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United Cities: Difference between revisions
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The United Cities was ruled by the Council of Magisters, a collection of the wealthiest and most influential men of each city who gathered in [[Heng]]'s Hall of Wonders to deliberate. Only the richest ten citizens from each city were allowed to take part in the council. The choosing was not through election but by a tallying of the monetary worth of the aspirant, usually carried out by Traders Guild accountants and auditors. Every ten years a member of the council would be elected by simple majority to serve as Grand Magister of the United Cities. The Grand Magister had powers to represent the United Cities in foreign matters and trade negotiations. For the United Cities entire three hundred year existence the position was typically rotated, with no city ever holding on to the position for consecutive terms as per the founding pact. | The United Cities was ruled by the Council of Magisters, a collection of the wealthiest and most influential men of each city who gathered in [[Heng]]'s Hall of Wonders to deliberate. Only the richest ten citizens from each city were allowed to take part in the council. The choosing was not through election but by a tallying of the monetary worth of the aspirant, usually carried out by Traders Guild accountants and auditors. Every ten years a member of the council would be elected by simple majority to serve as Grand Magister of the United Cities. The Grand Magister had powers to represent the United Cities in foreign matters and trade negotiations. For the United Cities entire three hundred year existence the position was typically rotated, with no city ever holding on to the position for consecutive terms as per the founding pact. | ||
The Grand Magister had few domestic powers and served more as a coordinator and mediator for the cities; border conflicts and trade disputes were common in the United Cities. Each city was mostly autonomous and had its own hierarchical governing structures and ruling families. | The Grand Magister had few domestic powers and served more as a coordinator and mediator for the cities; border conflicts and trade disputes were common in the United Cities. Each city was mostly autonomous and had its own hierarchical governing structures and ruling families. One area where the Grand Magister had full authority was control of the military in times of war. | ||
== Military == | == Military == | ||
[[File:Rocketman UC.jpg|thumb|Wangdi Corps member with a rocket]] | [[File:Rocketman UC.jpg|thumb|Wangdi Corps member with a rocket]] | ||
The United Cities kept a unified standing army known as the Iron Legion, composed of twenty thousand men in lamellar armor, divided into footmen, cavalry and siege corps. It was augmented by city self-defense forces | The United Cities kept a unified standing army known as the Iron Legion, composed of twenty thousand men in lamellar armor, divided into footmen, cavalry and siege corps. It was augmented by city self-defense forces, private militias composed of slaves and hired mercenaries as needed. The troops of the Legion were renowned as experts at sieging fortifications and also at building defensive works. The Iron Legion also pioneered the world's first dedicated rocketry force, the Wangdi Corps. Artificer made rockets that could be deployed and fired by only one or two soldiers to contraptions that could fire dozens of rockets at a time were instrumental in the Legion's battle order. | ||
The Iron Legion was able to repel the numerically superior armies of the Zhong for many years until reduced funding, corruption in the military leadership and the accelerated intake of slaves into its ranks drastically reduced its combat effectiveness and morale. Highly combat efficient in the first hundred years, the force began to experience a marked decline by the mid 1100's when the model of slave-soldier was permanently adopted for cost reasons. By 1215 the Iron Legion was a force more suited to putting down slave revolts than defeating another army in the field and it showed in the final war that ended with the obliteration of the United Cities. | The Iron Legion was able to repel the numerically superior armies of the Zhong for many years until reduced funding, corruption in the military leadership and the accelerated intake of slaves into its ranks drastically reduced its combat effectiveness and morale. Highly combat efficient in the first hundred years, the force began to experience a marked decline by the mid 1100's when the model of slave-soldier was permanently adopted for cost reasons. By 1215 the Iron Legion was a force more suited to putting down slave revolts than defeating another army in the field and it showed in the final war that ended with the obliteration of the United Cities. | ||
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The semiarid climate made for poor agricultural output, crops that required little water like cactus, date palms, mint and drought resistant legumes were favored. The rare alcoholic Cactus Rum has its origins in the United Cities and was also a big hard currency earner; the state owning the largest breweries in Heft. Another source of revenue was taxation of caravans traversing through its territory, during times of peace with the Zhong this was very lucrative for the state. Most trade in and out of the United Cities was overseen by an institution known as the United Traders Guild. | The semiarid climate made for poor agricultural output, crops that required little water like cactus, date palms, mint and drought resistant legumes were favored. The rare alcoholic Cactus Rum has its origins in the United Cities and was also a big hard currency earner; the state owning the largest breweries in Heft. Another source of revenue was taxation of caravans traversing through its territory, during times of peace with the Zhong this was very lucrative for the state. Most trade in and out of the United Cities was overseen by an institution known as the United Traders Guild. | ||
== Culture == | == Culture == | ||
Hunting was an important aspect of upper class culture in the United Cities. The nobles of the United Cities were avid participants of numerous hunts in the deserts were they hunted great beasts such as sand elephants and the great Krayt dragons of old while at the same time socializing and bonding. Once a year the slaver houses would release hundreds of slaves into the deserts and hunt them down for sport, they called this the Desert Lottery. Those that made it outside the territory of the United Cities would gain their freedom. | Hunting was an important aspect of upper class culture in the United Cities. The nobles of the United Cities were avid participants of numerous hunts in the deserts were they hunted great beasts such as sand elephants and the great Krayt dragons of old while at the same time socializing and bonding. Once a year the slaver houses would release hundreds of slaves into the deserts and hunt them down for sport, they called this the Desert Lottery. Those that made it outside the territory of the United Cities would gain their freedom. Over time cruelty against those of a lesser station became ingrained in the mentality of the upper classes. Teaching children that slaves were lesser humans was very common in the United Cities, one notable case was that of the child slave-lord Anundak the Red, a boy of twelve that upon inheriting his father's fortune and slaves, ordered half of them to lose a foot since he found it humorous to see the slaves hopping about on one foot. | ||
{{Audonia topics}} | {{Audonia topics}} | ||
[[Category:Historical countries]] | [[Category:Historical countries]] | ||