Thritai

Location and Description

Thritai is the southernmost city-state of Caulis and a major trade hub. It is located in the extreme south of Caulis, on the banks of the Deynar River and west of the Zaendtan Mts. It has a fairly sizable population (14,000) but is not as wealthy as the other major Caulisian trade centers of Xadir and Kalrax. It is famous for its leather goods, and is seen by many as a perilous and anarchic place, constantly harassed by barbarians of the Vaal Grasslands to the west.

The city was founded by the remnants of a barbarian tribe called the Thrit. The Thrit were the largest and most warlike of the nomadic tribes in and around the Vaal Grasslands. It is suspected that the Thrit were decimated by a plague in the late 6th/early 5th Century BCE; what was left of the tribe migrated east and settled in the area near the Deynar River where Thritai now stands. The city was little more than a lawless frontier town until trade caravans started to travel through on their way to or from The Jhera Valley, and merchants and other settlers from northern Caulis came in the hopes of profit and freedom.

Residents of Thritai refer to themselves as either Thrit or Thritan, and speak Samredan. Some residents are able to speak and understand Caulisian, as well as rudimentary Molenorian and Jherak.

Political System

The ruling monarch of Thritai and the surrounding area is known as the Archon; residents of the city also refer to the Archon as Haetahn, a Samredan word meaning either "tribal leader" or "warlord." The Archon is undisputed master of Thritai and the surrounding towns and villages, and it is his responsibility (by Thritan law) to protect the area from barbarians. He is supreme commander of the Thritan military, and makes the law for the area, handing out judgement on those under his dominion. Since Thritai is such a hardscrabble place, the Archon is not as rich as his counterparts in such city-states as Xadir or Kalrax. Most of the tax revenue brought in is from traders and merchants passing through.

Under the Archon are the noble families (known to Thritans as hae or "tribes"), each lead by a haedar ("duke" or "tribal father"). Many of these noble families stretch back to before the founding of the city. The dukes are each given control of a certain area in or around the city, and are responsible for maintaining whatever sort of order they see fit, as well as equipping, training, and leading their own military units in the defense of the city. The dukes collect taxes from their districts and pass them along to the Archon. The cagiest of the dukes advise the Archon on matters of trade and war. At any given time, there are aound two dozen dukes.

The Archon and his dukes are content to let their people do as they like (for the most part), and this has led many in other parts of Caulis see Thritai as a lawless hive of criminals and miscreants.

The Archon of Thritai is not a hereditary title, though it can pass from father to son. Upon the death of the Archon, all men who believe they can (or should) rule Thritai may stake a claim. The monarchy is bestowed upon the one who can defeat all the other claimants in single combat. This is often a long and bloody affair; killing one's opponent is not required, but many men will fight to the death to become Archon. The process is not limited to members of noble families; any man with the right combination of skill and ambition can join the fray.

Trade

The economy of Thritai relies heavily on cattle. The fields around the city are covered in fast-growing grass called gokkai, and the herds of Thritan cattle graze year round. Thritans use nearly every part of the cow, and export about 60% of the leather they produce. A good portion moves overland to Xaros, and down the River Caul from there to the markets of Xadir and to the rest of the known world. Half of the leather is made into durable goods before export. Thritan leather goods are durable and artfully made. Meat does not travel nearly as well as leather, but jerky made from Thritan beef can be found as far away as Zhosur and Sarmania.

Thritai trades heavily with neighboring city-states Onaar and Sekray, and ships significant amounts of cattle to those cities in exchange for grain and vegetables.

Currency

Thritai has no official currency. Coins from all areas of Caulis--and, indeed, the rest of the known world--are generally accepted as payment. The economy of Thritai relies more heavily on barter and the any other city-state of Caulis. It is expected that most transactions will consist entirely of goods or services. Workers may be paid for a day or week's work with fresh fish or pound of chickpeas; likewise, a shipment of cotton from Jherakeen might be paid for with an agreed-upon amount of Thritan leather.

Clothing

The men of Thritai wear light, thigh-length tunics known locally as notah (ona in Caulisian). Sleeve length varies, usually based on occupation or social class. Tradesmen, common laborers, and slaves wear notah with no sleeves; merchants and the wealthy prefer elbow-length sleeves. Notah in general tend to be rather plain, undyed, and without any but the most basic of decoration. Those men for whom appearance is more than a rudimentary concern tend to set themselves apart through ornamentation--rings, necklaces, armbands, etc. Slaves are prohibited from wearing ornamentation of any kind.

Women wear a lightweight garment similar to the notah, but ankle-length and sleeveless. Like the male counterpart, they tend to be rather plain and undyed. Thritan women are not terribly concerned with jewelry or elaborate hairstyles, as the majority cannot afford such luxuries, or see them as indicative of the amoral decadence of the north.

When the weather turns cool, Thritan men and women wrap themselves in rough woolen cloaks known as ni'notah.

Both men and women wear simple leather sandals. Slaves and poor residents of the city go shoeless.

Hair Styles

Thritan men descended from settlers wear their hair cropped short, as is the style in the rest of Caulis. Those men descended from the original, barbarian Thrit prefer shoulder-length or longer hair, as well as long moustaches or beards. Thritan women wear their hair long, and often tie it back in ponytails or simple braids.

Education

There is no Thritai-wide system of education. Fathers are responsible for educating their sons in whatever way they deem appropriate, and rarely delve too deeply into academic subjects. The education of Thritan boys generally consists of the handling and butchering of cattle, animal husbandry, simple leather working, horsemanship, and fighting. Mothers teach their daughters household tasks such as cooking, sewing, and simple farming techniques. Residents of Thritai are, by and large, the least formally educated of Caulisians, and are often viewed as country bumpkins. They are not stupid however, and are very adaptable and clever.

Those citizens who can afford to do so hire may hire priests as tutors to instruct male children from the age of 6 or 7 until adulthood at age 14. There is no standardized set of subjects, and boys are instructed in whatever subjects their fathers believe are most important. This is considered a luxury that only the wealthiest of dukes and merchants can afford, though it can be relatively inexpensive depending on the curriculum.

Creator/s: count zero

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