Mura
From Mizahar Lore
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This article is about a location with its own forum to roleplay in. You can find it here. |
| Region | Konti Isle | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notability | Konti Capital, Artistic Hub, Tourist Paradise | ||||
| Leader | Matriarch V'nessi Ulvalin | ||||
| Population | 2,000 | ||||
| Races |
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| Languages | Kontinese, Common | ||||
| Currency | Miza | ||||
| Imports | Metal, Stone | ||||
| Exports | Vision Water, Pearls, Shells, Worked Products |
Mura is the capital of Konti Isle off the east coast of Sylira which is populated with Konti with very few exceptions. Its reputation is almost legendary, the Konti being a highly artistic, intellectual and peaceful race. Most other races will speak of them with respect and admiration, some with jealous suspicion and some with longing, but nobody can deny a certain fascination with the ‘Pearl of the White Isle’, as the city is often referred to.
While there is a harbor to organize trade and welcome visitors, the city itself is located further east. Built half at, half in the Silver Lake, the city is partly aquatic. The Konti use many of the sea’s and lake’s materials to beautify their buildings. Almost everything is a work of art, and everything is meant to harmonize with its surroundings. Nature is very important and must not be destroyed. Instead, everyone strives to live and act in harmony with nature which reflects on almost any part of daily life in Mura.
Contents |
The Climate
Due to its close proximity to the eastern sea, Konti Isle is blessed with a milder climate than the near mainland. Warm summers are followed by cool winters. During those, the temperature drops quite a bit and snow and ice are common, but it is nowhere near as cold as northern Taldera. Konti island gets a great deal of sunshine, although short and hard rainfalls can occur during Spring and Fall. While this might be disturbing to mainlanders, most Konti have learned to live with sudden weather changes and be flexible and effective when it comes to agriculture.
Furthermore, it is proved that the vision water of the Silver Lake somehow causes mosquitoes and flies to avoid the lake and the city since it is partly built on it. Because of that Mura is mostly dry throughout the year, although there have been incredibly wet seasons in the past. However, nobody has ever been able to discover the secret of such unusual occurrences.
Trade
Although Konti Isle has no vast resources of raw goods, it is known to maintain trade connections with various cities at the mainland.
The main export good is vision water, known for its healing and spiritual abilities. It is said that frequent consumption of this special kind of water that only occurs in the Silver Lake can lead to cure from chronic illnesses and even a limited gift that is similar to Avalis’ gnosis mark. However, because of its rumored powers, the Konti are very careful in trading with vision water. They never give too much, and never to the wrong customers. They seem to know who will spend it wisely.
The water is about the only popular export good that is raw, apart from pearls. The pearls the Konti harvest are considered the most beautiful and expensive Mizahar-wide. They usually travel half the world and can even be found at Eyktol and Taldera. Apart from these, almost all worked products are traded with. The Konti are popular for their artistic expertise, producing beautiful poetry, paintings, songs, jewelry, ceramic products, weapons, armor and so on. Most of their goods can be traded for fairly high prices since they still are a small community producing a rather small amount of products.
Mura usually imports many goods from the rest of the island such as wood and agricultural products, although there are materials they have to ship in from the mainland. Metal, for example, is not available at the island, and neither is stone. Only through extensive trade with Zeltiva and other mountain cities have the Konti been able to build a whole city out of stone, shells and coral structure, although these connections have been partly abandoned with the rise of tourism.
Being the most recent addition to the trade sortiment of Mura, tourism is a rich source of money and information. The city is mainly visited by artists and healers who want to expand their knowledge and skill by learning from the Konti culture. Other people often seek harmony and relaxation away from their everyday life. They usually don’t stay long, but spend the most coins, fascinated and enchanted by the fairytale atmosphere and slow pace of the city. Some also come there to enjoy the healing services of the Opal Temple or recover from past illnesses.
Art
The Konti have a reputation as extraordinary craftswomen and artists bordering to perfection. Although many tales exaggerate, there is a large grain of truth in them. Almost all different forms of art are represented one way or another in Mura, ranging from sculpting and masonry over the classical music and poetry to carving and metalsmithing. Despite the fact that they appear fragile and delicate, the Konti have learned to create beautiful pieces by using both strength and dexterity.
Usually the finished pieces are as diverse as their creators, but a couple of trends and popular themes or styles can still be identified. Of course they tend to change and mix up as time goes by, forming new styles. Mura is a hub of different styles and thus very popular among artists.
Many Konti love depicting mythological scenes starring Avalis, Laviku or Rak'keli, since these are the patron deities of their race and city, although elemental and seasonal gods are popular as well. Although there is no universal appearance or style, the Konti often use clear structures and brilliant colors. Their art has more of a calm and structured beauty than surrealism. Another theme that is often incorporated are stories. The Konti have a love for storytelling, so they often draw inspiration from events that are personally valuable to them. The popularity of remittance works has been derived from that fact when the city government asked skilled artists to create reminders of very important and successful past festivals or competitions. However, even the remitters usually give much freedom in how to depict the theme. Usually, though, they prefer decorating their city in honor of the gods or in tribute to certain accomplishments they or those close to them have made. For example, if a Konti won a poetry competition, her sister would perhaps paint a picture about the piece she has won with or the winner herself would write about how she experienced the event.
It should also be noted that, while the Konti have been one of the first cultures to establish a written language, they more often share their stories and knowledge orally than not. This is because sitting together in a community and sharing their thoughts creates a feeling of belonging and support which is why the Konti society is a very close-knit one.
Eventually, more Konti than an outsider would probably expect are skilled in a particular craft as well as dedicated businesswomen. They love creating unique pieces and structures through masonry, sculpting and carving and hard work does not frighten them in the least. Animals and symbols are often included in such artwork and found in various shapes and sizes throughout the whole city, the most famous being the swan boats that are actually shaped not only like swans, but various other animals.
Architecture
Firstly, the strength of Mura’s beauty does not lie in architecture. Rather it is made up of the elaborate and diverse decoration and arrangement of gardens, sea products and plants everywhere. Carving and gardening are popular and respected skills. Since the inhabitants are a peaceful and close community, safety is taken for granted which is why most buildings are located with much space between them.
The core of the city is made up of shops and entertainment locations connected by paved streets, although it is obvious that the Konti do not mind the occasional tuft or small tree breaking through the surface. However, whenever cobbles are lying around, someone makes sure that they are collected and re-used somewhere else. At the outskirts of the core city the streets are soon replaced by pathways. The residential district is like a large belt surrounding the city to the edges of Silver Lake. White trees, meadows filled with grass and brilliantly colored wild flowers fill the spaces in between.
Another significant feature of Mura is the close proximity to Silver Lake, if one could still call it that without understating. The Konti are equally comfortable at the surface and in the water which is why their city is built as a part of the lake itself. They embrace each other with the city stretching out into the lake and the water flooding many locations and buildings. When building Mura, the Konti chose the most shallow area they could find to build their stone structures on- and into.
The buildings themselves are, as was already mentioned, rather simple. Most, if not all of them are made of white stone which is more often painted and dyed than not. The decoration, however, is added with never-ending creativity. Materials are often harvested from the sea or the lake: vast amounts of pearlescent shells, white shimmering pearls, colored glass, trees and climbing plants in pastel colors symbolizing the omnipresence of the wet element. Often just color and carved shapes are used, although these are created with breathtaking intricacy and detail. The whole city glitters in Syna’s light like newly born which is the main cause of its nickname, ‘the Pearl of the White Isle’.
The Konti love everything that is related to water and the sea and regularly use it for decorating their city and homes with. Pools of fresh, clear water infused with the lake’s vision water can be found in many public places and it is not uncommon that elegant staircases lead below the water surface. Often plants are included in the inner architecture of bigger establishments, and little garden corners are a part of almost every private home. Complex and colorful coral structures, algae and surface as well as underwater flowers are very popular. Sometimes starfishes and sea horses add a special touch, but nobody except the Konti know through which hole they come and go. Animals are not kept in cages or pools, but rather freely roam the city and are often described as ‘living decorations’.
Although the Konti live both in and on the Silver Lake, footbridges and archways have been added to enable visitors to freely visit most public locations. In fact, most public establishments have been added or expanded after the ‘discovering’ in 497 AV, because more mainlanders started showing interest in a vacation in Mura. Pretty little gazebos serve as resting opportunities while a couple of bigger exemplars have been built almost into the middle of the sea to watch the beautiful landscape.
However, the Konti soon invented a very useful vehicle to carry visitors through Mura’s water canals, of which quite plenty exist at the outskirts and fewer at the city core: the swan boat. While these boats are not always carved like swans, but rather of a variety of different animals, they are used to offer sightseeing tours to small groups of visitors. The women who control the swan boats and lead the tours are called swan maidens and are often experts at and very passionate about their task.
All in all, Mura is considered a masterpiece of art and craftsmanship and a manifestation of the most beautiful fairytales and natural phenomena. Many sailors and artists who have visited the city at least once spread the tales about its breathtaking charm and magic.
Culture
The culture of Mura is dominated by the Konti who make up the majority of its population. Because of their unique Divination gifts, they have no trouble forming a society based on understanding and helping one another. Additionally, most Konti enrich their culture through producing pieces of art themselves, be it through painting, music composition, carving or various other skills. The society of Mura can be described as a highly artistic one: Everyone is accepted as long as they contribute pieces of their own to the community. Strangers who wish to constantly live at the city are accepted very quickly if they are friendly, open and willing to contribute. The whole citizenry is very close - partly due to Mura’s size as well.
While there is no official government, the Grandmothers and Mothers Circle are a significant power in handling the day-to-day matters and decisions that have to be made. The Grandmothers Circle consists of the wise and experienced women whose children already have children on their own. Most of them are aged somewhere between 150 and 200, although there are younger as well as older ones. They are the main connection to the gods, mainly the city’s patron deities Avalis, Laviku and Rak’keli, with most of the members possessing two or three marks of one or several divines. The oldest member who can be considered the leader of the Konti - the official title is ‘matriarch’ - is V’nessi Ulvalin who possesses four gnosis marks of Avalis.
The Mothers Circle usually consists of women around the 100s and is responsible for more earthbound matters. They control most of the trade with the mainland, housing and manage conflicts within the city - although these are very rare.
Since there are three official patron deities of Mura, these also are the most worshipped among the Konti. The Opal Temple was originally dedicated to Avalis, although Rak’keli has a strong influence through her healers. All Konti who grow up in Mura are dedicated to Avalis in a unique way and regard Divination as her personal gift to each of them. The few exceptions to the rule are usually found outside Mura, and so are worshipers of Laviku. Although all Konti are children of the sea, most who want to follow this god’s path usually venture out to the Suvan Sea or other waters and travel much.
Visitors are treated with respect and natural, innocent curiosity. The Konti are eager to learn about new cultures and mindsets, and their gift allows them to see without judging what they see. They are capable of understanding the worst criminal - as long as he does not harm one of them. However, if one obeys the saying of getting back what they give they are gladly accepted into their community. It does not matter whether as a temporary spectator or permanent contributor then.
Cuisine
Mura is the origin of the Konti cuisine which is known to be very creative and diverse. Of course, being close to the water, the Konti use many products of the sea in their meals. They have discovered that almost everything in their environment is edible one way or another and thus grow and harvest most of the ingredients themselves. While vegetables are very popular and partly gathered (like berries or roots) and partly grown (like salad, algae and rice) most tend to use bigger amounts of the grown than of the gathered food. A special form of rice called Tol’uma is grown at swamps at the northern area of the Silver Lake. Although not always ingested for their nutritional value, other plants and herbs found around the Isle are gathered and used to enhance Konti life.
Meals consisting of both vegetables and fish are common, although sometimes meat is also included. This is because, although the Konti are good hunters and the forest inhabits many deer, birds and rabbits, they honor and respect life and feel uncomfortable with taking it away.
Spices are an important ingredient of every meal and the Konti use them excessively. Perhaps this is because they have access to a vast amount of exotic herbs. They are masters of arranging harmonic meals though and would never toss random ingredients together. Despite that a trend towards the hot and spicy should be noted.
In Mura it is common to have two main meals with up to three courses that are consumed at midday and in the evening, although several snacks during the day are not looked down upon. Instead eating small amounts of food several times throughout the day is considered as healthy since the Konti’s fragile bodies are not made for digesting big amounts of food at once.
Major Holidays
Since the Konti always are in touch with the gods and nature, they celebrate each season and various other events throughout the whole year. They are known to create as much opportunities for coming together and sharing pieces of art as possible - although most festivals are partially ritualized and either not appropriate anymore or have never been (i.e. due to Mura’s unique climate). Basically they know the value of free days and return to work with new energy and ideas afterwards.
Spring
- The Flower Festival: Held at the 40th of Spring, this festival honors Tavasi for making the first flowers grow. At this day the whole city is decorated with flowers. In the morning a Konti priestess traditionally asks Tavasi in a ritual for letting the planted seeds grow into healthy and tasty vegetables.
- Lovers’ Day: This day honors Avalis, the All-Seeing Mother, and Laviku, their bond and the gifts they gave to the Konti, their beloved children. A small divination and sea festival is celebrated at this day which is the 65th of Spring.
Summer
- The Sun Festival: Celebrated at the 10th of Summer, the Konti thank Sivah and Syna for bringing the light and warmth of Summer to their isle. Around midday they gather at Unity Circle to dance a special dance honoring the sun.
- Day of Bright Colors: When the days are the longest at the 42nd of Summer, the whole Konti Isle holds a small festival dedicated to the art form of painting and drawing and admires the beautiful and bright summer colors. This festival is accompanied by a small procession around the Silver Lake.
- Kuvali Natra’s Birthday: This day, the 77th of Summer, is not exactly celebrated, but the Konti gladly remember Kuvali Natra who was the first Konti who answered the ‘Call’ and became an advisor to Loris Dyres. She represents all those who are on their own ‘Call’ as well as a connection of the Konti with the origins of Syliras.
Fall
- The Pumpkin Festival: This is held during the last ten days of Fall. Despite the fancy name, the festival is based on the serious reason of thanking the gods, especially Bala and Caiyha, for another successful harvest. Various attractions are offered throughout the city and pumpkins are everywhere.
Winter
- The Storytelling Festival: Held at the 30th of Winter, when the climate starts to get visibly colder, this festival honors Morwen and the comfortable coolness and peace she brings upon the world. Although there are still some vegetables that grow during Winter, the majority of the Konti take the cool season as an opportunity to sit together and share folklore and fairytales.
- Anniversary of the Valterrian and Avalis’ Divinity: A festival is held at the last day of Winter to remember the Valterrian and share art related to that topic. For the Konti the Valterrian is a celebration, because Laviku used the exposed magic to raise Avalis to divinity who later gave birth to the first Konti. At midnight countless swan boats are paddled to the middle of the Silver Lake to watch the elaborate display of fireworks created by local reimancers. This part of the festival is improved and renewed every ear and never stays the same.
Factions
Opal Order
The Opal Order is an organization founded by Konti that seeks to heal the physically as well as mentally injured and gather knowledge about new treatment methods. Their headquarter is the Opal Temple in Mura. While they are primarily made up of Konti women and all members must have at least one gnosis mark of Rak’keli, other races are gladly welcomed into their ranks as well.
Suviak
The Suviak or Tidalwave is one of the subgroups of the Azenth that exclusively worships Ivak. While other subgroups manage and control volcanos and earthquakes, the Suviak that has its headquarter at the northern edge of the Silver Lake focuses on the sea. Since they protect Mura and the near mainland from cyclons, floods and the like, they operate with official permission from the Grandmothers’ Circle.
Locations of Interest
The White Harbor
The White Harbor lies about half a bell west of Mura and is the main connection between the city and the mainland. It is the place where trade ships land and sailors as well as visitors catch sight of its breathtaking architecture of pearlescent and pastel decorations. Perhaps the most impressing structure is the massive archway that leads out of the harbor and to a path up to the city itself.
The Taviasa
One of the first buildings along the main street of Mura, the Taviasa is where the city officials have their workplaces. Those new to the city are encouraged to inquire about housing possibilities or where to find a certain shop while residents often take conflicts to the Taviasa - they will then be discussed with a council in a hall that usually serves as a ballroom.
Unity Circle
If one follows the main street of Mura, they will soon reach Unity Circle which is a large square located at the center of the city. Here the Konti flock together to share stories and artwork and trade wares against coin or other wares, since bartering is rather popular as well. Branching off into the opposite direction of the main street is the Bountiful Sea, a bazaar famous for its delicious fish.
The Opal Temple and Medical Library
The Opal Temple is located at the outskirts of Mura and the edge of the Silver Lake, with quite many of its rooms flooded with vision water. The patron deities of the Konti, Avalis, Rak’keli and Laviku, are worshipped there, although minor shrines dedicated to elemental and nature deities like Caiyha, Syna, Bala and Zulrav can be found as well. The temple is also the headquarter of the Opal Order, an organization of healers and worshipers of Rak’keli. The Medical Library serves as their main storing place of knowledge about different plants, illnesses and treatment methods, although information about many other topics are available as well.
The Crystal Cavern
An extensive system of differently sized caves that lies in close proximity to the southern outskirts of Mura is known by the residents as the Crystal Cavern. Rarely talked about to mainlanders, these caves form an incredibly sacred location for the Konti. They are rumored to house fantastic creatures, breathtakingly beautiful plants and vast amounts of special crystal that is infused with vision water. The Konti use this place for praying to Avalis and Laviku or performing rituals, since they believe that these divines often wander their mysterious depths.
History
The Konti were created shortly after the Valterrian by Avalis who had been risen to divinity by her lover Laviku, and since then they have made Konti Isle their home. Mura was slowly built up by those strong-willed seers and craftswomen and is still expanded up to today.
While Mura has been and still is a peaceful and thriving hub of art and worship, several Konti have ventured out of their home on the ‘Call’ and become famous during fulfilling the wishes of the All-Seeing Mother. The first, a future seer named Nila, had helped the brothers Lawrence and Leon Dyres to find a location for a new city that would provide food and shelter for those hit by the Valterrian. While the three worked together to build Syliras, Nila ended up marrying Lawrence and never returning to Mura.
Several years later, young Kuvali Natra became advisor to Loris Dyres, the brothers’ descendant and current leader of the Syliran Knights, and gained popularity by helping the city through the difficult times that were a mere struggle for survive. She was the first Konti who brought the knowledge about their extraordinary gift to the outside world and since then more Konti have ventured out to answer the ‘Call’ for at least a few years. The Natra line stayed in Syliras though, and Kaylana Natra who is rumored to be Kuvali’s daughter, currently works for Loren Dyres.
Until then, Konti Isle was a place of myth and magic, a popular part of fairytales and sailors’ fantastic stories. Its exact location was unknown and some even doubted its existence. However, when the Zeltivans built ships and started to sail up and down the coasts and explore the shores in 445 AV, they also landed on Konti Isle and were welcomed to Mura. Since they came in peace, their trade goods were accepted with curiosity and the two cities soon established a trade relationship. Still they are connected to each other.
The event that is known as the 'discovery' of Mura happened in 497 AV when a group of adventurers from the province of Syliras sailed from Nyka to the east and found - instead of the new continent and gold treasures they had hoped for - the home of the Konti with its mysterious and glittering pastel beauty. After staying for about a season to explore the Konti customs and unique style of art, they returned and spread word about what they had seen. This led to a flow of tourists flooding Mura, but the Konti used the sudden popularity wisely: Building bridges and new locations, expanding their shops, inventing their famous swan boats and adding a few attractions to their festivals they quickly adjusted to the new situations. Since then tourism has been growing steadily and adds quite some income to the city’s funds.
To the rest of the world, Mura has become famous as a place of peace, safety and bright, sparkling beauty, a place everyone has to visit at least once in their life. It is a city of attractions, a city blessed by the gods, a health center able to cure most known illnesses and a few unknown ones, a mysterious place of white trees and beings of divine blood. In fact Mura is all that and much more.
People of Mura
- V’nessi Ulvalin: matriarch of the Grandmothers’ Circle and current leader of Mura.
- Eunoe Kore: matriarch of the Kore family and member of the Grandmothers’ Circle, known for her grace, skill with the Tarot and calculating mind.