Zion - Light of the New Moon: City of Myre
Zion - Light of the New Moon
World Information, Part 3
Myre, the City of the Mid-Day Moon/Midnight Sun
copyright 2011 comidacomida
The Good
As one of the most subtle city states, Myre is often overlooked by most travelers as they expect something far greater than what it first appears to be. Located in the scrub lands and lowland forests far to the east of Zion, Myre is actually a semi-subterranean metropolis expanding far underground. For those not familiar with the labyrinthine passageways it can be confusing to travel to the lower levels, but, thankfully, the above-ground portions are easily navigated and the grid-like streets make finding one's way around surprisingly easy.
As the pivotal city for worshipers of the Half Moon, Myre is a city of balance and order. To many, it is known as The City of the Midnight Sun, yet it is just as commonly called The City of the Mid-Day Moon. This duality in name is not coincidence, nor is the fact that the heavily populated city is almost evenly divided between surface and subterranean living. Order is the primary and greatest strength of Myre, followed only shortly thereafter by the divine edicts of balance and temperance. City streets are always a specific width to permit optimal traffic flow. Buildings are all of uniform build based on design and function. Shops all have similar layouts to make shopping easy and vendors prices are consistent and comply with anticipated norms.
Surface structures in Myre are built with a combination of wood and stone while subterranean rooms are carved directly into the earth and lined or reinforced with wood. Whenever building or expansion takes place it occurs simultaneously above and below ground, with mined stone coming from excavated caves used to build homes or shops on the surface. New construction focuses on serviceability and function rather than aesthetic appeal, (except that all buildings maintain a uniformity that Mierans expect to see). Buildings that do not adhere to the approved blueprints must either seek a permit for deviation or else are corrected so that they do. Any structure that receives any damage or wear that alters its appearance is expected to be returned to its compliant status-- if the owner fails to do so then the city will correct the issue for them, and they will be billed accordingly.
The citizenry of Myre use the same guidelines in their day to day life. Clothing and wardrobe follow church-appropriate themes as dictated by the temple. While jewelery is popular, the amount expected of any given citizen is based on their social status; the destitute are not expected to own any jewelery while the rich are perceived as making a social faux pas if they have less than 8 pieces (small earrings count as 1 per pair while larger earrings count as 2; it is improper to have more than three sets of earrings per individual and no more than one large set for a male; please consult the Meiran Guide to Fashion Etiquette pages 73 through 78 for specifics on these and other kinds of body wear). Styles and methods of dress and hygiene differ from race to race, but are considered important regardless of breeding.
Financially, the citizens of Myre have the least discrepancy between the rich and poor. Income for the town are divided into five pay scales with each wage equating to roughly 10% more than the pay beneath it... thus the highest paying position in Myre pays approximately 50% more than the lowest. Unlike in other cities, the clergy of Myre are not the richest-- they are, in fact, the middle pay grade. City administrators receive the highest pay, followed by the military. The business class receives the second lowest income while the working class fill out the bottom rung. Bureaucrats make up the very highest income earners of the city and are not included on the pay scale just as the destitute and unemployed are the lowest income earners and may make little or nothing.
Although the church has the final say in all operations of the town, the bureaucrats and administrators have general control of the city. The clergy oversee the administrators and have full vetoing power, but the two branches of government see eye-to-eye on most operations-- this allows for a smoothly run, centrally controlled political forum that operates as a well-oiled machine in administering laws, protecting the common good, and dealing out fair and equitable judgments.
The Bad
Myre is the oldest city state, second only to Zion, the capital of the once great empire. unlike most other city states, Myre operates almost exactly as it did before the empire's downfall and has been very slow to change and alter its way of life to better fit with the times. The inability of the city to update its practices and alter its way of life means that the calcified set of laws do not keep up with those of the other city states. What once was the way-of-the-land for other parts of the empire is now often seen as archaic and outdated by most.
To call Myre old-fashioned would be an understatement. The city remains seated firmly in history while the world around it passes it by. Many of the city's more pressing issues could be resolved by updated general practices and embracing new ideas, but the clergy (violently) suppress new ideas or cutting edge methods in favor of the traditional, tried-and-true ways of the old empire. Change comes slowly to the ancient city... and is usually met with sharp resistance. In the most extreme cases of change, this resistance may even be violent.
Although it is easy for the average individual to make a living in Myre, anyone who is not at least average is almost certain to fail. Infirmities and shortcomings are seen as curses bestowed by the Goddess. Those who are unfit, unwell, or unclean are considered marked for a life of punishment and left to their own devices. Most become beggars, asking for compassion that nobody is willing to give. Those who do overcome their disabilities are given near-celebrity status and spoken of as those who have truly prospered when tested (and used as proof that there's no reason to baby those in need). On the other side of the spectrum, the naturally gifted are rarely challenged by the mediocrity of Myre and find themselves quickly capped by a glass ceiling, unable to gain rank or advance any further within a society that desires uniformity... thus there is little reason for them to try.
Individuality in Myre is discouraged in public. While it is not expressly forbidden for people to be individuals, it is rarely rewarded. Few people are willing to exert effort to stand out since there is no reason provided to excel. Most of the populace will work hard to avoid failing because the result is a loss in the quality of life, but there is no distinct incentive to outperform. In general, people do what is required to get by; they keep their head down and their mouths quiet and spend their time in pubic existing rather than living. Most of the populace maintain a neutral tone throughout their day, going through the required motions so that they can return home and be free... if only for a few hours.
The people of Myre are some of the most impassioned when it comes to their own personal interests. 'Private time' for Mieran is when they have permission to 'cut loose' and fulfill their hearts' desires. During this time they unleash all of their pent up emotions and 'let it all out'. This kind of behavior is frowned upon very harshly in general public, but the understanding that balance requires an evening of the scales means that the city has no care about what happens behind closed doors... this, of course, can cause its own set of evils, and woe be the unfortunate individual whose private party becomes public... for that, in itself, is a crime... unless it's on a day of celebration.
Days of celebration in Myre, though rare, are both beautiful and horrific events. The guard are removed from the street and anarchy reigns supreme for a single day. Work is called off, businesses are boarded up (to prevent looting and vandalism), and anyone who is meek or faint of heart remains indoors. Complete and total chaos rolls through town unchecked and uncontested. During these celebrations (4 days out of the year), the quiet, unassuming citizenry of Myre go insane with personal excess. According to the clergy this restores balance to the soul by providing a public release for otherwise pent-up emotions. In reality, it simply provides work for the city in the way of cleaning and repairing for the next three months until the next revelry. The populace has something to look forward to and something to think back on fondly-- that may be what gets them through the days between.
The Ugly
Crimes are dealt with harshly and in a severe manner. Criminals, if discovered, are usually given penalties that most other cities would consider in excess of their crime. The most basic crimes including public disturbances (the aforementioned 'public party') usually result in a dungeon sentence including but not limited to starvation and exposure; minor victim-based crimes such as thievery and assault are treated in public with corporal punishment and humiliation, often resulting in permanent physical damage; the more severe crimes such as murder and profane acts are almost always cause for execution in some of the most horrible manners ever conceived. Some of the more sadistic residents fulfill their own lust for agony and pain by attending as many public displays as possible. The expectation is that these displays will prevent crime and help maintain the status quo.
Even with this desire to remain consistent and predictable, there was one very distinct, very volatile decision made by the ruling body of Myre, and that single edict is responsible for much of the way modern-day Myre came to be. Early in its first century of existence, Myre was a mountainside city, only freshly walled against the wild which, back in those days, was far kinder. The people of Myre coexisted with dwarves and they shared the same land-- Myre above ground and the dwarven kingdom of Karod'Hass below.
It was around the time of Bannihar's assault on the elves that the clergy of Myre discovered a wicked truth: the dwarves were selling their famed arms and armor to the fair folk. In accordance to the treaties signed by the city states, this was a direct act of treason to the Moon Goddess; Myre acted swiftly and without mercy. To this day, the complete destruction of the dwarven races is attributed to Myre and a weapon that has not seen use again: a blue vapor, heavier than air, called Death Mist. The empty halls of the dwarves were quickly claimed by the city and all evidence of their existence has long since been wiped clean, a final act of purification by those who uphold the law above everything else.