Kieb

Kieb is a small town, that lies beneath the Red Forest, between The Desolation and Sturm. The town is renowned for its artisans in many professions, ship building and warrior training being the pinnacle of it.

Location

The town lies between two cliffs and has a natural, protected harbor area. Wind constantly blows seaward through the city, which inspired Kieb’s original architecture. Houses have a thick wall, painted with a beautiful mural, pointed upwind and a terraced area downwind.

Early development

Kieb was founded as a fishing village and a stopping point for wealthy merchants going from Sturm towards the merchant city of Alentis and back. The route past Kieb was only one of many, so the town didn’t become prosperous until around 200 years ago. When the Veil started approaching the southern shore of Stakhlian from the sea, it cut off all trading routes toward it. The city began dying and people began abadoning it, when a remarkable name, going by the name of Ismon appeared on its shores and began the construction of a strange cylindrical device. The people were distrusting at first but as the stranger finished and powered up the device, it blew away the Veil like a wind in a storm. He told them that the devic pe can only operate for a few weeks before the Steelshards would need to be recharged. He tasked the remaining villagers to seek fighters or the village would be doomed. The villagers set off in their fishing boats and on foot and brought back ample fighters. As trade resumed, the villagers organised fights for the merchants to enjoy. Some ended up staying and running their business as Kieb was deemed safest from the Veil. The stranger appeared three more times, each time constructing another cylindrical exshard, then disappearing shortly after.

Rise to power

Despite being safe from the Veil, Kieb was still prone to invasions from men. It offered a safe escape (from the Veil) and was routinely assailed from the sea. Approaching Kieb from anywhere else was too far from any other civilazation, so hardly any warlord bothered making the trip. The people tried to fight back, but everytime they fended their assailants off and had time to lick their wounds, another ship would dock and plunder. Kieb’s regiment of Redders began slowly disappearing after each fight, mostly due to being killed in battle by other, pirate, Redders. As the last exShard was constructed and activated, an unnatural wind started blowing from inland out towards the sea. Suddenly none of the ships could navigate their ship through the narrow fjord, which led towards the city, without the help of Kieb’s rowing fishing ships.

Kieb started enjoying a period of peace, which attracted more merchants, who had plans other than to simply base in Kieb. A merchant woman named Kraya brought a regiment of 200 guards with her amd seized control over Kieb. She was the first madam of Kieb and under her, Kieb prospered. She began by developing the ship building industry. She used her wealth and power to attract various artisan craftsmen and gave them plenty of time and money. They used the timber from the Red Forest and within a few years began building the best ships, even rivalling the exShard flotillas from Sturm. Kraya continued importing artisans of various trades, until Kieb was the second most developed town on coast of the Inner Sea.

Economy

The majority of food is brought by merchants or fished from the sea. The climate is too cold amd the wind too strong for any plants besides grass to grow. The wind is also the reason why Kiebians have been unsuccessful in replenishing the disappearing Red Forest. The concern for lumber had been increasing over the years, but as long as the trip to the Red Forest takes under a day, the Madam had decreed that it is not a vital concern. The main exports of Kieb are ‘’’ships, salted fish, clothes, furniture.’’’

Kieb also offers various services, such as ‘’’highly trained warriors, painters, jewelers, carpenters, night ladies.’’’ Kieb had stopped accepting Steelshards as currency after it had gathered enough to fuel the four statues for a month and still had two caches worth in reserve. It regularly melts down various coins and prints their own money, as it tries to establish itself as a dominant town in Stakhlian.

Politics

Ever since the coup, that Kraya organized, Kieb had been ruled by a line of successful (often women) warriors and merchants. There is no vote, no parliament, the rule is absolute. When the current ruler is deemed weak by its people, the city calls for a leadership challenge. The current leader must appear in the Arena the next day and kill or disable all their challengers by wit or sheer strength. The winner enjoys a year of immunity until he or she may get challenged again.

Throughtout Kieb’s history, rulers have had a varying impression om the city. Below are the rulers and their accomplishments:

• Kraya, ruled for 42 years, built the shipyard and docks, Madam’s mansion, decreed all houses needed a slanted roof
• Uxor, ruled for 3 years, built the Arena, where he was killed at the ceremony
• Therin, ruled for 6 days
• Yin, ruled for 27 years, built the merchant fleet, the twin walls to protect the docks from invaders, filled the first caches of Steelshards
• Sodir, ruled for 10 years, improved the exShard strength,p by 50%, but quadroupled the power they require
• Mea, ruled for 15 years, started sending out trained Redders to fight the Veil
• Boon, ruled for 32 years, introduced the Night Ladies, who he used to influence all od the people, when they turned on him
• Godt, ruled for 9 years, improved the warrior training and introduced the elite guard
• Selenis, ruled for 5 years, drowned at sea
• Finea, ruled for 18 years, built the twin towers at the other side, cleared the area to make a killing field
• Dom, ruled for 27 years, created the painting and jewelers guildand improved the city’s look
• Anna, current ruler for 9 years, built the wall, introduced the marriage contract, created the statues and put the ExShards in them

Granting freedom to Tearers

Officially, Kieb was a part of Stakhlian and was thus ruled by the Ko. And it was the right of the Ko to grant two, three, four Tearers freedom and no one else's. So when Kieb started liberating slaves under Anna, who wanted to bolster her city by adding fine individuals down on their luck, it didn't sit right with the Ko. He sent a delegation of diplomats and tearers, and when the diplomats came back without their slaves, he knew that Anna wouldn't relent. But monarchy in Kieb is fleeting and Stakhlian's coffers could always do with bolstering, so the Ko sold the right to Anna for the sum of twenty galleys and 5000 gold, which Anna paid. The right to granting freedom passes when Anna is no longer queen/Madam of Kieb.

Vandalism

File:KiebSymbol.png

The symbol painted all over Kieb.

The Right to Live Free

Since Ismon developed the powerful exShard artifacts to ward the Veil away, Kieb has attracted fighters to it's town. After Kraya took control more and more fighters stream into Kieb and control was difficult to keep. That's why Kraya instituted an honor system that would both keep her fighters in check and keep them on the top of their game. So the Right to Live Free was created and at its essence meant that you had to fight or fend of attackers or you would become a slave. Suddenly, when an attacker could lose his freedom if he failed, aggression fell to a manageable level. Rights are won in honor battles.

Since then the right has extended past the borders of Kieb, where it is loosely enforced.

Rules for the right:

• Each man or woman with an intact Right had a unique tassel gifted to them at birth and needed to be displayed at all times. Failure to display can cause a fine or jail time
• Fights can be done for pleasure or to gain anothers Right, but it needed to be stated before the combat began
• Should a challenger or defender win anothers Right, he would need to display it somewhere on their person. Failure to do so results in jail time
• If someone that has multiple Rights loses in an honor fight, he loses all the Rights, including his own
• The winner of the honor fight may decide what to do with the won Right
  • Keep it for himself and take the loser as a slave. The slave regains his Right after 5 years. If the winner has lost that man's or woman's Right, he or she must hand over one of their own
  • Sell it back to the loser
  • Give it back under a specific condition to which the loser must agree to
  • Destroy it and thus destroy that man's or woman's Right.
• A person without a Right is lower than dirt and may be ridiculed, flogged, killed by anyone who has a Right
• A person who becomes indentured, but flees is killed on sight and exiled from the city forever

Places in Kieb

The buildings in Kieb changed dramatically as the fishing village evolved to the town or artisans it is today. The first thing to change is the construction, going from wooden to stone. The buildings have the same color of the facade (a light orange) and have a slanted roof to withstand the near-constant wind that Kieb experiences daily. Due to the slanted roof, a large portion of the opposite wall is exposed, so each building is adorned with a different fresco.

The frescoes are usually scenes from the Book of Light. The frescoes are constantly renewed as the home owners try to keep it immaculate, despite any storms. Since the wind always blows the other direction, the frescoes are mainly ok.

Sparks

Sparks are lines that are fluorescent and connect various places.

• The yellow line leads to the docks and taverns. See, our sailors, they are a rowdy bunch and I should know, I’m one of them, Burt’s the name, in case you were wondering. The only thing to calm our unsteady legs is the warm smell of keh, brewing in cellars, so the yellow line brings us right to them.
• The blue line connects the workshops to the main square. Kieb’s been done properly, if you don’t my saying, and we made sure our industry is separate from where we live.
• White line, which can be found on Night street, where our magnificent ladies work.
• red line. Connects the gladiators to their homes.”

Gladiators' homes

Their homes were large and intimidating, just as the gladiators probably were. Amaris had never seen a gladiator, because tearers were supposed to mind their own business and do what they’re told. There were five homes in total and if Amaris didn’t mind the axes and swords and arrows stuck to the side of them, she would definitely mind the color. Blood red walls, blood red doors and even red-tinted windows. Even the five mural didn’t offset the grizzly appearance of the homes, but rather added to them. They seemed to be scenes of the same battle, but each presented another way to kill a man. Amaris looked away and said a quick prayer to the Creator. She’s seen her fill of battles and bodies and truth to the Creator, she has had enough.

Brothels

The brothels were introduced when ruler Boon introduced the trade and used them to gather information. Nothing was off the table (of what can be done to the Night Ladies) and after a while they rioted and killed the ruler Boon. The Redder Godt, their champion, took up the mantle and introduced proper legislation that had:

• grouped all Brothels on Night Street
• Assigned at least one Redder to stand guard at all times
• Each Brothel may decide itself what it offers

Since then, the night business became stable and prospered. Kieb's brothels were known far and wide for their intricate exShard displays that would depict everything the brothel had to offer. The profession was respected and sought for, but only a handful of ladies ever made it through. Special brothels were made to cater to Redders - the night ladies themselves were Redders and special arena-type rooms were set up, which were impervious to destruction.

An incomplete list of brothels:

• The Domitrix - no Redders allowed, but pain was not off the table
• The Yearning Captain - passion and indulgence was its motto
• The Proud Member - caters to men only, it's know for doing its job quickly
• The gentle hand - caters to women mostly, it employs various soft and gentle toys to excite the senses
• The insatiable Establishment - staying less than half the day is not an option
• The Brixi - a white house with an elaborate mural on its side, displayed a seemingly normal scene of men and women dancing, until the lights changed and the shadows danced

Tailor’s end

Tailor's end is the establishment owned by Aresh Longbow and offers items exclusively to women. Aresh would focus on beauty, rather than utility, so sometimes his accessories were difficult to walk in, but none doubted their beauty. Aresh also specialized in armor adornment and made all of Anna's armor. His clothes focused more on tight and exposed items, but always to a tasteful degree that left the imagination to figure out the rest.

The building had a small storefront, with two fitting rooms at the back. The office was behind the counter and Aresh lived in a small attic above the shop.

Spook’s shack

Spook's shack was a synonym for dilapidation. The shack had numerous holes in its walls, roofs. The doors nearly fell down with a single look. Inside, Spook had shelves running the entire wall and various herbs stood atop them. The place was always dirty and a dirty mattress designated where Spook spent his nights.

Omnis's hideout

Omnis had his hideout beneath the shack. Where the shack was dirty, decrepit, derelict and dilapidated, the hideout was pristine. Omnis kept his sanctuary immaculately cleaned, all his belongings carefully stored away for safety, comfort.

Anna’s mansion

The only building, besides the Arena, made from obsidian rock, it was one of the last things Kraya built before she lost her power. The Mansion has a central garden, which opens up to the street and has many rooms around. The main hall is located on the roof, where giant marble pillars support the roof. Curtains may be drawn and block the sunlight/moonlight. The windward side is protected with a wall that block most of the breeze.

The Arena

half hidden under the obsidian cliff, it can support a crowd of thousands. In it, gladiators battle not only for glory, but to charge the SteelShards that are locked on the top row of the arena. The outer edge of the arena is home to four statues: the maiden, the warrior, the sage and the crone, each distinct. They are exShards that emanate a powerful Red Aura and drive the veil away. When the statues are operating, you can see their faces.

• Maiden - a woman carrying a laurel wreath, her hands clasped in front of her.
• Builder - a man holding a hammer and a chisel. Destroyed first
• Sage - an older man, dressed in a robe, staff in one hand and book in another. Destroyed 3rd
• Warrior - a man clad in armor, weapon and sword in hand. Destroyed 2nd

Previous description

Kieb is a small town that was known for its sturdy ships. It got its fame when an unknown inventor created the pinnacle of ExShards - the four protectors. These emanate an Aura far into the distance, pushing back the fog. Since then, Redders flocked to Kieb to charge the Steelshards powering the massive ExShards perched atop Kieb’s obsidian arena. The Steelshard lockboxes next to the statues are protected with Kieb’s elite guard, who answer only to the current ruler and no one else. The elite guard never exceeds 20 members and is made out of successful gladiators or extremely talented and proven individuals.

Since then the town has gone into a golden period and a Kiebian tradition of honor has developed. The town is full of artisans of a vast variety and full of Redders, competing in the monthly games. Victors are not awarded with money, but rather an all-inclusive stay in the city for the next 3 months. More importantly, they are honored and celebrated throughout the city and enjoy a near godlike status. The losers are sent to outlying villages to help protect against the Veil and are permitted back when they’ve been there for at least a year.