Varshikar
From Illapedia
| Varshikar | |
 | |
| About Varshikar: | |
|---|---|
| Leader: | Guir Rabenflügel |
| Deputy Leader: | - |
| Honored Protector: | Lacy Dracu |
| Citizens: | Look up here |
| Laws: | Look up here |
| Ext. guild board: | Varshikar ~ Guild board |
| Int. guild board: | Varshikar ~ Town board |
Varshikar is an ambitious, remote town at the verge of the Kumdah desert, oftentimes lovingly referred to by its inhabitants as the "Desert bloom of Kumdah". Once risen from the ruins of the dark realm Northerot, Varshikar meanwhile has earned itself a reputation as university town, which in particular attracts peaceful craftsmen and intellectuals, who aim to pursue their work far from the numerous political turmoils on Gobaith. Unique among all settlements on Gobaith is the elevated tower on the castle and the exotic appearence, remotely reminding on larger settlements of the Serinjah with its land of sands and the green of its palm trees.
Contents |
[edit] 1 Geopolitical state
[edit] 1.1 Ogre Mountains
Eastwards to the town itself, the ogre mountains stretch across the lands, which of course are populated by the eponymous ogres; gigantic fiends, who relentlessly swing their massive clubs at anyone trespassing their hunting grounds. It is rumored they bore a particular fondness for elven flesh - even greater than their hunger for halfling's flesh. Since a while even poinsonous, giant spiders are lurking in the highlands, making a field trip into this area a most dangerous endeavor. Also panthers, even occasional spottings of trolls are said to have taken place.
[edit] 1.2 Orcen Mountains
The orcen mountains extend in the west, whose southernmost ridge represents the borderline between the territory of Varshikar, and the neighboring orc tribe of Dar'Krest, the succeeding tribe of the bloodskulls. Then and now, the borderlines have been subject to hot tempered disputes between the orcs and the Varshikari, though open acts of warfare could be prevented thus far. Because of the precarious political climate and the orc's increased mistrust against trespassers into their territory - their holy mountain in particular - there're barely any reliable reports about other creatures populating the orcen mountains.
[edit] 1.3 Desert of Kumdah
Lastly, southwards to the town the desert of Kumdah reaches out. It is a permanent relic of the great drought, into which - like a thin, green line - a stream flows, opening out into the so-called "Oasis of hope". The Varshikari's life has been a neverending struggle to tame the desert, but meanwhile it could be accomplished to successfully regain a tiny bit of it for the agriculture. But since many townspeople have fallen for the picturesque sunset over the desert, no one actually considers to intensify these attempts, realizing the desert as part of the town's identity instead. But also the desert bears its dangers: Large scorpions oftentimes roam the vicinity about the oasis. Luckily these poisonous, yet slow-moving creatures can be outrunned easily.
[edit] 2 Society
[edit] 2.1 Model of society
Although a first glance at the diverse public funtions leads to suspect the usual structures and hierarchies, in Varshikar the uncommon model of an egalitarian society is being maintained, which knows no set order of classes. Though the common fields of responsibility - such as administration, senior staff, protector, ect. - actually are there, every Varshikari is endowed with the same basic rights and duties towards his fellow citizens, regardless of the role he fills in the social fabric. That is: The leader is on equal legal terms with a peasant. Hence political struggles never take place at all, for the administration not at all enforces a claim to power, but merely places its organizational competence at the public disposal, which can be renewed anytime the public demands. The doctrine of this egalitarian society also has been written down within a fraternal vow of fealty, whose contents express themselves as follows:
- A Varshikari is obliged to provide assistance to his fellow vow-bearers, if in need for such.
- Personal differences are to remain irrelevant in such a situation.
- Violent actions against fellow vow-bearers are not permitted, unless in situations of self-defense and training fights.
This at first glance simple concept proved to be surprisingly successful and solid in pursuit of the goal to establish a robust fundament for a peaceful coexistence. Calling the Varshikari a cohesive unit might well be a clear exaggeration, unlike the statement that they are in a continuous approximation to that status, intermittently coming very close to it already.
[edit] 2.2 Appliance for joining
Every applier for citizenship is to endure a slightly inconvenient procedure, since there's great importance attached to the maintenance of the inner harmony. At first, the applier is to make personal contact with the leader (or his deputy), stating his will for citizenship and the aims he seeks to accomplish within the community. In most cases the nomination to aspirant ensues, a pre-stage to citizenship. It provides the applier with full access to ressources and tools upon the varshikarian territory, and takes one dwarven week at least. That stage was devised to allow the applier a gradual approach to the local population, without the need to already pledge his loyalty, so a smooth transition into citizenship can be ensured. The aspirant is expected to establish friendly bonds to the population during that time, so he can develop an instinct for the reciprocal structuring of the society. If he still desires citizenship after that period, he can take the fraternal vow of Varshikar, and his joining is being made public. Dual citizenships, however, are not permissible, nor are appliances by capital criminals.
[edit] 3 Politics
[edit] 3.1 Home policy
Of course, the model of society also impacts home policy in form of a particular closeness to the public, in which the habit of providing greatest possible transparency regarding administrative decisions has developed, likewise the consistent accentuation of the egalitarian concept. Since the keeping of the vow is broadly taken most seriously, and very most elements of crime can be subsumed under its content, the're no written penal laws. Relevant malfeasences are such seldom incidents, that actually they can be settled individually, if the parties involved fail to come to terms beforehand. To some ears, such kind of jurisdiction might sound like arbitrariness at its worst, nevertheless it proved to be quite successful, due to its small time-consumption and the general capacity of reason of the parties involved. Most of the rudimental laws that finally were written down broadly lay their focus upon regulative measures for the access to ressources and manufacturing upon varshikarian territory, which foremost pertain to non-citizens. If the situation demands the forbiddance of certain actions, the administration adds an according edict, lifting it once the necessity has been resolved. Regular elections are not stipulated, mostly the simple move-up procedure is being used.
[edit] 3.2 Foreign policy
The Varshikari are a relatively encapsulated community, which is not reticent towards outer influences on principle, but prefers political independence nevertheless, hence not laying overly great priority to foreign affairs. However, there actually has been accomplished a foundation agreement between the Grey Orders and Varshikar, much due to the effort of one or another member of the orders amongst the lines of the Varshikari. Aside from that, an intense, oftentimes hot tempered exchange with the orcs of Dar'Krest is taking place, mostly dealing with the course of the borderlines and occasional tussles of one with another. There's little to no contact with the remaining settlements. Especially diplomatic relations with Troll's Bane are faced with the Varshikari's blatant rejection, since life in Troll's Bane is being understood as the sinister antithesis to the varshikarian model of society. Since the first regency of Governor Edward Cromwell, in the course of which an assassination of the varshikarian then-leader was attempted - under participation of the then-captain of Bane's town guard - there have been no diplomatic rapprochements.
[edit] 3.3 Defensive potential
The varshikarian militia is a protective group, consisting of volunteers from the inside and outside of Varshikar - thence, for the latter ones a separate vow has been devised, which not equals the vow on citizenship, though. The head of the group is being represented by the "honored Protector", who holds the authority to instruct the group members, and optionally to designate a second-in-command and an armament disposer. Albeit the militia works on an unsalaried basis, the honored protector is legitimated to request additional funds from the administration for potential compensations or the acquisition of better equipage, but since the militia is well-respected within the community, these funds oftentimes are already provided via donations from various citizens. But yet the militia frequently faces the problem of a fluctuating and too small number of members. But for the gravest case of emergency, the massive walls of the castle of the University provide a fallback position, which even the strongest of enemies will find hard to breach, especially because of the additional defensive potential provided by the students. Further potential defensive measures are not confirmed.
