Stirthal

Stirthal is a city located within Malevich.

Background

The city of Stirthal was built atop the northern edge of the Voil Chasm. About 100,000 people live here, making it one of the largest cities in the Steadfast. Although much of it stretches across the flat expanse at the top of the cliff, some of the city extends down the side. Ancient structures protrude out of the chasm wall. Some are inhabited by the residents of Stirthal, and others are wide metal pipes and platforms that support dwellings and businesses of more recent construction. The most dramatic feature is a street that stretches out of the chasm wall about a thousand paces and comes to a rather abrupt end. Other cliff side streets run parallel with the wall, connecting the far-jutting perpendicular extensions. The cliff-dwellings are the most prized structures in all of Stirthal, and thus they're the homes and businesses of the wealthy and the elite, of which the city has more than its share.

The ruler of Stirthal is a woman who takes the title of Governor. Her name is Marrizek and she claims to rule over not just Stirthal, but also the entire Voil Chasm, in the name of King Yorvic. Quick to action (and to anger), Marrizek is an older woman, bold, brash, and charismatic. Her loyal city guards are called the Thyrn. In their gold and black armor, each member of the well-trained force wields two swords, one inscribed with the world "JUSTICE", the other inscribed with the word "MERCY". The Thyrn are harsh, violent, and oppressive, and a common joke in Stirthal is that they use the first blade incorrectly and the second rarely, if ever.

The current regent of Malevich, Ellabon, lives in Stirthal, despite the fact that the traditional capital is Thriest. The boy-king also dwells there with her.

A creature named Quanon dwells in the lower portions of Stirthal. Roughly humanoid, he has undergone so many machine enhancements and biomechanical replacements that it's hard to imagine what he looked like originally - or if he even started out human. Quanon might be one of the Ninth World's foremost experts on energy sources and power generation. His workshop holds a battery or power pack for any device, and his experiments on transmitting power wirelessly (more accurately, tapping into a field of "free power" he discovered that seems to permeate the Ninth World) mean that he can almost certainly recharge any depowered or expended device brought to him. His prices, however, are steep, Even the simplest cell for the least significant device is likely 100 shins or more. Batteries that are rare or more potent might be in the range of 10,000 shins, a sum many princes and kings couldn't easily afford. Quanon accepts barter from those who can't pay, as he loves to collect intriguing devices for his experiments.