A Visit to Jillaro
Dear Felicitus,
I hope your piles have cleared up. Well do I recall
how you suffer from them! We have just finished
another visit on the Emperor's progression having
just left Jillaro. No greater contrast between two
cities can I imagine as that between Alkoth and Jillaro.
Alkoth, as you will recall from my previous letter is
a nightmarish place. Jillaro on the other hand is a
beautiful city full of refined, dignified people. The
city dwellers reveled in the opportunity to host the
father of their favorite local goddess and Moonson
was greeted by choruses of singers with beautiful
voices and by wonderful artistic performances.
What a joy! The city dominates trade, especially river
trade in the region and is quite wealthy as a result of
this. It is also the capital of the Sultanate of Sylila.
The city had been destroyed back in the Second
Wane by barbarian invaders (we saw their leaders'
preserved hides at the military headquarters in the
city) but had been rebuilt by Hwarin Dalthippan and
her husband Ingkot Axe-and-a-Half. Even while a
mortal Hwarin was possessed of an exceptionally
refined artistic nature and the city is magnificent,
especially the Acropolis! All is of white marble
which is beautifully set off by the lush green of the
immense fields of clover that surround the city and
nourish the horses Jillaro is justly famous for. One
of the greatest sights in Jillaro is the chryselephantine
statue of the goddess placed before the palace on the
Acropolis that the god Iphigos crafted just before she
died. The goddess' body was cast into a crevice near
the edge of the rock outcropping upon which the
Acropolis is built. This crevice, named Hwarin's well
can be approached by people seeking oracles. However
the crevice itself, which you must descend into in order
to consult the oracle is protected by unspecified terrors
which the suppliant must brave. I am assured that few
successfully consult the oracle, most being scared off.
The goddess also functions as the city's war goddess
and did great deeds on the region's behalf during the
invasion of Sheng Seleris (long may his name be cursed
and reviled). Every Sacred Time as part of the regular
ceremonies the inhabitants of Jillaro sponsor
theatrical performances on some predetermined
religious theme in order to honour the goddess
(Hwarin that is, not the Goddess). The plays are
judged as to merit and the best plays are given the
great honour of being inscribed on thin goldsheets
and housed in Hwarin's own temple. The best
playwrights are especially honoured and feted year
round. There was a terrible scandal last year when
it was discovered that one of the playwrights had
actually stolen another's work and attempted to
pass it off as his own. He had paid bravos to attack
and kill the true playwright. He was condemned to
descend into Hwarin's Well and was never seen
again. These plays are never performed outside of
Sacred Time as that would be sacrilegious. Besides
drama the Jillarans seem to excel in all the fine arts,
especially those practiced by women. Beautiful
pottery and fabrics grace the Agora (the Jillaran
market which is right on the riverside and most
beautifully located). Enclosed walkways known
as stoas surround the Agora and magnificent
paintings honouring all the deities of the Empire
(especially Hwarin) can be seen. Moonson was
gifted with the most beautiful paintings that had
been painted in the previous twenty-five years.
These made up fifteen wagon loads drawn by oxen!
Moonson also received jewelry, sculptures, books
and scrolls, pottery (another twenty wagon loads
in all) and of course horses. An entire herd of
horses! Beautiful animals worth a fortune but no
more than is His due of course. Another contrast
between Alkoth and Jillaro is the predominance
of women in the latter. Because of the influence
of Hwarin women are accorded great status in the
city and it is full of women warriors and artisans.
Every occupation normally fulfilled by a man in
another city can and will be fulfilled by a woman
here. This is in very strong contrast to the Dara
Happan cities further up the Oslir. All in all a
wonderful place. We passed south to Mirin's
Cross along the Daughter's Road, a magnificent
highway and used her bridge across the Black Eel
River. It was quite disconcerting to see the river
below your feet on the crystal bridge and no less
disconcerting to pass beneath the blind eyes of
Gwythar Grimwise of the Two-handed Axe the
bridge's guardian.
Yours always in most ways,
Fresser
Oliver D. Bernuetz
www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/realm/5545
bernuetz.oliver_at_cbsc.ic.gc.ca
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