Ruler: City Governor Amatus Paynel Musani
Population 136,000
Demographics: 85% human, 10% szathair, 3% hobbyt, 2% mixed other
Year Founded 2177
Currency: Mirani standard, but Mistlander coins are not uncommon
Major resources: fishing (shrimp and mullet and clams); citrus, cotton, sugarcane, livestock and lumber export; cotton mills, weaving and dying
Wealth: average
Government Type: City governor, 2 Imperial Senators
Stability: very stable
Allies: as per empire of Miran
Enemies: as per empire of Miran
Walls, Defenses: levees to protect from flooding, but no walls
Patron Deity: Diorel (but Centarius is Imperial Patron)
Climate: coastal subtropical; warm humid summers, cool damp winters, frequent storms, hurricanes, very wet.
Terrain: flat, coastal, lightly forested, heavily farmed.
City Description and Districts:
Rostochi is an old city built on ancient foundations. The city rests on many small interlocked islands, now built over and formed into city blocks connected by canals. Nearly all buildings either front on a canal or have water access within one block. Bridges are found on most every corner, including two across the Grand Canal that snakes its way through the center of the city.
Rostochi is a border city; beyond the isthmus begins the Great Stinking Swamp. These swamps have resisted being absorbed into the Kingdom for hundreds of years, and have a reputation as a dark, dangerous place; in truth they are cypress and everglade swamps.
Government and Public Establishments:
Paynel Musani is the city governor, appointed by the Provincial governor of Tremonia. City Governors hold their appointment for life, or until removed by a vote of displeasure in the Senate. If this happens, it is likely that the Provincial Governor will also be replaced. Musani is a thoughtful, conservative and effective ruler, who does not hesitate to use force when needed, but prefers to dominate strictly through the force of law. Rostochi sends two Senators to the Senate every four years. Senators are "elected" from patrician families by citizen vote, but in truth these elections are purchased.
Defenses: Rostochi is a military city; there are 2,000 enlisted soldiers, stationed at the military base to the east of the city proper. Many are local boys, and more than half have families in town. There are 200 officers, and another 600 support personnel (some military and some not).
The Navy has ten ships stationed here. Between crew, oarsmen, officers, support and specialists, there are 700 total people. Again, most (except oarsmen who are slaves) have family in the city.
Population Breakdown:
Rostochi's population is 20% slaves, 30% other very low and low class (laborers, farmers, fishing crew, enlisted soldiers, apprentices, beggars and pilgrims). 35% are of the middle class (ordinary merchants, journeyman and ordinary master craftsmen, landowners, elected officials, officers and ordinary priests).
12% are of distinguished class (very wealthy or skilled merchants, craftsmen and landowners, high ranking officers, ranking priests, important elected officials, patrician families) and the remaining 3% are of the noble class (Mirani senators and their families, highest ranking military and priesthood, the city governor and his family, any visiting or resident member of the royal family).
Religious Centers:
Rostochi has temples to Centarius (there are five in the city; one at the forum, the others scattered about). There are three temples to Diorel, as well as many small chapels and offering stones at the branches of major canals. Other temples include Sithlar of the Seas (2), Kehret of the Spear-fist (near the fort), and Mikol the fiery. A temple of All Gods is also present, near the forum.
Features:
Rostochi has two major graveyards; both are above ground; all dead are buried in mausoleums. The poorer classes are buried in "bone walls"; stone structures filled with narrow niches. Each niche holds a body and has a metal plaque engraved with the resident's name and dates (if known). After some years, these bones and plaques are removed and the bones are ground to make the mortar used in the construction of new walls. The plaques are remounted in less prominent areas.
Middle class burials are only slightly different: Families own a mausoleum in common: most recently deceased members are placed in coffins at the front of the mausoleum (there may be six or eight of these) but later are removed to small stone boxes or niches that are plastered over in layers, so the house of the dead gradually fills with closed and covered over graves.
Only the wealthiest families can afford mausoleums large enough to house their dead in coffins permanently. Each succeeding generation is placed beside the last one. Children, less important family members, and even servants or animals may be given less significant burial in niches or boxes along the side walls or below the coffins of the important.
Important People:
City Governor: Amatus Paynel Musani: a man in his mid forties, Governor Musani is a very lawful man. He sees it as his duty to rigidly enforce all edicts of the Senate with absolute fairness and implacability. The Governor is both feared and admired by the city folk, and some of the patrician rank give him the scornful title of Republican.
High Priest of Centarius: Demetrius Julian Avorello: still a young man for his high rank, 37 year old High Priest Avorello is thoroughly corrupt. He will use bribery, intimidation and outright murder as needed to preserve his power, increase his (god's) wealth, or to protect the influence he weilds. Most folk in the city are either unaware of his veniality or too cowed by the temple's power to speak of it openly. However, in certain circles his name is only spoken with a curse.
High Priest of Diorel
High Priestess of Sithlar: the only woman of power and authority in Rostochi, High Priestess Ariadne Justinia Corval is a woman of honor and integrity. Her sphere of influence, however, is small. She protects her authority fiercely, and will not bow to anyone within it. Outside it though, she is forced to walk a delicate line between pride and destruction. Many of the powerful men of the city would like to discredit her. Sithlar's temple is traditionally dominated by a woman, but there are many who would be more amenable to taking the advice of men, or so it is believed. In the city, some women admire Corval, but others call her unnatural and forbid their daughters to attend services at the temple of Sithlar. Sithlar is the goddess of the ocean, and also of storms. All seaborn boats and ships sailing from Rostochi's ports must be blessed by Sithlar or the goddess will not watch over them. Also, each year Sithlar is propritiated in major rituals to protect the city from hurricane and flood.
Guildmaster of the Boatmen:
High Priest of All Gods
General of the Army
Admiral of the Navy
Seven local administrators: these officials report to the city governor but have considerable leeway in making decisions of their own. Each is appointed by the governor for life or until dismissed. The positions are: city treasurer, Chief judge of the high court, commander of the Vigiles, and other positions.
Commander of the Vigiles: the vigiles are a combination firefighting and police force. They patrol the city streets day and night, preventing petty crime and enforcing city ordinances. Their Commander is Marcus Flavius Rometho. Rometho is half-elven, and has held his current position for nearly 100 years. This angers a few of his officers, who see their potential for advancement stymied by his long life. However most of his men are very loyal to this determined and capable man. Rometho is proud of his city and proud of his role in keeping it safe. However, he is also a good and compassionate man who will prefer to protect people and prevent criminals from going unpunished even if it means bending his precious regulations. He is respected by the general populace and hated by the underworld. He and Governor Musani have a great deal of respect for each other, but are not really friends.
Underworld
There are about 1,000 beggars and 400 thieves, con men and other criminal types in Rostochi.
Shops and Guilds: The largest guild in Rostochi and perhaps the most powerful, is that of the Boatmen. These are the folk who guide the cargo boats, passenger craft and other water-transport that are the life blood of this watery city.
Events and Happenings: