Municipality of Pirie
| City-State of Pirie | |
|---|---|
| File:Pirie-arms.png | |
| Culture Level | Medieval |
| Climate & Terrain | Temperate Forest[1] |
| Year Formed | 748 BC[2] |
| Population | 1,709[3] |
| Races (%) | Human 90%, elf 3%, dwarf 3%, halfling 2%, gnome 1%, other 1%[1] |
| Languages Spoken | Kislovan[4] |
| Religions | Church of Ezra[1] |
| Government | Elected Count, from among the noble houses of the city; only the nobility may vote.[1] |
| Ruler | High Count Väinö Ikävalko[1] |
| Ruler Title | High Count of Pirie[1] |
| Title Inheritance | Noble Elective[1] |
| Title Ascendant (Above) | Baron of Kislova, held by Peto Casse[4] |
| Title Descendant (Below) | Many - each of the local recognized noble house leaders are Counts under the High Count of Pirie.[1] |
 |
This section contains canon Ravenloft information from officially published sources; see the References below. |
The City-State of Pirie is realm of the title-holder of Baron, and thus the capitol of Kislova.[5] Originally essentially the settlement village that formed around what the migrants called Suojelijamme armon pyhä kirkko - or Holy Church of the Grace of Our Matron Saint, in trade[6], it has since grown to a respectable size, becoming the seat of power of the island's Confederacy.
 |
This section contains server-canon Ravenloft information from the Time of Unparalleled Darkness server; see the References below. |
Pirie can be thought of as a fairly religious community around the Ezran church, with a fairly cosmopolitan settler base of peoples from Lamordia, Vorostokov[7], and Darkon, as well as an indigneous Kislovan population. The city accepts all whom don't cause trouble - provided they adopt and conform to the local indigneous beliefs and culture, for which all have an ingrained and deep respect for, and as such, for outlanders with means whom do not find footing elsewhere, it is popular, as well as with iterant demihumans, whom make up an appreciable but small part of the population.[1]
Election & Governance
|
|
This section contains server-canon Ravenloft information from the Time of Unparalleled Darkness server; see the References below. |
Unlike most of the Core, positions are not pure appointment or an inheritance, but rather, the City-States of Kislova utilize a more democratic model. The head of each noble house carries the title Count, which for purposes of peerage is inherently an unlanded noble title (though one can still gain title to land seperately), and they elect among themselves a High Count, whom is the head of the city-state. Whenever a High Count dies, or is otherwise deposed (rebellion, they resign, etc), a meeting called a ting is called at the Folkmeet, and the ballots are cast to decide the next High Count. While it is only the Counts and their families that have ballots, a ting is a great societal event for the City-State, and often much of the city gathers around the Folkmeet hall to await the pronouncement of the new High Count - a decision often greeted with feast and festival.[1]
The laws around elections are arcane, complex, and intricate - and mostly exist to ensure the Baron of their confederacy does not have hostile Counts rise to High Count. They are rarely invoked otherwise. The one law that sometimes sees use is that if two candidates are equally matched, the Baron serves as the determining tie-breaker, which only serves to underline the purpose of these laws. The general populace regard them as just - as one must remember that compared to the rest of the core, election at all is exceptional - but dissentors do exist.[1]
The government of the City-State itself is done through votes of the Counts at monthly Folkmeets, although the High Count always holds veto power and can at any time administrate the law outside of the Folkmeet. This means unless the High Count takes a personal interest in their case, or the Kodinturvajoukot ("home security forces" - the city military and also police) disbelieve the accuser enough not to bother, any accused of a crime within the City-State of Pirie are held until the next Folkmeet.[1]
The Folkmeet (as the collective meeting of the High Count and Counts) is the highest local authority, underneath it is the individual Counts and their families, then the Kodinturvajoukot ("home security forces" or military, whom also act as police), and underneath them are the commonfolk. Most small matters that are considered too small to bring to the Folkmeet (such as petty theft, or small disagreements), are held by the Kodinturvajoukot. Indeed, it is expected that one attempts to resolve anything through the Kodinturvajoukot, before taking it to the Folkmeet, and those that do not will simply be deferred to the lower authority. While an individual Count has authority within this system, they may only rule on that which affects their own family, and if they are landed, those on that land. If it affects any other - "even but a leafe of an over-extended tree" as the law puts of - then it must be solved by the Kidnturvajoukot (whom have police power over all of Pirie and its surrounding land), or the High Count. The Baron does not rule on matters so small as just Pirie, in most cases, but has authority higher than the Folkmeet if ever it happens.[1]
It is local law upheld over several challenges that only Tradespeak, or Kislovian, may be spoken in the public places of Pirie. Use of other languages in public venues is often punished by exile - it is the first and most obvious way one can be said to disrespect the local culture, and the people of Pirie hold this dear. For a newcomer, they will likely get a friendly warning or two - but punishment comes very quickly to those whom are warned and do not heed it. Some people go so far as to only speak Kislovan, but this goes further than the law of the land does. Dickering over whether a place is considered public with the Kidntruvajoukot has lead to many a whipped outsider. Those that wish to curry the favour of the locals often adopt names out of the Kislovan tongue.[1]
When it comes to small affairs, a kapral, or enlisted man or woman, does not have any authority of judgement, only officers do. They exist only for security, and any resolution of problems would come from their commanders.[1]
Mandatory Military Service
All men and women whom wish citizenship of the City-State owe mandatory military service in the Kodinturvakoukot. For locals this takes the form of military education between the ages of 12 until 16 for all within the city walls, and a shorter stint from 15 to 16 for the outlying farms. Following this, locals serve one year as either a junior officer (lipnik) or enlisted man or woman (kapral), depending on whether they are noble-born, or a commoner. Indeed, this leads to another important point: it is universal service - all from the highest stations to the lowest must serve. Education is mandatory for locals but not for immigrants. Immigrants always enter as a kapral, no exceptions are made for station - it is regarded that if they care to integrate into society, these immigrants will sacrifice, and if they do not, then they are unwanted. After education, locals serve for one mandatory year, after which they may leave to follow their ambitions, or remain employed with the leave of their overseeing command. Immigrants must serve for a mandatory year, but cannot remain employed nor find advancement in the Kodinturvakoukot without at least five overseeing command officers recommending them.[1]
The education is of a high standard in their Kamppailulajien Korkeakoulu - College of the Martial Arts - but as the name implies it is mostly military focussed. Weapons training, weapons maintenance and repair, horse-riding, and miltiary tactics are common courses for all, and the college has a reputation for turning out hardened, disciplined soldiers enough that some mercenary companies pay steep prices to train there as well. For officers, history, culture, and command courses are also given, and to the same standard.[1]
Expectations of the military are generally low in peace-time: enlisted men and women can generally get away with just joining the muster-ting when it occurs - which is a monthly meeting of their unit where all happenings are reported and discussed. Officers get held to a higher standard, but so long as the patrols are kept, they may pursue private lives at their leisure. They may socialize, take part in merchantile, and even hold trades - the latter is in fact encouraged. So the same soldier one may see on street patrol one day may work a smithy the next. The exceptions to this come in the form of the high command, which are expected at that point to be "career soldiers". Of course, all this goes out the window in war time if the levy is raised.[1]
Places to go
People to See
Law & Order
Folksmeet
- High Count Väinö Ikävalko[1]
- Count Deyu Korpanainen[1]
- Countess Aina Korhonen[1]
- Countess Reiley Virtanen[1]
- Count Pokko Mäkinen[1]
Kodinturvajoukotan Pirie
- Kapten Jaana Altosaar[1]
- Leitnent Sampu Korhonen[1]
- Leitnent Angelines Huuta[1]
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 1.23 1.24 1.25 Server Canon - Written by Maiyannah, 2024-12-20
- ↑ pg 77, Book of Souls
- ↑ Server canon: inflated to be on the low end of a "town" as its referred to, originally 600.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Baroness of Blood
- ↑ pg 5, 84, Baroness of Blood, TSR Inc (Elaine Bergstrom), 1992.
- ↑ pg 5, 84, Baroness of Blood, TSR Inc (Elaine Bergstrom), 1992 - the church and its dedication are left unnamed in the text, however
- ↑ Server Canon - Interestingly, after Vorostokov's destruction in the onset of the Time of Unparalleled Darkness, this makes Pirie the largest population of their people remaining in the core
