Gold Ring
Gold Ring (ゴールドリング) is a city on the gulf coast of ColVilous salt lake, and is by far the largest city on the Tal. Currently the city is shaped like a crescent moon and seems to aim at completely encircling the outskirts of the ColVilous salt lake and living up to its name of "Gold Ring". This great city is also known as "the golden metropolis".
Citizens include all kinds of sentient races on planet Tal. Primarily, the citizens are sergals and agudners, the Southern species being natives here. Although nevreans live here as well, they are few in number as they originally arrived as emigrants.
A lot of people live a comfortable life, but the degree of comfort varies according to place and race. There is no danger of wild creatures because there is no hostile wildlife in the city, and no nearby forests. The biggest problems in the city are crimes and problems that are caused by people.
The state of life here can be seen in the Vilous comic Daily Life of Gold Ring.
 This article contains information classified under the New Age canon. |
Beginning and history
Several hundred years B.C.E., a part of the ancient Agur (precursors to the modern agudners) left their villages by the forests around the Lower Magoe and ventured out into the southern deserts, eventually encountering the nomadic gypsy Southern sergals. Together they settled on the shores of the vast salt lake ColVilous. This settlement would eventually grow to become Gold Ring. Here, the Southern sergals and agudners drafted a constitution to formalize their everlasting cooperation and friendship.
After that, until the beginning of the war, Gold Ring existed as the city for sergals and agudners. There was limited cultural exchange with the west, the people of the western Vetla musical troupe (composed of Western sergals and native nevreans) were limited to only visiting Gold Ring once every two to three years during large events like the Gold Ring Festival. Gold Ring's citizens had friendly relations with those in western cultures, but the basic laws and society still guaranteed equal rights only for Gold Ring native races (notably, excluding nevreans) up until RC 70.
Prewar days
Up until the beginning of the world war, the people of Gold Ring had passed comparatively calm and quiet days. Every system and culture was considerably traditional and not strict, even the currency system was not strictly defined. There was a rough barter system in most of Tal, and Gold Ring was no exception. In page 2 of Vilous Comic episode 3, one can see Ken, who wants shells as the toll for his shortcut, but only because he collects shells as his hobby.
While the main culture was composed of 'brown people' - native Gold Ring residents like Southern sergals and agudners who have brown or similar colors as their primary color - their daily culture and entertainment was quite flat and dull. In those times, the Gold Ring Festival was really large-scale and the most exciting event for everyone in Gold Ring, people attended the festival both for pleasure and in seeking excitement. You can see an example of these prewar times in the Vilous Comic episode 3, "At the Festival".
After the war
After the war started, and until a few years after the war ended, the Gold Ring Festival couldn't be held because the merchants couldn't work. Most of Tal had received significant damage due to a thoroughly destroyed distribution network as a consequence of the war. Reconstruction proceeded rapidly after the war, because people who deeply love the festival and merchants traveled to Reono at full speed. And conversely, nevreans and other western people came to Gold Ring where the population was decreasing.
The Gold Ring civilization advanced abruptly during this time. The cost of resources soared and many people began robbing things by force.
Male nevreans were a primary driving force behind this rapid economic development. A lot of showy, rabid, rampant entertainments proliferated explosively because of the existence of male nevreans, like floor shows, cabarets, and brothels. Gorgeous fashion also increased rapidly. 'Brown people' were attracted to their vivid color. Along with that, the advertising industry also developed rapidly. Every shop began to compete for customers. It become impossible to follow all trade with only the traditional barter system, so Gold Ring began minting currencies with a vague system in a fumbling way, and paper bills appeared at that time. But people, having never touched paper money until this, were very confused and frequently brawled during this period of unstable currency and rapid economic change. Peace and public order in Gold Ring temporarily deteriorated (also as a result of this, peoples' accumulated dissatisfaction and stress changed to antipathy against spooky and suspicious female nevreans, this being one of the reasons widespread racial discrimination against nevreans happened in Gold Ring after the world war). Due to this, the government of Gold Ring began to review the Cevia system. Finally, strict currency system was defined properly after about RC 70.
Buildings
Major buildings are made from the huge monoliths which have existed since old days. People hollow out them and have used them as old buildings since a long time ago.There are also newer divisions that were built in the early modern times.
Mysterious tall, cylindrical buildings can also be seen on the west coast. Nothing is known about these, and there are no windows or entrances. In modern times, most of these are modified by people, and are used as housing. Some are also inhabited by primitive creatures.
2016/11/14 The canon was changed: buildings like this became located in the far south of Tal instead of Gold Ring's.
Areas
In the central-most area, there are government facilities, government offices, and old temples that were made from ancient monoliths. There are also areas where nobles, bureaucrats, and the Judda live. Specifically, Judda live in temples. In the opposite side of temples, there are dungeons and prisons for felons.
Buldings closer to the center are older than those further out, the oldest having existed since the founding of the city. Most of those have sublime appearances although they are old buildings.
People must pass through resident registration if they do business or live in central area. It is not as strict on the outer edges, where everyone can build houses and do business freely.
Citizens
The majority of citizens are comprised of Southern sergals, Eastern sergals, and agudners. Urban nevreans are fewer in number than sergals or agudners and they are still treated as foreign residents due to their newer history as citizens of Gold Ring.
After the world war but before the year 70 in Rain-Calendar, most nevreans experienced racial discrimination for various reasons.
Racial treatment for nevreans was very unfair, merciless, and direful for a long time. Even their lives were downplayed and they were often sacrificed in "vore shows" (discussed later). This would ease gradually over time and eventually a new law was passed giving them fair 'human rights'.
Nobles who live in central areas are comprised of sergals and agudners primarily, keeping their races pure with strong bloodlines since the beginning of Gold Ring. The aristocratic sergals of the central area are only pure southern sergals, and have kept their traditional brown fur and extremely small build due to continued inbreeding and incest among aristocratic families.
Society and culture
Religion
There is a religion named "Gold Ring", same as the city's name. The concept is based on the relationship and history of Southern sergals and agudners. It brings together and organizes the community.
| The Sun and the Ocean
Long ago, an ancient lake was formed by the God of the Sun as proof of his existence. Filled deep with water, the lake was naught but a shadow-like void. But from this chaos, the three important elements were born — water, wind, and salt. The first living creatures emerged from the lake as a reflection of the Sun God. Then came land, which was formed from the creature's excrement. The salt was particularly important, as it marked the difference between the creatures of Eltus, and the alien creatures of Tal. It is said that a person will feel pain when salt is applied to an open wound, because long ago the Gods used this sharp pain from salt to awaken the first fish using saltwater. This gift of awakening granted the Eltus creatures the senses, including touch, smell, and thought. It was this ability to process and feel which finally lead to the development of true emotions, something unique to the Eltus. Using these new traits, the Eltus people were born and were able to find each other and come together as a unified people. |
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Mankind |
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Sergal Legends and Customs |
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Agudner Legends and Customs |
Sexuality
There are various sexual preferences among the people due to wide races. Some nevreans are 'kept' by rich people.
Due to their history and relationship, it is very common for there to be joint-families that are comprised of sergals and agudners.
Eltus species can't reproduce inter-racially. Because of this, homosexual relationships between sergals and agudners are not treated as homosexual.
Entertainments
In the old days before nevreans came to Gold Ring, people enjoyed familiar pastimes. Children were mainly playing marbles, tiddlywinks, hop scotch and so on. Adults were enjoying sexual flirtations, and gamble-like games. It was exciting to hear the travel stories from merchants. When primitive creatures occasionally appeared in the city, people went to see them for fun.
Nevreans came to Gold Ring on year 28 of Rain-Calendar, and after the world war ended in year 50, the influence of male nevreans led to a major shift in the everyday entertainment of the whole city. A lot of showy, rabid, rampant entertainments increased explosively, such as floor shows, cabarets, and brothels. Lust for pornography and violence also developed among the people. A lot of bloody shows were held in the markets and in places near the salt lake for bigger events: the dismantling of creatures that had been brought in from the forest, and watching fights between them. Along these, there are many other, strange entertainments.
A while after the world war, "vore shows" were held in underground theaters due to influence of General Rain. They were performed by sergals, nevreans, and talyxian-stalkers mainly. Generally, for most of the events, the sacrifices were various creatures such as pigeons or cows. For more illegal places however, even Eltus races were sacrificed. In these cases, most of the victims were nevreans, due to the 'discrimination against nevreans' that continued until after year 70 of Rain-calendar. Most of these were not clamped down on until 'human rights' for nevreans were definitively guaranteed by law.
Politics
Government
Basic laws were guaranteed for only sergals and agudners until year 70 of the Rain-Calendar, because they are native citizens of Gold Ring. Nevreans were treated as foreign residents, and did not have complete 'human rights'. Because of this, many of them were bought, put in lower class, and treated in an inhumane manner. After year 70 of the Rain-calendar, new laws guaranteed definite 'human rights' for nevreans, and treated them as "the third race of Gold Ring". In addition, talyxian-stalkers also have same rights as an intelligent race. (Rooters are the exception to this and are inapplicable, because they are in an extraordinary special position.)
The political system is a representative system by the nobles, who also sometimes consult talyxian-rooters for their opinions. There is no head of state or president in Gold Ring. (There is the Judda, but they are more of a symbol and do not participate in politics.) Talyxian-Rooters can't participate in politics directly. There is a law among them that Talyxian-rooters must not participate in Eltus' politics directly and can only provide opinions when Eltus people need them.
This organized administration developed suddenly after the world war. Before the world war, it consisted of a considerably old and relaxed system. Seeing from the whole land, the welfare or the study are superior. But, it almost depend on mutual help action for it, so it is hard to say that it is established.
Legal issues
Murder, theft, and rape are prohibited by law indefinitely. However, all of theft and rape are not clamped down on because these cases can occur very frequently. If someone is detained and convicted, they receive punishment depending on the crime. In the dangerous areas, a careless person may be treated as the guilty one instead of the offenders. There are also often cases where things are justified through battle (trial by combat).
Eltus race people usually have a resident register and a domiciliary register. Because of this, they will suffer a suitable penalty when they receive retribution or punishment by law. It doesn't apply to ones who have no such register, but such individuals lack rights such as receiving vindication as a victim.
Gold Ring vigilance committee
The vigilance committee rules a wide range of Southern lands (including Gold Ring, the neighboring municipalities, surrounding rural areas, and small towns). It has both roles of the police and the armies.
They are not definite armies such as the Shigu Clan, instead they operate something like Japan's Self-Defense Forces. In the event of an emergency, vigilance committee members will be gathered and receive a salary for their service. Sometimes there are training events for such cases.
Gallery
Somewhere on a market street, Quzue and Priley the male nevrean merchants pull their sale cart.
A festival. Every Eltus race is there. Sergals, nevreans and agudners can be seen.
Sergal soldiers are slaying a tentacle creature that attacked the city. Note: The nevrean couple is male (left) and female (right).
Chatting urban male nevreans. Picture from the Vilous Official Art Pack.
Urban nevreans. The female is enjoying an email via portable fax while the male talks from the window.
A rich southern sergal enjoying dinner. Picture from the Vilous Official Art Pack.
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