Pela Huban (pronounced PEH-lah HOO-bahn) is one of the largest and most densely populated cities in the world, made rich by trade and its prime location. Limited to a narrow strip of land between two forks in the Blackwater River, Pela Huban is a city-state in the most literal sense.
Geography, flora, and fauna
History
Demographics
Individuals of every ancestry can be found in Pela Huban. Visitors and immigrants from around the world have made the city incredibly cosmopolitan, as people of all manners of ancestries, backgrounds, and cultures live and work in close proximity to each other.
Pela Huban is arguably the largest city in the world, with an estimated one and a half million inhabitants. The exact population is not definitively known, as past efforts have been stymied by the city's dysfunctional government and the constant influx of new residents. Roughly a million more people live just outside Pela Huban, on the opposite banks of the Blackwater River. Though officially residents of Langkha, it is not uncommon for people to travel across the river regularly for work and to visit marketplaces.
Culture
Government
Judiciary
Pela Huban has a rather unusual form of government, one based entirely on the judiciary and courts. The laws of the cities are based on the extensive corpus of cases and judicial decisions, which form a precedent for any new situations that may arise. Laws are not something decided by a council or mayor, but rather are evolved over time by the conclusion of the city's many judges.
Each precinct of the city elects three executive ja udges for ten year terms, who hear any cases that have no clear precedent. Below them is a vast array of lower judges, also elected, who resolve issues relating to common disputes and crimes.
Above the executive judge is the auditor judge, a figure elected by the entire city. The auditor judge has the authority to strike down any decisions by the executive judges, for example if a case is decided in a manner clearly at odds with existing laws.
Sentinels
Though frequently overwhelmed and drastically understaffed, Pela Huban employs a large number of guards to keep order. Known as the Sentinels, this organization is intended to enforce the laws of the city. To many Hubanese, the Sentinels are seen as little different from the various organized gangs that de facto run sections of the city. Despite attempts by many judges, the Sentinels largely protect those who will pay for their services - bribery is rampant and seen as a fact of life to many in the city.
Each precinct has its own branch of the Sentinels, who often refuse to work together.
Sentinels use a standard set of armor, lamellar of either leather, bronze, or steel, depending on the rank of the Sentinel. Most Sentinels decorate their armor with the name or symbol of their precinct, and some include other emblems or phrases indicating their experiences or status.
Economy
Immense amounts of material pass through the port of Pela Huban every day. Referred to by some as the Gateway to Kea Racha, a majority of merchant ships that ply the trade routes of the Kilche Sea consider Pela Huban to be their most important port of call. The city's docks are an unending flurry of activity, as crews work to move cargo day and night.
Despite the city's lack of space, Pela Huban does have industry of its own. Workshops, smithies, refineries, and more have been built wherever possible, often mixed in with residential buildings.