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THE CULT OF THE CITY Mythos and History
The entity worshipped by this cult is invariably referred to simply as "The City". The God Learners considered it a prime example of a deity created by worship. The Orlanthi regard it as a wyter. Note however that this wyter grants divine spells.
The cult itself tells that the Founding Fathers, having gathered the Five Stones at the location of the Wharfstone, summoned the spirit of the new city. This summoning is reenacted each year by the electors.
The Cult Ecology in the World
(I've never understood the difference between these two sections)
The deity is the city, and the cult is the institutions of the city. When the law says that the Captain of Riverjoin (the second in command of the city defences under counsellor Keystone) must be an acolyte of the cult, it does not mean that only acolytes are eligible to become Captain, but that the new Captain will be raised to acolyte status. It does however mean that a candidate for Captain must be eligible for acolyte.
Lay Membership
Anyone entering Riverjoin must be at least a lay member. Any non-member entering or found within the city will be attacked by the city's magical defences. Membership is available at the gates for a fee. This fee is payable daily, weekly or annually, with a substantial discount for the longer periods. This is in effect a tax on resident and visiting non-citizens. The fee is waived in special cases, such as envoys of foreign powers. Enemies of the city are never allowed to join, and can't enter the city, even to negotiate.
This applies only to the city of Riverjoin itself, not to the surrounding lands that are part of the city state. In particular, the area outside New West Gate known as the Fringe is not part of the city proper, and the inhabitants of those ramshackle huts are not members of the cult.
Citizen Membership
A citizen must speak Janubian at 50%. He or she must go through an initiation ceremony that includes an oath of loyalty to the city, as well as the donation of a point of POW.
If either parent is/was not a citizen, five magistrates must be convinced that the applicant is worthy. This usually requires five years of residence within Riverjoin, and a good reputation.
A citizen must use 5% of his time on civic duties. Monetary obligations to the cult are handled through the city's tax system, which is quite complex.
Citizens may call for divine intervention inside the city proper. They learn no magic from the cult, though they are free to learn any magic from any other source.
Elector Membership (Initiates)
The electors are the initiates of the cult. The electors meet each year on Assembly Day to elect a counsellor, and decide on those matters the council places before them. Some matters must by law be put before the Assembly of Electors, and the council often leaves matters that it could in principle have decided on its own authority to the assembly. The assembly may also appoint electors and magistrates on its own initiative.
Obligations to the cult is as per citizens.
Electors are appointed by the council, rarely be the assembly. An elector must have been a citizen for 5 years and must own a house in the city.
Electors get divine intervention, and access to cult divine spells on a one-use basis. These are usable only within the city proper.
Magistrate Membership (Acolytes)
Magistrate is a title of great respect and legal significance. Some kinds of transactions, notably the sale (or other transfer) of real estate, must be witnessed by a magistrate. They also have other powers and privileges.
The holders of about a dozen offices in the city administration are ex officio magistrates. These are the leaders of the city. Every civil servant reports directly or indirectly to a magistrate.
Additionally, the assembly can appoint magistrates for life, without an office attached. This is a singular honor. Though there is no law limiting their number, by firm tradition the ex officio magistrates must outnumber the honorary ones.
Magistrates must speak and read Janubian at 90/50%. They must be electors. They must have skills suitable for their office. The offices that carries this distinction are full time jobs. Honorary magistrates have only normal elector duties, but usually use much time on city business.
Spells as per priests.
Counsellor Membership (priests)
Each year on Assembly Day, a counsellor is elected for a five year term. A counsellor must be an elector, and must meet the requirements for acolytes. If a seat falls vacant, it is left vacant for the rest of the five year term.
Each counsellor heads a part of the city administration. Each ex officio magistrate reports directly to a counsellor.
The council rules the city. It appoints all officials, save only the Lord and the counsellors themselves. It can make any decision that can not wait for next Assembly Day. It can reverse any decision made by any official of the city. It appoints electors.
Divine spells: City Harmony, Excommunication, Mindlink, Sanctify, Warding, Worship City.
Spells become one-use once a counsellor returns to elector status.
Lord Membership (high priest)
The head of the cult, and of the city, is the Lord of the City, who is elected by the assembly, and stays in office until he chooses to step down. Due to ceremonial duties, he must step down if he looses the use of his eyes, his legs, or his voice.
Spells as per priests, plus Manifest City, which is similar to Call Founder (GoG p. 76). Since the entity manifested is the city itself, the consequences would be dire indeed if it was defeated. This spell will only be cast if the very existence of the city is threatened.
Associate Gods
Janube
The mighty Janube gives her husband her Command Undine spell.
Etyries
An obvious associate, but one with no useful spell to offer. Exchange
Spells is not that interesting to a culture dominated by sorcery. Path
Watch is not very relevant to city life. The really useful stuff like
Mindlink is available from the generic city god. It must be Reflection, I suppose, though a combat spell is not a very good spell for the god of
trade to supply to the god of the city. It feels wrong.
Irrippi Ontor
I don't know what spells he has. Any of the Lhankor Mhy special
divine spells could be very useful to the city.
Yanafil Tarnils
If he has Oath or Detect Truth, either would be very useful. Otherwise
Shield or Truesword for the city militia.
Deezola
Any healing spell is useful. What are the earth magics she has?
Holy Days
Assembly day
The date changes each year in a five year cycle.
Founding Day
The electors reenact the original summoning of the city god, with the
counsellors in the roles of the Founding Fathers.
River Day
The sacred marriage of the city and the river is consummated. The role
of the city is played either by the Lord of the City or by counsellor
Wharf. Usually a new Lord will play the part on his first River Day in
office, and counsellor Wharf will play it other years. Exceptions are
made on the occasions when either office is held by a woman. Lunar
influence is making female high officials less and less rare.
What calendar do the Janubians use?
The Five Stones
The Five Stones of the City have great symbolical significance to the cult. If any were lost, it might be the end of the city. However, most would be very difficult to lose. The Wharfstone, which forms the foundation of the main wharf, has never been moved. The Keystone sits atop the Main Gate, in a wall no longer part of the outer defences. The Cornerstone is part of the wall of the keep, and the Rostrum is a huge stone (though many times smaller than the Wharfstone). Only the Seal, a sapphire with the pentacle symbol of the city engraved, is readily movable.
The council seats are named for the stones.
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Comments please.
Here are some comments of my own: it is rather bland. No real mythos.
It is not much like a mediaeval guild. This is how guilds worked: the members would meet to decide any matter of importance. There would be a guild master, usually appointed for one year by the mayor, who would in turn be appointed by the king. In practise the members would take turns being guild master for one year each.
When a new guild master was appointed, the guild sign would be taken down from the old guild house, and placed outside the new one, that is the house of the new guild master.
In addition to the guild master, there would be two "chair brothers", so called because they would sit at either side of the guild master when they functioned as a court too settle disputes between guild members. The guild master and chair brothers might form a sort of executive committee of the guild, but that was rare. Most guilds would just meet to discuss any matter that needed deciding.
The members would be the masters, that is owners of businesses, in one trade in one city. A representative of the journeymen would take part in some guild functions, but he was not a guild member.
This just doesn't work for running a city state. For one thing, who would appoint the guild master?
This is how it was in Denmark. Denmark was a small country with many "cities". That means that each city was very small. In the typical city, all masters of any trade could comfortably meet around the guild master's dining table. Maybe it was different in other countries?
And I have no idea how this plays together with the prevalent malkionism.
Klaus O K
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