From The Mana World

About the city

Tulimshar is a the city placed in the Tonori Desert. Is the capital of the Tonori Kingdom.

Story

Although surrounded by enemies, Tulimshar was once a flourishing city but abruptously that changed when one of the enemies of the Tonori Kingdom (where this city is located) cast a spell over the entire city which turned a green, full of vegetable, rich and prosperous town to the poor region it is now. The spell had two devastating effects, on one hand it turned the city into a desert, on the other (and as a consequence of the first) it prevented people from harvesting anymore, thus prunning (or almost ceasing) the main incomings of the kingdom and forcing the region to become a poor place. Also, the cease of money and goods induced some of the surrounding kingdoms to break alliances (the mentioned treaties were no more than commercial agreements), aggravating the situation even more.

In such conditions, the leadership decided to summon all the sorcerers and magicians of the region and casted a counter-spell to protect the city from the impending desertification. The initial spell turned out to be too strong to be removed. So, the leadership, decided to import undamaged soil from a faraway place (suggest place). Even with a healthy soil, the prior spell was such intense that it could damage the new soil in the course of time. As a solution the sorcerers and magicians casted a new spell that could only protect the imported soil, leaving the rest of the city undefended.

The land was used to build an artificial mountain at the center of the city where vegetation could grow (in other words, food and money). Also it serves as a natural mechanism to attract the rain and a sophisticated work of engineering stores water for the whole year in large tanks hidden inside the mount. Although the main purpose of hidding the water is to prevent evaporation, there is a quite small deposit to water the harvest.

Social

Tulimshar is, unfortunately, at the center of a political and warlike intersection; is a land that suffers from years of constant war and forced alliances to keep its land from being destroyed and its people from being slaughtered. In such terrible conditions, economic progress is almost impossible. Proof of it is the decadent look of the city, plagued with a mix of old once-upon-a-time-shining ruined palaces and new poor cheap livings. The only economic flow is derived from the exchange, sell and buy made by the merchants and commerciants that live in the city or travel around the world. The goods object of commercial transaction is a result of the job of hundred of people of the middle and -specially- lower class. Talking about laboral conditioins and experience, lower class is more headed towards the manual work and to jobgs where brute force is a must; as we ascend on the social pyramid those qualities are less and less required, and on the top the job is aimed to be spiritual or intellectual.

Every citizen has the right to vote (this excludes non-residents) (in case the political system is implemented).

The population is about 1 million, and is divided in those three classes as follows:

The social structure of the city is roughly divided in 3 staments:

The upper class

Composed of all of the spiritually advocated (sorceres, magicians...) and all the leader elite (politicians, highest military...). They represent about 10% of global population. They have the executive power. They live on the mountain. It's purpose is to lead the city and its inhabitants.

  • Sorcerers and magicians: They are in part in charge of the protection and welfare of the population, offering spiritual guidance for the community and the leadership about significant issues concerning the security and continuation of the city.
  • Militar: Its purpose is to work as councillor for war and defense issues. They are important but have very little power towards the people, although the control the army (guards).
  • Politicians: They are the leader elite and inhabit the most ostentatious building of the entire region, The Palace (suggest name). In general their intention is good, they always search the best way to do things because they know that the surviving of the people means its own surviving; although sometimes they encounter the oposition of the people.

The middle class

Composed of bankers, merchants, commerciants and in less degree commerciants and students. They represent about 30% of global population. They are spread among the mount's slope and the level ground.

  • Merchants: With this term I agglomerate all the commerciants that travel between regions selling, buying and exchanging stuff. Its composition is very heterogenic, you can find people from any place in the world. They usually travel with the bare minimun to survive the journey. Only in some cases the travel with a horse or a wagon. Although they belong to the same class as some of the commerciants, they are treated a bit better by people in general because they can bring objects that otherwise would be impossible to find.
  • Commerciants: This group is composed by people
  • Architects

The lower class

Composed of all the militarity (warriors, guards...),some commerciants, and some studients. They represent about 60% of global population.

Architecture

Important buildings

Public library

Palace

Barracs

Small Barracs

In war times, this booth works as a last bastion in case the attacker were able to pass trought and reach the mountain. The guards that reside here will only act when there is a high risk of losing the higher part. In peace times, the guards just practice all the time an some works as teachers for the new warriors.

http://img61.echo.cx/img61/5125/cityobservatorium2nn.png
This is a detail of the right part of the drawing below. The idea is that the open extreme of the "tube" is a watch tower were 24 hours a day, a group of sentinels are watching in turns. If an important attack begins, they lit a big fire that can be seen from various miles away by its allies (in case the have any).

Astronomic observatory

The tower above it, could be an astronomic observatory. As you can see, there are two models. The tower with a dome, and the one at the right (looks like a modern observatory, amybe too much modern-looking).
http://www.viajareua.com/trips/palomar/p200_shutters.jpg .

Royal tombs

Market

Cheap buildings

Swordman guild

Artwork

http://img158.echo.cx/img158/9089/citypreview33zn.jpg

More to come.