Tàlant

Tàlant's District

Tàlant is the central metropolis of Ma'Dain Aurora, as it carries the majority of industry, populace and education.

Origin

Tàlant was the original city, where the Great Thinker settled when he created the world. He chose the place, due to easy access to water, the mountains, which shielded and brought rain, and a plain where farmland could be created. At first, it was a lone city, with only one central building - imposing as it was. The Great Tinker would then tinker with the world from the central building, until one day another person arrived. He, Iron Ugved, had transported himself from the Archipelago of Hope to Ma'Dain Aurora and naturally, as all visitors, landed next to the Great Thinker. But Iron's power was much weaker, not as grand and masterful as the Great Thinker. Iron could only build and grow - a combination of powers, now rare.

They got along well, at first, and built the majority of Tàlant together as more and more people arrived. The community wasn't large, only a hundred or so, and for a time, none came. Under the guidance of The Great Thinker and Iron Ugved, Tàlant prospered. Ma'Dain gave people mysterious virility and longevity, so families of 20 were not uncommon. They continued to populate Tàlant and built the rest of the districts, where each district specialized in an area. But Iron and the Great Thinker parted later on, causing the town's prosperity to reduce. Some of the other colonists also moved away, some on their own, some went with Iron. But Tàlant had enough momentum to grow, even though the time of the Great Thinker ended, as he walked up the mountains never to return.

Sayings

• Cursed Moon
• Great Thinker bless you

The Districts

Districts

• The Fields - the agricultural part of town. In Tàlant they grow wheat, barley, corn and hops, enough to feed the masses. There are also orchards and other fruit trees, but not as abundant. The livestock industry is also located here, but no animals are ever hurt in Ma'Dain, since they are so rare. Most animals are wild, as the domestic rarely make it across for their second life. The animals are only used for meat, when they die, so the meat is never high quality. There is also a low amount of dairy products, but some farmers are good with taming, so they produce a modest amount - enough for dairy to become a luxury product.
• Smoke and Soot - the industry part of town, lies next to the mountain. It contains all the heavy industry, the mining, steelworks, blacksmiths. It is where people with the right Wonder create fantastical and incredibly strong structures and tools and ornaments. The logging industry is also present here, with the trees being ferried over the river, which are then collected and sent to the local saw. The district is darker than the rest, due to the constant burning of coal. It is also foggy often, especially during mornings and nights.
• Language District - the COOL and its arboretum, nothing else.
• The Hub - it is the main square with the statues of the Great Thinker and Iron Ugved, the founders. It is a place to have celebration, for parades and for tournaments. It can house over ten thousand people when the bleachers are set up.
• The Long Market - you can buy practically anything that's made or found in Ma'Dain in the long market. It stretches for a few miles in a snakelike trail, where the traders haggle for pennies. The market is made from foldable tents, which always sport a display in front. In the Long Market, you don't haggle on the road, as it is disrespectful and tells every other customer how much you managed to knock down the price. Some traders even have very rare and sometimes forbidden items there. Most of the traders don't have an active wonder, but the ones that do, usually stay at the center of the long market, called the Arena, where there are no tents. It is very competitive and only the traders at the Arena may offer a large amount to construction companies, societies, settlers. Why mostly traders with Wonder? It is easier to convince, when you can flash your customer. If anyone is caught doing it outside of the Arena, his trader's license is revoked.
• Waterworks - the mill and the aqueducts part of the city. Also the local beach, the laundry companies and a favorite spot for taking romantic walks.
• Lenses - the scientific part of town, close to the Language district. Most of the houses have an observatory on the top of the house, where the name comes.
• The High Chair - the palace, next to the Hub. It is where the tri-kings council works and lives.
• The Stacks - As he entered the district, he walked through a fog and the houses became dilapidated. Gone was the pearl façade, the red tiles, replaced by chipped mosaic, bars on windows, and an eerie glow to everything. There were no beer kegs or Wonder gardens anywhere. The candles turned purple and their yellow light turned green, making his gut twist. He pulled his thick cloak close and set his eyes straight. He now understood why people avoided this area. The faster he passed the better.

The COOL

new description

After exiting through one of the massive gates, the crowds gradually dispersed. The sun traversed past his zenith, slanting towards the mountain range in the west. The air was still, yet somehow vibrant as Tom walked on a long, perfectly straight, street.

There were a few people scurrying from one end to another, each wearing a blue cloak and hood despite the warm weather, a bag filled with paper hanging underneath. They could only be coming, or going to, the Cool, a massive black edifice the color of pitch.

Evenly planted trees surrounded the building, each a different color, yet each remarkably the same. The grass around it flowed like the ocean, mesmerizing Tom, forcing him to watch endlessly, waiting if the grass would spill on the grey sidewalk and then envelop the street.

The top of the Cool was perfectly straight, despite the sloping landscape. The walls were irregular, jagged, an engineering feat that no Numbers or common sense could dream of.

It was difficult to imagine the shape of the building with such odd angles, but Tom had a good imagination. It was probably hexagonal, six similar sides, small windows dotted here and there to break up the black wall. But if he stared at the wall, he could see a hint of color, hiding beneath the darkness. Had he imagined it? He could understand humans and animals and plants being Wonderous – they were alive. Surely buildings are just that – buildings.

He crossed the street and felt the building hum, like the sound of glasslights – a source of light on the Sanct Train. The sound flowed deeper, touching his thoughts, his ideas. It felt like the building and his soul were speaking, sharing a secret meant only for ethereal beings. With the secret, came colors. A cornucopia of red and blue and green and white. Of scarlet and beige, of teal and lavender. A moment later it was gone, the walls black as pitch.

He rushed to the entrance, which was a simple white… erm, door? There were no hinges, no grain marks. It wasn’t stone, it was just… white. There was a guard standing vigil in front.

The guard was dressed in a black no-nonsense uniform, all apart from the hat. The hat was marvelous. It was large, the shape of a half-sphere, but that wasn’t the marvelous part. That was the boring, slightly ostentatious part. The really ostentatious part was the flowing, interchanging color. Sometimes red, sometimes green, it changed constantly.

old description

The COOL stands for The Chamber of the Occult and Obscure Language and is located near the Long Market in Tàlant. It is the place the Great Thinker and Iron Ugved had their discussions, spend their resting moments and their moments of argument as well. In time, the residents of Tàlant built a massive wall around it. At its highest, the wall is 50 feet and at its lowest, 15 feet. The difference in height is due to the curvature of the land, as neither Ugved nor the Great Thinker wanted to walk up and down stairs. Where the wall differs in height, it is always the same width - 36 feet, which makes it a grand edifice, the largest in Tàlant.

The wall is an irregular shape, thus created because of the various arguments between the Thinker and Ugved. Their magic thought shaped the already finished edifice around them, and in the end, it ended up looking like a drop, half frozen, half liquid. Thus the locals stopped calling it the Chamber, and referenced it as the COOL.

The center of the COOL is filled with knee high grass, apart from a large area in the middle, surrounded by a softly, sometimes violently flowing river. The river forks and a small island lies in the middle, where a birch of various colors lies in the middle. Underneath, lies the Thinker's table, blessed and cursed, and it is where men and women swear fealty to the school, to the residents of Ma'Dain Aurora and to greater good, whatever that might entail. It is there, that the magic is still strong, as beneath it is a hidden chamber that houses the world gem, the source of magic in Ma'Dain. Without it, the world might crumble, losing its protective shield and orbit behind Dachaigh - the planet where the visitors come from.

In the wall, there are classrooms, separated on each of the Wonder sections. They are magically sealed, but open if you have the right enchantment or the right wonder (sometimes its a combination of both). Apart from that, there are the following chambers:

• Auditorium - The room was much smaller, but felt warmer, cozier than the room outside. The black walls, hidden with birch wood, and bright lanterns obscuring the dark ceiling.About two dozen rows of seats were arranged in descending fashion, ending in an orchestral pit and a small stage with black curtains streaked with gold. The stage was empty, bar a hanger with a dusty grey tattered cloak. A platform replaced the middle section of the seats, where three men and one women sat, eyeing Tom suspiciously. They all seemed much older than Tom, but that wasn’t hard. Tom only had a few springs to his name. There was a large circular carpet on the stage and the woman from the panel pointed towards it. Tom swallowed hard and looked straight ahead. He took one nervous step after another, wiping his hands on the passing red velvet chairs.
• Wonder Practice hall - They gathered in a large hall with mirrors on every end. It was a strange reflection though, the more you stared at it, the colder you’d feel. Not just you though, the entire classroom. Of course, one of the students, Gordon, kept staring and staring until Rosa used her Wonder to create a large lance and pinned him against one of the mirrors. She even lifted him from the ground, which made Tom gape. Rosa was so small and Gordon was older than Tom! Heavier too. And the lance was at least five feet!
• Classroom 1 - A creative eye could describe the lecture hall as rustic and quaint. A pragmatic eye would simply call it dilapidated and small. Old. The stairs creaked, the tables groaned, the chairs wobbled. God forbid you’d put more than a few books on top of them or they’d turn to dust. The students sat in rows, each higher than the one before. The pitched floor ended with a white lecture stand, the paint peeling in various places. It was the most pristine thing there. And dirty Comharra stood there, waving his hands and prattling on.
• Headmaster
• Dining hall
• Medina center
• The Crucible - to train their Wonders
• Training halls
  • Thinker
  • Physik
  • Naturalist
  • Builder

Guards: The guard was dressed in a black no-nonsense uniform, all apart from the hat. The hat was marvelous. It was a large hat, in the shape of a half-sphere, but that wasn’t the marvelous part. That was the boring, slightly ostentatious part. The really ostentatious part was the flowing color. Sometimes red, sometimes green, it changed constantly.

Cardinal Rules

• 1. Don't carry a book out

Other places of import

• Phoenix Point Inn - 300pp / night
• The Gorge Pub - 90 pp / night

The Economy

Every person living on Ma'Dain has the ability to hold an intrinsic value, with which he can pay with. You are born with a sense of intrinsic value, which is the inverse of the strength of your Wonder (Currently unknown). The Great Thinker had made this system, so no money can be stolen, no good deed remain unchecked, and cheating would be hard. The residents of Tàlant created banks and, more often, moneylenders, to deal with larger investments or various troubles they got themselves in.

The process of paying is done by activating the inherent skill by pressing your left thumb to the other person's palm and thinking of the amount you are transfering over. If there is enough to transfer over, the recipient feels it and knows his exact balance. Everybody knows their balance, regardless if they are visitors or something else.

Goods	Cost
Loaf of Bread	50
A common shirt	285
A glass of wine at an Alehouse	99
Piece of Jewelry	680
Luxurious room per night	350
Common room per night	120
Servant per day	500
Exquisite painting	800
Admission into the COOL	15,000

Wages per day

Wages per diem	Cost
Cleaner	200
Baker	300
Postman	250
Scientist	400
Jeweler	400
King	10
Farmer	150

Heavy industry

• Coal industry
• Heating industry
• Glassworks
• Metalworks
• Sawmill

Light industry - atypical

• Nurturer - A Medina with the Wonder 'Grower'
• Living Cloth Tailor
• Instant Caterer
• Fabricator of the minute
• Handsfree Cleaner
• Chamber Tutor (For the COOL)
• Living Artist
• Thousand-voice Singer
• Skin-wrapper
• Stress relief
• Animal Whisperer
• Lifter
• Guide Extror (extraordinary)
• Crop enhancer
• Pest control
• Demolition
• Nexus - art gallery. Near the Hub

Sandwich shops

• Seitan and Barley
• The Kelp - run by Hogan Liverbrooks
• White on White

Binder

A binder is a piece of leather, with a white dot on it. The color depicts it's purpose. The dot is always white.

Purposes:

• red - cool entrance
• brown - agriculture payments
• black - fabrication
• yellow - builders
• blue - other goods
• purple - entrance

The People

Commonalities

• Appearance
  • Clothes are made out of leather
  • The left hand is never gloved or covered. It is a sign of distrust if something like that happens. It is also a measure of beauty and how attractive you are. It is washed and never soiled, a complete opposite of the right hand which is the working hand. Thus, most people are righthanded
• Food and Beverage
  • Most are vegetarians, due to the lack of meat
  • The most common alcoholic beverage is beer, made from barley
  • Having a drink and getting slightly drunk, is considered polite and is an everyday thing
• Status
  • There is a small number of wealthy people, most are either a major producer or a major source of culture (or a successful clandestine operator)
  • People with Wonders are rarely poor
  • The houses are mostly unimposing and made out of stone, with wooden beams. The colors are decided based upon which district it lies in: The Fields = white and gray, Smoke and Soot = black, Language District = white with orange trim, The Hub = bland red, The Long Market = yellow with white trim, Waterworks = Green with brown trim, Lenses = random, The High Chair = golden with black trim.
  • The wealth of a house is also defined by how many people live there. Lots + small house = poor, Small amount + big house = rich
• Social
  • Most have a close social scene, that they go out with a lot. Getting new friends is hard
  • They spend their free time improving their skills or hanging out.
  • Since their houses are usually quite full (even the middle class), they are almost never alone, so they had to figure how to concentrate despite someone always being there
  • They like to dance
• Attractive qualities in a person
  • Sense for adventure
  • Likes to drink
  • Takes care of his left hand
  • Isn't imposing
  • Has a Wonder, that he isn't using merely for his own profit
• Unattractive qualities in a person
  • Is a shut-in
  • Doesn't like people
  • Doesn't know how to tell stories or to participate in one
  • Values culture
  • Is rather neat, especially his left hand

Technology

The Mechanics are trying to ensure progress is made, but the people keep denying it, saying that the old ways are fine. Yet, they order fancy things and the Smoke and Soot is constantly evolving.

Government

Tàlant is governed by three kings, each having equal voting rights. They installed three, so there could never be a tie in the decision making process, as each king must decide or abdicate the throne. This is an old tradition, passed from generations. Kingships are hereditary, unless a king abdicates. Then the throne is up for grabs for the person that gets the most votes from all the districts (each district can put forward one candidate). In case of a tie, the kings duel it out and see who is stronger. The duel consists of:

1. Written test on everything about Ma'Dain - 10 points max
2. Debate - 10 points max
3. Physical test - 10 points max
4. Wonder duel - 31 points max

The Wonder duel is scored by representatives from each district. The maximum is possible only if there is a knockout / surrender in the first minute of the duel, where the winner has no wounds and shown no effort.

The government controls Tàlant and its nearest satellite villages and farms. Then, it only has influence over the rest of its states due to it being the largest city on Ma'Dain, the most fortified, the most developed (in every sense)

Magical Items

• the gab - like a loudspeaker (He held a small square on his throat, which carried his voice over the crowd, magnified a hundred-fold)
• chaipple - crossover between chocolate, apple, green tea