Meridiem

The valley of Meridiem and the Needle River

Meridiem is the capital city of Southern Liath, with the largest population of any city in Liath. It is the focal point of a number of regional tensions, such as Banhust's colonial push, the creeping influence of the Sanctified Creed of Atonement, and growing organised crime to exploit the instability.

## Geography

Meridiem is located at the mouth of Needle River on the coast, in a wide, low-lying valley. The lowest point of the valley is at the river mouth, with cliffs bordering the edge of Dusk district and Dawn built on the steep hills on the eastern side. The districts are arranged anti-clockwise and in decreasing wealth, named after the time of day that each district can see one of the old statues of antiquity in their best light. These statues are of the gods of the Six, but in modern days they are mostly in ruin, hidden, or ignored.

## Districts

### Dawn

Dawn, the wealthiest estate, rests on the high ground and on the north-east side of town, farthest removed from the flooding of Needle River or the occasional damaging high tides and protected from coastal storms by the eastern cliffs. This meant houses built there were the most protected, needed the least repair, and could last longer. Over time, the area became enriched for wealthier inhabitants, and now correctly boasts to be the most beautiful suburb of Meridiem, with wide promenades, well-maintained gardens, and sprawling estates. The name comes from the time of day that the sun shines directly on the statue of Pheon on the south-west cliff, the statue visible from Dawn. Dawn is largely residential, with estates belonging to Baron and Baroness Calloway, Chairman Winter Tide, Captain de Vouterre, and Admiral Leigh.

### Noon

Noon is another residential district, but primarily inhabited by middle class families. It also rests on the north side of Needle River and dissolves into the fields and farmland on the western periphery of Meridiem. It is protected from flooding, but at the mercy of storms that come in through the bay. While it lacks the parks of Dawn, Noon is nonetheless a pretty suburb, with strong Istaki influences from the immigrant population. At noon, residents used to have a glorious view of the statue of Pelage, but this statue fell into a sinkhole sometime during the Abruzzan occupation. Noon is home to the Meridiem Town Hall which is the Government headquarters, Little Istakir and Masjid Halif, and residents Soheil Go-Lightly, Magistrate Sadb Mac Bradaigh, and Mayor Fiadh Fortune.

### Siesta

Home of merchants, restaurants, and artisans galore, Siesta is the central trade and business hub of Meridiem. It is located opposite Noon on the south side of Needle River, and like Noon, transitions into farmland at the outskirts. Produce is typically brought to the central Market Square or sold wholesale to restaurants, the Navy, or sailors at the docks preparing their ships. Market Square is less of a square and more of a pentagon, and has both permanent and seasonal stores. At the center is the Guildhall, where the various labour guilds and Clockwork Coterie have offices. In the mid-afternoon, the sun once shone on the statue of Prolix across on the hills behind Noon, but the statue was destroyed and the stone used for building materials when the road up to Sunrise Village needed to be expanded. Siesta does not have many residents apart from those living in shophouses above their businesses, but notable locations include the headquarters of the Times and Back Again Books.

### Dusk

Dusk is the poorest and densest district in Meridiem, home to a large proportion of the native Liathan population and the local docks. It is trapped up against the western cliffs, forcing houses to be built close together and atop each other to accommodate the growing population. Dusk is sensitive to flooding, tides, and storms, and is also often plagued by rapidly communicated illnesses from poor living conditions. The local docks at the southern mouth of the Needle River are shared by fishermen, merchants, and pirates alike, although the pirates tend to keep a low profile to avoid notice from the Navy. Many organisations have safehouses and warehouse in Dusk, such as Piran's Pistol, Antedate Acquisitions, and the Gathering. Dusk once had a view of the status of Piran on the north-east cliffs, illuminated by the sunset, but the statue is now in ruins.

### Twilight

As opposed to the local docks, Twilight hosts the international merchant shipping docks and those of the Royal Bann Navy. There is heavy Navy presence to minimise raiding and pirate attacks, and the dockmaster is Poncho Tubeshark. Twilight was named for the view of the statue of Parallax, which was located at the highest altitude of all the statues and the last to be lit up by the sun as it disappeared over the horizon.

### Vigil

Vigil is the religious district of Meridiem, home to the Cathedral of Cassandra Penelope and the Singing Sisters. The Meziavelan-backed Sanctified Creed have mostly taken over this district, although prior to the influx of Meziavelan immigrants, the district was used for Abruzzan temples, and before that, the Six. Vigil borders both the sea and the river, and has a view up towards Loch Kinally and Siren's Falls, where the statue of Paean was located. At night, the bioluminescent algae growing in the caves around the waterfalls would be faintly visible, leading inwards to the location of the statue. Light pollution now prevents this from being seen.

### Midnight Citadel

The Midnight Citadel rests atop the buried temple of Poiesis-Platilla, and at the height of Gathering worship, rituals would be completed at the temple at midnight. However, the citadel was built atop it and now serves as the headquarters for the City Watch and the Royal Navy.

## Governance

Meridiem is governed by the Meridiem City Council, whose board is formed of a Mayor who operates as chairman, and six council members who are elected from the districts. The mayoral elections occur once every five years. The government also includes foreign ambassadors, guild representatives, and other persons of influence. The government is responsible for drafting and enacting legislature, managing taxes and spending, and other local affairs. The Judiciary is also part of the Meridiem government, and is primarily composed of justices that manage cases brought forward by the Watch or by citizens. These justices are overseen by a Magistrate, who is the second most powerful governmental figure after the Mayor.

## Law Enforcement

Law enforcement in Meridiem is split into two jurisdictions, metropolitan and maritime. Metropolitan law, established by the City Council, is enforced by the City Watch. The Watch is led by one Captain and is very loosely regulated, with upper officer ranks typically held by nobility. There are around sixty total employees of the Watch, a number which is vastly dwarfed by that of the maritime law enforcement, the Royal Bann Navy. The Navy has nearly two hundred active duty officers stationed in Meridiem, although over half of those are more often at sea. The Navy faces no regulation from Liath, instead being commanded by and reporting to Banhust.

## Catacombs

Beneath Meridiem lies a sprawling network of catacombs, said to have been built by Pheon and Piran to see each other in secret. They are largely difficult to navigate and maps are inconsistent, and they stretch from Siren's Falls to Sunrise Village to the Colossus on the cliffs, connecting the different statues of the gods. The total extent of the network is unknown. The primary users of the catacombs in the present day are the Gathering, who use them to host their temples, and pirates, as a convenient way of evading law enforcement. The temple of Poiesis-Platilla is located at a convergence of a number of the primary tunnels.

## Cultural Touchstones

Meridiem is pretty traditional fantasy, based on Irish towns. The name is a reference to Meridian, the magical city from the comic series W.I.T.C.H. It is ambiguous in its time period, taking elements from the Industrial Revolution, the Victorian era, and the Golden Age of Piracy. The theme of time is inspired by books like 'Thief of Time' by Terry Pratchett and 'Killing Time' by Justin Richards.

## References

1. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ireland
2. ↑ https://witch.fandom.com/wiki/Meridian
3. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial\_Revolution
4. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victorian\_era
5. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden\_Age\_of\_Piracy
6. ↑ https://discworld.fandom.com/wiki/Thief\_of\_Time
7. ↑ https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Killing-Time/Justin-Richards/Invisible-Detective/9781847380913