Trinsic
Trinsic, the city of honour, is found in the southern region of Britannia, along the eastern coast. Fresh water is supplied through a river-delta and the fish-market of the town is not only huge – thanks to the proximity of Trinsic to the Cape of Heroes – but also famous all over the realm.
Trinsic itself could be described as a larger version of the town of Serpent’s Hold. The town is surrounded by one gigantic stone well which completely borders the interior keep. Though the layout of Trinsic is similar to the one of Serpent’s Hold, Trinsic is most of the time described as more lovely and beautiful, a fact that is accounted to the many, bright sandstone buildings that can be found in the town.
Trinsic is home of a large guild of engineers, whose main concern is the defense of the country and the advancement of structural security. It is a technological center of the realm, and works towards the improvement of the quality of life through making the citizens feel as secure as possible.
The presence of magic in Trinsic is very limited. Only a few alchemists and wizards reside within the borders of the town, and their most important task is to aid the engineers with their knowledge and skills. The main form of magic involves energy, force, movement, and binding. The only exception to this rule are the battle mages, who either assist the paladins with their magic directly or teach the art of battle spells to those of the paladins who show enough talent for the arcane arts.
Similar to the capital of Britannia, Britain, the town of Trinsic is fairly independent. The greatest imports are war-horses from Jhelom and lifestock from Yew. As the many engineers of Trinsic are more focused on explicitly creating things than on inventing them, a steady influx of new ideas and technologies helps to keep up the high quality work of the engineers. This fact certainly is the reason why Trinsic is an attractive relocation for engineers from anywhere in the world, especially Minoc, Britain and Moonglow.
A triad comprised of a mayor elected by the local populace, his advisory council, and the Lord General governs the city. The Lord General is hand picked by Lord British to head the knightly order responsible for training the city paladins. Despite the large concentration of warriors, the city retains its own town constabulary to keep order and protect the city from attack by nearby creatures as well as internal unruliness (which is a rare occurrence at best).
Other than various aggressive ogres, ettins and trolls which infest the forests and wilderness around the town of Trinsic, the city’s main enemies are the pirates from the Cape of Heroes. The pirates, though, do not form a major problem to the town as most of the imports and exports of Trinsic are done via the mainland. Ship routes are only scarcely used, a fact that allows the pirates to be more or less ignored. Perhaps due to the general ability to look beyond petty concerns of ego (rather than the unfounded rumors that Trinsic has an inflated air of superiority) the paladins of Trinsic do not share in the slight animosity felt between mercenaries of Jhelom and the knights of Serpents Hold.
Trinsic is friend to the entire realm of Britannia, as it has been trained to serve, protect, and love all fellow citizens. The citizens have few customs that depart from the traditional culture of Britannia, save the yearly celebration that surrounds the graduation of the enlightened knights who reach paladinhood.
The populace of Trinsic is so used to the good behaviour and the high ideals exhibited by the paladins that it abhors dishonourable, unvirtuous and ignoble activities and ideals. The suggestion of such an act is looked down upon as much as committing the act itself. Honour and virtue are the prime codes of a paladin’s existence, as well as the knights in training. Britannian ethics and laws are codified, recorded, and memorized at an early age.
In that sense Trinsic maybe is the town that is filled most with the guiding presence of the virtues. There is no town that has to face that few criminals, and despite the presence (or maybe thanks to it) of many armed men Trinsic is a save and peaceful town. Of course this is a merit of the general honourable attitude of the citizens and the clear dislike for all equivocal activities.
Although the intent of Britannic law is enforced rather than just the letter, justice is swift. After years of fair and efficient law and order, Trinsic has the lowest crime rating in the entire realm, even below Yew and Britain.
Trinsic can hardly be called a Mecca for Artists, as it is a city of soldiers and engineers. Architects, however, often come here to be recognized as any works that emphasize both function and form equally are likely to be appreciated by the local population.
A Morning in the Sandstone-Town, by Jendar Lareljan, Baker
I have got up in the blackest hours of the morning, long before the first sunrays of the day would start to taint the town of Trinsic in a warm, mellow light. I wipe away the sweat of my forehead and with a proud smile I start to pack the bread I baked in the morning into several chests.
I look out of the window and notice that morning has broken already. Sunrays are reflected by the sandstone pavers of the street, making the yellowish stone look orange, almost burning. The silence of the night starts to make place for the first busy sounds of merchants opening their shops, and I can hear the clanking sound of metal caused by the armour and weapons of the first paladins.
I know that I better hurry up – my customers will appreciate fresh bread, fresh and hot, just like the morning in Trinsic. I smiled and hurry to my bakery, where my wife welcomes me with a smile on her beautiful lips.
Not long after the first customer of the day enters the bakery. It is a young man, muscular; his face shows the first evidence of a blond, short beard. He smiles a bit insecure and tries to look around inconspicuous. It is my turn to smile now and through the corner of my eyes I see that my wife is smiling too. We both know that he is not looking for bread, as fresh and tasty it might be, the one and only reason that brought him to my bakery is Lilia, my one and beloved daughter.
“She’s not there yet, maybe you want to come back later, Waliv?” I tell the young paladin and look amused how he blushes. “No…nono..,” he stutters. “I just came here to see if everything is alright! There was a troll attack in the night again…” he smiles at me hopefully. “Oh, indeed? I assume that you drove them back already?” I pick up the topic which earns me a thankful smile of Waliv. “Yes, Sir, of course! No critter shall threaten this town as long as us paladins keep watch!” he says and is proud, as I am. “Would..would you tell Lilia that I have been here? And tell her my greets?” Waliv stutters again, leaving the save territory of fighting trolls. I cannot help but laugh, then I tap on the shoulder of the young paladin. “Oh, I will tell her, Waliv! But maybe you want to tell her personally? Don’t you want to come to have dinner with us tonight?”
My wife smiles invitingly, and the two of us amusedly watch the young paladin blush again. In the meantime Trinsic has transformed into a busy town, and customers are dropping into my bakery. I nod at Waliv’s stuttered yes, and start serving men and women, fighters and knights and engineers.
