Brutalia

A near-even split of all humanoid races/species with a slight human majority with dwarves coming in at a close second.   Brutalia is a city of warriors and follows a very enthusiastic warrior culture, people here love fighting above all else and every adult can not only fight but fight very well to the point where a citizen isn't considered a legal adult until they have defeated a standard Brutallion on their own in combat and any outsider who wishes to become a citizen must do the same. Fighting and combat are what drive the people of Brutalia, things like race, species, gender, wealth, and class mean nothing to your worth, only how well you can fight. Brutalia does not care what you are Brutalia follows the meritrocracy of battle.   The warriors of Brutalia mostly follow one of two paths, The Accoutered or The Empty Hand. The Accoutered fight with weaponry and seek to master at least one weapon and The Empty Hand does not fight with weaponry, rather seeking combat mastery through mastery of the self. For the most part, the two groups respect each other as the goal is the same, fighting and the two paths provide each other with more unique challenges though there are some elitists among both groups. Some Accoutered believe The Empty Hand to be fools uselessly holding themselves back and weakening themselves while some of The Empty Hand view The Accoutered as false warriors, pretenders who rely on weapons and tools as crutches to fight instead of working to master ones own body.   In recent years there has been a growing third path, a splinter of The Empty hand known as The Open Hand, these warriors prioritise flexibility and adaptability above all else they seek to master the body and the self much like The empty hand but also seek to train themselves to be able to use anything they can get their hands on as an effective weapon. Many are well-practised in some weapons but shun the idea of mastering a single weapon type when they can become effective with any weapon and effectively turn whatever environment their in into an arsenal.   While Brutalites are warriors who love combat that's not all they are, another cultural passion is the art of carving and sculpture, this passion was what led to the very carving of the mountain range into the city it is today and what led to the creation of the Brutallions Another passion is that of cooking, can't fight on an empty stomach right? many Brutalites are foodies always looking to expand their palates and try new food.

The Government follows warrior culture rules, the the strongest, and most skilled warrior is the leader, there are two heads of the city The Monarchs of Strife also known as the King and Queen of Combat. The Monarchs aren't necessarily married to each other, in fact, that is rarely the case, The King is simply the greatest Male Warrior of the city and the Queen the Greatest Female Warrior. The two are supposed to have equal political power and make decisions together but if it is known one of them is a better warrior than the other the better warrior will have a stronger influence. For that reason it is very rare for the Monarchs to publicly fight or spar with each other to not inadvertently undermine each other.   Beneath the Monarchs of Strife there is a council that handles decision-making for the Ranges and Plateaus, which is known as The Council of Strife . Each range and Plateau have two representatives in the council, one of each gender, similar to the Kind and Queen Monarch of Strife often these representatives are called Princes and Princesses of strife.   In Brutalian politics, everything can be challenged, every decision, every council member, every prince, princess and even the Monarchs of Strife their decisions and positions can be challenged by any citizen, and every challenge is settled through honourable combat. If a decision is being made or a law being passed any citizen can challenge stop it or change it if they are able to defeat the decision maker in a one-on-one or two-on-two duel. If several citizens want to challenge the same decision or law one or two Champions of Change are chosen from among their number. If the decision is controversial and some citizens want it and others don't, Champions of Change are chosen among the two factions to battle each other, if the Champion of Change in favour of the decision wins then it goes through unchallenged, if the Champion against the change wins they then the decision makers can be challenged.    Any position of government can also be challenged any citizen can challenge any member of the Council of Strife  or even the Monarchs of Strife  to take over their position, if the challenger wins they get the position if they lose there is a penalty and the penalty is determined at the start of the duel. If a challenger loses and doesn't pay the penalty they are no longer protected by any of Brutalia's laws, most who face this go into self-imposed exile for their own safety.   Because the Base of the mountain range isn't covered by the Council of Strife it is a largely self-governing autonomous zone, when it comes to decision-making it's might makes right except for the word of the Monarch of Strife their decisions apply to all of of Brutalia from Apex Peak to The Base.   Much of the political system of Brutalia is structured around the gender binary of male and female, it is unclear what would happen if someone who didn't fit neatly into that successfully challenged a Council of Strife member or even a Monarch of Strife for their position. perhaps one day time will tell.

The majority of the populace are very skilled and strong fighters so they don't really need protection from external threats but more internal ones, what guards or police are there are usually there to either protect newcomers from residents or residents from each other.   They do make use of their Brutallions to help supplement their defences, defending those who are unable to fight for themselves, and protecting property in their absence but the majority of Brutalites are self reliant when it comes to their own protection.

Their primary exports are rocks, stones, minerals, and their unique and proprietary magical creations The Brutallions.   As the way to create a Brutallions is a closely guarded secret by Brutalis, the town holds a monopoly on manufacture and sale of this very important magical construct

Most of Brutalia is split between various Ranges and Plateaus with stone bridges connecting the various ranges and plateaus. Much of the city itself is carved into a large mountain range most homes, buildings, and infrastructure are intrinsically part of the mountain range and are effectively one continuous structure. Windmills are carved out of the peaks which see the most wind, watermills, waterways, and even rivers have been hand-carved over time for optimal water flow and flood protection. Some peaks have been turned into plateaus to make room for parks, courtyards, gardens, recreational spaces and the like. Sewers are carved into the lower areas of the mountain range and into The Base and even underground beneath the mountain.

The various districts are called and divided into and referred to as Ranges and Plateaus because they are each either built into the mountain range or upon their own plateaus. The exception to the Ranges and Plateaus is The Base, the largest district of sorts where there is a mixture of residential and commercial buildings carved into the base of the mountain. The Base is also home to what could be called the trading district where trade between Brutalia and the outside world is handled.

• There are various residential plateaus.
  • The Champions Plateau.
  • The Strivers Shelf.
  • The Warriors View.
• There are various Commercial Plateaus.
  • The Gilded Armory.
  • The Fist Full of Coins.
  • The Buyers Ring.
• The agricultural Plateau is known as The Green Heights.
• The arts and culture Plateau is known as The Plinth.
• The crafting Plateau is known as The Anvil.
• The combat Plateau is known as The Arena.

 

• There are various Residential Ranges
  • The Gold Knuckle.
  • The Edge of the Blade.
  • The Vale of Honour.
• There are various Commercial Ranges
  • The Peaks of Profit.
  • The Ridge of Retail.
  • The Cliffs of Cloth.
• The guild Range is known as The Height of Ambition.
• The educational Range is known as the Peak of Brilliance.
• The combat Range is known as The Dueling Peaks.
• The entertainment Range is known as Peak Fiction.

The most influential guild is the Brutalitechs guild they produce the Brutallions that Brutalia is known for and it's most lucrative export.   The Base Breakers are the most influential faction of The Base of Brutalia, a chaotic band of misfits who openly flaunt and defy both the laws and culture of their City and seek to shake up the order of all of Brutalia. At the moment they can only really get away with their antics on The Base where there is a much smaller government presence.

The Apex, a grand palace carved out of the highest peak of the tallest mountain of the mountain range, and it is where the Monarchs of Strife live and where many events are held.

Buildings and public works are either pristine, expertly crafted stone works of art, or rocks with fist indentations, sometimes both. The architectural stylings are somewhat limited by the nature of most buildings being carved into or out of the mountain range a lot of the earlier and lower buildings were built to blend in with the mountain range but the higher and newer builds have a hybrid ancient Greek and Aztec aesthetic.

The City is built into an enormous mountain range.

Abundant in all manner of rocks, stones and minerals, though absent of most metals and gemstones.