User talk:Tee

Thermia, the Free City The Western City-State The Shield City, The City of Nicknames, etc. etc.

The west coast of Osrona is one of the most difficult areas for the city to police effectively. For centuries - before the ports were constructed- the northwest pass through the mountains was one of the few safe routes for trade and migration with the rest of the continent.

Unfortunately, this also meant that the pass's remoteness west of Osrona was a prime target for banditry.

A peninsula - once an island covered largely by sea - juts from the west of Osrona's landscape, a craggy, rocky spike of mountain that curves into dramatic peaks after the rolling hills of Essharan countryside. The high altitude and prevailing ocean currents cause volumnous amounts of snow on the peak -- some theories say the continent would have far more snow during the way if it weren't for the mountain range in the way.

The peak's official name is the Tarian, though most simply call the mountain itself the Spike.

The official founding of Thermia is dated at 702AC, during the Bastard Rebellion. Two groups of opposing soldiers, fleeing the battlefield, escaped by hiding in the forbidding range of the Spike. There they waited out the war and began to build homes and dig quarries; numerous refugees flooded the area and quickly bolstered the city's population.

With such a sudden and unexpected increase in population - people abandoning their very rulers and homelands - came with it the need to govern them. The initial groups of soldiers became Thermia's first rulers; initially it was with simple martial law, but when that became unnecessary, was replaced with an elected government. The now-retired soldiers busied themselves with the construction of defenses and became the Homeguard, to this day the Free City's principle line of defense against all foes.

However, the government of early Thermia was, as history would show, quite temporary. In fact, this arrangement would change so fast it became something of a tradition to try a different type of government during each change of hands; or at least, to try a different variant of one. In this way, even if a citizen wasn't particularly happy with the current form of government, things like politically-motivated rioting could be avoided simply by suggesting a bit of patience to people.

It also began the unexpectedly long series of nicknames the Free City has, as each head of government had the power to give it one. Many chose to, and some were somewhat ridiculous, but were enshrined anyhow.

Though an astonishingly simple form of government, after several generations this arrangement was noted for its remarkable stability. Of course, this stability entirely was based on one thing -- the ability of the current government to enrich its citizens by any means necessary. For the most part, this has meant, over the course of centuries, to raid the peninsula's nearest neighbours, preferably as often as possible.

Naturally this meant the caravans from the continent dwindled, and then ended; the mountain passes were buried and never cleared. Osrona rose in prominence while the other city-states were buried under Essharan military prowess - Thermia, however, was fiercely proud of its independence and would require more than the unsubtle application of force.

Several times - most prominently in 885AC, and again in 1142AC - the Essharan military, as led by the First Light, attempted to use such force on Thermia, and both times were unable to breach the Free City's defenses. Both occasions were instrumental in beginning a long tradition in Thermia -- paying off its enemies. Reparations were made to the troubled merchants, and shortly thereafter the raiding began once again.

Modern Day

The current government is a coalition of councillors; however, scandal has rocked many of the council seats in recent years and it's looking more and more likely that the weak government will be toppled. In addition, the growing trade in illicit herbs and mushrooms has caused the balance of power to shift considerably behind the scenes..

In general, whatever government is currently in power has the ability to change any laws, though their popularity will quickly dwindle if they make too many changes. For the most part, the government stays out of the life of most citizens, who are typically there in the first place to avoid being under the eye of authority figures.

The 'permanent' laws of Thermia are as follows: -- Killing of another citizen: exile, as discretionary by head of government -- Killing of foreign citizen: 200-15000 coin fine (discretionary as above) if occurs in city limits -- Enslavement/indentured servitude/serfdom of another: permanent exile --

The current laws for a change in government are as follows:

• Political parties must have at least 3 Magi in their ranks and be officially registered with the city.

• No member of the Homeguard can be a member of government.

• The party must have a form of government different, and different leaders, than any previous government. Prior rulers may not do so again in their lifetime if they lose their position.

• Any party can attempt to replace the current government after at least 2 years after their rule begins. If the ruling government contests it, general tradition holds they may either call a general election among all population, for any registered party, or may call for a series of duels among the opposing party.

• Generally, specific platforms are written and displayed to citizens prominently, so if elections are called, they are aware of their choices.

• Elections or duels may not take more than 1 year from the initial announcement. If this occurs, the ruling party is immediately deposed and the contesting party replaces them.

• In the improbable event that no party members survive the election process, a general election among all parties is held.

• Any government may defect their position and hand the reigns of power to another party at any time. In doing so the ex-head of state forfeits any further rule.

The Homeguard

In the chaos that's usual Thermia there is a single constant presence for centuries, and that is the Homeguard. Where Thermian governments sometimes rise and fall in seemingly the blink of an eye, the defense force of the city takes their business extremely seriously.

Out of all citizens of Thermia, the Homeguard are unable to join political parties or form governments. Indeed, they are notably apolitical, though of course no organization is not without its own amount of corruption, and many parties are swept into rule with the quiet support of the military.

The Homeguard's exact structure has changed somewhat over the years, but typically they are led by the Shield Commander, and then split into two main groups. The army is paid for and supported by the government, though generally works as an independent organization unless the defense of the city is being planned.

• The Thermian Scouts - Once a group of soldier-scouts, these Magi are generally known as a fairly wild and reckless group, though given considerable respect in the city itself. The Scouts were once known by two previous names.. the Thermian Raiders, and the Thermian Marauders.

Sometimes, tradition is difficult to break. The Scouts are mainly the Free City's raiding force, though they're known to sometimes simply roll into a town, drink themselves insensate, and leave again without stealing anything at all.

The majority of Thermian Scouts are escaped Rhoynish slaves.

• The Black Shields - A small, elite force of Magi, the Shields are the Thermian answer to the First Light of Osrona. In addition, they serve something as a police force in Thermia itself, though generally only for particularly violent situations when the safety of citizens is concerned.

The Shields don't raid like the Scouts, but generally protect the city itself and serve as messengers. Tolerated by most citizens, the Shields generally keep out of people's business as long as they don't cause trouble (much to the dismay of various governments who've attempted to use their influence to get elected).

Extra Stuff:

• Thermia is a center of the alchemy trade in Esshar, a fact that causes much frustration in Osrona. The Tarian Range houses in its depths a wide variety of exotic (and sometimes hallucinogenic) plants and mushrooms that are difficult to find elsewhere.

• The citizens of Thermia generally value independence above all else, despite the chaos that this often brings. Though some citizens prefer the Essharan Kingdom's form of government, many simply don't care at all.

• For the right price, virtually anything can be bought in Thermia. If money is involved, most citizens will look the other way. Generally, a few coins will allow even First Light into the city, though in uniform is probably a bad idea.

• Thermia is an entertainment hub despite its relatively remote location. Travellers from all walks of life are welcome here, so things tend to be an eclectic mix of cultures - Rhoynish being the most common.