Anarinuell
From FiranMUX
Contents |
Overview
FiranMUX is set in the capital city of Anarinuell, which is located almost in the center of all the Firan Territory. It has, therefore, been a hotly contested area for centuries. Nearly all the clans have laid a claim to possession of Anarinuell at one point or another, and wars have been fought over it. Set on a delta at the juncture of the Ani and Uell Rivers, Anarinuell is the largest Firan city, though perhaps not the wealthiest.
The Climate of Anarinuell
The climate in and around Anarinuell is, for the most part, pleasant and livable. The proximity of ocean-sized water (to the west) and air current-blocking mountains (to the north and east) leaves the Firan lands nestled in a relatively calm corner of Aerval. During the summer months, the proximity to the ocean keeps most of the land from getting too hot. However, it can get into the 90F range, and is usually quite humid. Winter is a completely different story, for the Zhenti Mountains take the brunt of the eastern winds' moisture, leaving the Firan region cold but relatively dry although there are still days of heavy snowfall thanks to freezing temperatures. Spring and fall are considered the most pleasant times of the year, making them the most popular times to hold the annual festivals. Overall, expect temperatures between 70F and 90F in the summer; 40F to 70F in the fall and spring; and between 30F to 50F in the winter.
NOTE: To convert Fahrenheit into Celsius: Subtract 32 from the Fahrenheit temperature. Multiply the result by 5. Divide this result by 9. Example: 70F - 32= 38; 38 x 5= 190; 190 / 9= 21C (approx.).
The Character and Atmosphere of Anarinuell
Anarinuell is an enormous sprawling mass of people and stone. It is a city of merchants, but because it is also the largest and most centrally located Firan city, Anarinuell is also a city of politicians. For centuries, clan leaders met in Anarinuell (on a 'sacred' island that has since flooded and is unusable) to make policies, make peace, or declare war. Today, Anarinuell retains its traditional aura of power and influence. This is especially so because it is now the capital city of a united Firan Republic. The Palace of the Ranivor (Firan for "ruler of the people") is here, and the clan leaders spend most of the year here serving as a "check and balance" to the Ranivor under the Firan Constitution. Consequently, the most important Firans in the Realm can be found in Anarinuell -- and most of them own estates in or outside of the city. The people of Anarinuell are almost universally paranoid about invasion, and so, quite tolerant of the high number of guards and military personnel in the city.
Summary of Anarinuell's History
Anarinuell has long been considered the jewel in the collection of Firan cities throughout the realm. Situated on a delta, Anarinuell has superb access to water trade routes, excellent irrigation, and rich fertile farm land. Because Anarinuell sits on the border of the Clan of the Eagle, the Clan of the Cockatrice, the Clan of the Gold Dragon and the old border of the Clan of the Griffon, each of these clans has long claimed to own Anarinuell and were willing to take it by force if necessary. The last clan to have possession of Anarinuell was the Clan of the Gold Dragon. Under the leadership of the Mighty Firgalas, the Clan of the Gold Dragon wrested control of Anarinuell from the Clan of the Griffon, and was so determined to keep the city, that they pushed the Clan of the Griffon back behind their traditional borders -- taking both Anarinuell and the Griffon Clan city of Scirlut for good measure. The battles in that particular war over Anarinuell were so bloody and violent that there is still bitterness and rivalry between the two clans even today. The Clan of the Gold Dragon had held Anarinuell for nearly 18 years before the invasion of the Shamibelian armies to the south.
In this, the Great War, the Firan clans united against a common enemy and under one leader -- Elianos, the Ranivor. When Anarinuell was recaptured, the Firans were determined never to allow this city to be seized again. In an effort to begin again, in a spirit of unity, most of the old city of Anarinuell was razed, and this new city was built on top of it. In keeping with the Firan's new national character of militant paranoia, the new city of Anarinuell in which you stand, was built to withstand even the largest scale attacks. The city has an outer wall with a gate to the north, south, east and west. The city also has nine districts -- each walled themselves to prevent a breach in security at any one point to allow an invasion of the whole. In order to effectively take Anarinuell, an invading army would have to penetrate the defenses of nine "mini-cities". Also, the districts are fairly large, and encompass farm lands -- the Firans have been starved out of their cities before, and they aren't going to let that happen ever again either.
A very small portion of the old city remains outside the city walls. Because Anarinuell is on a delta, the rising waters of the Ani and Uell Rivers flooded some of the old city over the past decade and a half. When the Firans decided to rebuild Anarinuell, they moved the city slightly to the east in order to avoid the flooding. Some people do still live in the Old City, though half of it is under water and they have to use rafts and boats to get around. It's not a pleasant place, and is mostly inhabited by the poor and the criminal element. No good Firan citizen lives there willingly.
General Structure of Anarinuell
The city of Anarinuell resembles a checkerboard layout, comprised of 9 districts with the Palace District in the center. Each district is surrounded by an impressive set of labyrinthine walls, with large avenues running between each district wall so that Firans can traven from one district to the next, or leave the city entirely through the gates situated in the center of the north, east, south and west walls surrounding the entire city.
Brief Guide to City Districts
There are nine clan districts in Anarinuell:
- Palace District
- Gold Dragon District
- Griffon District
- Cockatrice District
- Chimera District
- Bear District
- Hydra District
- Eagle District
- Ticanee District
Each district, named after an animal or beast of some sort, is an ethnic pocket of Firans who are from the clan of the same name. The palace district is the central square where most of the city business goes on. The Ticanee District is an ethnic pocket of primitive people that the Firans have adopted as "a lost clan."
