Ziemia

The city of Ziemia is the current capital of the Duchy of Paldesji and one of the major urban centres of the Hearthstone Union. Currently Ziemia is governed by Ashan Joan K. B. Bolodrav Amakiir.

Ziemia is a major center of culture, industry and agriculture within the the Union of Hearthstone and is currently considered it's largest city.

Districts of Ziemia
Ziemia is subdivided into districts with each district ruled by a Vendi with the Arvye ruling the city as a whole.

Ziemia
The city centre, often called "Ziemia proper", is ruled directly by the Arvye of Hearthstone, Ashan Joan K. B. Bolodrav Amakiir. It boasts a colourful, lively and urban style while still allowing greenery to have it's place within the city. Due to the many refoundings and reconstructions of Ziemia, it's subsurface is littered with many abandoned and forgotten chambers, many of which are still filled with the old citizens belongings.

District of Borderstone
The district of Borderstone is located outside the western walls of Ziemia proper and is ruled by Vendi Yoka Kuokelle. It is a more rural town compared to the very urban Ziemia. The large pit at the centre of the town along with the ruins surrounding it are evidence of the mystique and many secrets to be found in Borderstone.

After the disappearance of Vendi Yoka Kuokelle, Johnny Irish, the owner of the woodcarver's guild, was appointed as "guardian of Borderstone" to watch over the district in the Vendi's absence.

The Undercity
The Undercity is a dwarven hold, currently being excavated deep beneath Ziemia. It is ruled and it's construction is lead by Vendi Valdin Stonescale. It's labyrinthine tunnels and dangerous drop offs spell doom for anyone trying to enter with out a guide.

Social structure
Ziemia's social structure is shaped by the larger feudal societies of the Kingdom of Boulderov and the Hearthstone Union. It has a class structure ranging from the ruler of Ziemia down to the poorest citizen.

At the top is the ruler of Ziemia, the Arvye. There is no clear line of succession for the Arvye and it is the Hearthstone Union that will select a new Arvye if the old one resigns or passes away. With Ziemia being the largest city within the Union some political wrangling is sure to take place in such an event.

Below the Arvye are the Vendi, rulers of the Districts of Ziemia. They are appointed by the Arvye, traditionally from the Tae of Ziemia. Often they are citizens of Ziemia proper and live in the city centre instead of the district they live in. This often causes unrest in the districts of Ziemia, separated from the city centre by large walls, they feel ruled over by a city that wants nothing to do with them. The Vendi together with the Arvye form the council of the Vendi. The chief governing and advisory council in Ziemia, supporting the Arvye in their duties.

The Tae are the prominent citizens of Ziemia and nobles living in Ziemia. They are sometimes tasked by the Arvye or the Vendi with keeping watch over a neighbourhood and are usually granted grander mansions compared to the average citizen. The Tae as a group, despite having no hard power, still have strong influence in Ziemia. They control a large part of the cities economy and have a tradition of patronage of the citizens in his neighbourhood, making them dependant and loyal to them.

The Craftsmen and Intellectuals of Ziemia are, while definitely on the lower echelons of society, still regarded with a high level of respect. Even the prudish Tae know that it is the craftsmen and intellectuals that fuel Ziemia's economy and reputation.

The rest of the the citizens of Ziemia, while not actively looked at with disgust by the higher classes, are often seen as less refined and and not very political savvy. However the citizens of Ziemia are anything but and have banded together in guilds and neighbourhood communes and can collectively exert vast influence on the Tae and thus the rule of the city itself.

The Guilds and Communes
Ziemia's citizens of all levels have a strong tradition of forming interest groups. Be it political groupings of Tae and Vendi to be able to exert more influence over the Arvye, or be it the guilds of workers or communes of neighbours, working for more concessions and privileges. It is due to these guilds and communes that the citizens of Ziemia enjoy all the same legal rights of the upper-class Tae and are only separated by name and wealth. A gap that has quickly began to close in recent history.

Cuisine
Long ago, during a famine, a collective uprising of the guilds and communes have forced the Arvye to implement a program of giving out free potatoes to all citizens of Ziemia, a program that persists even to the present day. Thus potatoes have become the very foundation of Ziemian cuisine, with the vegetable reaching even the kitchens of the Tae and the Vendi and Arvye, where they were previously seen as a food for the poor.

As for secondary ingredients, honey, apples and other fruits, olive oil, fish, grain and bread and even tree sap are common in Ziemia, being sourced by the many industries of Ziemia.

The denizens of Ziemia most often drink either water or grain beer or potato beer with the upper-class enjoying the wines of House Stonescale.

Family values
The guilds and communes have in many ways replaced the notions of fixed family structures. It is not unusual for citizens of Ziemia to move out of their parents house early on in life. They often move in with friends, fellow students or workers or a significant other. While blood relatives are still considered family, the idea of family extents to those living together or those who find themselves considering each other as family.

Similarly, marriage is considered a expression of romantic and or emotional love to another person and is not necessarily viewed as a life long commitment and divorces are encouraged if the initial love is no longer present. Similarly marriage is not restricted to one person and each individual can marry as many people as they love.

Beauty and expression of status
The Citizens of Ziemia like to collect unique items and artefacts. The rarer, more exquisite and exotic the item the better.

Upper class citizens like to brag with their collections while still maintaining a false sense of humbleness. Thus they rarely display them on pedestals, preferring to use them in everyday life. A ancient war dagger may be used as a letter opener, the urn of a ancient ruler may be used as a flower pot and a silken cloth may be used as a handkerchief. Many of such relics indicate wealth and a sense of cultural refinement.

Lower class citizens often lack the exposable funds to acquire such items so they have cultivated a tradition of handcrafting gifts for each other. Each item highly unique and to be proudly displayed in their own home. Many gifts indicate a multitude of friendships and is the hallmark of an honest, hardworking and good person.

Law
While the laws of Hearthstone and Ziemia's own laws are respected by it's denizens, the cities own history and culture of it's citizens banding together against authority means that, while not lawless, Ziemia needs to be patrolled more strictly than other settlements. Nonsensical or oppressive laws are often either ignored or actively broken by the cities students and young workers.

The Ziemian Enforcers are tasked with keeping the order and enforcing the peace. The investigate crimes, apprehend suspects and hand them over to the Vendi Council or the authorities of the Hearthstone Union. They are lead by the Chief-Enforcer of Ziemia. A currently vacant position.

The Sky Light Festival
A ritual and ceremony signalling the passing of time. Be it a birthday, a wedding or the loss of a loved one, the Ziemians within and without the city write their hopes, wishes, fears, accomplishments and whatever laid on their heart and mind on a piece of paper. They then tie the letter to sky lantherns and relase them to to night sky.

In recent history the festivals scope has expanded from personal celebrations involving a family or neighbourhood to also occur as city wide and indeed nation wide events.

The first founding
Ziemia was first founded by Scotch Knight in the "old Boulderov". During her rule Ziemia grew to become the biggest towns of the nation and it's government considered moving the capital to Ziemia. After some time Ziemia's population began dwindling and once Scotch Knight left Boulderov and became queen of Sanctuary, the town was officially abandoned.

The second founding
After Boulderov was reorganized into a Kingdom under King Mimek, Owenledragon173 tried to refound Ziemia. The effort proved unfruitful and short-lived as it could barely be considered a town under his rule. Not too long after Ziemia was once again left to ruin.

The third founding
The third and most recent founding was undertaken by Attaccare. While repairing one of the many damaged and ruined houses, he spotted Joan K. Baggins, his sister, who was in the process of writing a travel guide of the province. After a brief discussion, Joan agreed to join her brother as the first citizen of Ziemia. With their combined efforts they repaired all the damaged sections of Ziemia and began to turn the town into a proper city. During this time Ziemia would begin to prosper, even being named the capital of the Province of Harria.

The rekindling
After sometime, Earl Attaccare went on an adventure to unknown lands. Why exactly he undertook this venture he told no one. He appointed Lady Joan K. Baggins to be his stand-in in his absence, he didn't however give her much legal authority to manage the city.

After weeks and months of absence, the city began to suffer from the lack of direct leadership. Calls for Earl Attaccare to grant Lady Joan K. Baggins full legal authority over the city grew louder and louder with the Earl however resisting this change. Eventually, with the consent of King Mimek, Duke Mikkel and the prominent members of Ziemia: Valdin Stonescale, Hizen Baggins and Magnus Baggins, Lady Joan K. Baggins declared herself to be the new Earl of Ziemia, wrestling control from the absent Atta Baggins. Thus the eternal prophecy of Ziemia repeated itself once more and a new era of prosperity has begun!

The city would balloon in size during this time, growing past it's historic borders and growing to many times what it used to be.

The absorption of Yldthgnia
Soon after the rekindling, the province of Harria was split into two, with Arvye Joan K. Baggins becoming the first duchess of the province of Paldesji. Within her duchy, just west of Ziemia laid the village of Yldthgnia a quiet little hamlet which has long since become dependent on the economy and population of Ziemia. During talks between Duchess Joan and Baron Yoka Kuokelle, the ruler of Yldthgnia, it was decided that the village would be annexed into the city as a district, starting the modern system of districts in Ziemia.

The taint of corruption
After a series of nightmares Joan K. B. Bolodrav had to suffer through, corrupted and twisted trees began to grow all throughout the Kingdom of Boulderov. Though it's spread was hindered for a while by the construction of shrines, they were later found destroyed and completely overgrow with airborne seeds carrying the corruption far and wide.

Ziemia was hit especially hard with half the city being lost to it's creeping influence before Queen Joan K. B. Bolodrav put the city under marshal law and ordering it's evacuation. 24 hours later she ordered the purging of the city with military force.

Though it cost many lives and destroyed many historic building of the city, Ziemia was the first time military force was effectively used to purge the corruption from land.

The the night of the burning sky
During the end of the summer, a great meteorite hit Ziemia. Just above the city, it broke up into several pieces. The largest one landing in the district of Borderstone with the other fragments landing all over the rest of the city. The fragments landed it explosions, collapsing buildings and igniting fires. The Enforcers evacuated the citizens into the underground temple and the undercity and a impromptu fire brigade was organized.

After the fires were extinguished, hundreds of people were lost. Either to the impacts or the resulting fires and vast sections of the city were devastated.

In the impact sites, glowing crystals were found. Light and slightly flexible, the material was seized by the enforcers and handed over to the scientist and mages for study.