The First City

The First City, also known as the City of Glort is a mythical city located in The Fourth History of the First Fansus. Founded by the Hour themselves, it serves as a meeting place for the Hours and their agents.

Contents

Government

The First City is officially the city of the Hours, but to the knowledge of historians one of the 30 have not stepped foot in it in centuries, likely to avoid inciting their peers. Instead, each Hour is content to send a an ambassador to speak in their stead, usually one of their most trusted Names or in the case of The Maker most trusted Long. Each Hour has embassies in the First City, but matters of city government as well as negotiations between Hours traditionally take place in The One Sanctum.

There were originally twenty-one ministers, but following the death of The Great Serpent, the loss of the 21st minister, and the arrival of nine new gods-from-nowhere, there are now twenty-nine ministers. The Gods-from-Nowhere are not acknowledged as "true" Hours, and so their place in the city is unclear. The representatives of most are considered unwelcome at the One Sanctum.

The do not convene their own convention against the One Sanctum within The Temple Nil. There is no Temple Nil.

In accordance with the Sacred Truce of the Serpent, physical conflicts between Hours are strictly prohibited, including those committed by proxy through battles between congregations. While the Hours tend to adhere to this rule, fights between mortals and Long of each Hour do sometimes occur on an individual basis without sanctioning, and are dealt with accordingly. Crime does exist, and is dealt with by the city guard and the Watchers, animate statues of The Bright-Delver.

Citzenship

The First City is unique in all the Histories as the only place where the existence of the Hours and the Mansus is openly acknowledged. In fact, many Long are open citizens of the city, and intermingle freely with mortals. Many Hours have temples here, and their worship is practiced openly. Except the Nowheres, whose worship is restricted to the Temple Nil, which does not exist.

Most citizens of the First City feel no reason to venture into the world outside. Those rare few that do are often shocked to see a world that not only lacks the supernatural occurrences that are commonplace, but does not acknowledge the existence of the gods at all.

Travel to the First City is easy, to those that know where to look. The city simply is, and mortals may come and go as they please. A protection has been placed on the city to protect it from the prying eyes of the Suppression Bureau and like-minded groups, although arguably the city's inhabitants and the Bright-Delver's creations would be enough on their own to repel any mundane invader. But while travel to the holy city is a relatively simple matter to those who know where to look, locals and servants of the Hours are notoriously protective of the holy sites of their gods, making detailed explorations into the demesnes of each Hour difficult. FNORD

Locations

• The One Sanctum- Meeting place of the 20 Ministers and the seat of government of the First City. Where the representatives of the Hours administer the justice of the gods, hear audiences, and settle disputes that occur between their patron Hours in either the Mansus or the other Histories.
• The Scarlet Queen- A gentleman's club of ill repute in the more high-end district of the City. Frequented by Long of numerous principles, the club caters to all manner of tastes, both refined and depraved. Rumored to be frequented by the Name of The Peacock with the most distinguished tastes.
• The Temple Nil- Everyone in the first city will tell you: there is no Temple Nil. It is not the hidden church of the Gods from Nowhere. It does not manifest when the clock strikes midnight. It is not where the acolytes of the forbidden gods in the underbelly of the city gather to commune with their masters. It is not where the Nine Emissaries of Nowhere meet to coordinate their efforts against the One Sanctum. They do not disclose forbidden knowledge those who manage to seek them out. You should not investigate this.

The Twenty Minsters

The masters of the First City, Representatives and usually Emanations of the Hours. The minister of the Great Serpent once held seniority over the others, but vanished following the Segmentation of the Serpent.

• Jonquil represents The Apple-of-the-Eye. He doesn't seem to care much, but he gives out citizenships and architectural positions like cheap cigars. Occasionally, something will catch his interest, and he will demand his Hour have it. His adamant position of support for the Assemblage of Holy Vessels is largely secondhand.
• The Wyrmspeaker represents the Anaconda. It's unclear whether this was a mercy or a punishment for them. It appears that their orders are primarily to keep the other Ministers in line, something which they are more than capable of performing. The Wyrmspeaker never provides citizenship, but does manage the city guard along with FNORD. The Wyrmspeaker was once sanctioned for biting.
• Actia represents The Bright-Delver. Her duties are that of mediator and peacekeeper, as well as assisting the upkeep and maintenance of the city. After Jonquil, she is the most likely to offer newcomers duties and citizenship, although those who take her offers often find themselves working harder and longer. She has never ventured into The Temple Nil, of course.
• The Harvester is nominally represented by the Maw-of-Thousands. It, despite the name, is a rather harmless little automaton, a short little cylindrical machine who was once the Harvester's pride, built as a smaller version of itself, to devour that which was below its notice. It inherited its father's belligerence but none of its might, and eventually its father abandoned it in disgust and sent it as an envoy to the First City to show his contempt for the City. This turned into a blessing when the Harvester's madness grew and it devoured all its minions, but the Maw. Despite its attempts to recall the Maw, its lack of an envoy at the City apart from the Maw renders that impossible. The little Maw was the minister Elaine was sanctioned for biting.
• The Chancellor represents The Vizier. The First City is one of the few places that acknowledge the Vizier as an Hour, though the carefully constructed fiction regarding the Peacock is given lip service in public. They have a reputation as a canny negotiator, working to maintain what little direct influence their master has in the Mansus.
• Hamelink represents The Diagram. He is only mortal, but he possesses enough understanding of the Diagram to approximate optimal actions. He befriends people easily, makes enemies only reluctantly, and always knows what tea to serve to a dear guest. Every few months, he will push for a tax of love stories from incoming visitors. He is busy with matters of mortality and inheritance.
• FNORB
• FNORP, FNORE's brother
• FNORT, FNORD's cousin twice removed
• FNORE, FNORT's best friend and FNORD's former roommate.

The Nine Emissaries of Nowhere

The Nowheres are not acknowledged by the proper Hours. That does not stop their influence from being felt even here, and they have sent their emissaries to represent them, even if none care to listen. For now.

• The Prince represents The Insidious in all matters of politicking. He is a canny manipulator, uniting the Hours from nowhere as often as he sets them against each other for political gain. He doesn't mind that the Nine Emissaries aren't yet recognised in the city, instead taking advantage of the situation in order to create a network of Long spies. The time will come for The Prince and those who stand with him.
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• The Germane represents the Mendicant Without: The Mendicant Without appoints no representative, and cares little for the affairs of the First City, yet its chair is not vacant. Ever the last to arrive and the first to stand, the Diffuse who styles himself the Germane never misses a meeting. Possessed of mirth, energy and passion unbounded, he acquires opinions and discards positions as suits his mood. There is more to him, of course, but, as he'll tell you, he's not here to talk about himself.
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