Nufaustes (Pacifica)
Nufaustes
Nufaus Tmezestosca | |
|---|---|
Capital City | |
| Etymology: City of Tmezestos | |
| Country | Tmezestos |
| Founded | c. 95 |
| Population | |
| • Total | 2,346,382 |
Etymology
History
First Era
The city was founded in the first era as "the City of Tmezestos", or Nufaus Tmezestosca. This city served as the seat of the royal court and the centre of the feudal nobility. In the earliest days, the City of Tmezestos would have been scarcely larger than the Palace of Kings, containing the fortifications of a great castle around the buildings which formed the Palace. Settlements around the city were frequent, especially due to the status of the city's lands as some of the most fertile farmland in the local area. By the reign of Swiesu I, the City had spread out, especially along the river, though with the strengthening of the authority of Cxeulis vassal lords by the reign of Pmelu I and the coming decentralisation of power, the city declined in significance even if not in population. Swiesu's War, one of a small number of succession conflicts during Tmezestos' First Era, caused the abandonment of parts of the outerlying city, though in the reign of Causia, attempts were made to repopulate the city, including by offering free land grants to many who wished to settle the land.
During the latter portion of the First Era, while the throne stayed under the rule of the House ni Vòès and the internal affairs and succession conflicts died down, the city was truly given time to grow. The land grants led to a great amount of prime real estate within the newer portions falling into non-aristocratic hands, including much of the land at the banks of the river. Adding to this, the strengthening of court life that tended to occur during the reign of the Voesic Kings meant that aristocrats were regularly visiting the capital and spreading wealth all throughout. This led to the very earliest of the "chained patrons", the earliest patricians of the city, so-named because they began to operate trade locations within the city, including a notable slave market at the Starry Plaza, oft visited by aristocrats from all throughout the country. The wealth of the City of Tmezestos increased drastically in this time.
However, the wealth would not forever flow. The War of the Voesic Succession caused damage to the city, and some of the patricians simply left the city to go elsewhere. In the wake of the coronation of Spaesu IX, with the knowledge that the King was chronically ill and almost certain to never have a child, fear of what would occur to the city without a King at the helm, or if someone else were to take the throne, led many more to flee. This had the added effect of freeing up much of the patrician lands for the few who remained, forging much larger patrician holdings that form the basis for the Eight Districts of the inner city.
Second Era
When the King died and the Interregnum took hold, the city slipped into relative insignificance. It was definitely still the largest city in the heartland region, and held a lot of sway over the nobles of the nearby lands, but it began to be eclipsed by cities such as Cxapes and Avuse. The main things that ensured the city remained relevant were the Blue Council, formed of nobles of surrounding regions who elected a Duke to run their affairs, and the trade guilds and patricians, who were just managing to reclaim relevance after the losses at the end of the First Era.
During the Second Era, the Dukes and the patricians had a number of conflicts and disagreements, often mediated by legal scholars. The rise of the city's population was fairly average, with few major immigrations or emigrations during this time. This stagnation led to those remaining in the city also becoming quite powerful and educated, and the escalating conflicts between the two groups led to factionalism between the Scoelispai (Blues) (the aristocracy of the Blue Council) and the Restolispai (the trade guilds and patricians). This in turn led to the demarcation of the Blue Quarter and Red Quarter from each other, with buildings in each section being constructed according to differing standards. It was also during this time that the name "Nufaustes", as a shortening of Nufaus Tmezestosca, became a common shorthand for the city.
By the end of the Second Era, the conflict between the Reds and the Blues became untenably tense, and the Patrician Crisis, where Patricians refused to pay dues to the Duke in a mass action of political disobedience, caused great concern in the capital. Finally, the Reds acted against the Blues, painting red eight-pointed stars on the doors of Blue-supporting houses, marching into the Palace of Kings and the Blue Quarter of the city and effectively coming to control the entire city of Nufaustes. This action began the Tmezestian Civil War, with the Reds eventually coming to achieve victory, and the role of Duke becoming the domain of the head of the Patrician Council.