Monkau

Monkau (/mʌŋk/ /ˌəʊ/ [Translation Unavailable]) is a subtropical Large City located in Lightland Dutchy, Baldockia Margrave, within the Sylvanian Empire.

The name Monkau is derived from the Sylvin language, as Monkau was founded by Sheryl Manning, who was culturaly Sylvin.

Climate

Monkau 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 9°C (48°F). Monkau receives an average of 159 cm/y (62 in/y) of precipitation, most of which comes in the form of rain during the fall. Monkau covers an area of nearly 276 km² (110 mi²), and an average elevation of 3196 m (10485 ft) above sea level.

Overview

Monkau was founded durring the early 14th century in fall of the year 1306, by Sheryl Manning. The establishment of Monkau was somewhat plagued by a lack of willing colonists, leading to Sheryl Manning electing to pay people to resettle in Monkau.

Monkau was built using the conventions of Sylvin durring the early 14th century. Naturaly, all settlmentss have their own look to them, and Monkau is no diffrent. The city's buildings feature delicute timber framework hidden behind layer upon layer of finly ground plaster bleached to an almost glossy white sheen, with green clay tiled roofs and decorative brass-leafed trim. Even the smallest, poorest looking structures appear to be expencive thanks to the extreem elegence of the organic shapes and paterns going into their lofty, spire-y, vagly gothic designs. The more well off folks live in identicle homes, save for even shiner trim and a more whimsical appearance to their structures flowing forms.

Monkau is buildings are arranged arround a network of broad cobblestone streets which form a grid, where each square verries in size given the proximity of the paralell streets forming each section. The ocasional smaller square has been used to construct a park, plaza, and other communal structures. The city resides behind a palisade wall complete with battlments, a moat, and timber gatehouses with drawbridges. The robustly designed timber walls has suffered a visible ammount of structural damage, leaving them effectivly useless. One can't help but wonder why the has not yet effected repairs.

Before you’ve even set foot into the heart of Monkau, you can smell it. The incense. It hangs about the town like a cloud. Monks, priests, and clerics are everywhere, all dedicated to the same god, all preforming the same rituals to bless and anoint building,s streets, people, animals, you name it they are or have blessed it. The same holysymbols is everywhere too. Its on buildings, on people, and even branded into livestock. This city certainly loves its god.

Civic Infrastructure

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

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

Monkau 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 Monkau. They are also responsible for the maintenance of these features. Notably, the OCG is not responsible for Monkau's parks.

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

Monkau 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.

Monkau 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.

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

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

Monkau 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.

Monkau 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.

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

Monkau has an Arts Academy which provides higher education in many fields including math, language arts, philosophy, engineering, and other such disciplines.

Monkau 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. Monkau's grid is powered by mana accumulators.

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

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

Monkau 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.

Monkau 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 Monkau's natural decorations nor waterways.

Monkau 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.

Monkau 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.

Monkau 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.

Monkau 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

Monkau's town hall was built using a different architectural style from the rest of the town. The style used has a sleek, linear appearance with stylized, often geometric ornamentation. The primary facade of its buildings often featured a series of set backs that create a stepped outline. Low-relief decorative panels can be found at entrances, around windows, along roof edges or as string courses. It was best known for its use of smooth finish building materials such as stucco, concrete block, glazed brick or mosaic tile. Decorative details can incorporate various artistic or exotic motifs to suit the building's function or the architect's whim. Chevrons, zigzags, and other geometrical motifs are common forms of ornament.

In Monkau all of the cats speak in a dead language.

The Fly, Giant near Monkau are known to be almost tame, such that they can be put to domestic use.

Monkau's citizens partake in a curious ritual relating to their local kami. It takes place in winter and involves square dance to channel Abjuration energies of tier 3 via throat chanting.

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.

Monkau Census Data: Year 2000

24356 of Monkau's population work within a Foundational Occupation.

• 1311 work in Agriculture
• 5425 work as Craftsmen
• 1978 work as Merchants
• 3664 work as Service Workers
• 2528 work as General Laborers
• 993 work as Skilled Laborers
• 3572 work as Civil Servants
• 2187 work in Cottage Industries
• 1380 work as Artists
• 1318 work in Produce Industries

35008 of Monkau's population do not work in a formal occupation, but do contribute to the local economy. 5162 (8%) are noncontributers.

Points of Interest

Monkau makes use of canals for some of its streets. Locals often fish in the canals.

POI

History

Monkau is in secret rebellion against their ostensible liege, having cut deals with his enemies, plotted to betray him for their own gain, or bridled under his tyranny and sought a better lord. The community’s leadership is all in on this plot, and outside viceroys or representatives are being kept carefully ignorant of the reality. The common folk may be oblivious to the truth, though they’ll doubtless have felt the same motivations and promptings that convinced their leaders to turn traitor.

In time immemorial, reportedly some time during the late 2nd century, Monkau was attacked by soldiers from another nation, waging a greater campaign. The details of the conflict are hazy at best due to many conflicting accounts. What is known is Monkau lost 158 people, 134 livestock, and 42 buildings. The conflict ended after roughly 84, when members of Monkau's militia enacted an operation to gain control of a particular strategic location. The operation was complicated by an outbreak of plague which struck the ranks, killing many and laying low many more. The conflict ended with pitched battle between both forces, which ended in defeat for Monkau's forces. The war is remembered in legend by Monkau's bards, historians, and legend keepers.

History