Elsweyr Report: The City-State of Rimmen

Imperial Geographic Society 4E 197 Informant: Marik Valrius

Overview: Situated on the far east of Elsweyr the City-State of Rimmen has in the grey area between Imperial and Dominion holdings. The city itself is made of a white..almost ivory colored sandstone with man domed roofs. While this may make the city seem dull and drab from just reading a report this is hardly the case as many buildings are converted from Akaviri ruins and covered with merchant tents of many colors giving the city a vibrant feels as you see merchants, thieves, mages, and nobles all rush around the canals. The society felt that it was appropriate to write a report on the City-State as we hope to use this information to try and get Rimmen to be an ally of the Empire. However, at the moment Rimmen is ran by a Nibenese born Bosmer named Mithrad Narsi who originally hailed from Cheydinhal. While many Khajiits detest Bosmer you must understand that Khajiit makeup only a quarter of the population of the city as the city is a melting pot of cultures. In fact, High Consul Narsi is an example of this as his wife is an Ohmes who traditionally fight with Bosmer in the area west of Torval. It would not be odd at all to see a Nord dock worker and an Argonian blacksmith...Rimmen is a Kingdom the breaks traditions.

Government: Rimmen is ran by a council of 7 councilors that are voted in by the seven neighborhoods in the city. While High Consul Narsi was voted in ten years ago and will rule until his death as tradition goes in the city. The council deals with civil affairs such maintaining the canals that bring commerce, collecting taxes, helping the guilds, and protecting the religious rights of the people. Mithrad Narsi is the true ruler and really only has the council to do jobs that he would find rather boring, Narsi is in control of the military known as the Regulators that prevent the vibrants and overly-active streets of Rimmen from turning into a lawless city. The Regulators are ran by one of Narsi’s friends from his skooma running days...a large Orsimer woman Bula Gro-Magrak. Most citizens respect her and the regulators as they known that rebelling against the laws of Rimmen (of which there are not many) would lead to their death or enslavement. Even the most hardy of desert bandits on a skooma binge in Rimmen know not to cause trouble with the Regulators which are mainly raised from ex-bandits and skooma smugglers that like the gold High Consul Narsi provides them with.Law wise the city is fairly liberal and non-controlling. No Murder, don’t steal, no trespassing, and do not harm the Akaviri architecture. The last law is new due to Narsi’s passion for all things historical.

Religion: Rimmen is filled with a colorful palette of religious worship and nearly all of the temples are setup in restored Akaviri ruins. While nearly all religions are practiced, the most popular in the cities include Cult of Meridia, Followers of the Divines, Sanguine’s Cult, and Malacath’s Orcish following in the far west neighborhood which is made of a large Orsimer population. Lord Narsi is a devout followers of Sanguine and is said to posses a petal from Sanguines rose. Every year during the height of the rainy season High Consul Narsi opens up the Cobalt Keep and allows in all of the townsfolk who wish to bask in a great party to celebrate Prince Sanguine. Observers and reports from this party describe it as a great festival filled with all races, skooma, alcohol, and people who wish nothing more than to make love with each other It can also be said that the Temple to Malacath in the city is truly beautiful as it is made from the only fully intact Akaviri building.

Culture: The people of Rimmen all wear extravagant colors and even furs are dyed to fit in with the city. Rimmen itself can best be described as a painting of a field of flowers that are all of different kind, yet the still reside in the same area. The Akaviri citadel from which the city is ruled from is known as the Cobalt Keep as old cobalt colored Akaviri banners were restored and now drape from the keep. One part of the city that would be highly illegal in most provinces is the founding of the Skooma industry which is booming. A saying in the city is “ Nobody should be without work...why the Skooma brewers are always hiring.” Many different Skooma brands that used to be illegal smugglers are now established business that are the same as a Nord brewery. Without the rules of the Empire, slavery has become prevalent in the city with nearly one tenth of the population being owned by another person. All slaves in the city wear a fur and copper collar with a certain enchantment that prevents the use of anything requiring mana. Most of these slaves come from criminals, Khajiiti tribes, Nibenese villages, and those that do not pay their taxes, It is best to not contest slavery in the city as nearly all majors families and traders own a slave and this could cause a few Regulators to “familiarize” you with the laws of the city, The city is split up into racially divided neighborhoods such as Orsinium heights, Gideon Row, Emperors rest, or Falinesti Place. However, all of these neighborhoods meets in the market area situated on the north side of the city just below the palace. Fights between neighborhoods tend to happen and Regulators tend to turn a blind eye as they often hope that their neighborhood wins the fight. The city is filled with guilds, businesses, brothels, markets, and taverns, but even with all of these establishments there are hardly any established rules besides the few that are enforced by the Regulators. Rimmen is the the definition of a melting pot of all cultures.

Military: The military is really the Regulators as they can double as both guard and soldier. Rimmen has said that they wish to maintain their borders and to not expand. The farthest a Regulators will go from the city would be out to where Rimmen plantations the crops are grown. However, that being said the Regulators are not glorified guards, their Orcish leader whom they all address as “Madame Bula” drills them in the way of archery, defense, and melee. The high walls and Rimmenese pride would make a the city a tough siege The city as an ancient Akaviri canal that leads to a small river that leads to the Nibenese river. High Consul Narsi is also a very skilled mage who trains a small, but skilled, group of mages that are trained in destruction and illusion. They are known as the “Ears of the Elf” as they prevent dissent and any kind of rebellion in the city or even warn of foreign incursions into their lands. The military was testing a few months ago as a An-Xileel militants decided to venture into the far eastern river plantation areas to free the largely Argonian slave population. This would have worked, but one of the slave workers told the Regulators in advance gaining his freedom and a house in Gideon Row. The militants were slaughtered and the Regulators took the only survivors to the block to be hung. While rarely tested, I would advise an would-be attackers to be wary when entering the Rimmen’s holdings.

Economy: The Skooma trade makes up the bulk of the economy as it has recently been boosted by Dunmer refugees who brought in a stronger Dunmer Skooma brew. After that the Slavery industry is booming as the business surge requires cheap labor and the brothels require a full range of people to please the diverse population of Rimmen. The other half of the economy is made up of Guilds, shops, markets, farmers, and merchants. It is a stable and diverse economy, but a drop in the need for Skooma would harm the city for sure,,,however I doubt this will ever happen after seeing all of the Skooma addicts on my last trip to Bravil.

People of Importance Mithrad Narsi: Born sometime ago in Cheydinhal the Bosmer was part of a family known for their magic skills, but they were kicked out of the Dominion for dissent against the the Thalmor. In his young adult life the Bosmer was an athlete, but also a very skilled destruction mage in the local Mage guild known as the Synod. However, during this time period Mithrad was cut from his family inheritance for his marriage to an Ohmes woman named Shalia who was a student from the city of Rimmen. Together, they entered the family Ohmes neighborhood on the southern side of the city where they opened a Skooma brewery called “The Bosmer Blend” and this was a cover business for a large crime syndicate. This syndicate is responsible for the Skooma addiction famine in the Niben bay. Soon most the the city, even the Regulators, were ran by Narsi and Shaliah. Slowly and steadily, buying and bribing his way into the High Consul position. While he is a strict ruler, he is also a beloved by the population and a man who wishes nothing more than to keep Rimmen free. His hate of the Dominion may play into his light favoring towards the Empire.

Shaliah Narsi: Shaliah is an Ohmes who one could barely tell the difference from a Bosmer and an Ohmes. Due to this she has red tattoos all over her body except for her face in which she darkens the area around her eyes with black soot so that her Khajiiti eyes stand out. When people talk about her they often talk about how she constantly trains and stays fit, when asked she says “I must keep shape to stay strong for my people.” She is also a fierce lover of Sanguine much like her husband practices the rituals of Sanguine often. While she is not a skilled mage, she is adept with a bow and often goes on bandit hunts with the regulators. She is loved by the people and many young women wish to join be one of her many handmaidens even though this would make them merely a slave. She is a free spirit and much like her husband she wants a free Rimmen.

Bula Gro-Magrak:Is a the leader of the Regulators and is related to the Narsi clan through their old skooma smuggling days. A hulking woman that stands taller than most Nords, she wears her hair in two long braids and her neck is scarred by a collar hinting at a dark past. While she was raised as a slave and bought by the Narsi family she was freed after saving Shaliah in a Skooma deal gone wrong. Now Bula owns a large manor in Orsinium heights and her compound is filled with slaves (all female), Weapons, Malacath based decorations, and a small smithy. Loyal as a dog to the Narsi family and a skilled fighter she is the perfect commander for the Regulators. The people in the city fear and respect her. Someone were to invade Rimmen she would be the last one standing in the rubble.