THE THEOCRACY OF VERITY
Verity is a country on the western continent, The Garden, known for its religious devotion to the gods Callista and Aphelia. The region is mountainous, with rocky cliffs facing the ocean that makes up the country's eastern border. The temperature is moderate, and the weather is quite damp. Verity is a very rainy country, and cities close to the coast find themselves blanketed in fog at night and in the early mornings.
The country was established very early on in the history of the Sixth Cycle, long before Lumaria was unsealed from its stasis. The country's origins are in its capital city, Silkspire. Not far from the city was the location known as The Vault, where the goddess Aphelia was sealed for an unknown crime by the gods of the Fifth. As ground zero for much of the catastrophe that wiped out the population of the Fifth Cycle, the Vault became a magic sink of magic energy, and a source of mystery for those that survived the Lunar Reprisal. As such, the original denizens of Silkspire were mostly religious scholars and devotees of Aphelia who were risking their lives to try to solve the mysteries posed by the Vault- in its empty form, now called The Ribcage.
The city of Silkspire is one of the largest in the continent, founded atop what is said to be the body of one of the former pantheon's gods. It rests miles underneath this city. The only thing visible, and what lets anyone know of this corpse's presence are the tall, sharp, metal-like pieces of bone that jut out of the ground in a circle- these are what gives Silkspire its name. Between these spires the city built walls that contain the city proper and separate it from the outside world. It's believed by many that these spires act as conduits for divine energy, giving Silkspire a unique connection to the City of the Gods.
Silkspire contains many important places of pilgrimage to devotees of Callista, Aphelia, and Nastya, which are the gods held most sacred by its citizens. Religion is extremely important to this city and affects every aspect of culture. For example, most if not all healing done in the city, including surgeries, is done through religious magics, as the act of cutting into flesh is deemed sacrilegious by Verity's worshippers of Nastya. There are specially designated surgeons and people known as "butchers" who have gone through countless religious ceremonies and have been trained to be granted divine permission to cut apart the flesh. Anyone unauthorized found cutting into the flesh of another living being is punished severely.
A small but extremely important exception to this rule is the use of blood healing. A very common practice in Silkspire is the utilization of specialized blood for healing all sorts of ailments. It's considered very sacred and is supposedly able to work miracles on the flesh. The blood itself comes from Blood Saints; a special class of nuns and priests who serve as vessels for this healing blood. While some rare Blood Saints carry healing blood naturally, a majority of Blood Saints undergo many rounds of special ministrations to become a vessel.
As has likely become evident, medicine is a large aspect of Silkspire's culture. It's early history was marred by repeated plagues which almost prevented the city from becoming the superpower it is today. Their only saving grace was their quickness to innovate their medicine, and the practice of constantly seeking improvement has continued to this day. The plague has also greatly affected the culture of the city. There is a heavy fixation on Death in Silkspire's art and religion. People in Silkspire tend to be conservative with their affection, and being out in public while showing any signs of illness is considered nearly taboo. The upside of this is that the healthcare system in Silkspire is rather robust. Healthcare is universal, hospitals operate free of charge, and disabiled members of the community are cared for however they might need.
Architecturally, the city is extremely vertical, and much taller than it is wide. As the entirety of Silkspire resides within the walls created from the old god's spires, they resorted to building upwards, rather than outwards. Most of the lower levels are so covered by buildings and structures that the sky is completely obscured, and it appears almost indoors. Its verticality has been divided into different subsections/districts (listed below);
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The Skin: The lowermost portion of Silkspire, where one can find many places of worship, places to trade, and temporary lodging. There's hardly anyone who actually lives on this layer anymore, as it's mostly known as a place of commerce. Entry to this level of Silkspire is not highly restricted and it's open to the public. However, every night the Skin is closed and anyone seen on the streets past 11pm is swiftly detained by a specialized form of guard called Sweepers. Those without a resident's identification card are thrown out of the city or detained, and those with a resident's ID are escorted back to the Lungs.
The Liver: The Liver is the second highest portion of Silkspire, home mostly to the housing of less-affluent citizens of the city. This layer is where things start to be more heavily guarded and protected, and the toll is very heavily enforced. Residents of Silkspire who have paid the toll have passes that allow them free access to and from this layer. The Liver are the second largest portion of Silkspire.
The Lungs: The third highest layer in the city, and the largest out of all of them. A majority of Silkspire's churches and cathedrals can be found on this layer, as well as low to mid-tier medical centers. Hospitals and clinics in the Lungs service any member of the city with proper identification free of charge, as their insurance is paid for as part of their yearly taxes. Additionally, the uppermost portion of The Lungs is where nobles and more affluent citizens make their homes.
The Teeth: The layer home to the most sacred cathedrals, highest ranks of priests, and the government officials of the city. Most of the highest venerated medics make their home here as well. Access to this level of Silkspire is highly, highly restricted and even the average Silkspire citizen cannot enter The Teeth without good reason or proper clearance.
The Crown: The most sacred and most protected uppermost portion of Silkspire. None but the highest ranking officials are allowed here. It's presumed that government goings ons happen here, and that important politicians like the Radiants have their homes here.
The city's form of government is somewhat complex. At the highest levels there are two parties (equal in power) responsible for decision-making; a council of 6 Grand Priests elected by the high priests of the main cathedrals of Silkspire, and a single Prophet. These parties handle all decision-making, but hardly ever make public appearances or communicate with the public directly. Public relations and any back-and-forth communication between the councils and the people of Silkspire occur through the two Holy Radiants, also voted on by the high priests. One is called the Morning Star, and is typically regarded as the "face" and handles a majority of the speaking, and acts as a leader of troops in times of war. The other radiant is typically much quieter and behind the scenes, being a keeper of knowledge and a tactician, known as the Evening Star.
The current Holy Radiants are Evening Star Celestiel and Morning Star Mariel.
The Marrows, often called the Silkspire Backstreets by those unacquainted with the city, is the name given to the settlement that surrounds the outer walls of Silkspire. Its population is mostly made up of people who are too poor to afford the steep price of entry into the upper floors of the city, whether it be for medical care, pilgrimage, or a lack of anywhere else to go. While this area is technically a part of Silkspire, since it resides outside the city's walls it's developed a unique culture of its own, primarily informed by the shared desire to make it inside the city.
Silkspire's relationship with the Marrows has roots in the beginning of the cycle. After the destruction caused by the gods turned the mortal earth into an apocalyptic landscape, Silkspire was one of the first cities to rise to power. The high walls and number of clerics who populated the city invited people who wanted protection to attempt entry- however, they found quickly that the people inside wanted nothing to do with the people outside. Eventually, the masses of refugees seeking shelter could hardly be controlled anymore, and the people of Silkspire made an agreement; If the people in the Marrows agreed to grow food as well as fight for them if the need ever arose, Silkspire would provide housing, protection, and weapons. What the Marrows are now is a remnant of those apocalyptic times.
Silkspire's government has long since rescinded most of these protections, but what protections still exist do so in the form of the companies. Nowadays, most of the danger of the Marrows comes from inside the city rather than outside, and the impoverished people of the Backstreets have to rely on Companies and Syndicates to provide for them and keep them safe.
The Companies are, as stated, remnants of the ways Silkspire used to protect the Marrows. A majority of these companies are approved of by the government of Silkspire and are quite legitimate in the services they offer- however, they also often require hefty payments from their patrons in exchange. Companies give their patrons food, physical protection, safe places to live, and often even promise that they can help those who follow them afford the steep price for entry into Silkspire. For those seeking lower-cost options for protection and food, there are a number of criminal organizations called Syndicates, who do just about the same thing; the tradeoff here is that the Syndicates are often quite eccentric and no matter how much they promise safety, they're usually looking to get something out of you- overall, they're just less trustworthy. Syndicates and Companies are constantly at odds with one another and fight to have control over different sections of the Marrows.
There are seven companies, and a countless number of Syndicates, but only three (for now) of them that are especially worth mentioning.
The Watchers are the first major company, which handles security in the Marrows. Their primary purpose is keeping the peace in the Marrows. This often includes ensuring that the people of the Marrows don't enter the city and also securing certain channels for traffic going in and out of Silkspire. However, as you might expect, they also provide protection to citizens of the Marrows who can fork over enough cash.
One of the largest companies in the Marrows is Saint Caelin's Ministry of Medicine, often abbreviated to SCMM, which deals first and foremost in developing medicine and medical technology on behalf of Silkspire proper. A majority of their workforce is made up of Marrow's citizens who manufacture these technologies, but the upper ranks of SCMM are composed entirely of scientists who have worked, or still work in the upper levels. SCMM's main draw is the promise to its employees and those who volunteer for medical trials entrance into Silkspire after working for a certain amount of time.
Verity Salvation Corp is another fairly large corporation which does missionary work on behalf of the Church of Silkspire. It's primarily run by volunteer priests from the upper levels who provide support to the impoverished of the Marrows in the form of food, medicine, and other sorts of humanitarian aid. In exchange, they ask only that the citizens attend church services and on rare occasions agree to do volunteer work with them.
Floodbasin Agriculture is the largest company based out of the Marrows, dedicated to the production of food and animal products for Silkspire proper as well as the people of the Marrows. FBA is the company which employs the largest number of Marrows citizens.
Dedicated to the production of metals and the largest conductor of mining operations in Verity, Ferroworks is a company founded by a wealthy family 300-400 years ago. While the company has a large base of operations in the Marrows, the company operates out of the capital city and conducts its operations all across the country, as well as in surrounding territories. The primary metals they produce are iron, copper, platinum siderite and silver.
Neocardia is a small, somewhat illusive company that exists not too far underneath the surface of the Marrows. It works closely with Ferroworks, utilizing
Verity Express is one of the smallest companies, and it handles all sorts of messenger/delivery services. It's directly funded and operated by Silkspire's government, and has offices both inside the city and across the Marrows. Despite its size, it's very powerful as its members carry information across the city wall. Verity Express is also responsible for handling the intake of a majority of the city's imports, as well as being an important point of contact for business people seeking to export goods to other countries
The major operating syndicates fall under an umbrella called The Arteries. Each one controls its own territory and has enough power that even the Companies have a hard time keeping them in check. These are Intima, Media, and Adventitia.
Adventitia... ?
Media deals mostly in under-the-table life-saving or even the occasional cosmetic surgeries for those who would otherwise be too poor to afford them. They offer a unique system of financing for their procedures under the guise of making them easier to afford. However, they often are acutely aware of the fact that a majority of their patients will never be able to make the hefty payments- leading to the other half of Media's business; Organ repossession. Media has a number of highly-skilled assassin-like figures whose sole job is to recover organs from people who cannot make their payments.
Intima is the strangest of the three major syndicates, and the one that has given the companies the most trouble. It's been difficult if not impossible for anyone to track down where this company operates out of, mostly due to the manner by which the syndicate arranges itself. Intima is made up of primarily couriers, who deliver bizarre orders, known as Doctrines, to those who rely on them for protection. If these Doctrines are not carried out, Intima messengers must ensure that the recipient of the message is thoroughly dealt with. The motives of Intima are entirely unclear, and the origins of the Doctrines are unknown even to the messengers who carry them.
The city Throne of Lucia (often shortened to just "Throne") is a city founded 500 or so years ago in part by the messenger god of mercy, Lucia, who is largely considered disgraced from the pantheon due to a legendary disagreement between her and The Warden. She now resides inside the city deep within the central cathedral and is considered by the citizens of Throne to be their ruler, though she makes public appearances very rarely and still retains her godly duty of passing messages between the material plane and the City of the Gods. It's said that somewhere within the central cathedral there's a passageway to the City of the Gods, though access to this is obviously restricted to a select few and is guarded heavily.
The city of Silkspire is notorious for exiling and excommunicating anyone who steps out of line for any reason, especially at the higher levels towards the Crown. Lady Lucia called upon these exiles to give them a second chance- to show them mercy when no one else had, as is her nature. She afforded them shelter, and they afforded her protection from those who would seek to abuse her divine nature, in a relationship not to dissimilar to the Marrows and Silkspire- the only difference being Lucia actually treated the downtrodden of her Throne with respect, as real citizens. While Silkspire hated those that they had outcast, and were hesitant to acknowledge Lucia's authority as a god, a city so based in the Divine could not ignore her presence or her forgiveness and began to acknowledge her Will as true. Silkspire began to pour resources into Throne, and sent those who had sinned greatly in their eyes to her for repentance and to be redeemed.
Over time, this relationship became distorted and changed, leading to the formation of the city's culture in the modern day. Today, Throne is a city dedicated to the idea of sinning in an forgiving environment- a similar concept to the sin city Tillytown, but with a markedly pretentious, almost holier-than-thou approach. Those who care not for their reputation or the mark of sin can gamble their cares away in Tillytown- but the sin is still done. Those who sin in Throne have their sins instantly redeemed, the slate wiped clean by the watchful eye of Lady Lucia.
The city visually looks extremely similar to Silkspire, with ornate pointed cathedrals and tall, vertical architecture even in residential areas- though, unlike Silkspire, Throne takes this in stride. The art and architecture as a whole maintains a playful balance of elegant and gaudy, looking equal parts based in religion and based in pure aesthetic pleasure and glamour. While the city originally only consisted of residential housing and the central cathedral where Lucia stays, most of the city is now composed of clubs, casinos, and brothels that greatly contrast this regal and holy appearance.
Since the city's establishment as a hotbed of sin, it has struggled to maintain control of its people. Crime runs rampant on the streets of Throne, creating a dark and dangerous underbelly for those who choose to visit. While Throne is unlike it's parent city in that it requires no explicit entrance fee, the services provided to visitors have high price tags for participation- as such, many patrons of the city are quite wealthy and are vulnerable to falling victim to scams, theft, and extortion. Additionally, while these wealthy visitors make up a loud minority of the city's patrons, a desire to sin and be forgiven is felt in the lower class of Verity as well. To cater to this crowd, criminals often run under-the-table gambling operations. Part of the reason it's expensive to participate in Throne's services is the high costs of running such an establishment legally- each and every one of these venues is required to pay hefty taxes to the Central Cathedral, as well as maintain a high standard of quality.
The actual "city" is rather small. They are extremely devout like most cities in Verity, but follow a slightly different religion than the mainstream. Instead of worshiping a single god, they worship the concept of divinity and the flame as a whole. Knowledge of this religion isn't well documented to anyone outside their island, as they follow an oral tradition and all "written" depictions of their religion are more accurately described as intricate and symbolic pieces of art.
The veil between worlds is particularly thin in Interlude, and because of this, they are extremely intune with both the fey and souls of the dead. Many customs of Interlude’s citizens revolve around appeasing them and keeping them happy. Funerary rites are strictly observed.