Accipiter

**Accipiter** (Euluska: *Akxíípitë* /ɑk.'ʃɪ:.pɪ.tə/, meaning *Hawk*/*Buzzard*) was a thriving small city situated at the very centre of Prior's Gap, the main safe passage between the west and east halves of the Danderillon. Prior's Gap was only forty miles wide at its thinnest point, so all overland travel had to pass through. The city was sustained by frequent mercantile travel and caravans passing through. The exchange of money, goods and secrets kept the city alive and full of wonder.

## History

When the Danderillon was colonised and conquered in the 200s TE by The Emperíja, a fort named *Fort Buzzard (*Old Euluska*: Téfereva Aksifeta,* Modern Euluska: *Deiferrva Akxíípitë)* sprung up in Prior's Gap, because it was the only land route from one side of the continent to the other without going through the treacherous Firth or into the frozen north. The town flourished from then on, receiving lots of trade.

In more modern times (after the God Wars), Accipiter continued to thrive as a fairly small but flourishing city. It was entirely independent and free of the Three Cities Alliance of Halcyon, Datria and Carmogan, and the town exercised little power or influence over the surrounding lands, mostly out of choice.

## Government - the Seven Guilders and the Heptarchy

Accipiter was a plutocratic oligarchy, ruled by the wealthy. The city's work was divided into varied guilds; to name a few, let's say the Wagoneers, the Shoemakers, the Carpenters, the Weaponmakers, the Farriers, the Doctors... Guild members paid a monthly fee for membership, the benefits of which included safety, suppliers, trade assurances, shared resources, etc.

The city was ruled by a rotating council of 7 merchant leaders. The names of every guild leader in Accipiter (and there were probably over a hundred) were written on wax tablets and stored in the Panopticon Library's seventh level. Every three months, these tablets were taken and drawn in a small and famous ceremony known as Guilder's Day. Six names were drawn, of guild leaders who were: not in debt; had not served a term in the past 3 years; and were not closely related to anyone else drawn this ceremony. Those six were elected.

Then, those six electees would vote for one of the members of the previous 3 months' government to be the *Heptarch,* the acting authority of the government of guilders. A guild leader could not serve as heptarch for more than one year in a row (i.e. one 3-month term chosen by random, then 4 terms voted Heptarch) but this rarely happened.

## Panopticon, Parking, and Pubs

The *Panopticon* was a huge library situated within what was once the 7-sided star-shaped walls of the fort. The knowledge within the Panopticon was heavily regulated and guarded, since the town traded in information as well as goods. Heptagonal pewter tokens were required as proof to enter the Panopticon, and it was rumoured to have many levels and meeting rooms that descended deep beyond bedrock, getting more esoteric and arcane, and even having specimens below...

Due to the high volume of traffic and overnight stays, Accipiter had a highly developed system of carriage parking by cargo and purpose, excellent security for goods and carts, and a large number of inns. They expected a LOT of travellers. Some of the largest inns had over five floors and a hundred rooms - the main ones were called *The Gateway, The Red Buzzard, The Smiling Osprey, The Hawk's Nest,* and *The Gold Kite*.

Accipiter had, naturally, a very successful market district and many cobbled terraces of shops, with exotic wares, trinkets, and food from a melting pot of cultures.

Not everything in Accipiter was so perfect. The city was secretly controlled by a shadowy cabal of merchants, accountants, and influential public figures, who manipulated trade routes and siphoned profits for their personal gain. *The Obscure.* Their symbol - an **Ø**, could be found around town cast into the iron of shop signs, the stained glass of pub meeting room windows, etched into the brickwork outside entrances, or on dead drop carriages. It was even on the pewter Panopticon tokens, and could be found among the books.

## Hawksguard

The city was guarded by the Hawksguard, a militia funded by the merchants of Accipiter to protect their valuable assets. A considerable amount was invested in their training, and many of them underwent grueling training in camps located in the sands of the Burning Hills, before returning to the city to act as guards. The more powerful of them had gone through intense grueling painful training. A surprising fraction of trainees did not survive.

The standard Accipitan guard was the **Totok**, meaning 'pirahna' or 'snapper' - clad in blue robes and steel armour, they stood at street corners and responded to minor incidents. The heavies were known as **Sézirsi** (singular Sezir), the Euluska word for Shark; they were huge and hulking, acting not only as enforcers for serious incidents but also as the town's fire brigade due to their physical strength.

To become a **Scion** (Euluska: *éskëlu*), which was the highest rank of elite guard, an aspirant was buried up to their neck in the Burning Hills' orange sands for nine days. Those who survived became Scions. These elites wielded two curved scimitars, were incredibly agile, carried a variety of nonlethal tools and gadgets, and were tattooed with ink that helped them resist magic and ignore its influence on the mind.