The city of Becio, situated on the land bridge between northern Caelon and the much larger land of Secessia, serves as a sort of cross-roads for any trade and travel between the various groups of people in the world. While to the south, Gorzova serves as a port between Caelon and Torium, many of the people who live in the north of Caelon still prefer to utilize Becio’s ports for a great number of reasons.
A Melting Pot of Culture
First among the reasons why the city is so popular is the fact that Becio is a melting pot of sorts for many different cultures, which gives the city a unique atmosphere not found in any one place in the world. The city hosts citizens from the Torian kingdoms of Caelon as well as many sailors from the Saibhrean Isles, citizens of Torium as well as many of the scattered tribes and towns of Secessia.
Many travelers claim that because of the unique blend of cultures, Becio has the best food selection in the entire world. While this is indeed a matter of opinion, it is not up for debate how varied the selection is in the different areas of the city, something that no other settlement can claim.
Relatively Safe to Visit
Becio is one of the furthest removed cities in the ongoing conflict between the Warathi and the Torian forces. Because of this, Becio has seen a long period of peace since its establishment at the beginning of the age.
Also due to the long-standing policy of the weapons not being allowed in the city, and the fact that lawbreakers are often sent to work hard labor for extravagant periods of time, the city has seen a lower rate of violent crime than many of its contemporaries.
Twin Ports
Becio, in reality, is more like two cities loosely connected by a central power. The North District, which hosts the port in the Mar de Comercio, brings in ship traffic from the Saibhrean Isles and Northern Secessia. Thus, the North District’s influence is primarily Saibhrean, sometimes viewed as a Saibhrean settlement of its own right. Lords of the Saibhrean Isles are known to own property in this area, usually as a place to do additional business transactions to fill their purses.
The South District, which hosts the port that connects to southern Caelon cities, as well as its primary trading partner the massive city of Torium, is home to the largest Torian Temple in Caelon. Because Becio is the gateway for Torian trading not only by sea but by land, Torian lords as well as church officials have invested heavily in the city. The influence and stark difference in style and structure from the North District and South District paint a vivid picture of Becio’s diverse culture.
Ruled by Committee
The unified city of Becio actually started as two separate settlements, which now are part of the North and South Districts of the town. After much deliberation and the Accord of 237, which decided that rather than being ruled by a king, the wealthy lords of both districts would sponsor a neutral authority instead, in order to ensure the safe trading and travel for all who would come. The gamble paid off, showing that by working together, the rich can indeed multiply their profits far greater than they can by simply competing for resources.
Because of this, the council of lords appoints various people to lead different aspects of the city’s goings on, with only as much authority as what is given. Because any major lord has the ability to remove any public figure at any time, so long as he has backing from at least three other lords, this somewhat helps prevent corruption of appointed posts.
The official chairman of the committee is always the oldest council member, who must retain a certain amount of power and wealth in order to even be on the council.
