Giask (Region)
Giask is the largest city and capital of Luria Ferrata and the wider Lurian Empire.
Districts
| District Number | District Name | District Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Inner City | The Inner City, naturally, is the spotlight for much of Giask. It is where architectural feats are performed, including grand cathedrals, huge towers, endless housing complexes and many fine institutes such as the renowned Phoenix and Swan Theatre. There truly are no beggars here, though investors and swindlers are always present. A notable investor is Izabela Franković, a lesser noble who spends much of her time in the Phoenix and Swan Theatre. |
| 2 | The Grand Harbour | The Grand Harbour houses ships of all kinds, from small fishing boats and transport, all the way to vessels owned by nobles and warehouses for all these goods. While it may not be convenient, not all of Giask’s warehouses are here, being spread out mostly between here and the southern side. |
| 3 | The Golden Palace | The Golden Palace, without doubt, is one of the finest spots in all of Dwilight. True to its name, there is gold plating on some external fixtures of the palace, including around windows and on its grand roof. It is the largest building in the city and is position high enough for almost all to see. |
| 4 | Sleeper’s Reach | Sleeper’s Reach is a comfortable district of Giask, ‘reaching’ out to the southernmost point of the city on the path leading towards Outer Giask. While many cottages and family farms sit here, it has never been enough to become a source of income for the city, though has always been a hotspot for retirement. These minor villages lead until the town of town south begins. |
| 5 | Hero’s Rest | Hero’s Rest holds a temple where many heroes of Giask’s history has been laid to death. It was around this temple that widowed families began to build and live around, so that they may be closer to their loved ones, until one day the small regions around the burial site flourished and it became just as much a district of the city as any other part. |
| 6 | The External Market | The External Market is often used for traders coming from Outer Giask, Grodno and Cadier. It makes a useful spot for exchanging foodstuff, trinkets and all manner of things without entering the city walls. It is also said to house a number of brothels and fighters’ rings. |
| 7 | North Gate | The Gate Districts house most of the barracks of the city, other than those around the palace and the Inner City. They have warehouses and usually see much traffic on the roads in and out of the city from all its gates. |
| 8 | East Gate | The Gate Districts house most of the barracks of the city, other than those around the palace and the Inner City. They have warehouses and usually see much traffic on the roads in and out of the city from all its gates. |
| 9 | The Crafting Quarter | The Crafting Quarter houses blacksmiths, weaponsmiths and most other craftsmen. The smith Jean-Guy Flandin has been known to take on numerous requests from nobles, though faces competition (or other times assistance) from his rival Sokhatai. In addition to these more practical workers, there are jewellers, tailors, leatherworkers and all manners of craftsmen. |
| 10 | The Commoner Housing | The Commoner Housing of Giask is, as one might expect, be a glorified slum, rife with celebrations of the poor working men and women of the city. Incredibly proud and never backing down from voicing their thoughts, the proud people are happy with what they have. Their maisonette housing blocks are more than enough for them, coloured in off-whites, dirty blues and faded pinks. They regularly hold celebrations from within this quarter, coming together as one. |
| 11 | The Guildhouse District | The Guildhouse District holds all manners of guildhouses in the district, from merchant castes, sailors, bankers all the way to the likes of the Royal Rangers and Great Halls of Luria. In addition to these, there are some residential buildings and a good number of taverns. |
| 12 | The Shipyard | The Shipyard is a region of the city with a love of all things that float on the Euschean. While much of the area is dedicated solely to shipyards, fishermen and salvagers are at home. |
| 13 | The Religious Quarter | The Religious Quarter houses a great number of temples, even if the largest is in the Inner City. All kinds of pagans set up their shrines or dedicate their lives to some kinds of virtue in this area, seeing it as an area of tranquility and peace. For those unable to afford the services of the Houses of healing, the Religious Quarter provides sanctuary for all. |
| 14 | The Palazzo District | The Palazzo District houses a great many lesser nobles, second homes and other family homes (past and present) of nobility. It is an often-expanding region, even if many homes are still vacant. Beyond the occasional fine merchant building or tavern, it is almost exclusively a residential quarter - and no doubt one of, if not the, finest in the entire city. |
| 15 | Gate District | The Gate Districts house most of the barracks of the city, other than those around the palace and the Inner City. They have warehouses and usually see much traffic on the roads in and out of the city from all its gates. |
| 16 | The Medici Estate | The Medici Estate has traditionally been a small area belonging to the House of Medici. Under the reign of Emperor Alessio I, it has slightly expanded from the small merchant quarter that it used to be, now housing many of its workers. It is still, however, a small part of the city, and after having housed an Emperor, is likely to hold its size for at least a few years to come. While it does not come close to the comfort of the Palazzo District, aside from the immediate surroundings of the Palazzo Medici, it is still comfortable to live in for the commoners and lesser nobles alike. |
| 17 | The University District | The University District is the beacon of learning in the city, full of libraries, academies, schools and other havens of education. Most notably is the Queen Arundel Academy, remembering the Ice Queen in their efforts to preserve and maintain history. The Academy is headed by Valente Vitela, a renowned academic of the city. |
| 18 | The Gardens | The Gardens span a comfortable distance in Giask, offering exotic and local plants alike to the natives. While the former tend to be well-contained, the latter sprawl on, almost beginning to feel like a rural region. The Gardens also house the tournament grounds, though some buildings for which are built only for the duration of the tournaments, being taken apart after. |
| 19 | The Houses of Healing | The Houses of Healing are the collective hospitals and temples offering healing aid for a price. They take care of all those sick with diseases, as well as wounded soldiers. A notable healer is Luciana Corbello, who grew up tending to her brothers coming home from battles with beasts. It led her to open a hospital exclusively for soldiers, specialising in wounds they are accustomed to. |
| 20 | The Menagerie | The Menagerie is a region of the city that has taken to capturing animals, either for food, export or for the zoo. In order to expand on local arts, it was seen necessary that the people look to animals to find their nature. From Grodnoan elephants and tigers, to large emus and old turtles, it has become quite the collection. |
Culture
The people of Giask themselves are a hivemind of their own and not exclusively those in the Common Housing District of the city. They have a long history of openly opposing rulers they do not like, no doubt coming off as loud and proud men and women, ultimately proud of their realm. For years, they have been members of a Lurian realm, traditionally being at home in its capital. Additionally, they have a number of interesting traditions.
When a baby is born, family will often put gold on and around the newborn, though ideally in his hands, as a sign of good fortune and wealth. As they grow up and reach an age of maturity, they will cook a meal for their family and friends, though occasionally even be part of a feast for their local community. It can be a more local dish, such as a stew, a herb or fruit tart, or so on. For the more ambitious, and wealthy, men and women, Cappelletti alla Cortigiana is a good go-to dish. In it is pork belly, half a capon breast, cheese, eggs, spices, some ginger, pepper and salt, enclosed in chestnut-sized edible cases, such as pasta or occasionally some fruit or vegetable skin. Of course, they can make something more local like the former, or go for a foreign dish. It was traditionally carried out as a sign of compassion and decisiveness, traits important for any living in the Great Jewel of Dwilight.
In adulthood, they no doubt need to dress the part. Especially in the poorer areas, nearly everyone wears hats outside, be it a bonnet, wig, lenza (a leather cord worn around the head to keep the hair flat), false braids, to name a few for the women. For outfits, there is always such diversity - from v-neck gowns, pleated skirts - anything to make the body look ‘full’. The wealthier women would wear several layers of clothing to look extravagant and simply over the top. For the poorer women, they would often try but fail. A linen dress or belted tunic was plenty, and certainly far more practical.
For the men, anything like a cap or a beret would work well. Both extended well beyond into both classes, with materials and styles varying greatly. Where a poorer woman may have a clearly fake wig, one of the wealthier citizens would no doubt have something either realistic enough, or a truly authentic fashion accessory, much larger than hair should be, perhaps even an unusual colour. With this, the men are often seen wearing large waistcoats and pleated overcoats with puffy sleeves. Numerous accessories were made to cater to men thanks to the Merchant’s Guild wishing to sell them the sense of self-image in fashion. Such accessories often include bags, gloves, jewellery, hairnets and, of course, hats.
For both men and women, masquerade masks were very popular for those of all income. While the poorer men and women would have cheap and simple masks, the nobility would have all manner of intricate designs.
With each year that they age, they would spend their birthday exchanging gifts with their friends and family. Not only do they receive gifts, but they also give them to those who have made their year and life more worthwhile. Often they would give old gifts or possessions they no longer have much use for on their birthday, receiving new things in return. It is also around this time that men and women would bless their homes with religious texts, and while this stemmed from local pagan faiths, the locals do include it major religions as a sign of humbleness and intelligence.
Come the day of marriage, each partner would paint half of their face into a pattern similar to a masquerade mask, each painting a different side of their face. Those in attendance would also wear the colours of both sides of the family at these weddings, only adding to the extravagant fashion sense of Giask. While this tradition did not have its roots in standing out, it was traditionally done to ensure a happy life for the new couple, bringing both families together.
After marrying, many wealthier men take on mistresses in addition to their wife. While not equal to the wife, they carry out many household duties, often ensuring the wife a more comfortable life with less work and a great many friends. Members of the lesser noble caste would often try and become a mistress for an older man, hoping to learn the skills and intrigue appropriate for a good wife.
As life nears its end for the inhabitants of Giask, they spend their time between their closest friends and strangers. A period of charity is often carried out, giving to their loved ones what they hold dear, before seeing unknown others benefit from their charity. Upon their passing, their face would be painted again, though instead of just half as in the case of weddings, their entire face is painted. Usually, the design is intimidating, perhaps a creature such as a dragon or chimaera or wolf, in aim to break the bond that the spirit may still have with this world. For those deemed ‘innocent’, such as children and those victim to tragedies such as murder and suicide, they would often have a smile painted on with this design. On the rare occasion, the painter would forego the large design, painting on just the smile.
Notable Citizens
There are a number of notable individuals in Giask who are not members of the higher level of nobility.
Most notable, of course, is the investor Izabela Franković, proprietor of the Phoenix and Swan Theatre. In recent years, she has been making efforts to expand her businesses beyond just Giask and into the rest of Dwilight, though has settled in running a number of taverns, bordellos and theatres, though none rival the Phoenix and Swan. She enjoys her middle ages as a role model to her female workers, enjoying stories of nobles passing through. She offers free drinks and treatments in exchange for hearing stories of the outside world, and for potential business leads. A life of conflict between wishing to adventure and her business ambitions led her to choose the latter, though she will always hold love for the road outside, even if she has never walked it.
The weaponsmith Sokhatai has always been in competition with her neighbour across the cobblestone, Jean-Guy Flandin, who prefers armoursmithing. While both can and do competently work together, they ultimately dedicate their stores and workshops to their favoured path. They both, however, have very different stories for how they came to this lifestyle. Sokhatai was an adventurer of sorts, travelling across many islands for great many years, fighting with mercenaries or with armies or sometimes even alone. She grew fond of the power of the weapon and it was only when she saw that one of the blades she owned was used in an assassination of the captain of a unit, eventually leading to her home village being invaded and unable to defend itself. While the fires of that night still scorch her mind as she looks into the embers of the forge, it is a reminder of what she works for and why she is a master of her craft. Jean-Guy, on the other hand, was an apprentice blacksmith in Vatrona, Beluaterra. He moved after the opportunity came to be useful in his craft, and as the years passed, he eventually grew past his amateurish mistakes, also becoming a veteran of the craft.
Valente Vitela spends much of his time lecturing in the academy as a jack-of-all trades. While he is not nearly an expert level trainer in any field, he is always eager to teach the basics of any field, as well as some more advanced classes in bureaucracy or oratory. If not here, he spends his time in the nearby library, seldom leaving the University District.
The artist Junia Cervius is also a notable figure in Giask, with a history of engaging in a great number of artistic feats. She was one of the pioneers of the facepainting at weddings and marriages, always eager to do more, as well as encouraging nobles to have more extravagant homes. She painted the Medici throne room with a great number of artworks on the walls, as well as a large tapestry of sorts on the ceiling. Now, in her later years, she seeks an apprentice to pass on her trade to, before she herself is given a painted face.
The healer Luciana Corbello is a known friend of Junia and the two have worked together on a number of funerals. The two often spend a night together each week at a tavern in the city, catching up on gossip and inquiring into the other’s time spent, before the two part ways and head home. Luciana herself is a welcome face for many of the army veterans of the city, many knowing her face fondly from the times a noble had dropped them off here.
The architecture of the city is torn between the palazzo-style manors and the attached, stacked housing throughout the city. In addition to these newer buildings, there are many structures serving as relics to Giask’s past,including styles from Vesperi, Pain en Luries, Fissoan and even old Giaskian. The city is also lined with a grand amount of aqueducts, serving as a remind of the great architectural developments of the Jewel of Dwilight.
The Keepers of Lore have also amassed some old stories here.
