Eddling: The Rutile City of Nottish Ins

Transit

Nottish Ins is one of the largest principalities in Eddling, and the Rutile City is one of its largest urban centers. Most major train-, ship-, and airlines offer service to the Rutile City; check your company of choice for their schedules.

Travel within the Rutile City is made slightly more complex than usual due to the city’s different eras of construction; the central district is made of curving roads and angled corners, while the outer streets are placed on a more common urban grid. This makes travel in the outer districts predictable, while the inner-city is a bit more organic.

In the outer-city, trolleys and rolling-trams travel down every fourth street, and cost only a Qua-Tin to ride. Most of the trolleys serve one street only, while the outermost streets are served by “ring-trolleys,” or trams that travel a circular route around the city, rather than back and forth. These trolleys are labeled by letter instead of street-name; the A-Line, for example, instead of the Grimsby-Street-Line.

The N-track Subway covers the whole city, and is perhaps the quickest way to get from one end of the city to the other, though I don’t recommend it for tourists. There is not much sightseeing to be had in the underground, and the locals may not appreciate it if any confusion over an unfamiliar transit system causes delays in the turnstiles.

The inner-city has several trolleys too, but they have a less straightforward structure to them. Be sure to bring a map if you need to find your way through the inner-city, as the streets can get quite confusing to navigate as they twist and wind like snakes.

Nottish Ins is one of the few cities in Eddling that has regular taxi services. They can be hard to find, however, and may be quite expensive to use depending on how far across the city you’re going. The plus side is Eddling law forces taxi drivers to state a ride’s fare before their vehicle is allowed to move, so you shouldn’t be in for any surprises.

The Place

One of the first cities founded in Nottish Ins, the Rutile City was originally named Carit Craig and was the largest Rekek town in Eddling. After arrival of the Eddlingers, Carit Craig became a capital of intercultural mingling and grew larger still, adopting the ‘Rutile City’ moniker. Eventually, after the establishment of Eddling as a country, the town was officially renamed to the Rutile City in 1852, though many locals still use its original name.

Much like the cities of Paris, New York, or Sevile, Carit Craig is filled with a magical combination of Eddling culture and must-see landmarks. Rather than detail them all here, I will devote myself to them at length in the following Things To Do section. Here, I will talk largely about the city itself.

The city is divided into two parts; the inner- and outer-city. The inner-city is more or less the historical town of Carit Craig, though there have been multiple additions and moves towards urbanization over the years. The outer-city is everything that was built after the official establishment of Nottish Ins as a principality of Eddling, and comprises almost two-thirds of the entire city’s size and population.

Built almost entirely from basalt, the Rutile city is famous for the unique geometric patterns on its buildings. As suggested by the city’s name, bare rutile and rutiled quartz are commonly used as decorative accents, giving the city a shimmering glow during the daylight hours. The architecture is a blending of Rekek style and Eddling sensibilities. While the outer-city has a wider variety of architectural styles, the inner-city is a feast for the eyes, such that the inner-city has been called ’the largest open-air art gallery’ in the world.

I urge any visitor to the Rutile City to plan at least three days to simply walk about the city on foot, finding whatever beautiful buildings you stumble across. If you want guidance, the Nottish Ins Tourist Council provides inner-city maps with suggested spots to see a good sample of the city’s grand architecture.

One of the unique features of the city is the prevalence of water-fixtures on roofs. Rain being common in Eddling, Rekek architecture incorporates a large number of features to either protect form or utilize rain. The common example is gargoyles — called bluglits, a diminutive form of the onomatopoeia for rushing water — which are of a much different nature than the ones originating in the gothic style; rather than elongated water-spout statues, bluglits are elegantly decorated funnels that focus and direct rainwater away from the building, often into large pools or fountains at the base of the building.

Additionally, Rekek engineers are noted for having discovered hydraulic rams, impedance pumps, pulser pumps, and valvular conduits before their discoveries in the wider world. Roof-pumps, charcoal-filtering cisterns, and papans — the earliest example of impedance pumps, made from copper pipes connected by treated animal intestine — are all common.

For myself, I can think of three buildings in particular that exemplify the best of Rutile City architecture: the Onion Opera House, the City Council Hall, and the Glotten Piy.

Onion Opera House

Built in 1833, the Onion’s actual name is ’the Gragen Hoos,’ or “the Shining Flower-plant,” but it was quickly nicknamed the Onion due to its distinctive patterning and layered interior.

An exemplar of Rekek architecture, the outer basalt walls are carefully laid with red-clay mortar, giving the building an otherworldly sheen when hit by the early morning light. the ubiquitous rutile accents are placed largely on the supports of the building, as well as the roof’s many bluglits.

Of particular interest is the Onion’s Cap; the roof section of the Onion Opera House. The Onion’s Cap is one of the largest olapaps — a roof water-instrument similar to the japanese suikinkutsu — in Eddling. Sitting in the upper rooms of the Onion during a rain-storm is a beautiful experience, as the rain filters down and drops on metal basins just above the ceiling and creating a soft effervescent music in the room below.

Of course, you can’t plan a rainstorm, but travelers to the Rutile City should be prepared to adjust your schedule should a heavy rain give you the opportunity to experience the Onion’s Cap.

The rest of the inside of the Onion Opera House is a marvel of architectural acoustics. Built with curving internal walls and sound channels, as well as indoor eves and carefully shaped ducting, the sounds on the stage are magnified through almost the entire building, while privacy alcoves, boxes, and back-stage areas are well muted. The layered walls and thin hallways give the Onion its name, while carefully sliced and polished basalt bricks give it a unique irregular mosaic pattern, called crazy honeycomb by local architects.

City Council Hall

An inestimable example of the rutile material used as decoration, City Council Hall is one of the most beautiful buildings in all of the Rutile City. Built entirely from rutiled quartz, the thick polished walls glitter in the sunlight like a beacon, reflecting off the thin interlocking needles of red and gold. Accented with long bands of brown oak and silver metal, the City Council Hall is a sparkling jewel in a sea of beautiful buildings.

When visiting the building, note the corners of City Council Hall and their four carved pillars. Each corner is devoted to a different rekek god:¹ Rotop, the god of food and harvest; Elliw, the god of birth, death, and doorways; Welliok, the god of poetry and dance; and Pol Dom, the god of knowledge and justice. Each pillar begins at the bottom with a carefully sculpted head of their respective god, followed by reliefs and pictorial stories of their life and legend. Placing a representation of a noted or important figure at the bottom of a statue or sculpture is common in Eddling culture, as this displays the figure’s foundational nature. It is also probably connected to the Eddling practice of reading bottom-to-top.

The main doors of the City Council Hall are adorned with polished bronze statues of the twin spirits of thought, Urdo and Urdap. Patron gods of councils and scientists, Urdo and Urdap represent the practice of careful study, consideration, analysis, and wisdom. Atop the doors recline the twins’ noble hound, Wrasklamorga, carved in the ancient style of a fierce and aggressive guardian, ready to bite, scratch, and tear the throat out of any who shout too loud and startle the twins from their considerations. Modern depictions of Wrasklamorga present a gentler soul, more likely to drag an offender out of the building by the leg, rather than paint the besalt floor with blood.

If you get the chance to explore the insides of City Council Hall, note how each doorway is carved with a story from folk-legend. This is done to honor Elliw, as the god of change, transition, and boundaries. The climax of each story is represented at the doorway’s transom, and often includes a depiction of Elliw overseeing the moment of transition.

Glotten Piy

Perhaps the most famous building in Nottish Ins, if not all of Eddling, the Glotten Piy was a cathedral commissioned in 1792 by King Hougont. As part of his Holy Apology, the King gifted the cathedral to the Church of Eddling after its completion in 1813, for which King Hougont received an official forgiveness from Cardinal Kaire.

The Glotten Piy was officially donated to the public by the Church in 1976, and has become a universal place of worship for all creeds and colors. Its central chapel has been redesigned since this donation, and has been given numerous alcoves and apses each dedicated to a specific god, spirit, or shrine of worship.

Originally built in the traditional early-Rekoto style, the external walls and roof of the building were made from simple plaster; all the artistry was saved for the inner walls and ceiling. When visiting the entryway, every piece of ornamentation and embellishment dates from the late 1790s to the early 1800s.

The outside of the building was given its own ornamentation in 1934, when several additional pillars, frescoes, and bas-reliefs were commissioned by Cardinal Loschel. Several ornamental buttresses were also added, giving the building its distinct shape of today.

The famous “Orgai at Mount Scala” relief adorns the outside of the building on its eastern side. Sculpted in 1936 by Egari Trodanus, the relief has been carefully preserved by the Nottish Ins Tourist Council. While there is ongoing discussion about cutting the relief from the wall and placing it in a museum — or at least indoors — be aware that simply because you can touch the relief, the council takes a dim view of anyone trying to do so. Don’t touch unless you want a stern talking to and undue attention from the local police.

The roof of the Glotten Piy uses a rain-fed cistern to fuel one of the first known examples of a pulser pump, that powers both the outdoor sheet-fountain and the indoor flower fountain on the first floor. This pump is strong enough to feed water to various water-fixtures throughout the building, as well as the cleansing font at the cathedral’s entrance.

Accommodations

The Rutile City has a plethora of hotel chains and available rooms to rent; picking where to stay may end up being one of your most important decisions when visiting Nottish Ins.

If your concern is price, you should look for a hotel in the Barris district, just to the south of the outer-city. the Kind Palace is one of the better options, with easily walkable access to multiple subway lines. Rooms go for 10t a night, and meals are provided for only a nominal charge.

The best location is a hotly debatable topic, depending on what you’re eager to see. I personally find the Gorgol Inn to be an ideal choice. While the rooms are expensive at 40t a night, they come with meals and laundry service with no added fee. The rooms are large and comfortable, and the hotel is centrally located between multiple must-see landmarks, such as the Melu Arch, the Kindar gardens, and the Olk. Be sure to call ahead for availability, however, as reservations may need to be made up to half a year in advance.

The most famous hotel is certainly the Blue Rose Hotel on Spade street, known mostly for its role as a central headquarters during the Petal Revolution. An ideal place for tourists who wish to sleep in a landmark-worthy local, rooms can cost anywhere from 30t to 50t a night, depending on how long you’re staying and which famous room you are staying in.

If you are concerned about availability or are traveling during the busy season, you could consider Bed-stops. These are small and cheap rooms, usually part of an apartment building or dormitory, that are little more than a bed and bathroom. Bed-stopping is usually utilized by backpackers or thrifty travelers who are not planning to spend more than two or three days in Nottish Ins. While the rooms are clean and safe, I wouldn’t recommend them for any tourist’s first time, as you should certainly spend longer than three days for your visit. They are, however, a viable option for your second or third visit, if you only have a few goals for your vacation.

Things to Do

This was one of the most difficult sections I had to write — not because it was difficult to come up with ideas, but rather I had too many. Trimming the list down to a manageable level was difficult, and in some cases heartbreaking.

Please don’t take my list to be comprehensive; there is always more to see in the Rutile City of Nottish Ins. It is a city of great beauty, and while it may not have the established history of older lands like Garm or Flororenghashst, it holds an incredible amount of sightseeing opportunities for any and all who take the time to explore.

The Melu Arch

If you know of Nottish Ins, you likely know the Melu Arch. Located on the northern side of the outer-city, the Melu Arch was built during the city’s founding. Commissioned by the First Duke of Nottish, the Melu Arch is built entirely from rutile, and many people believe, erroneously, that this is where the city gets its name. Measuring twenty feet tall at its apex, the Melu Arch was intended to be a symbolic gateway to the city, separating your outside troubles from the joy and comfort you can find in Nottish Ins. Since it is now surrounded by the outer-city, the symbolism has shifted to being a gateway to peaceful future for all citizens.

The Arch itself is heavily decorated with bas-reliefs and small grotesques. Both legs of the arch depict historical events and mythological stories, sometimes in cleverly humorous ways. The Battle of the Tommb, for example, is mixed with the Legend of Bouncing Jan, suggesting the battle was foolish and nonsensical. The most famous grotesque on the arch is the Dragon of Sen, whose neck and wings adorn the top of the eastern leg. Binoculars will likely be necessary to observe her impish grin, and if you pay close attention to her left forepaw, you will see the head of King Fuust in her claws, complete with half-shaven beard; a cheeky addition, to be sure.

Kindar Gardens

The Kindar Gardens are the seven enclosed parks that sit on the southern side of the outer-city. They are smaller than one might suspect, given their popularity, but nowhere in Eddling is there a larger and more diverse display of wildflowers.

built as terrace gardens, each of the Kindar Gardens was originally used as farmland before the creation of the outer-city. As the other farm plots dwindled and relocated while the city grew, the Kindar family repurposed their farmland to grow exotic transplants such as the Japanese iris, Canna lilies, Kannis bluewart, and rumweed.

Donated to the city in 1860, the Kindar Gardens are oases for many exotic birds and insects from all over the globe. Birders and entomologists are common visitors to the Gardens, to see the rare and unique species that call the gardens home. If you are interested in birds or insects, make sure you take the time to stop and smell the garden during your trip.

The Kindar Rootbeetle

The Kindar Rootbeetle is a unique indigenous beetle to the gardens. Discovered in 1945, the Kindar Rootbeetle is a breed of Lucanidae known for its long yellow elytra and bright red mandibles. It is also famous for being one of the only members of the Lucanidae family where both males and females have mandibles of equal size. While males still use their mandibles to fight, females have shown no similar violent behaviors, and what they use these mandibles for remains unknown.

Nicknamed “Jawbeetles” in the local language, Rootbeetles are considered signs of virility and good luck, and petting one is sure to grant you good-fortune. Export of Rootbeetles is prohibited, so don’t plan on bringing one home as a pet.

In Fenning culture, the mandable of a Rootbeetle is a powerful totem, and the great folk-hero Waok had two Rootbeetle mandibles growing out of their head.

Tommb Lake and River

The Tommb is a large freshwater lake fed by a thin river also called the Tommb. Fed from an artesian well higher up in the nearby mountains, the Tommb is one of the clearest bodies of water in the world, with pockets of iridescent green that comes from microscopic algae colonies that thrive on the lake bottom.

The Tommb river is a significant landmark in the city, similar to the Grand Canal in Venice or the Thames in London. While it is both much thinner and less central² than the other two, it is still a significant location to Nottish Ins, present on their stamps and city crest.

The river is sometimes used for punting, though line-ferries³ are far more common watercraft. Small outlooks line the river with chairs, benches, and shade-trees. Street-food is often found here, and it is quite easy to spend an evening enjoying the atmosphere.

If you prefer more activity, walking the shore of the Tommb will take you on a delightful tour of Nottish Ins architecture and historical buildings. Be sure to stop off at Ring-e-ding’s Creamery for some of the finest ice-cream in the country.

The Ullbek Pharsifaar

Known more commonly by its rough translation — the Opensky Symposium — the Ullbek Pharsifaar is a perfect example of Eddling experimental architecture. Build by the Resplendent Artisans and Architects of northern Eddling, the Opensky Symposium represents their ideals of Ordered Placement; to wit: a place for everything and everything in its place.

The intent behind Pharsifaars is to have a place where people can think openly on problems, muse over curiosities, and discuss absurdities without fear of reprisal or scorn. Much as volume is heavily regulated in libraries, so is laughter regulated in Pharsifaars. They are all created with open floor plans, sometimes without doors. Several of the Pharsifaars in Eddling have no floors or roofs, instead being open to the air and grass, and making the buildings more like open gardens than enclosed buildings.

The Ullbek Pharsifaar is open to the public, but be ready for the Sageants in charge of maintaining peace and order to give you a run-down of expected and unaccepted behavior. It may seem rudimentary, but the atmosphere of acceptance in the Pharsifaar is something that Nottish Ins takes very seriously.

Longly Waks⁴ and The Visage

The Longly Waks is shorter than I first imagined; reaching from Bobbins lane to Hoops street on the eastern side of the inner-city. It is the only stretch of the Longly Wall that still stands, the rest having been torn down two decades ago. The wall itself is interesting for its historical importance, but The Visage is the real sight to see.

Built by Rekek masons, the Visage is a three meter tall face set into the wall. Its eyes and mouth are hinged, so that they may be opened and closed by a series of levers and pulleys. While there is plenty of evidence that the surviving machinery was once connected to something inside the wall, there is nothing there now. The eyes and mouth currently remain closed, save for specific holidays when the eyes are opened “so the Visage can see the people’s joy.” The mouth, on the other hand, is regularly adjusted between smiling, frowning, and a neutral expression, depending on the news of the day. While the Nottish Ins city council remains adamant that they do not do this, it is widely understood that this is a kind of kayfabe.

A remarkable construction, legend says that the Visage is a wise and compassionate being, capable of great council and wisdom for anyone who seeks its aid. According to legend, if one were to write out a question on a specially blessed paper and slip it between the Visage’s eyelids, they may return after one day and one hour to hear the answer from the Visage’s own lips. The Visage has, of course, remained silent for many generations, but local tradition is still to write out your problems and place them between the eyelids. When the paper is removed, either by weather or custodian, your problems will fade as well.

Mother Wink’s Tavern

Mother Wink’s Tavern is, without a doubt, one of the greatest eateries in Nottish Ins, if not all of Eddling.

Centrally located in the inner-city, Mother Wink’s Tavern is not well signed, so it can be quite easy to accidentally pass by the tavern three or four times. My advice is to follow your nose once you reach Redding Lane, as the smell of cooking will guide you better than the anemic signage.

Mother Wink’s is a modestly sized establishment, officially seating no more than thirty at a time. Unofficially, Mother Wink is famed for always having a chair, a cushion, or a windowsill for any hungery traveler who comes her way. Mother Wink’s specializes in soups, stews, pouches, and hardwraps, and is famous for having no utensils apart from fluted drinking-bowls, cups, and square flat-plates. For the meals that require them, there are freshly peeled sharpsticks, which can be used similar to chopsticks.

Eating at Mother Wink’s is to submerge yourself into its unique culture. Eating at Mother Wink’s is like eating nowhere else; first off, there is no menu. Instead, the customer lists what ingredients they want in their soup or wrap. Newcomers are always encouraged to try “what’s special” before venturing into ordering on their own, while another safe option is to order what someone else is currently eating, should it look or smell appetizing.

To eat at Mother Wink’s is to also agree to the unspoken rule of the tavern; you will not eat alone. The tavern is always crowded, always noisy, and privacy is taboo. Customers are encouraged to cheer or applaud those who offer songs or recitations. Telling a personal story is expected, whether sad or jolly. Mother Wink sees all customers as family, and so too must all customers be family to each other.

The only other unspoken rule is one of pacing. Customers are allowed to eat at their own liesure, chewing as slow as they wish — it is not uncommon for some to eat for hours — but this leniency ends after your meal is complete. While you may find an urge to stay at Mother Wink’s Tavern long after you finish your repast, prolonging your stay will first get you askance looks, and then a firm hand on your shoulder with a gentle reminder that you must have somewhere more important to be. Mother Wink’s Tavern is a place for eating, not just carousing.