Dari

City Asleep in the Canopy

**Dari**, (pronounced /dɑːriː/) the city built into the canopy of the Forests of Satirev. This mysterious city accessed through a series of lifts, is not built on the soil, but on many platforms constructed on the limbs of the mighty trees in the Forests of Satirev. The city has existed for a long time by neither being a threat nor very easy to attacks. As the forest itself protects them, as many who enter the forest find themselves, entering a world of dreams quickly. The leader of this settlement, that acts alomst entirely sperately to the Kifalme-Kuwinda, is the Kuhani Kalise, the head preistess of the worship Satirev in Dari.

## Description

### Geography

The city is built onto the natural paths of the limbs of the largest trees of the forest. The trees are a large species known as Ndoto Mugumo, these trees are capable of growing to an immense size, especially as it is considered a bad omen if a Mugumo tree is felled in Ukuaji so mortals often don't interfere with their growth. The city of Dari, seems to have been built in order to not interfere with the tree as much as possible. A tree has never been killed by city expansion.

### Architecture

Most of the platforms are made of wood, sourced just on the outskirts of the forest, as they cannot cut the Ndoto Mugumo, and naturally felled trees are a bad omen and aren't to be used. The stone buildings often are covered in the foliage that grows off of these trees, vines, moss and small purple poppies on light grey stone. The roofs usually take advantage of the natural coverage of the trees and so are not too focused on protection from the elements. The bridges that make the connections between the platforms are mostly rope and wood, sourced from outside the Satirev Forest. These bridges will link all 73 platforms, all of these platforms have a designated number, but some are more known by nicknames given by the residents. On all of these constructs after sometime searching you will note 5 closed eyes present in the stonework.

## Society

### Demographics

The people of Dari, hold great value in their dreams, seeing them as gifts from the deity Satirev and messages of great wisdom. Many decide their avenues of life, based on dreams they've received. Great care is taken in the culture to ensure the people have peaceful and healthy sleep, as any period of sleep could result in a gift from Satirev that should not be interfered with. All work ends long before Aesentia sets so any business can be put in order well before going to sleep. All lights will be turned out before an hour after the moon sets and noise must be kept to a minimum.

Visitors to the city are often a surprise as many will not make it through the forest without falling into slumber. Many travel there hearing of the dreams and hoping for guidance, some are just looking for a rest from a busy life, some of these people are looked down on by locals, for trivialising the gifts of their deity.

The most impressive people in Dari are the Kuhani of Satirev the dedicated worshippers of the dream deity. They receive plenty of dreams from their god and will interpret peoples dreams for them in order to give them some guidance.

## History

### Rejection of Red Deus

The politics around the elixir become very complicated as neither party seem to be willing to make official statements on the reasoning of their decisions. When Conamar had finally decided to open negotiations with Ukuaji around *Red Deus* they had officially changed focus within the Sanatio Church from Medeora to worshipping the elxir itself. This was unpopular as it was happening alongside the general movement of Conamar also influencing the rest of the continent of Kellner to abandon their worship of the pantheon and worship *Red Deus* instead. With Ukuaji still maintaining their association with these deities, as it is present in the foundation of their major cities. The details of the negotiations are unclear but it appears that they were unsuccessful as soon after the Kifalme-Kuwinda declared *Red Deus* and criminalised it. Some theorise that this movement to calling it an abomination was because Conamar had rejected their offers for a supply of the elixir and in embarassment of this political failure wanted to sway public opinion in their favor instead. However others theorise because of Conamar's silence on many examples of large scale *Red Deus* smuggling into Ukuaji beleive that they want to "infect" the country with the elixir but were rejected because of the religious views of the Kifalme-Kuwinda and have since decided to move the elixir into the country in shadier ways. Alongside this some beleive that this illegal activity would occur naturally and Conamar is happy for that to run its course.

The influence of smugglers isn't beleived to have been felt in the city, due to there being little in the ways of foreign presence. Their dedication to Satirev would insinuate that their attitude to the elixir, would still result in an execution sentence, however it would be the first case of it in their history.