Nothing is here 9

Eiren Bay is a city in the Judges of Tehom Setting and Defenders of Eiren Campaign.

Life in Eiren Bay

Holding Up One Third of Heaven: The Common Sphere and Eiren Bay

Eiren Bay is a relatively open and democratic cosmopolis where there is a shared governance model between Baselines and Archons. The Eirenian Many enjoy many freedoms (and responsibilities) that would be considered bizarre and possibly dangerous in the more traditionalist cosmopoli. The Many are entrusted with many professional and technocratic responsibilities within the city-state, helping maintain the civil and official realms. These political rights and economic responsibilities also translate into less economic inequality in Eiren Bay than some other city-states.

Eirenians call their arrangement “responsive kleocracy.” In their model, kleos is greater the more sustainable it is and the more people are inspired. Bankrupting society for a grand event is not the greatest possible glory. Creating a grand vision only a few can enjoy is not the greatest possible glory. It is still a society the desires heroes that inspires it, but those Archons and heroes must be responsive to the needs of the Many. Some of the more radical elements of Eiren Bay argue that the needs of the Many outweight the needs of the Few, but those who utter that phrase risk being viewed as potential anarchists. Through this responsiveness (which has been codified into law to an extent), the Many hold the Few accountable.

Historically, there are three basic reasons for Eiren Bay developing responsive kleocracy:

• Prosperity. A rising tide lifts all ships. As Eiren Bay became a center of global commerce, the general wealth of the population increased. As the Archons feared scarcity less, more freedoms were created.

• Archonic Pluralism. While Srimec City is controlled by cyborgs and Pinnacle is ruled by mutants, there is no single “type” that defines the Few of Eiren Bay. Some are trained or altered into becoming more than human, others were born into lineages, and still others became entangled in cosmic forces humanity barely understands. This diversity among the Few leads to less solidarity among them as a group. For example, some mystics feel a closer connected to the Many that share their religious beliefs than with secular Lineages, and one can find similar examples among all the origins. Diversity among the Few has lead to increased toleration of the Many.

• Retirement. Eiren Bay has a distinct, if not completely unique tradition of retirement: after an Archon has served the cosmopolis faithfully for many years, it is in their right to retire from public life and try to find happiness within the Common Sphere. Technological Archons may deactivate their armor, hyper-trained martial artists may give up their regimes in favor of a family life, and an altered human may find a cure to their change allowing them to live a “normal” human life. Retirement helps create a sense of there being a “revolving door” between the Many and the Few that does not exist in the other city-states.

Official Sphere of Eiren Bay

Eirenian Politics

Eiren Bay is governed primarily by a bicameral house. One body, the Public Assembly, is a democratically elected legislature comprised of the Many. The other, the Hall of Honor, is an assembly of Archons representing the interests of the Few. The Honored decide who else to include in the Hall.

The President of Eiren Bay is the head of state and is elected by the Public Assembly for a 5-year term. By custom, this is a sitting members of the Hall of Honor, and it is for a single 5-year term. These customs have no legal requirement, however, and they have occasionally (always with great controversy) been ignored.

Regarding political movements, the Anarchists have a foothold in Eiren Bay, but they are carefully watched and much of their activity is officially illegal. The Lighthouse is a political party calling for more power in the hands of the Few, while the Harmonists defend responsive kleocracy. There are several Lighthouse and Harmonist parties vying for influence in the Public Assembly (i.e., the Workers Harmonists, the Farmers Lighthouse Party, etc.). The organizational rules of the assembly encourage coalitions rather than large monolithic parties.

The Eirenian Economy

Eiren Bay enjoys a relatively diversified economy, though its electronics and manufacturing industries are the most prosperous. The cosmopolis is built upon a large natural bay, facilitating its role in global trade.

The Eirenian Civil Sphere

As a diverse city, the cultural landscape of Eiren Bay is wide. Several professional sports ensure the population is entertained year-round, and there are numerous museums and arts exhibits as well. Regarding schooling, they have Elementary schools, high schools, and a sprawling university complex.

There are several religions found practices within Eiren Bay. There is the Remaining Church, which claims its origin back in antiquity as a religious group that came with the Garden, and who preach of its return. The Lifting are a group of Archon worshippers. The Tidlings Tehom has a world mind and the Archons are a gift from them. While the Orans also believe Tehom has a mind, they are maltheists who view Tehom as trying to kill humanity.

The Kairos Covenant

The Wasting War and the establishment of the Duidainian Anarchy deeply disturbed many across Tehom, many among both the Few and the Many worried that social collapse was just over the horizon. Toward that end, many cosmopoli came together to create the Kairos Covenant, a diplomatic alliance of sorts created in the name of establishing and maintaining stability throughout the Set Islands. Originally an agreement between Pinnacle, Srimec, Eiren Bay, and Saltmeche Citadel, the Kairos Covenant has grown to almost two dozen cosmopoli of various levels of power.

The Council Proper

The Council Proper is the assembly of member states. All active diplomatic activity occurs through the Council Proper.

The Dynaton Initiative

The actual must always be moved toward the possible, and the responsibility for that movement falls in the hands of the Dynaton Initiative. The Dynaton Initiative is an organization with responsibilities regarding police, defense, and espionage within the Covenant city-states, defending them against outside forces (non-Covenant city-states and inhuman monsters) as well as helping them maintain order as best it can. While not a military as such, it has many highly trained individuals and members of the Few at its disposal.

The Agonist Arbiters

When diplomatic efforts fail, an elaborate set of laws regarding ritualized warfare activates. In the interest of stability, warfare often takes the form of formal duels between Archons. The exact details on what sort of duels are required for what situations, their rules, and their stakes are partly determined ahead of time and partly determined as a negotiation between the Archons championing the interests of their respective cosmopoli.