Difference between revisions of "Negav"

Latest revision as of 02:57, 26 October 2018

General content: | Felaryan fauna | Felaryan flora | Races | Characters | Locations | History and Lore | Science and Magic | Culture and Customs | List of all available articles

Negav content: | Negav main | Negav's Lower Tier | Negav's Middle Tier | Negav's Higher Tier | Negav's Underground | Negav's surrounding area | Negavian factions

Negav
Inhabitants	humans, nekos, elves, tinies, micrats, pteroks, mapets, shock beetles, warp roaches, swallower walls
Population	Officially 750,000. Probably much more.

A map of Negav. The full picture can be seen here: [1]

For the humans living on Felarya, Negav is more or less their current capital. An oddity in the wilds, the seemingly impregnable fortified city has withstood whatever dangers the jungle has thrown at it. It has been partially destroyed, rebuilt, conquered, flooded, struck by fire and lightning... and yet it continues to stand. While most human settlements in Felarya are tiny and secluded to avoid the hungry gaze of its ravenous fauna, Negav boldly lets its presence be known, like a challenge to the face of Felarya and its voracious inhabitants. Due to its perceived invincibility, Negav serves as a haven and oasis to the many travelers arriving in Felarya, usually through the dimensional gate located next to the city. Negav is like a magnet for mysterious planar travelers, shady vagabonds, slayers of mythical beasts, scar-covered swordsmen, heroes bearing magical swords, temple defilers, ruthless thugs, and intrepid explorers who, despite its incredible dangers, are drawn to Felarya by the prospect of fabulous treasures, glory and adventures.

Geography and Infrastructure

Negav is situated directly on the south bank of the Motamo river. The wide river surrounds the the city on its north and western borders, and parts of the eastern flank, serving as a natural moat of sorts. The city itself is built on a somewhat low hill covering an area of well over 110 square miles. As it lies in such close proximity of the Tolmeshal region, Negav experiences a strong tropical climate all year long and rarely experiences overcast weather. Thankfully, the presence of the Motamo river helps keep the hot temperature down to relatively bearable levels for those unaccustomed to the jungle heat. Rainfall occurs at an approximate recorded minimum of once a month, though Negav is no stranger to the occasional storms and downpours.

The Great Wall of Negav

Negav is surrounded by a massive wall, aptly named the Great Wall, a marvel of craftsmanship and magic combined. It towers hundreds of feet tall, protected with powerful cannons and other weaponry. The city has only two entrances: the Victory Gate, which leads north of the Motamo river across Asianas Bridge and is the most frequently used entrance, and the Watchers' Gate, which leads to the south. Both are heavily guarded not only by weapons and diligent Isolon Fist soldiers, but also all manners of detection devices and identification spells to ensure that nothing unwelcome sneaks in. The gates can also be sealed off in an emergency, with massive reinforced doors able to close very quickly. The architects chose not to reveal all of the walls' secrets, but one of them is that they appear to be covered by almost pure Xythium, a very rare and extremely hard metal. The area immediately surrounding the city is home to a few farmlands and access to a number of underground shelters. Directly to the east of Asianas Bridge is Negav's Dimensional Gate.

The Watcher's gate at the southern walls

The City

Within the walls, the city of Negav is a sight to behold. All manner of gleaming towers, imposing temples, bustling markets, noisy taverns, mage academies, and exotic shops can be found within this busy city. It's not an exceptionally beautiful city, but it's swarming with life. The congested and busy streets are full of noises, shouts, and buzzing with thousands of conversations, offering a striking contrast with the rest of Felarya and its untamed wilderness. Space in Negav is, however, lacking. As the city expanded, buildings were built closer and closer together, eventually sharing both sidewalls with adjacent structures. As such, most of Negav is built vertically rather than horizontally, with multi-layered buildings and households being the norm rather than the exception. Some neighboring buildings are even connected from across the streets via bridges, allowing one to head directly to the floor of another building from the one they are currently at.

The city itself is heavily fortified. It not only boasts natural defenses such as the river and the hill it is built on, and the Great Wall of Negav, but also several inner walls. These inner walls are modeled directly after the Great Wall and are almost as heavily guarded, though they are noticeably thinner than the Great Wall and are defended by comparatively weaker turrets and defense systems. The inner walls divides the city into three major districts called Tiers, each with their own sub-districts, as well as an underground area.

Tiers

• The Lower Tier is situated at the foot of the hill and is the closest to the Great Wall. It houses many buildings designed for defense, barracks for the Isolon Fist and the Negav Police, the Great Foundry, and the Hydromancers' Guild headquarters. The Lower Tier has the largest number of inns and taverns, and is the part of town where adventurers and off-worlders usually meet and congregate. Negavians who live in the Lower Tier rely mostly on adventurers and explorers for their livelihood, with many shops selling weapons, magical scrolls, artifacts, and various items an adventurer may or may not need in their quests.

• The Middle Tier is situated higher up the sides of the hill and is the place where the majority of Negavian citizens have permanent residence. It is where most of Negav's major public services such as markets, banks and the Healers' Guild headquarters can be found. The Middle Tier is also home to a variety of public squares, parks, temples and churches, and places of entertainment.

• The Higher Tier is situated at the top of the hill in the center of the city. Although smaller than the Lower and Middle Tier, it is where the Magiocracy holds its administrative buildings and where the Ps'isol Council's Isolon University of Magic is located. The Magiocrats' mansions and the Vishmitals' headquarters can all be found in the Higher Tier.

• The Underground is located in the ancient tunnels beneath the city. Much of Negav's major functions such as graveyards, prison, sewerage, and water treatment are managed in facilities underground. The Underground is also home to many slums, where people who can't afford housing aboveground call their home, and have their very own communities and markets.

The Isolon Eye

In the center of the city, in the Square of Hope atop the hill's summit, lies a large, spiraling marble tower. At the very top of this tower stands a large purple crystal, roughly 20 feet tall, known as the Isolon Eye. It was created by the Ps'isol mages as a testimony to their formidable power. It's a little marvel of magic and very few understand how it works, but what matters is that it keeps many gargantuan monsters from coming in proximity of the city. The Eye does not project some sort of tangible force-field, rather it creates magical vibrations that repel man-eating creatures over an enormous radius. Some researchers have established that the larger and more voracious the creature, the more pronounced the effects are. For example, the naga Crisis or the succubus Menyssan, both infamous for their enormous appetite for humans, would be stopped at a large distance away from Negav while a smaller, less voracious pantaur could venture closer to the city. The effects are gradual, and the closer a predator gets to the Eye, the more difficult it becomes to bear its effect. Moreover, if for some reason a predator was made immune to the Eye's effect, brought close to it, then their immunity removed, they would most likely die from the sudden unbearable repelling surge. Some rare beings, however, seem to be much less affected than others by the Eye, and fewer still appear completely immune. The reason why remains a mystery. Interestingly, fairies appear to be the most affected by the Eye, as unless they absolutely do not see humanoids as food, they will be repelled regardless of their current size. The Eye is, of course, guarded constantly by the most elite members of the Isolon Fist and surrounded by a shell of some of the most powerful warding enchantments one could find in Felarya, as the entire city could potentially be overrun by ravenous predators, especially flying ones such as harpies should it be damaged, destroyed, or stolen.

Magic and Technology

Technology in Negav is closely intertwined with magic, often referred to as Magitechnology, or Magitech for short, and make good use of the special properties found in lot of the resources of Felarya. For example, Scintilla stones are used for making lighters, ovens, and furnaces. Boraloupes, Negav's equivalent to freezers and refrigerators, are a type of insulated box coated with Boralite to preserve food and keep it cool. Actinite in conjunction with Mazhir gems are used to power many things such as lamp posts and street clocks. Once depleted, the gems can be taken to a Mazirite, a mage specialized in recharging them. This provides Negav with a virtually endless source of electricity with none of the encumbrance of a power plant and a web of electrical cables. The downside, however, is that the while it releases a steady amount of energy, it's still quite low and extended over a relatively long period of time. Mages and scientists are researching for ways to make the mazhir gems release their stored magic instantly. It's worth noting that a select few important buildings are linked to a more traditional back-up power grid in case of emergency.

Transportation and Telecommunication

Due to the streets being so narrow and always bustling with activity, traveling around Negav in a ground vehicle or on a mount is next to impossible. Public transportation is instead handled by a network of portals, which are modeled after the Dimensional Gate, though much smaller in scale. These portals are found at stations in specific districts, much like a train station, and like the Dimensional Gate, they change which station they are connected with every few hours based on a specific schedule. Emergency vehicles such as ambulances, and some military vehicles like Jetbikes, are built partially out of Eidoron Rocks, allowing them to fly above most of the traffic and head in a straight line to their destination. Oddly, Negav has no form of public telecommunication, being reserved exclusively for the military and law enforcement instead. Plans to bring a telephone service to the public are underway, but considered a low priority.

History of Negav

Demographics

Negav boasts an official population estimated at over 750 000 inhabitants and a population density estimated at 6818 people per square mile. These numbers, however, don't account for all the travelers, adventurers and underground residents, causing Negav to likely be the most crowded settlement built by human hands. Negavians form a very cosmopolitan society, coming from worlds from all around the universe. Curious adventurers, greedy treasure hunters, foolhardy warriors, ruthless thugs, stranded travelers, self-proclaimed heroes... they all came there with the prospect of becoming fabulously rich, retrieving legendary artifacts, becoming stronger, living a peaceful and eternal life, or simply ended there by accident. Even with so many varied origins however, living in a world such as Felarya gave Negavians some commonly shared traits. They form a hardened and rather fatalistic people, practical and quite cynical. They frown upon wastefulness and will often try to take what is apparently broken or damaged and either repair it or turn it into something useful. They are not very easy to impress and difficult to cow. Wise magiocrats know their rules on Negav cannot be too tough and must remain bearable, unless they want to have their heads on a pike. Negavians have revolted many times in the past, and have gone trough many catastrophes but, like their city, they are still there.

Negavians tend to complain a lot about life on Felarya, but at the same time, they hold a sense of pride in being there, on what is widely recognized as one of the most dangerous known worlds for humans. Moreover, living in Negav feels like being in the center of things, with so many different people passing through, carrying with them rumors, epic tales and, sometimes, fantastic treasures. Negav is the city where adventures and legends are born. Many people who have lived in Negav for several years, but decided one day to leave Felarya, find themselves irresistibly drawn back to the city a few years later. They say that life does not have the same flavor outside Negav. As the saying goes: "Once a Negavian, always a Negavian."

Non-human Races

While Negav's population is predominantly human, an important community of nekos, inus and elves live there, as well as a few humanoid species from many worlds. Negavians are naturally cautious of non-humans. With so many beings coming from other worlds, they have developed at least a certain tolerance toward them, but they aren't welcoming them with open arms either. For example many taverns and bars would refuse entry to creatures with too many arms or inhuman features. The situation is even worse for tauric beings. Simply entering Negav nowadays is very difficult for them, and the few who are admitted in can feel an acute and unrelenting latent hostility all around them. There are some debates whether or not these laws should be lifted or at least alleviated. Those who are in favor of the lift cite that the inhabitants of Motamo Docks having stood in close proximity of the Isolon Eye without ill effects for generations is a proof that they are no more harmful than other humans, and that their unique abilities could strengthen the city's forces. Those against it argue that Negavians would never come to trust small predators, and that even if they did, households would have to be designed specifically for their unique body types and other needs, an impossibility in their opinion given the city's lack of space and a waste of government funds.

Religion

Being a melting pot of cultures from countless different worlds, it comes to no surprise that Negav is home to a wide variety of different religions. Over 200 different religions are estimated to be practiced within the city walls alone. Some worship major deities revered across many worlds and enjoy great recognition, or infamy, while others worship minor, relatively unknown gods. Most religions in Negav are actually small cults who prefer to hide in the shadows than spread their faith from within the cloisters of lavish temples or cathedrals. Many such groups worship living beings on Felarya, such as the Seekers of Sineria or the Sleeping Darkness, two cults who seek to revive Queen Sineria and Déméchrelle respectively, or seek infernal power by worshiping and praying to demons for personal gain. Although such cults are technically illegal in Negav, the magiocrats turn a blind eye on them, reasoning that they are more likely to fight each other and that their meager numbers pose no credible threat to them whatsoever. Negav's major religions include the likes of the zealous and technologically advanced Cult of Oth, the secretive Followers of Khord, and the conservative Cult of Minalca.

Economy

(under construction)

Thanks to the Dimensional Gate, Negav has become a small interdimensional hub of commerce. Most of its major exports include unique Felaryan resources, food, handcrafted goods and art, and assorted magitechnology. Most of Negav's major imports come in the form of food, especially from Mebron, as the farms alone are not quite enough to keep the whole city sustained. Countless merchants from different worlds has flocked to Negav hoping to sell wares never seen before in Felarya, making the city-wide selection of goods extremely diverse. One of Negav's primary source of income naturally comes in the form of adventurers and explorers, with entire districts such as the Lower Tier designed to capitalize on them.

The cornerstone of Negav's economy is, of course, the trade of ascarlin, and the primary reason why the city was able to expand at such a rapid rate. High ranking Isolon Fist troops patrol the main route to the ascarlin mines every hour of the day, every day of the week, keeping bandits and beasts away. A few small copies of the Isolon Eye help keep giant monsters at bay, and much like Nekomura's copy, these too must be periodically recharged, with the Battlemages in charge of protecting them being taught the secrets to keeping them energized. Besides ascarlin, Negav often mounts expedition to various corners of Felarya retrieve other precious gems and ores, actinite and Felaryan Silver. Mercenaries are often hired to hunt for the resources with the promise of generous rewards and prestige, if they can return alive, that is.

So far, plans to expand the city toward the Ascarlin Mountains to the west have been constantly delayed. The reasons for this are many, including, but not limited to, the unstable terrain around the mountains and the Motamo River making westward expansion all the more difficult. Furthermore, establishing a colony closer to the mines would also mean creating a new true Isolon Eye, an extremely long and complex process compared to its small, weak copies. A new Isolon Eye would also mean a faction of the Isolon Fist would have to be pulled from their current duties to protect it. Some of the magiocrats are also nervous at the idea of over-expansion, worrying the city could suffer the same terrible fate that befell Ur-Sagol long ago. This creates heated debates among members of the city assembly, although the prudent faction is the clear minority.

It's interesting to note that, despite their rich magitechnology, Negav is described as a Type 7 pre-industrial society by the Galfam-Abh MURCOWIH. This is because, with the exception of the Great Foundry, Negav doesn't have any real industries where goods are mass-produced. Instead, major businesses and services are controlled by guilds, where people are free to join or start their own guilds. Handicraftsmanship is one of Negav's most enduring tradition, with generations of artisans taking enormous pride in their work. It is one of the most commonly cited reasons why Negav is so hesitant to fully industrialize despite having the means of doing so.

Tourism

Besides adventurers, some come to Negav to experience some of its sites and partake in Felaryan culture. Major tourist destinations includes Jaslow Arena, Dayama Theater, the Street of the Red Flowers, the Grand Market District, Otanac Square and the Sanctum of the Shining Star. A few tourism guilds have begun to appear in the city to promote worlds connected to the Dimensional Gate for people to visit, such as the Felarya Museum on Alrinic, but some far less scrupulous ones like to advertise Felarya's untamed beauty as a place to visit, often with a conspicuous "All Sale is Final" policy.

Currency

Skevols (SK) are the local currency in Negav. They come in shiny and ornate one-inch coins made of Tessium. There are coins of 1, 5, 10, and 50 Skevols valuations. For small transactions, Skedas (SKD) are used. They are essentially small skevol coins and 100 of them are worth a Skevol.

Based on universal rates:

• 1 Skevol is worth 12 Platalis
• 1 Skevol is worth 2 Kejdoran shkings
• 2 Skevols are worth 1 Gol
• 5 Skevols are worth 1 Yolem
• 120 Skevols are worth 1 Tetros
• 200 Skevols are worth 1 Rainbow pearl

Faldong gems (FG) are the second most used currency on Felarya and are used for important transactions. They appear as a small, bright red gem, slightly warm to the touch, with always the same, slightly flower-shaped Rosakis cut and the same weight (Hence the popular expression "to give flowers to someone", meaning "to pay someone"). A 1 carat Faldong gem of a rosakis cut is worth 100 Skevols.

For huge transactions, people resort to raw, pure Ascarlin (ASC). Even a tiny fragment of Ascarlin is easily worth 50,000 SK.

One of the first practical problems someone might run into when visiting Negav for the first time is finding out that their money has suddenly become worthless. Negav has a few currency exchange services where they can convert some of the most common types of multidimensional currencies such as gols, platalis, Kejdoran shkings, yolems, rainbow pearls, and tetros into skevols, though they charge ridiculous prices for it. It's interesting to note that Negavians are extremely cautious about the concept of fiat money such as bank notes. There are many horror stories of entire worlds collapsing and being ruined by such system running out of hand. Proposing such deal to a merchant in Negav will earn you a hard look and will even end the transaction in most cases.

Some examples of transactions.

Education

(under construction)

Public schools are distributed across multiple districts in the Lower and Middle Tier, and offer most standard subjects people have come to expect from developed countries. Children of noble families in the Higher Tier, on the other hand, are generally home schooled, privately tutored by first class teachers under the family's employ. Being a society that thrives on magic, magical studies form a core aspect of Negav's education. Elementary magic classes focus almost entirely on basic theory, while secondary classes concentrate on more advanced theory as well as the works of famous wizards and sorceresses, and also offers practical classes for those who are serious about pursuing a career in magic.

A view of the Isolon University of Magic in the higher tier of Negav

Higher Education and Research

Tertiary education differs quite a bit depending on which Tier one is from. Residents of the Lower and Middle Tier usually go through two years of apprenticeship at a local guild towards any craft of their choosing. Lower Tier citizens tend to be apprenticed as craftsmen or merchants, while Middle Tier ones have a few more options. People of the Higher Tier are personally apprenticed for more prestigious positions. Regardless of one's station, there is always the option of attending the Isolon University of Magic for those who wish to pursue a magic intensive career, or the Academy of Science for those who have a keen interest in science or engineering.

Naturally, due to the rich ambiance of magic in Felarya, Negav is at the forefront of magical research across countless magically advanced worlds and societies. All manners of scholar, mage, wizard or sorceress have come to Negav to study some of the most arcane magical phenomena in their natural environment, test many theories and hypotheses, as well as push the boundaries of magical research in general to new heights.

Healthcare

With the properties of the Felaryan soil, it comes to no surprise that medicine is another one of Negav's most popular sectors in the scientific community. For nearly as long as the city existed, doctors and healers of all sorts came from countless worlds came to Negav in the hopes of studying the Felaryan soil's miraculous properties and medical research in the creation of new and more effective remedies has improved leaps and bounds. Negav's health system is handled by the Healers' Guild, whose headquarters doubles as the city's general hospital. It combines the use of Felarya's soil with well-known healing magic and tonics, as well as traditional techniques passed down from famous physicians and surgeons.

Law Enforcement

(under construction)

Formerly known as the MSD( Metropolitan Security Division ), the police of Negav used to be a centralized and brutal corp overseeing all of Negav's internal security, using fear and a massive network of informers to keep the populace under control. However due to their increasingly violent nature, increasing tensions with Vishmitals, and a changing political climate, such a force was deemed unnecessary and ordered to disband by the Magiocracy. Today, the reformed Negav Police Department is a mixed force. Their ranks are of Vishmitals, Negavians volunteers from many horizons, and a few mages. It's not a perfect police force, as many of its members tend to bicker among themselves and to stay loyal to their group. For many years, this infighting caused the new Negav Police to be viewed as a heavy, clunky machinery by the citizenry, slow to act and corrupted. Things improved since then, with a change of leadership and many new, motivated members of the force accomplishing diligent work and preventing all sorts of crimes. The NPD's reputation certainly improved greatly among the population as well, though it is still far from being the most respected profession.

The Negav Police is modeled somewhat after the Isolon Fist, boasting a similar training regiment designed to strengthen both body and teamwork. Police patrols and most common situations are handled by two-man teams, based on the affinity between the members and how well their traits and abilities complement each other. Patrols occur primarily in the Lower and Middle Tier, as many of the magiocrats living in the Higher Tier possess their own private security force. High-risk situations, on the other hand, are handled by small squads led by one or two mages. The police's equipment is largely similar to the Isolon Fist's, though theirs is not as advanced nor as powerful, with most of their arms and armors lacking magical enchantment altogether.

Criminality

Although the city is largely protected from the local fauna, the most common predator one might typically find in Negav is the criminal type. Being a city that regularly receives a large influx of adventurers, a good number of them are shady people, well armed, with questionable morality and prone to violence. You can find many con artists in Negav, or smugglers selling illegal or fake goods. Others may come to get involved within the Black Market or the assassination business, which are both big, since Negav connects dozens of important worlds. In its poorest and most violent districts, where streets are dark and narrow, one's life expectancy don't go much higher at night than, say the calmer parts of the Felaryan jungle.

The NPD tries hard to keep the streets clean, but Negav's criminals are typically well organized and hardened. You can find many veterans or former mercenaries among them, adventurers of all sort who felt into disparity or, for whatever reason, take up a life of crime as well trained and resourceful individuals. For the police force, maintaining order in places like Cremona maze and the Underground is especially nightmarish. Walking in those areas leaves oneself at the risk of being robbed, pick-pocketed, kidnapped, or worse if they have done something to stir the anger of the wrong crime lord.

Culture

(under construction)

Adventurers and outsiders have influenced Negav's culture since its early days as a humble trading community. For explorers and mercenaries, it is one of the few known places where one can find weapons and armors of all types, from humble swords and steel plates, to arcane magic tomes and enchanted rings, to semi-modern firearms and ballistic vests. Today, Negav is a melting pot of customs and traditions from countless different worlds and traditions. Its visual arts, literature, cuisine, dialect, cuisine and architecture have all been influenced in someway by civilizations that came before and after it. Felarya's history is especially popular in Negav, with many paintings, performances and novels taking place, referencing, or re-imagining key historical moments.

Architecture

Negav's architectural style is often referred to as Neo-Sagolian. The Sagolian style started to appears in Negav in 1995 A.U. After the tense cold war between the Ps'isol Council and the Vishmitals, the city breathed a sigh of relief. Pulled by a new momentum, its richest parts start to flourish and thrive. Culture surges forward as the city seeked to find its identity. At this time, new discoveries about Ur-Sagol fascinated Negav. The Sagolian tragedy became celebrated and idealized in several famous pieces such as the play "The Fall of our Fathers". Many new buildings started to use references and motifs of that idealized Sagolian style: Massive symmetrical structures with lot of ornaments, large columns, arches and vaults. Those buildings were usually toped by large hemispherical domes and typically crowned by small cornices and horizontal molding displaying various motifs and decorations.

The style thrived and progressively extended to tapestries, sculptures and furnitures as well. It then came to a stand still for several years as people started to find it a little too rigid, geometrical and perhaps a little dull. It started to merge with various others influences. Structures became a bit less massive and symmetrical, and orderly arches gave way to more dynamic, flowing curves and whiplash. That blend progressively creating a unique style that could no longer be called "Sagolian" and thus became Neo-Sagolian.

Language

One can hear a multitude of different languages and dialects around when walking the streets of Negav. The Translation spell would allow you to understand them with ease when spoken. However when they are written, you are on your own! The dominant language in Negav is Mexhyli, a liquid and vowel-rich language from the home world of Lord Thelandros, the founder of the Ps'isol mages. It's the one taught in most schools, and used on every important informations and signs in Negav. In some of the northern and western districts, the more musical Palayam has taken roots, while in Cremona maze and other southern areas, you hear a lot of Dogrish, a complex, dense and fast sounding language that quickly convey a lot of informations. With its wide range of inflexion and tonality, Kalil is the preferred language of many merchants and storytellers alike, allowing to quickly catch and captivate the attention of an audience.

Politics

Negav is ruled by two primary factions. The Ps'isol Council, or just The Council, an order of eight powerful mages collectively known as the Ps'isol mages. Their names mean "Enlightened Ones" in the language of Tedomes Teraph, one of the founders of the order. The other faction is the Vishmitals, a highly militaristic race of humans possessing advanced technology and destructive weaponry, and control most of the Isolon Fist. The two factions eye each other suspiciously, but they know they need each other, as it is their unusual combination of scientific might and powerful magic that has kept the city safe since the Great Destruction, and so they share the power in an uneasy peace.

Like their name implies, the Ps'isol Mages rule by the sheer might of their magic. In the past, the council membership was a very tightly kept secret and only a council member knew who the others were. However, as they consolidated their power, their lifestyle became more comfortable, opulent and luxurious, and this secrecy became an annoyance with little use, and was eventually dropped altogether. Council members use a system of rotation among themselves to designate their leader. That position is currently held by the young and ambitious Lady Lesona. After their rise to power, the Council established the Magiocracy. It is a political system where the families of distinguished mages, such as Isolon Fist battlemages who made breakthroughs in the development of the city, are elevated to the rank of nobility and receive the title of Magiocrat. They are granted numerous prestiges, the most important of which being a seat at the biannual city assembly, where new laws and events are discussed and debated at great length. A mayor is also voted by Negavian citizens to serve as the general representative for the common folks during these council meetings. Although rare, it is possible for a magiocrat to acquire the title of Ps'isol Mage after passing a very difficult test. Many candidates take it, but very few ever achieve it. For the few who did, it's a recognition of one's excellent prowess at magic, and a highly regarded status inspiring awe and respect that opens numerous political gates in Negav. It's interesting to note that there has been Ps'isol Mages stripped of their title in the past, although that remains an exceedingly rare event.

The Ps'isol Council's rule is definitely authoritarian. They share most of the executive power among themselves, leaving very little outside their hands. Although lesser magiocrats and the mayor may voice their opinions, and attempt to influence which direction the city should be heading, ultimately, all decisions made by the Ps'isol Council are final. Many magiocrats, Psi'sol Mages and Vishmitals are corrupted, arrogant and condescending. There are many plots, counter-plots and maneuvers taking place behind the scenes among the many actors and political forces of that huge, dangerous city. Yet you would find few Negavians who would complain, at least not too loudly. In a world as dangerous as Felarya, security is the absolute, highest priority in the population's mind. The Council guarantees that security, thanks to their most famous creation, the Isolon Eye, allowing them a long and relatively unchallenged reign for decades to come. Indeed, for most Negavians, if the price to pay to be safe from predators is to obey the rule of a bunch of rarely seen mages who hardly bother mixing into the affairs of the simple mortals, seen as way too trivial and unworthy of their precious time, then so be it.

• credits to Servomoore, Jaette-troll, Veeshan 123 for their ideas to develop Negav and to Shady-knight for developing and rewriting the entry.