Gruna
Wuldor avor eth Gruna (Bioluminescence city)
**Locally known as Gruna, or Gem, the full title of the city is still used in any official address to the populace or in correspondence to the outside world. The first city of the dwarves, Gruna is the capital of Gearmaine. Some argue that Gruna has passed its prime, and will soon be over-taken by the younger and more profitable Gnó. Gruna is an isolationists dream, and hopes one day to be completely self-reliant.
The dwarves here mined, not for gold and gems, but for new sources of water that would allow their city to grow. Everything about the city is based around the flow of water. Canals locks, bridges are everywhere, gutter and ditches are build with special species to clean the waste water and almost all of the water here glows blue with bioluminescent algae and fish. Gruna is known as the glowing gem of the Empire, but very few lay eyes on the city.
Gruna is a druidic society which grew around following the flow of water underground. It was founded the Age of Discovery and had air vents used to connect the city to the surface. However, after a gnomish attack during The Great War used these to poison the populace, most of these were closed off. Alternatives were found (in the growth of modified algae species in underground lakes), and continue to be searched for.
Gruna is a vast city, most of which is hidden away, and despite the lovely light of its canals and how it dances off the light of its polished stone, it hides many secrets which are just as dark and dangerous as the things that lie in the dark, dripping earth below.
What's going on?
- Mondras Deepfeet, guild Leader of the Fishermen wants someone to go down into a tunnel to find out why some of the men haven't come back.
- Lusdrurika Cavefall wants help in completing a great deed before she goes to the Matchmaker to better her chances of a good marriage
- Three young outsiders, nobles from other countries, have snuck off the partition to explore the city disguised as dwarves. Diplomat Toregream Goldenbeard wants them brought back, unharmed, before they cause an international incident or find out more about the city than they should.
Layout
The Trader's Road to the upper city is now the only official path leading to the outside, but there are still a few vents which are hidden and kept secret even from most of the dwarves living within the city. There are mushrooms farms on each level, which would supply the city with what in needs for a short time during a siege, and more sources are being studied.
Two underwater rivers meet at the Upper most level of the city, where they flow into a large reservoir lake. The lake is built up on one side and a dam is built on the other, forming a crescent shape wall, behind which is a cliff. Behind the wall, the water is released into a set of identical twin waterfalls, which come down to the second level, and another lake, which flows into an offshoot river to one side and down into the two lower level.
The first level is the oldest part of Gruna, called Ald Gruna, and for all those outside of the city know, it is the only part.
The second level is called Propre, and is the largest and youngest part of the city.
The third level has more buildings than people most of the time, and is called Siegehold. This area was build as a refuge should the city above be attacked.
The fourth level has no name. It is not often spoke about, and when it is the conversations are quiet. Most of the populace even within Gruna do not know it exists, and think that the prison is somewhere outside of the city.
Culture
There is no personal wealth inside of Gruna, and money is used only for trading with the outside.
The only thing that matters for status in Gruna is personal and familial power. Displays of luxury are looked down on, and even those in the highest positions of power seek out their pleasures in unseen ways - least they be stuck down for 'improper' behaviour by other members of the council.
The council is run by the leaders of the most important guilds in the city (decided every twenty years by public vote), and the current Lock Keepers. The Lock Keepers run the canals as well as controlling the flow of water and goods throughout the city. They are not a Guild, because each section has their own Lock Keeper and each one wants what is best for their own section. They have this job until they retire, do not have appendices and choose their successor (usually from the Juror or the Trader's Guild, and it is forbidden for them to choose a family member). If they die without choosing a successor, a vote among the other Lock Keepers is held.
Community is vital to the survival of the dwarves. All children as seen as belonging to the city instead of to their parents, and all are apprenticed at 12 to one of the guilds. There are hundreds of guides within Gruna, and some hold more power than others and only a few getting to vote.
Familial ties are considered when a child is to be apprenticed (and often it is as simple as a baker's child will be assigned to their parent's guild). However, stronger families will try to snap up talented children or interfere with the apprentice selection through poaching or using the courts to block certain appointments. All of them might try to snap up a Lock Keeper's child in other to get some sway over the Lock Keeper's council vote, for example, but will try stop others from doing the same.
However, despite the struggles that might happen, children are almost never killed or hurt to prevent their placement. Marriages must be considered and approved by the government, as is having children. Most of them are organised by families through a Matchmaker, who works for the Juror's Guild (who single dwarves can also apply to once they become of age without familiar input). Because of this, Dwarven children are highly valued. Any children born 'out of legality' incur fines, which are often paid back by a young adult of the family being sent on a journey to the outside world for missions for the government or the child later being apprenticed as a 'crab farmer' - a job with a high mortality rate.
Religion does not play a big part in the city, as having loyalties outside of what is best for the city is seen as unneeded. People are allowed to have religions (and many do) but the understanding is that the Dwarven culture is to come before any spirit, even those of Dwarven origin.
The city used to be run by a single, high-powered clan but after the Gnome poison attacks killed so many, they were all executed for failing in their duties -except for a single daughter who became a Water Seeker and was brought out to meet guests and espouse how better the new system was - and the council was enacted. The Council is made up of 18 votes, 9 for the Lock Operators and 9 split between the guilds.
Half-dwarves are quite common here in the upper city, the only part of the city 'outsiders' are allowed to enter. They are welcome, as most of them do well under the vastness of the overhead sky to farm the area near the Trader's Road which are shipped in. These farms are necessary as, even though there are food sources within the city and surrounds (and more are always being researched), the diet does need to be supplemented to meet the nutritional needs of the dwarven citizens.
Young dwarves set out into the world to sell goods and seek so highly of their own culture are gently (but not expressly) encouraged to spread their wild oats. Few of these children come back to the city itself, although more do live in the surrounding villages and towns, but Dwarves prefer to deal with Traders from other places and half-dwarven staff are given preference and better deals.
The few half-dwarves that do come into the city often become 'tour guides', guiding would-be traders or buyers around the better parts of the Upper city's partitioned area and showing them the forge (that was designed to impress them). They are allowed to marry and have children, but many find it difficult to do so - although the families they join more often than not embrace them (as these types of outside relationships are not seen as infidelity, but as a duty).
All Half-dwarves are considered members of the 'Farmer's' or 'Trader's' Guilds simultaneously until they are adults and are allowed to choose between them at 25. Those that do not become tour guides or outside farmers often go to work in the Bat farms (which are used to create fertilizers for the canals, outside farms and used to make crab food as well as early indicators of airborne dangers).