ Sea travel is greatly varied, as are the craft that carry people and goods to or from the city. A handful of dedicated shipping routes are manned by city residents of the air or water elemental groups; with their unique skills, these dedicated ships provide faster and safer transport than the average journey.

❧ Air travel is characterized by the modified dirigibles that float above the Docks; many take the form of odd-looking blimps outfitted with sails and rigging in various styles or designs. Almost all of these transports are owned by the city itself and are manned by air and fire elementalists. It costs quite a bit more to use this means of transportation, but it is very much faster than travel by land or sea.

[Just Sky]

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[Just Sky]

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[Just Sky]

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