Nenthafiaran

Small City: Population 9,254 (67% letheni, 15% vesperkin, 12% human, 6% other)

History

Nenthafiaran is a scenic city on the edge of the white mountains of the Anduvis'ian Kefiluwen for which the city is named. It is a slightly chilly climate, being so close to the border of the Evedimor'ian Cocaluwen, and though the towns of Nolatuathan and Weminlestham are not excessively far away, the lack of surrounding small villages gives Nenthafiaran a feeling of being more remote than it actually is. The city was founded in the Upheaval period as part of the Kingdom of Derunadel's expansion into the Anduvis'ian Kefiluwen after the Drakantal Empire was destroyed. Its founders were primarily Votrinian Letheni, and their conservative values influenced much of the city's culture and, much later, their laws.

Nenthafiaran is a dry city, meaning that alcohol in all its forms are banned within the city. The city's founders believed alcohol to be socially harmful and indicative of emotional fragility. It was also considered wasteful, as grain was scarce early in the city's history before the Eldis Larion druids arrived. Many of the city's residents have called for this ban to be lifted in the last several centuries, but the city's Votrinian population far outweighs the population of its other residents, and such campaigns fall flat. However, this hasn't stopped the city's residents from partaking in alcohol nonetheless. The city's magistrates have been less harsh in punishing those caught partaking in the last century, but those caught producing it have been punished in the same way since the city's inception -- by being dragged through the city tied to a horse-drawn cart while citizens throw rotten food and manure at them, before they are imprisoned for no less than 20 years.

Despite being fairly isolated, Nenthafiaran sees plenty of merchants passing through, as they're at a crossroads between several major cities. There is a small market near the entrance to the city with a vibrant selection of cloth and homemade goods, among other things. The city's artisans produce many bespoke goods that are put on display for traveling merchants, and are quite popular. Nenthafiaran is the origin of certain magical cloths, such as Acohathas, a cloth that resists flames; and Vulahathas, a cloth which will not billow in the wind no matter how strong the gust. The Vulahathas cloth can be seen all over the city in tents, awnings, and parasols, so that strong breezes will not send the cloth flying away.

Government

Nenthafiaran falls within the Anduvis'ian Kefiluwen region of the Synodical Republic, and has an appointed magistrate. The currently appointed magistrate is Namar Ogaran, a young Human man. Namar was appointed after the previous magistrate, Brandis Corbin, was ousted when it was discovered that he had looked the other way regarding the city's various speakeasies in exchange for a cut of the profits. Brandis would occasionally stage a raid on a speakeasy, arresting the citizens found there and appearing to arrest the owner, only to release the owner after, in order to keep up appearances with the locals as taking the city's anti-alcohol stance seriously. This corruption apparently was present within the local Enforcers as well.

Following Brandis' arrest, Namar, who had been campaigning for some time against Brandis, was elected. Namar has been far more popular among the people, and has cracked down hard on the city's speakeasies, putting a target on his back. It has been considered somewhat controversial that two magistrates in a row have been Human, given the Letheni's influence in the city. Most have attributed this to the fact that due to the Humans' short life spans, the Letheni don't mind so long as they align well with their values. However, Namar has faced some scrutiny, as many of the Letheni in the city believe that Brandis was a grifter, and they are worried Namar may end up being the same.

Economy

The city's economy does well for itself, being supported by a large number of artisan craftsmen, as well as mining operations within the nearby mountains. They have a number of unique exports that are popular among outsiders, including their cloth, teas, and clothing. The Rekus Wanduth is very popular among visiting merchants and adventurers, with an entire courtyard dedicated to the city's clothing and cloth, with racks of clothing out in the open to browse. There is a corner of the market dedicated to tea which, according to travelers, smells divine -- boasting over a hundred unique tea blends. Merchants are rarely interested in the city's ore, so that is primarily used for city infrastructure and arms. One of the more unique finds in the market is the variety of handmade goods; decorations, trinkets, and the occasional mildly enchanted knick-knack, can all be found here.

Notable Locations

• Telunar ith Keldor - A large central plaza where many of the city's events are held, including the Larnuan Reka festival. The plaza is decorated with intricate fresco tiles created by one of the city's most famous artisans, Keldor Avanith, for which the plaza is named. The tiles make use of natural pigments from the surrounding landscapes and depict the nearby mountains and snow-covered trees. There is a large willow tree in the center of the plaza.
• Rekus Wanduth - This large market, marked by its many cloth-covered stalls, can be found near the main gates to the city and features a wide assortment of hand crafted goods made by the artisans of Nenthafiaran. This is a hot spot for merchants passing through the city, who often purchase souvenirs or goods to sell to other settlements. The market also features two unique types of cloth that were created by the city's residents; the flame-resistant "Acohathas" cloth, and the wind nullifying "Vulahathas" cloth. These are very popular among merchants, as are the wide variety of teas that can be found here.
• Sofin Hezim - This district of the city sits atop a large plateau elevated above the city thoroughfare that extends from the mountain slopes. The district is home to the Nolan Sesson, as well as a number of farms which take advantage of the district's elevation to ensure their plants receive more sunlight. A rudimentary lift is used to transport people and goods back and forth along the sheer plateau wall.
• Nolan Sesson - A large park situated in the center of the Sofin Hezim, home to many trees and dense foliage, as well as a large pond. The park's plant life is tended to by a circle of druids known as Eldis Larion. They hold ceremonies along the water of the pond, and their services are used to stimulate the growth of food crops in the farms atop the plateau. The park is often shrouded in fog that rolls down from the mountains.
• Vidim Kulinthur - A stockade found underneath the city's Enforcer headquarters, which houses the city's criminals. The majority of its residents are bootleggers, smugglers, dealers, addicts, and thieves. The cells are small and receive very little light, and visitors to the city who have seen the conditions the prisoners live in have called it cruel. The stockades are not as large as other cities, as their prisoner population is relatively low. The previous magistrate, Brandis Corbin, is in residence here.

Culture

Nenthafiaran is quite isolated, being far from the nearest town; and as a result, entertainment is limited to what its residents can come up with. Being a dry city, its residents can't just drink away the night to kill time, so almost every citizen has developed some form of creative outlet, whether that be weaving, painting, fashion, sculpting, and a wide variety of other hobbies; most creative activities have a presence here. With so much art in the city, and residents not being able to just drink away their sorrows, people have to deal with their problems head-on, and the city has been a pioneer in promoting mental well-being, with physicians available to help those who are at their lowest work through their problems.

Because alcohol has a severely reduced presence in the city, this has affected the city's culinary tastes. Nenthafiaran's residents are lovers of tea, with tea shops all over the city. There is even a holiday on Aellen 32 of each year, called Cothucevina Reka, that sees all of the tea shops in the city competing to come up with the most popular new blend of tea. The city's ban on alcohol even extends to fermented foods, which is somewhat even more controversial, as there are several fermented Acotekethi pastes that are a staple of Arakian cuisine. Like most of Arak, spicy foods are prevalent, with the official dish of the city being 'Acofavus', a grain soaked in Acoteketh tea and cooked into a stew with lime juice, cheese, and black beans. There is also an official dessert in the form of 'Merasalean Tekethi', or 'frozen berries'; which is a dish made from freezing berries in the snow of the mountains and grinding them into a puree that is topped with nuts, caramel, and a dash of Acotekethi spice.

There are two defining holidays in Nenthafiaran -- Larnuan Reka, the final harvest of the year, during which the Eldis Larion druids rain flower petals down over the city for a few hours, and a celebration is held in the central plaza of the lower city; and Keldukath Estuavimeth, a week where artisans around the city gather in the plaza to publicly work on their projects for all to admire. Larnuan Reka takes place on the 25th of Umen every year, and towards the end of second span, the Eldis Larion druids will create a beautiful display from the park atop Sofin Hezim of multi-colored flower petals and autumn leaves that rain down over the city, marking the start of the festivities. There are a number of entertainers who will dance, sing, and play traditional instruments while food is handed out at Telunar ith Keldor. For Keldukath Estuavimeth, which takes place on the 4th week of Lekaren, the city's artisans gather at Telunar ith Keldor and are given small areas to work, and the city's residents or visitors will watch them go about their creative routine. Many residents will provide them with food and drink as they work. During this event, many artisans are able to gain attention from travelers or residents to earn a commission or sell the piece they are working on.

Defenses

Nenthafiaran is located on an elevated hill at the base of the nearby mountains, with winding roads leading to its gates, which pass through its thick stone walls. As the city is remote, they need to be self-sufficient in defending themselves from creatures in the wild around them. In particular, like most of Arak, Nenthafiaran is plagued by Goblins. The variant found near them live in the mountains and are adapted to the cold temperatures, using spears and bows to attack merchants along the roads. The city's Enforcers patrol the roads, trying to keep the Goblins at bay, but they are cunning, and have employed traps to ambush the Enforcers. However, the Emerald Company has increased their presence here in recent years due to the Goblin population swelling out of control.

Isolation means the city is free from scrutiny, which has allowed corruption to infect the Enforcers in the city more than a few times. Some have been known to take bribes to look the other way and ignore speakeasies, among other crimes. There have been a number of incidents involving those who have happened upon illicit activities going missing or turning up dead.

Crime

The most unique and controversial crime in Nenthafiaran is obviously the presence of bootlegging. One of the only dry cities in the world, Nenthafiaran has harsh punishments for those who sell alcohol, and even those who simply brew small batches of wine. Operating a speakeasy can carry a sentence of 20 years in prison, but not before being dragged through the city while being pelted with rotten food. Brewing alcohol at home is not punished as severely, carrying a sentence of only 8 years, but it is very uncommon for anyone to keep alcohol at home. It is very difficult to procure proper yeast for brewing, and the Enforcers check all incoming goods to ensure none enters the city.

As the city's population is majority Letheni, especially Votrinian, murder is a capital offense. The Enforcers do investigate murders thoroughly, but when the perpetrator is caught, they are publicly hanged. Fortunately, it is quite rare here, and Nenthafiaran is a very uneventful, quiet city. Thievery is more often committed by outsiders, which has led to some unfair suspicion of travelers, leading to the Enforcers often accusing travelers of crimes when their arrival coincides with an occurrence of a crime. Besides the ban of alcohol, one of the more unique laws here is the ban on loud noises, which means many of the city's artisans that work with loud tools must reside in a special district that is isolated from the rest of the city. Blacksmiths, stonemasons, carpenters, and others reside in an isolated district away from the city's residences. Most approve of this law, but there is no official definition of what defines "loud noise", so it is up to the Enforcers to determine who is in violation of the law. Fortunately, loud noise is only punishable by fines.