Cinnaburg

Cinnaburg is a city within the Frosterium of the former U.B.S.R. province of Luscovy. Proud of its traditions and community, the city is renowned for its religious and bureaucratic yet socialist government as well its active population, booze and mysteries.

Nomadic life:
The Cinnamon nomads, seeking the simple dream of becoming ice farmers, first thought of themselves as map makers. In those old days, a humble group traveled the lands, eating berries and taking notes of all they saw. These notes have been lost to time, but we know that, at one point, the explorers found a small friendly settlement that pointed them across the snow and forests. There they found the coast of Luscovy, and they settled it. However, unbeknownst to them the ruins of the lost city of Akiragrad lay near them, and in what country’s territory they settled in.

U.B.S.R:
After exploring the ruins of the lost city, the early settlers discovered that they were living in the lands of the United Burgamerian Socialist Republic, and were technically squatting in the district of Luscovy. Wisely, the Cinnaburgians decided to join the Republic, just in time before the Crimson Command decided to declare war on a nearby squatter settlement. Many thanks were given to the spirits (both metaphysical and alcoholic) on that day.

Not before long, the rapidly growing city was included in the industrial plans of the Republic. While not very useful militarily, the city provided a dedicated workforce that was motivated to work for the City. This mentality of work and dedication is what led Cinnaburg to be recognized as an important city to be focused on by the authorities of the Republic, its populace helpful and its friendly attitude helping to put the city on the map.

Then came the war between the U.B.S.R. and the Magisterium and its allies. With the war, activity in the city stagnated, and as the news of the war kept coming, the populace grew weary and more paranoid. It’s important to note that the war never came to the city, and its diplomatic dealings assured that it would remain in most situations; nevertheless, defenses quickly rose, and the air became tense.

Frosterium:
The war came and went. The Republic was annexed and the Frosterium was formed. Cinnaburg remained. Now focused on becoming a city that can compete with the greatest of Sparwood, Cinnaburg always marches onward, forever dedicated to its industrial, cultural and economical endeavours. The City has also begun a friendly rivalry with the luscovan city of Voskovy.

Government:
The City is, after some reforms, run by the Cinnaburg City Council, a decision-making administrative organ composed by citizens and tasked with economic, urban and diplomatic management. The Council also contains Elders, a position of greater influence and representation given by seniority to the three oldest councillors in office.

Councillors are accepted by the Elders after taking part in the bimonthly Application process. Activity, dedication and initiative are highly rewarded.

The Council is a highly bureaucratic body that lives and dies by upholding the Five Pillars of Cinnaburgian Cubist Thought. While open and democratic, the responsibilities of civil maintenance are taken seriously, and failure to comply is often answered with heavy penalties.

Religion:
For much of its initial history, the cinnaburgian populace was deeply animist and superstitious, believing in deities of fundamental materials and thoughts. This gave place to a rich inner mythology, with mystical beings and malicious spirits; the belief in witchcraft and magic was widespread.

Though many religions tried to make their way into Cinnaburg, none could break the hold of the city's traditions. There was one that managed to nestle its way into the minds of the populace: The Cubist religion from High Hermitage (not to be confused with Cubism), spread by missionaries from High Hermitage. However, the religions of the Orthodox Cubists are so intellectual and academic, and the traditions and superstitions of the cinnaburgians are so ingrained, that the Cubist religion was reinterpreted and assimilated into the local lore.

Reformed Cubism, “The Creed of the Cubic Cranium” or Cinnaburgian Cubism is a form of Cubism that embraces that the Cube is a truth contained both figuratively and literally inside of all existence, and that humanity is the most perfect expression of the Cube. Therefore, the Cranium is the most important figure in Cinnaburg, and breaking one’s own cranium is seen as an initiation rite.

Being as they are, cinnaburgians have sincretized both religious and political power through the Five Pillars of Cinnaburgian Cubist Thought (Humility, Charity, Piety, Sacrifice and Prudence). These are ideals that guide and bind the actions of government officials, and one risks impeachment if broken. As such, the Elders play an important religious and political role in their leadership of the Council.

Culture:
Cinnaburgians are proud, superstitious, charitable, friendly and stubborn. They use every possible excuse they can to get drunk, as they are very fond of the local drink. However, they are also very well learned, having many of their citizens either being university students, engineers or professors. So engrained is the idea of drink and academics, that it is not an uncommon sight to see two drunks on the street in a heated debate about Lissitzky’s paramaterial socioeconomics.

When they are not drunk, cinnaburgians are working. Work, be it physical or intellectual, is the sole determinant factor of a citizen’s worth. Laziness is thought of as a disgusting and shameful sight one must spare others and oneself.

Cinnaburgians celebrate their Foundation Day on the 14th of every month, with a parade by the Guard and a quick round of vodka, before going back to work.

Strange, unexplained writings can be occasionally found in the city, although no citizen answers what they are to those not initiated in the customs.

The Architecture of the city expresses itself in an original and distinctive manner, upholding the use of common mineral stones, specifically granite and diorite, which along with andesite compose most of the city's official material palette. Said aesthetic decisions really differentiates the general look of the buildings from other towns around (particularly with the ruins of Akiragrad, which follows the common medieval architecture style of wood and stone). Along with the use of specific resources, the city general infrastructure boasts a more urban and monumental feel, thanks to its quick progression and evolution past the late medieval era towards the protoindustrial age, which brought upon Cinnaburg more modern and advanced building techniques, allowing the construction of highrises and other vertical buildings, particularly for business and housing purposes.

Language:
The official language of Cinnaburg is Common, but due to the nomadic nature of Cinnaburguian settlers there is a variation of Common that is spoken by some percentage of the population, primarily by the descendants of the first settlers. This variation, although not officially considered, is the Cinnaburguian dialect or Cinnamish, known as “The Funny Tongue” or “Chistoso Idiom ''. It is spoken quickly and is rife with insults, therefore the name. The exact origin of this variation is unknown, in part because of the lost notes of the original settlers following one of the initial exchanges with the U.B.S.R. It is theorized, however, that this language comes from the borders of Huitca, sporting a heavy Tortugan and Burgamerian influence, with some loan words from Yimmu-Audal tongues.

Geography:
Located in the southern end of Sparwood´s tundra, the geography of Cinnaburg consists of snowed plains in its majority, with some hills and mountains north of the city. The city itself is surrounded by the Arkhovan Sea on all sides except north where it connects to the rest of the continent. These northern plains contain large amounts of spruce trees and other natives species such as polar bears and foxes.