Nibenay

The center of traditional Nibenese life is the family. The dynastic merchant houses and the great noble families provide a model for all of Nibenay's people. A person's first obligation is to his family, and only then to himself. In a society where polygamous marital relationships are standard, families can become quite large. A free citizen's family is sometimes so extensive as to be able to completely staff a fairly large business. Traditional Nibenese self-discipline and acceptance of authority begins in the home. The head of a Nibenese household has complete discretion over the property and welfare of family members. Marriages are arranged, and a child's property rights are controlled by his or her parents until marriage occurs. The head of the household may sell children or spouses into slavery in order to raise money or pay off debts. Elderly members of a family are held in high regard and often rule the home. Great emphasis is placed on family traditions, meals and activities. Citizens of Nibenay will virtually never betray their families to outsiders. They may agree to such plans quite courteously, but will never carry them out.

For centuries the ancestral cults of Nibenay's nobility have served to promote social authority continuity, conservatism and order. The free citizens have at various times adopted fashions and postures which emulate the practices of the nobles, but have rarely taken up the ancestral cults for they focus more on family pride than on the trappings of style. The nobles have many rituals and traditions surrounding the veneration of their forebears. They believe that the spirits of their ancestors can intervene on their behalf with the elemental forces that threaten them. Ancestral spirits, they believe, act to protect the hot springs and the fields which have served as the foundation of every noble family's well-being since the earliest days of the empire. Because of this, non-traditional businesses are considered risky, as well as affronts to ancestral spirits. Each noble house maintains a library containing histories of family leaders. Wax death masks of these ancestors are displayed in cases in the library. The masks serve ceremonial functions in the rituals for declaring heirs. They are even occasionally worn at funerals and public games. The veneration of the past even extends to the common greetings used by the nobles. The phrase, "May you be worthy of your ancestors," can often be heard when nobles part.

Elemental cults play important roles in Nibenese society. The earth and water cults, the traditional votive disciplines of the nobility, are always fashionable with city dwellers. The fire and air cults are more popular in the outlying regions of the kingdom where small farms are victimized by the ravages of sun and wind. For the nobility, the elemental cults are inexorably interlocked with ancestral cults. Many of the rituals center around the earth of the fields or the water of the springs. The emphasis is always on ancestors, for the elements are seen as remote and impersonal forces that can only be tamed through the good will of ancestral spirits. The elemental cults of the free citizens are oriented toward mastery of the elements and not appeasement Through the cults, they believe they can harness the power of the elements in order to gain personal benefits. Elemental temples receive many contributions from citizens who require the services of clerics. Nibenay's citizenry gives the elemental cults decidedly pragmatic attention.

The grisly practice of human sacrifice is much less common in Nibenay than in neighboring Gulg, but it does persist in the traditions of the nobility and among the elemental cults of the countryside. More often, the people appease supernatural forces by appealing to ancestral spirits, making monetary contributions to temples, or by seeking help from the Shadow King's templars.

At several times in the city's history, captives, criminals and slaves have been herded into the gates of the Naggaramakam and never seen again. It is believed that the slaves are sacrificed to appease the Shadow King and add power to his magic. These cyclical events are regarded with fear and thankfulness by the populace. They fear the staggering cost in human life necessary to provide the Shadow King with magic to defend the city. On the other hand, they are thankful for the tremendous power which protects them from the savage head hunters of Gulg.

The Elemental Cults

There is actually very little in the way of ritual sacrifices surrounding the elemental cults of Nibenay. In the countryside, a human (or demihuman) is occasionally immolated on biers to appease the wind and sun. While the elemental priests disavow such practices, many citizens believe that the spirits of sacrificial victims can intervene with the elemental forces on behalf of the community. Since many victims are unwilling to offer up their lives, a small bird that been ritualistically imbued with the community's plea is placed alive in the victim's mouth. When the spirit passes through the elemental planes, it is believed that it will open its mouth to curse its killers. Instead of a bitter incrimination, however, the bird will fly from the spirit's mouth to carry the plea of the community to the elements.

The Ancestral Cults

The ancestral cults of the nobles often require a sacrifice of a slave to carry a message to the spirits of a family's forebears. The nobles believe that the spirits of their ancestors can intervene directly on their behalf with the forces of the elements. They will do this, however, only when the traditional family lands or hot springs are endangered.

A slave is also sacrificed by the heir when a house matriarch or patriarch dies. The slave's spirit is expected to carry a promise of sound stewardship on the part of the new house leader to the ancestors. The Dragon's Levy Every year, 1,000 captives and slaves are taken into the salt flats by the king's templars to be offered in service to the Dragon of Tyr. The legends of the region suggest that a time will come when the city will not be able to provide servants to the Dragon. At that time, the springs will boil dry. the fields will turn to dust, the forest will wither and the walls of the city will crumble.

Nibenese humans have round faces, tan skin, and straight black hair. Most free citizens favor brightlycolored loose linen shirts and skirts. They wrap their heads with long scarfs marked with checkerboard patterns called Aramas. Most wear sandals, or heavy boots if they work with large animals. The influx of trade has brought with it a taste for exotic clothing, and people frequently wear imported shoes, jewelry or shirts. This is particularly true in the fashionable merchant districts. Nobles prefer traditional garb of extraordinarily high quality. They often omit the krama, however, or choose headdresses that feature their house patterns. Beyond its practical value, clothing is considered the refuge of people who are ashamed. The highest ranking of the king’s templars often wear no clothing at all, while middle-level officials wear only skirts. Only the lowestranking templars and those serving in the military go around fully dressed. This tradition carries into the noble houses as well. The patriarch or matriarch of a clan often wears little or nothing at all, but this honor does not extend to other members of a noble family.

The famous Dancing Gates of Nibenay greet approaching travelers with hypnotic music that sets the rhythm of their visit and celebrates the city's most popular art form. Day and night, music and movement seem to spill forth from every corner of the city. Virtually all ceremonial gatherings, whether formal or informal, noble or slave, are marked by traditional Nibenese dance. Nibenay's distinctive style of dance is comprised of hundreds of specific stilted postures tied together with passages of stamping feet or flowing arm and waist movements. Each gesture and posture fits within a complex code of signs and signifying gestures. The Nibenese can actually communicate significant amounts of specific information through the metaphors of dance. When words fail them, people of Nibenay often punctuate conversation with gestures from this traditional codex. The very images inscribed on the buildings of the city form a sort of hieroglyphics of Nibenese dance and can be interpreted in detail by the natives. Three all-night dance festivals (one per phase of the year), called Starlight Pageants, provide Nibenay's chief cultural events. On these festive nights, dozens of young apsara (female dancers) come forth from Naggaramakam. On a platform just inside the city walls, in a grove of trees of life, they perform a ballet that lasts until dawn. The ballets come from a standard repertoire of 231 ancient dances, each set of three associated with one particular year in a king's age. The stories derive from folklore – modified, of course, to praise the sorcerer-king. The entire city attends, with the notable exception of Nibenay himself. A ballet follows a specific sequence of movements, augmented by pantomiming actors who comment silently on the story by facial expressions and hand gestures. Some of the actors wear grotesque masks, representing monsters and supernatural forces. While the dancers rest between sections of the ballet, actors entertain the audience with juggling and acrobatics The ballets fall into three major styles. The liakaih represents the dramatic style, a commentary on the tragedy and suffering inherent in existence. Liaka-ih dancers wear veils that completely cover their faces and spot their skin with red paint to symbolize blood. The priytu-ih style celebrates joy, a comedic presentation where the dancers decorate their bodies with tiny bells and blow shrieking whistles to elicit laughs from the onlookers. The wriquoih style honors war; dancers wield wooden daggers and swords, swung violently over their heads and between their legs. The small orchestra that plays for the ballets includes woodwinds, drums, finger drums, xylophones, a woodwind called the ryls, and the khong, a circular wooden frame lined with copper gongs. A musician sits within the frame to play the gongs. Only the sorcerer-king owns a khong, for its heavy metal content makes it priceless. During the Starlight Pageants, Nibenay's servile defilers cast many colorful illusions to enhance the ballet. They draw their magic from the trees of life around them, one by one. Sometimes the templars keep a druid prisoner on hand, to warn them when one tree's life force grows too low. Even Nibenese caravans employ dance. Entertainers tag along with merchant caravans or start their own, seeking adventure (or maybe escape from the city guards). They travel between the cities, stopping at each oasis for a day or a week, and performing for any audience. Many of these gypsy dancers and musicians psionically entrance viewers, either to heighten their enjoyment or lighten their wallets

Nibenay is renowned across the Tyr region for its extraordinary architecture. It appears, at first glance, that every inch of the city is intricately carved stone. Spires and minarets of stacked skulls jut across the skyline. Huge faces open their fanged mouths to serve as windows and doorways. Stylized images of the Shadow King support massive public buildings. Everywhere, the history and folklore of Nibenay and its noble families are played out in wonderfully-detailed bas-relief. For the Nibenese, there is no distinction between sculpture and architecture. Among the elves of the Sky Singers tribe, the word for the city of Nibenay is the same as the word for basilisk. They believe that the Shadow King is a basilisk who is slowly turning his city to stone. The conventions and codes of Nibenese dance are used to inscribe stories throughout the friezes and architectural details. Some of the buildings memorialize the king, others the wealthy individuals who built them. Some public buildings detail great battles and legends of the city. Others display entire families, carved so lifelike that they seem to dance across the surfaces as they reveal their history with sculpted postures and gestures. Beasts of the forest or forces of nature are also represented. If such creatures ever threaten the city it is believed that the sculptures will please them and the buildings (and their inhabitants) will remain unharmed. The traditions of Nibenese culture invest a tremendous amount of power in the carvings. By royal decree, all permanent buildings within the walls of the city must be built of sandstone, granite or laterite, and each must be fully sculptured. It is not known when or why this tradition began, but some foreigners attribute the practice to the beliefs of an ancient cult of elemental earth. Nibenay remains a favorite residence for earth clerics, who delight in a city where the stones appear to dance.

The Nibenese favor murals, intricately woven carpets, detailed frescoes and decorative screens. This is particularly true in the homes of free citizens, where the rooms are sometimes furnished with nothing but carpets and separated only by screens. While the carpets are generally decorated with geometric patterns. the screens and frescoes often feature stylized images of the forest. Artist slaves are retained to fully illuminate a wealthy citizen's home with frescoes.

Literacy is a privilege reserved for Nibenay's nobles and templars. Consequently, popular literature is primarily a body of traditional tales and histories that can be found played out across buildings throughout the city. These stories are well known and are sometimes reenacted in public dances. Although the hieroglyphic code of dance positions could be construed as a written language that any commoner can read, it is illegal to recreate these symbols on anything but the walls of a building. Among the noble class, literature falls under their sense of cultural conservatorship. Libraries of histories and personal memoirs of each house matriarch and patriarch are maintained. The study of these documents, usually kept on hide or hardwood panels, is a part of every young noble's education. Young nobles Indulge in another popular form of literature. Amorous poetry is often read aloud at parties and considered a rite of courtship. Humorous variations of these poems are also a popular means by which young nobles relate their amorous adventures, real and imagined, to their friends. 

The Nibenese harbor an ancient love of the study of the night sky. Whether it is a discussion of the navigational techniques of the caravan masters or a child's lesson in identifying constellations, the people of Nibenay pursue astronomy with an ardor unequaled among the people of the Tablelands. Astrologers are often retained by noble families to plan harvests and other major projects.

The three festival weeks of Desselia, Assalia and Zenalia are celebrated throughout Nibenay. These festivals are considered holidays, but many merchants and vendors remain open to cater to the free citizens who flood the streets during these weeks. Arena games are held every day of the festival weeks, and noble and merchant houses vie to become sponsors of the games.

Each festival week culminates in an all-night dance festival called the Starlight Pageant. During these events, dozens of young female dancers (called aspara) make their way from the Naggaramakam down the High Road to the Reservoir Garden just inside the city wall. Here they perform a meticulously orchestrated series of ballets drawn from a large traditional repertoire. The stories celebrate the city, its folklore, its history and the king. While Nibenay himself does not attend these festivals, his defilers supplement the performances with many colorful illusions that are integrated into the ballet.

The free citizens of Nibenay represent a diverse class. There is a broad spectrum of values and wealth represented among the free citizens. Some wealthy traders have built huge stone compounds to match their lifestyles, while humble laborers scratch out comfort from simple clay-brick shacks built against the city walls. Despite this tremendous disparity, the free citizens of Nibenay have much in common.

Marriage

Marriages among the free citizens are usually polygamous. One frequently sees women with several husbands and men with several wives. Only the poorest citizens have only one spouse. Regardless of gender, the head of a household is referred to as the master of the marriage. Within each marriage, a master has one primary spouse. The master of the marriage has complete discretion over the lives and property of his or her children and spouses. To avoid scattering hard earned property into small bequests, only the children of the primary spouse share in the legacy of the estate. Free citizen families try desperately to accumulate family wealth over the course of generations. They tend to favor patriarchal marriages, with a primary husband and several wives. This form increases the ability of the family to produce children who will eventually contribute to the revenue of the household, not to mention the contributions of each spouse. Some citizens, however, like to emulate the nobility. The nobility favors matriarchal relationships, with a primary wife and several husbands. Regardless of the form, marriage is extremely important in Nibenese society, for only married people may own plots of land. Nibenay marriages are usually arranged. Each wedding is celebrated with a gift from the master of the marriage to the family of the betrothed. This often-substantial gift is given as compensation for the loss of the betrothed's productive capacity. Marriages that are not arranged (often called "love matches") are scorned. In these marriages, masters are seen as getting something for nothing.

A family heir always assumes the position of master of the marriage. Heirs rarely marry unless a specific alliance needs to be forged between the two families. The children of subordinate spouses are married for financial and political gain, if possible. More often, they are wed simply to relieve a debt or to get them out of the house. Because of these customs regarding inheritance and mate selection, there is an entire class of Nibenese who have no real property of their own. They are essentially slaves within the confines of their marriages or families. Marriages are occasions for celebration. One month prior to a wedding, the master of the marriage spends a week joined to the betrothed by a long scarf attached at their waists. As the month progresses, the mate-tobe must spend at least one day bound to each of the other spouses. This tradition serves as a public sign of commitment. It also provides all members in the marriage with the opportunity to meet the betrothed.

Ownership of Property

Because of their long history of mercantile traditions, the Nibenese have a strong sense of property rights. Trade is unrestricted, with the notable exception of land sales. No one may exchange land rights without the consent of the state, and consequently land is concentrated in the hands of the noble houses. The state allows anyone to trade freely. It also recognizes the master of a marriage as the ultimate owner of any property held in wedlock or by children until they are married. A house master may allow spouses and children to accumulate and dispose of property as they see fit, but if disputes ever arise, the state always rules in the master's favor.

Occupations

Free citizens of Nibenay can be found hard at work producing a wide variety of goods and services. Inside the city walls, most citizens run a family business of one kind or another. These enterprises, staffed by the children and spouses of the owners, produce many of the finished goods which are traded and exported from the city. Woodworkers, bakers, jewelers, leatherworkers and more operate out of the many family halls which line Nibenay's streets. Other citizens own or rent small plots of land in the client villages outside the city. They make their livings tilling the soil and raising herds. Some citizens find work in the service of others. Families often hire laborers to attend to work that slaves or family members cannot do. The state also offers various work opportunities to free citizens, including the army. Still other citizens become clients of the great noble families in exchange for room, board and a small stipend. Clients of the nobles often take up residence in nobleowned tenant houses or on noble-owned farms. The responsibilities of these citizens vary with their ability. Some oversee slave farmers and laborers, others serve as guards or administrators.

Typical Residences

Strict building codes regulate new construction in the city. All permanent structures must be built from sandstone, laterite or granite, and must be covered with decorative carvings. The prohibitive costs associated with meeting these requirements prevents many free citizens from building homes. Fortunately, however, any building not made of stone may be registered with the state as a temporary structure. Thus, many citizens rent land from nobles upon which they build simple houses of clay bricks and wood. These simple homes generally consist of a single room and provide shelter for an entire family. Papyrus screens create a number of partitioned living spaces within the structures. Through the careful management of property and marriages over several generations, some free-citizen families can eventually afford to build or purchase stone residences. Still others rent apartments from or become clients of noble houses. The poorest citizens construct shanties against the city walls or simply sleep beneath the stone-roof overhangs of the streets and alleys. Modest rock gardens arranged in intricate patterns complement the courtyards of affluent citizens. Pet birds and lizards are even afforded small mud huts, called millas, kept in courtyards and shielded from public view. In the countryside, however, citizens often erect millas in plain sight as an ostentatious sign of affluence. Some families construct small millas within their homes to protect pets from theft or abuse.

Routine

Visitors to Nibenay find it difficult to get a feel for the rhythms of a citizen's daily routine. Citizens working in family businesses keep odd hours because of the all-night markets. Families running stores and dining halls that remain open overnight usually live on the premises. Family members sleep in shifts to better attend to customers around the clock.

Education

The education of the free-citizen class is informal at best. Children within a marriage are raised in the household. Through the public dance festivals, they become familiar with the codes which allow them to interpret the stories and legends carved into the walls of the city. As they grow older, most young people serve their family businesses as apprentices or seek other work around the city. Beyond vocational training, the emphasis placed on education is strictly at the discretion of each family. Some parents encourage their children to frequent Sage's Square to listen to the debates of scholars. Others consider such esoteric pursuits foolhardy and punish such idlers. The state sponsors expensive schools staffed by templars, which are a standard part of the education of the noble class. Some free-citizen families save money to send their daughters to these schools, and the state often sponsors poor students who show promise, Any free women admitted to the schools eventually join the ranks of the templars or become scholar slaves in the Naggaramakam.

Entertainment and Dining

While public festivals and dances provide a source of entertainment for all the people of Nibenay, the free citizens of the city often indulge in a practice of setting animals upon one another in fights. Large wagers are often made at such affairs, and the practice seems to have developed into a habit of keeping pets. The Nibenese delight in crodlu fighting and tembo baiting. Public games at the arena are often sponsored by wealthy merchants, citizens, nobles, and even the elemental temples. These games are tremendously popular with the people, who love to make heroes of triumphant gladiators. The dietary staple of the Nibenese citizenry is rice, supplemented by fruit, vegetables, nut pastes, and erdlu meat. Many small meals are eaten throughout the day as opportunities present themselves.

Funerals

Within the city, all the dead are buried. A priest from the elemental cult of the family is called upon to preside over a funeral and protect the deceased against undeath. Burial is a simple affair among the free citizens, as few can afford the luxuries indulged in by the nobility. In the countryside, the elevated funeral pyres traditionally associated with cults of elemental fire and air are still common.