Ghaird City Zu'aan

History

The most exposed out of all the cities is Ghaird. Despite boasting high fortified walls, it lies in the middle of the Kalkro Moor a vast open wetland with fertile soil and rich landscape. The moor has been used for many years to grow a number of crops, sustaining Ghaird as well as a number of other cities close by. It is in line with the main trade routes and has stood for thousands of years as a farming city. There are numerous farms surrounding the main city and those farmers have been made rich over the years with their ability to sell produce.

Animals like bhoden and feadar are raised to produce meat for the city on the land. The city has a good infrastructure and military. The government is run by elected officials from the citizens and a mayor to take charge of everything. The city was a powerful asset to the empire. The outbreak happened a number of decades ago but unlike other cities, very few citizens chose to abandon their homes. Many of the original citizens still live there with their families and it seems the city was spared, untouched by the outbreak. The mayor at the time had gotten word of the outbreak and had implemented a plan of survival.

Many of the farmers moved into the city during the numerous attacks that the city endured, taking many of their animals with them. The military put up a powerful defense, using fire as their weapon of choice to fight the approaching army of kin’tonni. They were able to survive many more attacks in this way. During the day, the city would carry on as normal, and by night, all citizens would secure themselves within the city along with their families and animals. The city was always prepared and always secured. One of the few things Ghaird can claim is the security of seeing the enemy before they are even close.

The flat and unmarred landscape surrounding them allows them to see far off into the distance and know when an enemy is approaching. It is this advantage that has saved the lives of many zu’aan living in the city over the years. Many people know of Ghaird and many of the surrounding cities still rely on Ghaird’s help to get them through this difficult time. The friendships that Ghaird has built with allied cities has not fallen to the wayside and with Ghaird’s help, many of the neighbouring cities have also managed to survive these difficult years.

By far, Ghaird's closest ally is Hinormi, set in the swamps to the east of the city. Though a newly established city, the citizens aid Ghaird by keeping an eye on the south for them while Ghaird offers Hinormi food and animals to live off of. To the north Keduk city helps by watching the north and many of Ghaird's fighters are sent off to help strengthen the military at Keduk. The current mayor of Ghaird has done an exceptional job of strengthening ties to neighbouring cities and continues to do so.

Psychology

The people of Ghaird trust their government and their gods completely and have lived like this for many years. The moor surrounding the city has provided many powerful and good things for the city. This included safety and fertile lands on which to raise animals and grow crops. The land on which citizens live affects their psychology a good amount. Since the land is good and provides vantage points across vast stretches of empty land, ghairdians feel safer in the city than other more dangerous lands.

Ghairdians have pride in their city, culture and religion. They are the do or die type of people and will fight for their city no matter how large the enemy may appear to be. They have faith in their leaders and especially their mayor. Though they pay very little attention to travellers and are basically indifferent to visitors coming to their city, they are more tolerant of travellers. The government will often send someone to interrogate the spy in a friendly and inconspicuous manner. The mayor has the good sense to know that travellers often bring knowledge from other places.

Most travellers have yielded very important news from other cities far away. It is with this information that the government has managed to keep the city safe from scourge and harm that could befall them. The government also protects its people by having strict laws in place. They govern marriage and religion as well as child rearing. As such, the people know their law and follow it. They have a set routine in place and though, to others they might seem like mindless zombies, by following the law, they are set at ease a lot more than if they were to be in a free state. They have been conditioned to believe that the laws keep them safe and healthy. Not many defectors have come to light over the many years of the city’s existence. The Ghairdians are very much controlled by their government and their military.

They don’t see that because they have elected these individuals themselves to represent them on the main stage where all the decisions are being made that pertain to their lives. That is why it is so difficult for the people to believe that they are being controlled. They believe that the neighbour’s son that they selected, has their best interests at heart. Ghairdians are very trusting people for this exact reason. The other reason is the fact that crime is so little in the city because of the military. Not only will trainees patrol the city from time to time but likely offenders are also brainwashed to know the law off by heart.

The men in the city, during mandatory military service, will be taught just how important it is to do the right thing. That is precisely why Ghaird is one of the safest places in the empire. Because of the military, government and location of Ghaird, it is considered one of the safest places in the entire empire.

Culture

Ghaird is a farming city and the people are farming people. Their culture as such, is based on farming. They hold annual festivals celebrating the harvest, winter time and summer time. They have feasts in the town and try out each other’s special dishes during the main three seasons. During spring time, they celebrate a festival of procreation and couples are often paired during this season. The city believes in a patriarchal system but it is not as strict as many other places tend to be as far as sexism goes. Marriage in Ghaird is a sacred ceremony that requires a man and a woman to make a commitment to one another.

The difference here is that men can have more than one wife if they can afford to keep that woman as well as any offspring that they produce. If a man cannot look after any of his wives, she is taken from him and given to the church, orphanage, healing building or any of the other government run operations in the city in order to help them and offer labour in exchange for food and living arrangements. A man marries at the age of 20 after completing 5 years of military service. His first marriage is arranged by the son’s parents. It is their job to find a suitable wife for their son. A healthy daughter-in-law will produce good and strong children.

A marriage can be set in place from the son’s birth up until his 17th birthday. Once the first marriage is solidified during the spring of the son’s 20th birthday, he then has a choice when to marry a second, third or fourth wife and who to choose but it’s generally respectful to his first wife and her family to wait until she produces her first child. Where boys need to wait till 20, girls can be married off as young as 16. For a woman it is a terrifying experience. They often fear that they will end up in a government run establishment if their husband fails in his duties to care for her and her children.

Women have no say in what man they end up being a wife to.Many end up in abusive situations until they have a sister wife to take comfort in. Many women will try and become pregnant as soon as possible in order to get a companion wife for their husband that can help around the house. Many women will encourage their husbands into getting another wife. Other than the inner workings of marriage in Ghaird, the government will often encourage individuals to follow religion with a strict and pious heart. On the sabbat day, all citizens are encouraged to attend church.

Once the ceremony of worship is over, women in attendance will cook a feast for the entire congregation with children playing and husbands discussing matters of importance. There is a church in each sector and it creates strong ties between neighbours in that sector to meet once a fortnight for religious purposes.

Government

Ghaird’s government is outstanding and has managed the city for many years. They take care of their citizens by providing needed services such as healers to help the sick and ailing as well as a strong military to keep the city safe. It is because of the government that most of the citizens decided to stay when the outbreak was brought to the city gates. The government system hasn’t changed from the past in the last few years. It is still very much the same as it has always been. The Government is a democracy that relies on its citizens to choose their elected leaders.

They may suggest a leader that they chose to represent their district of the city and offer them up for election. All the sectors would have to choose one representative. The best part of this democratic system is that wealth does not matter. The citizens may choose anyone from any walk of life and from any social class. Class does not hold a lot of significance in the city. They have been taught that everyone is valuable within the city. Everyone has a role to play and is needed for the functioning of the city as a whole. Unlike other cities, there is no division in Ghaird and elected officials are the proof of that.

When in power, the official will decide what is best for the specific sector he has been selected to govern. Only men can be selected for office. Once elected, the individual has his post until he is deemed unfit for office or until he passes away. Once the seat is open again a new official is chosen and the cycle starts all over again. A Mayor on the other hand, is chosen from the current seats in the government and will govern the city for a maximum of five years. Once the five years of the mayor’s reign has passed, the seat is opened and the old mayor will return to his previous seat on the council. A new official is selected.

This aids the city by offering changes with each new person who takes office and it’s vital for the growth of the city. No one person can be mayor twice. The government believes that it is essential to have a variety of opinions for the leadership position to be successful. As such, each new mayor brings with them a different perspective and, most importantly, change. Since the very beginning, the city has run in this way and they will continue the trend because it works. The Government is in charge of many different aspects of the city, from religion to military.

They pride themselves on having one of the best militaries in the empire. The government believes that this is mainly due to the rules set in place that keep the military strong and focussed on their task of protecting the city.

Overall, life is peaceful in Ghaird. People have a sense of community which is vital for a strong city.

Military

One of the main assets of Ghaird is the fact that their military power is so outstandingly strong. That’s in part, thanks to the government being able to create forced attendance from the age of fifteen. The moment a young boy reaches the age of fifteen they are sent to the military campus which is in district 17. There the boy will learn about the government, self defence, military tactics, law and many other valuable topics which will prepare the boy to be a man. After 5 years of training and studying, the boy is returned to his family as a man.

He is then married off and is ready to start his life in the city. Men are never released from the military totally. They are called back should they be needed for whatever reason. That is why the military is so strong. All the men of the city, under the age of 50, are recruited at any point should a need arise to have them on hand. Most of the boys find the first year of their service the hardest. They are kept away from their home and family and friends for five years. It is a way in which the military can sever ties with family and instead create loyalty towards the city as a whole.

The boys in the campus are taught that the city is not just family and friends but everyone. The city is one thing that needs their protection and loyalty at all times. It is for this reason and this mind bending that makes Ghaird soldiers some of the fiercest in the world. They are taught how to create strong weapons to defend themselves with and to beat the enemy. They are taught how to play a defensive game with the enemy with tactics to use once in a life threatening situation. They are even brainwashed to become cold and calculating soldiers.

The military of Ghaird have even been loaned out to neighbouring cities because of their prowess and elite training. Because of this, there are many cities indebted to Ghaird. Ghaird has very few enemies that could stand up against the force of their soldiers. Many of them excell at their training and become leaders among the military. Those soldiers are asked to stay on with the military and help train new recruits. Men stay recruits of the military from the age of 15 to the age of 50 when they can finally rest, knowing they will not be called to duty in order to fight the kin’tonni.

Very few men have lost their lives in the military. That is because they have good tactics that have been taught to all new recruits. Those tactics have been taught for generations and will be taught for many more years to come because they work. These tactics were developed by one of the greatest generals the empire had ever seen, general Kulan. Kulan was born in Ghaird and his memory lives on today in the tactics he left behind.

Religion

The religion in Ghaird is based around a couple called the Jaunons consisting of a man and a woman. This god and goddess copulated to create everything in the empire from the ground Ghaird was built on to the sun that shines in the sky. Ghairdians even believe that the harsh winters that are now stretching longer over the months are because Jaunia is becoming infertile due to old age so she cannot create more life. They do believe that women are sacred for their ability to hold life but they also believe that men have the child inside their seed.

Women are the ovens and men are the bakers. The Jaunons have many rules that touch on a range of topics, from marriage to child rearing. These rules were laid out by wise men many years ago on stone tablets that are now cherished religious items held in the main church in sector one. The first rule on the tablets is for a man to produce as many offspring as he can care for. That is why it is encouraged to take more than one wife, despite the fact that Jaunar had one wife, Jaunia. The second rule is that copulation and marriage only happens when the land is most fertile, in the springtime when the flowers blossom.

It is said that only in this time will it please Jaunia and the seed of the man will take. The third rule is that twice a month should be a sabbath day where the citizens give thanks, feast and sing to the Jaunons. These rules are the principles among the citizens and they strictly conduct their life around these rules. There are many other valuable rules coming from the chronicles from the wise men, but the principle ones are those that the Ghairdians are most in fear of not obeying. Above all else, the Ghaird will honor their Godly couple and follow whatever is written in the chronicles.

It is with great reverence that the Ghairdians talk about religion and they are even proud of their piety. They are a devoted city and it would be rare to find a single individual capable of being an atheist. This is what sets them apart from other cities. They believe their gods are the true gods and they would die to defend their gods. They are utterly devoted to their beliefs and could be seen as fanatics. Most of the other cities do have their own religions but none are as devoted and so willing to die for their gods as Ghairdians.

Their religion almost resembles a cultist following and the strict laws of the religion are almost unbelievably hard to follow. Yet somehow the Ghairdians do just that. Ghaird's religious beliefs are held firmly in their hearts and they stand with conviction against the empire in order to follow their gods. They are a strong people and it's their faith and conviction in their gods that have allowed them to reach this far.

Miscellany

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Ghaird City Zu'aan

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