WORLD BOOK WORLD BOOK WORLD BOOK 0082 0082
Bạn đang xem bản rút gọn của tài liệu. Xem và tải ngay bản đầy đủ của tài liệu tại đây (1.05 MB, 1 trang )
Chapter 4:
C
THE CITIES
ity entries in this chapter follow in alphabetical
order for ease of reference; refer to maps for their
location. Also bear in mind that these are simply
the more well-known or prominent settlements on Khitus, but they are far from the only civilized places to be
found. Each city’s tribal origins are stated, and that tribe
and its culture are dominant, though minorities from
other tribes are always present.
Aleothkka
Among the verdant and pleasant lands claimed by the
Pachyaur, the city of Aleothkka is an incredible repository of lore. It is the pachyesh seat of higher learning
for the Brachachon and they have constructed a grand
place for it. The city is huge in scale and architecture
sprawls as far as the eye can see. Great grey marble statues of pachyesh heroes line the central square of the
city hall, the most elite decorated with gold leaf. The
wind interacts with Aleothkka in a strange way, causing
sonic vibrations that echo the pachyesh language—because of this, pachyaur call Aleothkka the Singing City.
A massive wall encloses the city and three gates provide
entry to the city proper. The southern gate leads directly
to the Grand Promenade—the huge central circle where
the ruling family resides. During a siege or an attack, a
three-tier gate system can slam shut on order of the
habwasana to protect the city from without; from within,
many interconnecting wards can be sealed off by heavy
stone doors shoved into place by the city guard.
Visitors and Aleothkkans alike most highly prize the
city’s three Grand Libraries: Kalto, Moktu, and Okka
Benk. Impressive inside and out, these huge edifices
boast complete collections of every written work, map
and diagram the Pachyaur have ever made from memory. Some material here is supplemented by accounts
from friendly Gare Attessa Chroniclers. Kalto stores art
and maps; Moktu is the history and records repository;
and Okka Benk holds all pachyesh fictions, poems, and
songs. The current Great Librarian is a creature of incredible mnemonic recall, like many of his brethren,
80
but he supplements this with hidden psychic ability
and can use this to find whatever a seeker of knowledge
desires in all three libraries.
Alos
Alos is a strange Attite city, its buildings constructed
entirely of giant bones and strong sinew. Few know
why or for how long this has been in practice, but it has
been the norm for at least three generations for Alosians to build their homes from the skeletal remains of
fallen giant creatures. They stretch the skin and hide
over wooden frames to make simple houses, the earliest
method and one still used among the poor. Over time,
they learned to use more of a creature’s body, hollowing
out the corpse and adding rooms or additional expansions with framing or other creatures. They even took to
making furniture from stone and bone. The more influential people are in Alos, the deeper towards the core of
the city they live. Those on the fringes of society eke out
their lives in cloth tents or hide-frame homes, hoping
to earn enough favor to be allowed accommodation in a
small creature’s skull.
The rulers of the city, known as the Dotrong Council,
are seven elected members of the population. Unfortunately, they often do not have Alos’ best interests at
heart. Most obsess about moving relatives and friends
into better areas of the city and care little for those who
get trampled in the way of progress. They rule from the
Paltor, an aggregate building made from twelve gargantuan thakal skeletons at the core of Alos. The Bone
Watch are their eyes, ears, and hands among the streets
and dwellings of the city.
The Bone Market is one of the most famous Alosian locales, both for its stone-embedded thakal-ribcage stalls
and for its wares. Most sought after by visiting traders
are the incredible selections of locally raised or caught
beast meat, both fresh and preserved for caravans. The
Beast Hunter’s Guild of Alos controls much wealth because of this, though many don’t believe this when they
see the guild’s much-scarred and austere leader. Called
