YR PRADEANTYR RHUVUNT EN THANIVENTURS

The Royal Domains of Anthologica (Yr Pradeantyr Rhuvunt en Thaniventurs), commonly known as Thaniventurs "Anthologica", is a city-state in Aerglè, more precisely located in the northwestern quarter of Arbrea, not far from the southwestern border of the Realm of Dhammarat. Anthologica is one of the oldest cities in Arbrea and Aerglè, and was for most of its long history a place coveted by many regional powers, and that was the main reason it governed itself as a city-state whenever it was possible. The intermittent periods when Anthologica was sovereign proved a good test for the city-state, and something similar to a national feeling arose and has since then been with the Anthologicans, regardless of their origins, since a notable portion of its population comes from many corners of Dhammarat and beyond.

The last empire to test Anthologica's strength and resilience to annexation was the Dhammaratian Empire, which fought for the city a few times during the 27th millenium. Finally, the city was annexed to the empire by emperor Arsal the Polymath, who granted Anthologicans multiple rights and freedoms within the empire. The city gained its own imperial state, the Anthologicat, governed by the same Onyx Council (Avind Hyedonai) that ruled the city when it was independent. Under Dhammaratian rule, Anthologica became a greater city than ever, and a prime centre of culture and knowledge, with the largest library of Aerglè built under the aegis of empress Eathonie II, who gave the city the title of «Anthologica» for being the imperial centre of data and archives of any kind. That title became so popular and widespread, that it was attached to the official name of the city, displacing its original name.

Before the fall of the Dhammaratian Empire, shortly after the Dhaula Varlauve, Anthologica was the second most important and largest city in the empire only after its capital, Ruvai Barnusa. It was still the great centre of culture and knowledge that it was in the old days, and the collegiate cabinet of elders, the Onyx Council, was still functioning. Since the Dhaula Varlauve, with the empire vanished, Anthologica found itself free again, and since then it's a sovereign city-state, nominally still part of the Realm of Anthologica but de facto independent, although it retains its official imperial name: yr Pradeantyr Rhuvunt en Thaniventurs "the Royal Domains of Anthologica". Most of its inhabitants call it just "Thaniventurs", since they have forgotten the city's original name, Mhuse.

Etymology

The original name of the city, Mhuse is native to the area and its meaning is unknown, although tradition tells of a Naiad (a water deity) of the same name, a legendary figure that inhabited the oasis where the city was founded, millennia ago. The oasis is still there, surrounded by a temple complex, and linguists sustain that the word mhuse is related to myres, a local word for "oasis".

Anthologica is the English translation of the official name of the city, Thaniveturs (at least its short form), which derives from thanivet "anthology", from thaniu "handheld fan". Such name was given as a title by empress Eathonie II (who founded the city's largest library, as well as other cultural institutions) when Mhuse was designated as a prime imperial centre of data archiving. Therefore, Mhuse is the city of anthologies.

Anthologicat is a half translation of Dhammaratian Thanivetursat (older Thanivetursagt), the name given to the country ruled from Anthologica. It's derived from Thaniveturs + –at (suffix used to form placenames).


The oasis of Mhuse in its current state, completely surrounded by the Outer Temple's walls.
At the center of the image, the Temple of the Naiad Mhuse, the most ancient part of the complex.

Geography

Anthologica lies on the plain of the same name, washed by the Idives Sea. It's shielded by the Hyamardre Mountains on the southeast, which help retain humidity and moist from sea clouds. To the northeast we find the other city of the Anthologicat, Rhemble, on the southwestern shore of Orbarba gulf. The Mhuse-Rhemble conurbation has about 280,000 inhabitants.

The Anthologicat is the country around Anthologica, and in its widest sense the term refers to the former marchland of the Dhammaratian Empire with Anthologica as its capital. After the Dhaula Varlauve, the region no longer serves as a border land, and the word 'Anthologicat' is commonly used to refer to the core of the region, that is the lands within the Anthologican Walls.

Politics

Anthologica and the Anthologicat are governed by the Onyx Council (Dhammaratian: Avind Hyedonai), a permanent assembly of elders elected among the Grand Masters of the city's Art and Knowledge Guilds. The council has seventeen members, three of which preside the council. As a sovereign state, Anthologica has direct dominion over the lands enclosed within the Anthologican Walls, the longest walls in Aerglè and one of its wonders. The Anthologicat beyond the walls experiences a softer presence of the Onyx Council's rule, but the region there is mostly deserted and sparsely populated.