Aohuten

Summary

A sprawling city stretched over mountains and deep into ravines, Aohuten is the home of the Lin, a dragonkind lineage. Grandoise buildings stretch high upon solid plateaus, reaching to the Heavens above as much as overshadowing the lands beneath them. Lush gardens the size of forests spread along crystalline rivers, cascading down into the many waterways and ravines. The ever-prevalent mists of Aochen flow in streams of their own, compelled by magical architecture into wondrous displays in the sunlight. Timeless residents of Aochen, the Lin have spent many millennia gradually taming the mountains and their prodigious rivers to suit their needs. They built for themselves a city of the most resplendent–and audacious–beauty imaginable. It suited them well, for the Lin are hedonists who find great pleasure in life's myriad offerings. Much of what they do is, ultimately, a reflection of their own personal desires shaping the world in different ways. Overtime, as Aohuten grew more, other species soon flocked to its prominence. The Lin saw little reason to turn them away, but wouldn't allow others to live in their prestigous homes directly. Instead, they left them to build upon the lower mountains and ravines, to ever live beneath the Lin and in their shadow. Aochen's mountainous terrain makes it notoriously difficult to build within, even when sophisticated veltron magics are employed. Faced with some difficult decisions from their ever-expanding population, Lintara, Matriarch of the Lin at the time, ordered for a full-scale engineering project. Since horizontal space was a premium, and they couldn't just knock down mountains, the Lin focused on vertical space instead. They sanded down entire ravines and chasms, creating smooth faces that plateaus were then carved out of. They captured entire river systems in a spider's web of aqueducts, directing the raging waters from higher peaks to lower valleys. Grand scaffolds were erected, spanning enormous distances sometimes miles apart. Then, once the foundations were all set, the Lin began filling in their new living spaces. Their efforts encountered a variety of complex problems in the realm of city building. Airflow to lower levels was a concern, as well as trapping toxic gases in places of poor ventilation. Material transport up and down required elevators and their supporting infrastructure to make reliably useful. Noise contamination meant each level had to have good insulation to prevent it from becoming deafening. Temperature regulation was also a concern as, even with the abundance of water, deeper levels got incredibly hot. Not to mention that, given the vertical nature of Aohuten, many different levels faced being locked in perpetual darkness. Initially, they tried building diagonally or favoring cut open 'light pits' as a universal solution, but increasing population density made that unfeasible in the long term. Not to mention Aochen's notoriously dense mists meant even when there was sunlight, it simply couldn't reach the bottom levels at all. Perplexed by this problem, the Lin debated on what to do for centuries. Solutions like crysium lamps or magic light-fixtures, while they did work, would have ridiculous maintenance costs at the scale of Aohuten. Even dragons had a limit to how much money they'd throw at a project, and the Lin had long exceeded that limit already. It wouldn't be until the venerated rachtoh engineer, Kalrynti, proposed a plan that the Lin's dilemma would be resolved. An immigrant to Aohuten, Kalrynti and her family were guests of the Lin who sought a steady source of rachtoh silk. Kalrynti herself fancied engineering and construction over weaving, making her something of a fringe member of her weaver-centric family. Intrigued by the lighting problems of the lower levels of Aohuten, Kalrynti spent years investigating potential solutions. It wouldn't be until her experimental breeding of a bioluminescent algae that she found the missing link. By constructing special pipe systems throughout the dark levels of Aohuten and filling it with the algae, a running water flow could create self-powering light. The algae itself fed off the mineral and mana-rich waters flowing from the mountains, intensified by the presence of the Lin dragons. When combined with ventilation designs, they also aided in temperature transfer, effectively cooling much of the airspace as well. A few decades of breeding brighter and more luminous algae, and Kalrynti's design soon filled the depths of Aohuten. In recognition of her achievement, the Lin named this new water system Kalrynti's Light, and created a crysium statue in her honor at the central water works. Many thousands of years later since, the name and statue remain, tended to by the Lin. Thanks to Kalrynti's work, the dark depths of Aohuten remain vividly bright and welcoming. In turn, the Lin and other denizens have created beautiful gardens and complex architecture to fully realize such sublimity. It became a central hallmark of Aohuten, which continued to grow more and more into a prosperously large and safe city in Aochen. The more Aohuten grew, the farther its webwork of trade routes and highways stretched. Virtually uncontested as a regional power, one could easily say that any road they found would, eventually, lead to Aohuten. Not that such roads were easy to traverse, be it from Aochen's deceptive weather or the exotic mountain beasts that prowled the mists. Still, its existence meant other cities could grow, either by trade or learning the secrets of building the Lin pioneered. Few, even in the thousands of years since Aohuten's founding, have come close to the splendor of the City of Rivers and Lakes.

Demographics

Dragonkind (minority)

Rachtoh

Baatari (minority)

As the greatest capital within Aochen, Aohuten is a very large and ecologically diverse city. The Lin are notable as one of the more tolerant (if not 'accepting') lineages of dragonkind, and see little issue in allowing others to settle in their lands. Since they also don't have much of a bite for conquest, Aohuten tends to be a very large, stabilizing 'neutral' power in Aochen as well. There's notably a large rachtoh-centric population spread throughout Aohuten, and are perhaps the greatest-by-number of the demographics. The Lin especially favor them, giving them a privilege of power in Aohuten others do not easily gain themselves. Coincidentally, the Lin also tend to command an impressive arsenal of silk-based wares for their crafts.

Infrastructure

Aohuten's construction shows some very different concerns in a number of areas. The 'original' Aohuten, or the Shimmering Lakes where the Lin dragons live, is built in the realms of the same incredible artistry dragons are known for. On the other hand, the greater Aohuten ravines and levels where everyone else lives are much more ... varied, in both quality and design goals. After half the city burned down one time, the Lin razed the other half and promptly ordained a new construction methodology. Despite how unpopular such extreme measures made them, their ironclad rule nonetheless remained despite the explosive protests. Centuries later, none of the pre-reformation Aohuten remains to be found. Instead, the post-reformation structure has ever continued to serve for the basis of the city's ongoing expansion. Generally, the Lin directly oversee two of the major organs of Aohuten: the Kalrynti Water Works, and the Ravine Frameworks. In doing so, they secure the arteries and bones of the city, and so all others build atop them. As long as no one unduly damages or disrupts these organs, the Lin are willing to look away and not bother with such trouble. Most forms of governmental delegation go to their favored rachtoh, or to any 'public servant' they deem desirable enough to work in their stead. In Aohuten, nepotism is the rule, not a dirty word.

Kalrynti Waterworks

The waterworks are a series of river-and-lake regulating complexes that manage the incoming waters from the surrounding mountains. A variety of machkinery handles the brunt of the work, and is overseen by Lin dragons and their myriad puppet servants. While this ensures the overall structure of the waterworks runs smoothly, the work involved closer to the end-points is a bit more contentious. The Lin normally leave that to more local plumbers who handle households, restaurants, spas, inns, and any other place needing water flow. Of course, where there are people, there is sewage as well, and handling the outflow of waste is a principle concern. Originally the Lin simply dumped it further down the stream, but after angering several dragon lineages in doing so, were forced to look at water treatment options. The requisite space and personnel needed to do so dramatically expanded the overall water works as a result. However, Aohuten is most likely a world-leader in its sophisticated water treatment. The city makes remarkable usage of recycling water, with a shockingly minimal intake of virgin sources. The lauraume residents in particular are attributed success in this regard, as they often seek to make self-enclosed ecological loops. The Lin were more than happy to let them take the initiative on that front, as it meant less of their time being wasted.

Ravine Frameworks

Aohuten's concept of districts designates areas via ravines, and the frameworks are the physical supports that every structure builds off of. Impressive feats of engineering and magic, these immense metal-and-stone beams form the skeleton of civilization that all others utilize. Their creation method is a proprietary secret of the Lin, and only they are allowed to work on the frameworks directly. Since they are largely passive structures, the Lin monitor the stress and weight-bearing capacities for any signs of failure that need addressing. One so-called safety measure is that if any one section of the frameworks would collapse, the damage is purely vertical and shouldn't 'cascade' fail the connecting frames either. However, thanks to how ridiculously over-engineered the frameworks are in the first place, there have been very few instances of them failing. Most could be attributed to either deliberate sabotage, or an absurd series of coincidences colliding together (e.g, barrels of acid compounds left to melt a weight-bearing junction for years because someone lost their storage logs about said barrels).

The Shimmering Lakes

The actual homes of the Lin dragons, situated at the center of Aohuten, upon the high plateaus and carved mountainsides. It's a vibrant scenery of crystal clear (and colored) waters, set against the high-contrast colors of Lin sweeping and curved architecture. Anything from a residence to a mage's research building can be found, making the Shimmering Lakes a self-contained city unto itself. As only the Lin and their favored vassals are allowed within, it is often more seen from a distance than closely inspected proper. As Aohuten grew, the Lin decentralized some of their more 'fun entertainment' from the Shimmering Lakes. The likes of inns, theaters, sports arenas, and more were relocated into the more prosperous ravines of the city and along the Willowed Band. It sufficed for projecting their authority as much as indulging in the wonders that Aohuten's traders brought within. While such buildings weren't intended to be governmental in nature, the fact the Lin rule everything often meant they became so anyway. The Shimmering Lakes, in turn, developed into a 'quieter' place. If the Willowed Band and its ilk were the 'loud party', then the Lakes became the 'quiet get-together'. The Lin value their privacy and homeliness, something that ironically contrasts their extroverted pleasure-seeking. Though some may mistake the idea of the Lin's quietness as something ascetic, that is nowhere close to the extravagance they continue to indulge in. A number of archives are known to be sequestered away, containing the myriad plays, stories, art pieces, and other delights the Lin collect. No one outside the lineage truly knows how vast such archives may be, or how much history the Lin have stored. Despite their seeming isolation from many affairs, the Lin have long whiskers that stretch into all sorts of business.

The Willowed Band

A long, stretching series of districts radiating out from central Aohuten, the Willowed Band is the upperclass, affluent, and wealthy region of the sprawling city. Typically built along the tops of the ravines and frameworks, it's prominently the place in Aohuten with the luxury of direct and unfettered sky access. Its namesake comes from the many willow trees grown by the Lin dragons along the waterways. With an over emphasis on beauty, pleasure, and service, the Willowed Band is the epitome of hedonism the Lin are known for. Great attention goes into creating entertainment circuits that catered to every sense, pleasure, pain, or otherwise a person could desire. Endless activity fills the Band, day and night, with no two days ever having the exact same schedules or activities. For many, the Band is the highest point in Aohuten they'll ever reach.

Roadways of Shifting Stars

The illustriously named highway system of Aohuten is timelessly known for two things: leading those lost in the mists, and the wondrous glittering starlight of the stones. The Lin, ever wanting solutions to serious problems in the most efficient way possible, pondered over the issues of the highways in Aochen. They cared little for guarding such roads, as anyone in Aochen either had the ability to protect themselves, or didn't belong. They did, however, have to make the roads actually usable. They received help in this endeavor from the Rom, one of the most magically-inclined lineages of all dragonkind. In exchange for designing the highway, the Lin traded away some valued secrets, though no one knows exactly what it was the Rom wanted. In turn, the Rom gave to the Lin a small secret of starlight–or so the Lin claim, at least. Most are willing to believe it, as the brickwork embodies the beautiful twinkles and lights of the night sky. More specifically, the roadway idly churns the mana-filled mists of Aochen, and the faint, ambient light of stars, into a self-maintaining form of magic. The roadway clears away the most obstructive of mists, and the faint light provides both guidance and beckoning in the mountains. It perfectly aligns with the Lin's careful arrangement of the pathways throughout the mountains, preferring safety and reliability over raw speed. These features make the Roadways of Shifting Stars one of the most reliable ways of moving around Aochen. No end of people pitch up toll stations or blockages to try and exact taxes. As long as they pay their tithe to the Lin, most of such tolls are left as is. For those unwilling or able to pay such prices, the much more dangerous mountain routes are their only other option.

Type

Capital

Population

500,000+

Location under

Aochen

Entry for WorldEmber 2023

Answering: "Settlement Special Category"

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