The Northlands are known as a territory of conflict and struggle, yet Cittapashe arguably the gateway to the region, has remained unconquered throughout recorded history. This port town has been built upon a series of small, closely-situated islands along the coast. The people who first settled in this area embraced the geography rather than fight against it, and the result is a thriving, picturesque harbor town.
The twin islands furthest out to sea mark the entrance to Cittapashe’s harbour. Each one has a lighthouse to guide ships into the ria, and the families who tend them can think of no higher calling. Buildings are primarily stone, and at high tide the water laps against the doors. Even in this more exposed location, the sea is calm. Residents say this is because the Storm Lord, a local god, loves his brother, the Ocean Lord, too much to stray from his side in the deeper, more tumultuous waters further offshore.
Most people who travel through Cittapashe do so by barge, and one is always freely available. Egjorans have always been suspicious of this practice, firm in the belief that anything worth having must cost something, but they get over it quickly enough. The town is too peaceful, its people too kind, for anyone to hold ill-will towards anyone else the moment they’re inside Cittapashe’s borders. A popular town for merchants, people can always agree upon a price with minimal haggling, and never any bickering. All races are welcome, and live harmoniously, side-by-side.
In winter, Cittapashe is transformed as the calm waters freeze. Barges are put away until the thaw, and people walk the natural canals as if they were streets. There is a grand festival annually to mark the New Year, filled with ice skating and merry-making. This is a popular time of year for leaders of various cities, towns, and even small villages, to come together in the spirit of harmony and negotiate thorny diplomatic problems. Miraculously, they always come to an agreement, though such treaties are often short-lived.
It’s something of a mystery, the way known enemies can come to Cittapashe and quickly turn to friendship. Those on the outside have also wondered why the town- which lacks walls, an army, or any form of defence- remains so independent and without threat. Revaliir’s history contains a number of conflicts, but Cittapashe has always gone untouched.
Legend has it that the first inhabitants of the ria and its islands were refugees of a great war. They were tired of fighting, and the ancient island spirits heard their plea. They saw a people who would live amicably, in cooperation with each other and with the land itself. The spirits helped them build their new home, and promised to protect them from conflict so long as they protected the earth and water that gave the spirits life. Outside Cittapashe, many see this as just a story. Those who are willing to assign it some truth think that the spirits intermarried with the new settlers, and live on in the local residents today. Those who call Cittapashe home, however, are certain that the spirits of old are as alive now as they were at the town’s founding, and hold fast with the old agreement.
May the peace be eternal.
