Far Madding
| Far Madding | |
|---|---|
| Political information | |
| Capital | Far Madding |
| Demonym | Far Maddingers |
| Government type | Matriarchal Counsel |
| Ruler(s) | First Counsel |
Far Madding is an independent city-state in the southeastern part of the Westlands on the Plains of Maredo. It is situated on an island in the midst of a lake, and is connected to the mainland by three bridges. At a junction of major overland trade routes, Far Madding is an important commercial centre. It is the only known significant human settlement where channellers are unable to access or even sense the presence of the True Source.
Contents
Description
Over the course of time, the name of the city has been changed several times. After the Breaking of the World, the city was known by the name of Aren Mador, and stood as the capital of the nation of Essenia. At some point after the Trolloc Wars, during the time of Yurian Stonebow, the the name Fel Moreina came into being. At some time in the past, it was also known as Aren Deshar, at which time it was the enclave of the Incaster People. Finally, after the War of the Hundred Years, the city came to be known as Far Madding, the capitol of Maredo. After the fall of Maredo, when Far Madding became the city-state that it is today, this name was not changed.
Based on maps, Far Madding is situated to the north of the Plains of Maredo, Illian, and Tear, south of Andor, and east of Murandy. To the West is Haddon Mirk, and beyond that, the Spine of the World.
The city of Far Madding lies on an island, and the only ways in are through one of three gates: The Caemlyn Gate, the Illian Gate, and the Tear Gate. According to the map of Far Madding, the Caemlyn Gate is located at the northernmost point of the city and opens onto the Ajalon Bridge, with Glancor at the other end. The Illian Gate is located at the southwestern point of the city and opens onto the Ikane Bridge and, beyond, Daigan. The Tear Gate opens onto the Goim Bridge, with the village of South Bridge at its foot. The Gold Road runs from Illian to Far Madding.
Culture
In the city of Far Madding, women hold the authority and men are expected to obey them. The only men of any real means are those who are either provided for by their wives, or the widowers of wealthy women, as men are barred from trade and banking. At inns, there are special "Women's Rooms," which are separate parlours that are sometimes more luxurious than the common rooms for men. Women will strap their husbands if they act out of order, and at the Counsel's Head inn, the innkeeper, Mistress Keene, makes sure to provide straps in all of her rooms.
Clothing and Appearance
The people of Far Madding more often than not have dark hair and eyes. The women wear their hair long and piled on their heads in tight rolls or large buns. They generally wear dresses with high collars, embroidered with flowers and birds. The men also wear their hair longer, sometimes to the waist, and held back with a tie or a clip. The men tend to wear dull colours but with brighter embroidery on the chest and the shoulders.
Phrases, Sayings and Adages
- An old saying is "Small hopes can grow surprising fruit."
Defences
In the city of Far Madding, the civic order is strictly maintained.
Private arms are not allowed to be used within the city. When entering at one of the gates, foreigners must register at the gate-forts, and must either 1) agree to store their weapons there, or 2) have them wrapped with a "peace-bond," which consists of intricately wrapped wires that are sealed with wax and leaden discs. Fines and floggings may be applied if the wires and seals are found to be broken, and a foreigner carrying a sword always attracts the attention of the guards. Foreigners are considered to be troublemakers and hotheads. Even the City Guards themselves go armed only at the gates, and must leave their weapons behind when they go off duty.
The guards wear armour of large, square scales with a golden hand on their left shoulders, and helmets with barred faceplates. Officers are marked by yellow plumes on their helmets. Street guards appear to typically patrol in groups of three.
The Guardians
The Guardians are a ter'angreal that detect and prevent channeling from occurring within the city.
The guardians is in Far Madding that both prevent people from channeling around the city and detect channeling when it occurs, such as the use of a Well, or when a person Travels into the city. In appearance, it is a disc a full span across that looks like clouded crystal, set into the floor and inlaid with a long thin wedge of clear crystal that point toward the chambers centre. Metal collars surround the discs, marked off like a compass, but with ever smaller markings between the larger, which seem to be inscribed with numerals. When a man channels the clear wedges turn black and point to his location, for a woman they turn red.
Layout of the City
In the centre of the city is the Counsels' Plaza and the Hall of the Counsels.
In the eastern portion of the city is an area named the Heights, where a number of palaces, including the Barsalla palace..
In the southern part of the city is the Lakeman's Quarter, and in the southeastern part, the Mustering Grounds.
The Strangers' Markets
There are three markets, called the Stranger's Markets, where foreigners to the city are permitted to trade. These are the Amhara Market, the Avharin Market, and the Nethvin Market. Each one is named after a revered female leader and contains a statue of that leader.
The Amhara Market
The Amhara Market is named after Savion Amhara, a former First Counsel of Far Madding, and contains a statue of her, standing on a pedestal, that points warningly in the direction of the Tear Gate. The statue stands two spans tall, holding a sword with its point at her feet, and is carved to wear fur-trimmed robes, chains of office, and the diadem of the First Counsel.
The Amhara Market is a huge square that looks nothing like a market, as it does not contain either market stalls or visible merchandise. It is surrounded by stone buildings: bankers' houses, inns with roofs of slate, blocky warehouses that have no windows, stables, and wagon yards.
The Avharin Market
The Avharin Market is named after Einion Avharin and contains a statue of her that points in the direction of the Caemlyn Gate.
The Avharin Market is surrounded by stone buildings: bankers' houses, inns with roofs of slate, blocky warehouses that have no windows, stables, and wagon yards.
There is an inn named the Golden Wheel that is located just off the Avharin Market.
The Nethvin Market
The Nethvin Market is named after a historical leader of Far Madding. Because there is a statue of Savion Amhara pointing towards the Tear Gate in the Amhara Market and a statue of Einion Avharin pointing towards the Caemlyn Gate in the Avharin Market, it can be assumed that a statue of Nethvin points towards the Illian Gate.
The Nethvin Market is surrounded by stone buildings: bankers' houses, inns with roofs of slate, blocky warehouses that have no windows, stables, and wagon yards.
An inn named The Counsels' Head is located within sight of the Market.
Ruling Body
Far Madding is ruled by the Counsels, who are thirteen women. One of these women is known as the First Counsel and is considered a kind of "first among equals." According to Sarene, when Maredo still stood, the First Counsels advised the Queens of that nation; now that Maredo no longer stands and Far Madding is its own city state, however, "most First Counsels have considered themselves the natural heirs of Maredo's rulers".
The Counsels wear sleeveless robes of blue silk, which have have been embroidered in gold, over their dresses; the robes trail on the floor behind them as they walk. They also wear red oval pendants rimmed in gold that hang from necklaces of golden links, and narrow diadems of gold that sport the same red oval. For all of the Counsels but the First Counsel, the ovals are made of enamel. For the First Counsel, they are of rubies, and her diadem is also covered in sapphires and moonstones. All of the women wear their hair on top of their heads.
