Blackion

Blackion (/blæk/ /ˈaɪən/ [Translation Unavailable]) is a subtropical Large City located in Whitekeep Dutchy, Monorford County, within the Sylvanian Empire.

The name Blackion is derived from the Sylvin language, as Blackion was founded by Zêlëi Bacon Akroyd, who was culturaly Sylvin.

Climate

Blackion has a yearly average temperature of 18°C (64°F), with its average temperature during the summer being a warm 27°C (80°F) and its average temperature during the winter being a cold 10°C (50°F). Blackion receives an average of 140 cm/y (55 in/y) of precipitation, most of which comes in the form of rain during the spring. Blackion covers an area of nearly 277 km² (110 mi²), and an average elevation of 4262 m (13982 ft) above sea level.

Overview

Blackion was founded durring the late 12th century in summer of the year 1062, by Zêlëi Bacon Akroyd. The establishment of Blackion was plagued by a lack of willing colonists. After attempts to pay people to resettle failed Zêlëi Bacon Akroyd struck deals with nearby nations and communities to establish Blackion as a prison colony.

Blackion was built using the conventions of Sylvin durring the late 12th century. Naturaly, all settlmentss have their own look to them, and Blackion is no diffrent. The city's buildings feature plaster covered brickwork used to form structures with an emphasis on symmetry, proportion, geometry and the regularity of parts. Orderly arrangements of columns, pilasters and lintels, as well as the use of semicircular arches, hemispherical domes, niches and aediculae can be found everywhere such that only size of building and yard can be used to measure the general prosparity of a given building's owners due to a general wealthy feeling the style gives off.

Blackion is buildings are arranged arround a single crampt baked earthen mainstreet with many smaller streets branching off of it which gives the city a over all rectangular shape, albit one warped and twisted by the nature of the curves of the main road. The city rests behind the absurdity that is a thick, timber braced, wall made of clay bricks. While visualy impressive and certainly an astetic, Blackion's wall provides no actual defence against siege equipment due to the choice of its cosntruction materials. Even nonexperts can tell the town is trying to impress rather than defend with its walls, towers, and gatehouses. Though admittedly, they do look nice... To primitive tribals who have never seen fortifications before. Blackion's political statment focused walls are suffering from significent damage, so much so that examples can be pointed to no matter which section one might have within their line of site, and most of which render sections inoperable at present.

A look around Blackion gives you a feeling of distrust and paranoia. Also greed. The locals seem to be very much into scholastic pursuits, based on the hushed, murmured conversations you hear at least. Everyone in Blackion acts like they have discovered something wondrous, and are worried they will endure some horrible fate so another can take what they’ve discovered for themselves.

Civic Infrastructure

Blackion possesses a Aethary Link for its accademic, government, and financial institutions. Public Aethary access is available through one or more of these intitutions.

Blackion has an animal control department which works to enforce local ordinances relating to the control, impoundment, and disposition of animals.

Blackion has an Office of Civil Groundskeeping, which works to enforce local ordinances relating to the construction and upkeep up of all plant life, water features, and other natural decorations within Blackion. They are also responsible for the maintenance of these features. Notably, the OCG is not responsible for Blackion's parks.

Blackion has an Office of Civil Vicary, which is responsible for providing a livelyhood for all officialy recognised religious figures within Blackion.

Blackion has a government-funded child care program, overseen by the local Department of Nursemaids, which is responsible for providing childcare to working-class citizens according to local ordinances.

Blackion has a Gravedigger's Guild, which is responsible for collecting the dead and laying them to rest according to all applicable laws and religious customs.

Blackion has a Guild of Nurses, which is tasked with caring for the elderly and infirm in accordance with local ordinances, religious values, and customs.

Blackion has a Department of Firefighters, which is responsible for organizing fire fighting efforts during a fire and enforcing local ordinances relating to fire safety.

Blackion has a Highwayman's Guild, which is tasked with maintaining the roads and highways leading into town as well as keeping them safe for travelers.

Blackion has a Hall of Slayers, which is tasked with maintaining the roads and highways leading into town as well as keeping them safe for travelers.

Blackion has a monistary of an order of Civil Monks, who provide divine-related services to the general public and maintain Blackion's public wards, blessings, and other arcane systems.

Blackion has an Arcane Academy which provides higher education in the arcane sciences.

Blackion possesses a Galvanic Power Grid, which brings galvanic current to most if not all buildings in town, and permits a great many consumer goods to function within the Large City. Blackion's grid is powered by a god's will and kindness.

Blackion's old civil lighting system was converted to Galvanic Lamps recently, and expanded to provide nighttime illumination to all city streets.

Blackion has a first rate hospital which caters to anyone in need of long term medical care.

Blackion has a library, which keeps a large collection of books, scrolls, and archives all manner of physical items. While not open to the public, the librarians and scholars employed by the library will assist anyone with their research needs, and wealthy individuals can purchase membership to access the library's materials themselves. In spite of being generally closed to the public, the library has a room with several Aether Linked devices available to the public during business hours.

Blackion has a Parks and Recreation Department, which is responsible for the construction, management, and usage rights for all of its parks and parklands. They are not to be confused with the Office of Civil Groundskeeping as they do not hold authority over nor responsibility for Blackion's natural decorations nor waterways.

Blackion has a Guild of Roadworkers, who are responsible for maintaining the roadways and public paths within town. They also have the duty of enforcing all civil laws relating to the roadways.

Blackion has a public schooling program overseen by the Hall of Sages who has the responsibility of ensuring access to affordable high-quality education in all basic classes (Reading, Writing, Mathmatics, General Sciences, General Arcana, and Social Education) is made available to all citizens.

Blackion has a public septic system, which allows its citizens to have indoor bathrooms. The septic system is overseen by the League of Sewerkeepers, who posses the legal authority to enforce all laws relating to the septic system, and are also tasked with its maintenance and upkeep.

Blackion is home to a University which provides higher education in a variety of fields, and also serves as a research institute for those same fields.

Cultural Notes

Blackion's town hall was built using a different architectural style from the rest of the town. The style used is known for its fluid and florid elaborate style, comprising ornate, asymmetric designs and pastel shades. It is often considered to be a playful, light style, which made exuberant use of curves and emphasized subtle asymmetry in the general shape of its structures. Walls, ceilings and moldings are decorated with numerous interlacing of curves and counter-curves based on the shapes of ‘C’ and ‘S’, along with shell forms and other naturalistic shapes.

In Blackion leaves and flower petals never touch the ground.

The Soulsliver near Blackion are known to be a mutant strain of the creature.

Blackion's citizens partake in a curious ritual relating to their local kami. It takes place in summer and involves line dance to channel Chronomancy energies of tier 1 via singing.

Economy

The following information was obtained via the Imperial Census Bureau as part of the Eyom Economic Outreach Program. It differs from Standard Imperial censuses in that many of Tom's citizens, regardless of culture, work in more than one occupation or hold more than a single job. The Imperial Census Bureau has ruled that a job is a job, hence, the intigers within the data presented here can count an individual more than once.

Blackion Census Data: Year 2000

24835 of Blackion's population work within a Foundational Occupation.

• 1420 work in Agriculture
• 5624 work as Craftsmen
• 2015 work as Merchants
• 3664 work as Service Workers
• 2553 work as General Laborers
• 1015 work as Skilled Laborers
• 3633 work as Civil Servants
• 2201 work in Cottage Industries
• 1413 work as Artists
• 1297 work in Produce Industries

36871 of Blackion's population do not work in a formal occupation, but do contribute to the local economy. 3938 (6%) are noncontributers.

Points of Interest

Blackion is uncommonly rich, not only for the gentry but for the common citizens as well. They may produce a valuable good, oversee precious resource extraction, have special economic favors from the ruler, or simply have inherited a vast body of infrastructure. Their neighbors likely view them with envy, and outside raiders and exploiters find them an ideal target.

The roads leading into Blackion possess a great number of switchbacks. While designed for defense, they mostly wind up pissing everyone trying to take goods to town right the hell off.

POI

History

In time immemorial, reportedly some time during the early 2nd century the Kami solved a major long term problem plaguing the town. One of Blackion's local festivals commemorates this miracle.

History