Aramanth

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Aramanth is a fictional walled city in the world of William Nicholson's Wind On Fire trilogy. It is destroyed in the second book, Slaves of the Mastery

[edit] Arrangement

Aramanth is a city situated on a desert peninsula, where families are divided into classes according to how well their household performs on an annual Examination. The classes from lowest to highest are Grey, Maroon, Orange, Scarlet and White. The city is separated into five districts partitioned in concentric circles - Grey District is the outermost district, while White District is the innermost. At the very heart of the city is the Windsinger, surrounded by The Emperor's palace, and the high tower in which he resides.

All the citizens wear clothes which are the colour as the district in which they live, so as to differentiate them (eg. people in grey district wear grey clothing). The Emperor is the only person permitted to wear blue.

Every year there is the High Examination, in which the head of every household is required to participate. Ratings are given to the examinees based upon their performance and these are added to the family rating. Those that fail are taken to the Residential Study Course. An increase or decrease in the rating can move the family into a higher or lower district - this is intended to ensure that all citizens vow:

TO STRIVE HARDER, REACH HIGHER, AND IN EVERY WAY TO SEEK TO MAKE TOMORROW BETTER THAN TODAY. FOR LOVE OF THE EMPEROR AND FOR THE GLORY OF ARAMANTH.

Disloyalty, or any form of behaviour that does not comply with the grand plan of those in control, is dealt with harshly.

[edit] History

The city was settled by the Manth tribe due to its position on vast deposits of salt, which, over time were mined out leaving large caves, which would later be used as sewers by the Manth. Originally, the City was ruled by an Emperor, Creoth I, but, by the time of The Wind Singer, his descendant Creoth VI is a mere figurehead, and the city is ruled by a board of examiners under a high examiner. This came about due to the march of the Zars, the invincible army of the Morah, upon Aramanth in the late reign of Creoth I. The city was intended to be defended by the wind singer (see below,) but Creoth, doubting its power, gave the wind singer's voice to the army, saving the city. However, this allowed the Morah to rule Aramanth. By the time of Creoth IV, the class colour system (from Grey to White) and examinations had been introduced.

By the time the second book in the trilogy, Slaves of the Mastery, begins, the grey district has been abandoned, and the city walls torn down. When the Manth people are taken prisoner, the city is razed to the ground by the Mastery's army.