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A variety of gods are widely worshiped in Yarma. | A variety of gods are widely worshiped in Yarma. Those of the Aserdian pantheon are the most common, but the deities of other pantheons have followings in the city as well, as do other gods and faiths. [[Nashira]] and [[Anka'a]] are perhaps the two most popular, and both have multiple temples in the city. | ||
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Among the many festivals that take place in the city, none are looked forward to by Yarmans quite as much as the Decennial Festivals that mark the passing of each ten years. This event goes on for the entire month of | Among the many festivals that take place in the city, none are looked forward to by Yarmans quite as much as the Decennial Festivals that mark the passing of each ten years. This event goes on for the entire month of Phoenix, essentially bringing all normal activity in the city to a halt as everyone involves themselves in the celebrations. Parades, floats down the river, displays of visually impressive magic, and parties lasting entire nights are common during the event, and more recently fireworks have been introduced. | ||
=== Languages === | === Languages === | ||
Revision as of 16:47, 29 January 2023
Yarma (pronounced YAR-mah) is a bustling city just past the western edge of the Fangs of Khurazar, on the coast of the Gulf of Aserdus. Yarma is an important destination or departure point for caravans along the trans-Sangora trade routes, and the city's markets are full of goods from far away. The city is a major center of learning as well, with the House of Treasure possibly the largest publicly-accessible library in the world.
Geography, flora, and fauna
The city of Yarma is located at the mouth of the Yarma River at the point where the river flows into the Gulf of Aserdus. The river runs through a region of mostly arid grasslands, a transitional zone between the desert of the Sangora Desolation and the expansive tropical grasslands and forests of Brightmarch. The city-state controls some territory on both sides of the river, much of which has been converted into farmland and pastureland.
From the city, the peaks of the Fangs of Khurazar are visible in the distance. The Yarma River flows between the farthest west of the foothills of the mountain range, but Yarma itself is located on mostly flat terrain.
The climate of the region is warm year-round but not excessively hot. Thunderstorms are the most severe weather the city has to contend with, though these sometimes bring only lightning without rain.
Most of the native flora to the region are grasses, shrubs, and trees that are well-accustomed to long dry periods. Animals like elephants, ostriches, jackals, and antelopes are common, as are smaller creatures like armadillos, foxes, and a large array of birds. Invasive ankhegs and ankhravs are a nuisance in the region, and giant basilisks can be a threat away from the city.
History
Yarma has grown slowly over the millennia, from a small village in an opportune location to a bustling metropolis.
Demographics
Over its history, peoples of varying backgrounds and ancestries have congregated in Yarma. Today the city is highly cosmopolitan, a thriving melting pot whose ancestors arrived from around the Gulf of Aserdus and across Brightmarch. Humans, dwarves, elves, gnolls, catfolk, and half-elves account for most of the city-state's population, alongside smaller minorities of grippli, gnomes, halflings, lizardfolk, and others. Yarma is one of the few cities to have a sizable anadi population, who often find themselves far more welcome in their natural form than they might be elsewhere.
While most inhabitants of the region live in the city of Yarma, small outlying towns and villages can be found on both sides of the river as well as slightly up the coast.
Culture
Religion
A variety of gods are widely worshiped in Yarma. Those of the Aserdian pantheon are the most common, but the deities of other pantheons have followings in the city as well, as do other gods and faiths. Nashira and Anka'a are perhaps the two most popular, and both have multiple temples in the city.
Society
Despite the size of the city, the culture of Yarma emphasizes the value of a close-knit community. Helping one's neighbors whenever possible is seen as simply an ordinary facet of life in the city, and neighborhood gatherings are quite common. Holidays, weddings, and other important occasions are seen as cause for celebration for the whole neighborhood.
Feral cats roam freely through the streets, alleys, and marketplaces of the city. Most Yarmans see these cats as basically pets of the city, and many put out food scraps to feed them.
Traditions
Among the many festivals that take place in the city, none are looked forward to by Yarmans quite as much as the Decennial Festivals that mark the passing of each ten years. This event goes on for the entire month of Phoenix, essentially bringing all normal activity in the city to a halt as everyone involves themselves in the celebrations. Parades, floats down the river, displays of visually impressive magic, and parties lasting entire nights are common during the event, and more recently fireworks have been introduced.
Languages
As a trade center, a variety of languages are used in Yarma. Most inhabitants of the city use Aserdian or Common for ease of communication, but many others can be heard in the city's marketplaces. Dwarven is spoken especially widely, due to the presence of the Akwarai and Kharakunite dwarves, as is Elven due to visitors from Hinthial. Anadi and other racial languages see widespread use as well.
Architecture and urbanization
Yarman architecture centers around the use of mud brick. Sun-baked bricks held together with a mud plaster, which is then also applied over the surface of the walls. The majority of buildings in Yarma are then painted an array of bright colors, sometimes in a solid color per wall and sometimes in geometric patterns. Depending on the neighborhood in the city, buildings range in height from one to up to five stories tall. Due to the effects of rain and the slow cracking of the material over time, new plaster and paint is applied regularly. The city's masons are well-respected for their mastery of their craft. Buildings in the handful of outlying towns and villages in Yarma are constructed in similar styles as in the city itself.
The Yarma River runs directly through the city, bisecting it in two. The northern and southern halves of the city are connected by a series of elevated bridges, tall enough to allow river traffic to pass underneath. Canals have also been dug to divert the water of the wide and slow-moving river through the city. This allows flat-bottomed boats to easily move cargo and people throughout Yarma.
There are many common spaces available for the use of the city's residents. Most prominent of these is the Sun Plaza, a large square in the middle of the city. The Sun Plaza is divided by the Yarma River, though two bridges within the plaza provide easy access to the other side. Rather than the stone or mud brickwork that is used for most of the rest of the city, the Sun Plaza uses polished slabs of giant crystals from Kharakun as paving stones.
Education
House of Treasure
See also: House of Treasure
The House of Treasure is a point of pride for many residents of Yarma. One of the largest publicly-accessible libraries in the world, the House is located in the middle of the city, on the southern side of the Sun Plaza. The House is one of the grandest of the plastered mud brick structures of the city, painted bright colors with a depiction of a rising sun on the eastern wall and a setting sun on the western. The library takes up an entire block in the city and has its own open air plaza in the center of the building. Covered by brightly colored linen awnings and containing fountains surrounded by tables and benches, this plaza serves as a reading space for those that seek the knowledge within the library.
Though the building itself is physically quite large, it would be impossible to store all the works it contains within its walls. To get around this issue, the mages and librarians that run the House of Treasure have invented a type of enchanted shelf that works similarly to a bag of holding. Books can be pushed to the sides of the shelf into an extra dimensional space, allowing far more to fit than would otherwise be possible. Nevertheless, the inside of the House remains packed.
In order to fill the House of Treasure, Yarma requires all outside visitors to the city to relinquish any books or other written works upon arrival. These are then sent to the library, where magically-automated printing presses and quills copy the contents. Once this is done, the books are returned to their original owners, with the copies bound and archived in the library.
The House of Treasure is freely accessible to anyone who displays genuine interest in learning, whether they are a resident of Yarma or not. While all books can be read within the walls of the library, taking them outside requires permission from the librarians - such authorization is very commonly granted, however. Some scholars of particularly niche topics travel from far away to search for knowledge in the House. In particular, the Curator's Archivists are common visitors.
Schools
Yarma's schools are free to attend for all children of the city. Run jointly by the city government and the House of Treasure, these schools can be found in each neighborhood. Attendees mostly learn basic topics, though the schools also frequently offer lessons on practical arts and introductions to trades.
Markets
Yarma is well known for its marketplaces in which goods from far and wide can be found. While there are others as well, the most famous of these is the floating River Market. This weekly market brings together the various floating stalls that on other days can be found across the city's canals. By congregating in the part of the river that runs through the Sun Plaza, they form a large impromptu bridge that connects the two banks of the river. Both sides of the plaza itself usually fill with more conventional stalls and tents at this time as well.
Food and cuisine
Millet, sorghum, and a variety of legumes are staple crops grown around Yarma. Fruit trees are also tended in orchards along the river. A variety of vegetables are also grown, especially tubers. Goats, sheep, and poultry are kept for meat, eggs, and dairy products. Significant amounts of foodstuffs are also imported from Brightmarch.
Yarman cuisine favors bold and striking flavors, and Yarman dishes are frequently quite spicy. Teas are a popular drink in the city, as are fruit flavored wines.
In the marketplaces of the city, vendors sell all sorts of snacks and quick meals. Baked goods and sweets are quite popular, especially among the city's children, including taffies, fruit-filled pastries, and an airy, sugary treat.
Yarma provides a basic level of sustenance to the needy of the city and any who cannot provide for themselves. Any agricultural surplus is stockpiled specifically for this purpose. The quality of this food can vary, but in general the city makes every attempt to ensure its citizens are well cared for.
Arts
Book binding is a particularly emphasized art in Yarma. The paper and covers for the books copied into the House of Treasure are produced entirely in the city, and are a point of pride for the city's craftspeople.
Fashion
Most Yarmans dress in loose, flowing linen clothes, practical in the warm and dry conditions in which they live. Sewn leather sandals are the most common footwear. Clothing is commonly dyed bright colors, and the city has a sizable dye-producing industry, mostly based around cochineal insects and fruit- or flower-derived dyes.
Travel
Roads through the city are paved in stone or mud bricks. These are quite well maintained and provide easy passage around Yarma. For large loads of cargo, it is common to instead of use the canals that run through the city.
The caravans of the Akwarai dwarves frequently visit Yarma. A rotating series of tent encampments are often set up just outside the city itself, as caravans continually arrive, stay for a time, then depart once again.
Government
Yarma is a direct democracy in which every adult resident of the city can vote. Both neighborhood councilors and the overall leader of the city, known as the Grand Mayor, are elected in this manner. The current Grand Mayor is Lakena, an extremely well-liked elderly gnome. Seen almost as a grandmother to many in the city, Lakena has been continually reelected effectively unopposed for the last sixty years.
Neighborhood councilors are responsible for managing the affairs of their respective parts of the city, everything from mediating neighborhood disputes to ensuring the distribution of food and supplies to the needy. Most councilors are respected elders who rely far more on their personal connections than on formal state institutions to achieve their goals. Similarly, rather than being an aloof administrator, the Grand Mayor is widely seen as an advisor to any residents of the city who requires assistance. Despite the size of the metropolis, Lakena has for decades maintained a policy of talking to all who seek her guidance, frequently spending twelve hours a day or more in the walking through city's markets simply conversing with anyone and everyone.
Elections take place every ten years. These are not only civic affairs but celebratory as well, as they coincide with the city's Decennial Festivals.
The city maintains a small professional military. These soldiers serve primarily as guards inside or near the city, only venturing farther if the outlying villages are threatened.
Economy
The markets of Yarma are full of goods from both near and far away. The vast majority of caravans heading from Khapesh along the trans-Sangora trade routes do so with the goal of selling their goods in Yarma, and Brightmarcher merchants likewise trade their wares in the city. Yarma is the largest trade hub in the region, any many make a good living by buying and selling trade goods or offering their services to the visiting caravaneers.