Survival is paramount to those living atop Hyrantam’s
ruins, a fact that has made the Lirgeni tremendously
pragmatic and egalitarian. The majority of those who live
in Hyrantam dwell in the enclave at the ruins’ heart, where
citizens reside in one of two locations—in the unflooded
upper floors of numerous stone towers or in floating
hovels called flotsams, houseboat-like structures cobbled
together from shipwrecks, driftwood, and whatever
else can be scavenged that floats. Flotsams have limited
mobility and most of the time remain lashed to the
numerous boardwalks and piers or anchored to moorings
in the shallow waters that surround the enclave.
Frequent storms and sea-monster attacks limit the
amount of time locals spend out in the open, so daily
activities typically take place indoors. Rain catchers provide
copious amounts of fresh water, allowing each family to
easily maintain its own supply of drinking water. Most
homes feature a network of fishing lines cast into nearby
shallows or strung between buildings, each tied to a bell
or rattle that shakes if something pulls the wire. These
lines allow the Lirgeni to catch food and communicate
without needing to leave their homes, and they gave rise
to locals saying they have someone “on the line” if they are
planning an event across multiple households. Their diet
of seafood is augmented by seaweed, edible reeds, and
berries harvested from the thorny thickets that grow on
the swampy islands throughout the ruins.
The Lirgeni see a clear sky as cause for celebration
and tend to save their festivals for the few mild days
they experience each year. The random timing of these
opportunities means weddings, holidays, and other
revelries rarely involve preparations that require more
than a couple of hours to complete. Even major festivals
tend to include pragmatic undertakings that benefit the
entire community, such as exploring a sunken building
for salvage or piloting a derelict into the enclave so it can
be incorporated into the infrastructure.
Private property is almost nonexistent in Hyrantam,
since locals know the neighbor who borrows your fishing
line today will help repair your roof tomorrow. Presentday
Lirgeni usually barter for goods, since coins are heavy
and rare and serve no functional purpose for survival.
Yet when outsiders visit, the citizens welcome their coin,
since this allows for the purchase of exotic wares and
goods from lands beyond the drowned city. Lirgeni often
resolve quarrels with an exchange of favors or services,
as a reputation for community service commands
respect among peers. If no agreement can be reached, the
harbormaster is called upon to mediate the situation and
resolve it to both parties’ satisfaction as best as possible.
With few opportunities to trade with other cities, the
enclave devotes the bulk of its resources to keeping its
members alive. The enclave welcomes castaways, refugees,
and other newcomers who were spurned by fate, as long
as these foreigners respect the Lirgeni’s customs and
contribute to the community’s survival.
The destruction of their lands has left many Lirgeni
sour toward religion, and many believe the gods
abandoned their followers in their time of need. Today,
most locals take a more humanistic approach to religion,
drawing inspiration from their own ingenuity and their
relationship with the harsh environment. The enclave’s
spiritual leaders have traditionally been clerics or druids
of Gozreh who, without much in the way of proselytizing,
use their connection to the natural world to help the
Lirgeni endure the constant storms.
Traditionally, the harbormaster has played the role
of leader for the enclave. The position combines the
traditional duties of harbor safety and upkeep with
those of both a mayor and representative, requiring
a general problem-solver who can never count on the
responsibilities of any given day to be predictable. One
day, the harbormaster may need to serve as a guide for
visitors to the enclave, while the next day could require
helping to repair several damaged fishing nets, and the
third might call for helping to arbitrate a squabble over
nuanced local matters.
