Adytum

Adytum (Pron. a-də-dəm) is a coastal seaport town on the eastern edge of the Vayu Peninsula. The peninsula itself is situated on the main continent in Spherus Magna's Northeast Quadrant. As it was a town set up due to the Navigation, it is the oldest settlement in the region. Therefore, it is considered the de facto capital of the peninsula and much the surrounding inland. As the most populous and second-largest settlement on the Peninsula, it boasts one of the most diverse populations of Matoran and Agori amongst the Navigation Cities; Roughly 60% of Adytians immigrated following the town's incorporation.

Adytum is well-known throughout Spherus Magna for its balanced climate, high quality of life, and unique architecture. It was selected as the host city for the third annual Reformation Day celebrations and was the second city on the planet to officially allow Toa or Glatorian to reprise their role as guardians.

Etymology
The town is named after the innermost part of a temple from an ancient country. Its chosen name, like many of the other cities founded directly following the Navigation, often has something to do with a safe, protected sanctuary.

Early History
Adytum was among the first set of settlements created under Tahu's, Ackar's, and Kiina's joint orders when the refugee situation in the Mega-Village caused by the fleeing Matoran began to deteriorate. Their solution was the Navigation, an endeavour consisting of twenty Toa of Magnetism and ten Toa of Water. They were to map the entire planet and set up signal beacons at suitable locations for a town.

Rusalka, a former Ga-Matoran, was turned into a Toa of Water at Axonn's suggestion and was acompanied by Jotun, a somewhat experienced Toa of Earth, who served as her bodyguard of sorts.

Within a week, they sailed northeast from the Mega-Village to a relatively flat, fertile swath of grassland. As they explored further, their travels took them closer to the ocean until they reached the end of a large extension of land surrounded by deep, warm waters; A perfect place for a port town. There, they met another Toa, Bercilak, who had crashed-landed a week prior and had made camp there.

The three of them set up their beacon, signalling for the airships salvaged from Metrui Nui to slowly make their way over. The three then aided in the construction of the future town of Adytum with the Matoran and Agori that eventually arrived.

Early Growth
Adytum in its early years was primairily a farming community, not much more than a collection of straw-roofed stone-walled homes, and was built entirely on land. This is quite a stark contrast seeing as its modern arrangement is a one-of-a-kind architectural masterpiece that juts out into the ocean.

Many of Adytum's pioneers aboard the first airhip to arrive were Ga-Matoran, Agori of Water, and De-Matoran, the former two attracted by the proximity of the ocean and the latter by the quiet nature of a sleepy, rural, locality. Among their number were two Toa: Chidori, a young Toa of Lightning and Namoka, a Glatorian of Fire whose powers had been unlocked by Mata Nui. Inexperienced and without much knowledge in dealing with Matoran of Agori, Chidori and Namoka were trained by the three Toa already stationed on the Peninsula.

Several years passed without incident and Adytum slowly began to expand as more and more of the countryside was converted into farmland and fishing operations started to pick up. A lightning bolt struck and ignited a field of dry grass during a particularly heavy summer thunderstorm, however, and started a wildfire that tore through most of the fields. Through the intervention of Namoka, who absorbed the rampant blaze, and Chidori, who stood outside and acted as a lightningrod for the reaminer of the storm, the villagers managed to salvage what they could. In the end, most of the farms they had spent the past five years cultivating became unusuable. The docks and their homes, however, stayed intact.

A vote among the Matoran and Agori was held and it was decided to rebuild their town around the surviving docks and fisheries. To this end, Jotun and Namoka aided the villagers by creating molten lava to form a hard bedrock for the foundation, though Namoka ended up mistakenly creating a small, secondary landmass by making the lava too runny. Engineers and builders were summoned from other cities to build a more lasting Adytum and it was at this point one of the architects found inspiration for what to do with the additional patch of land made by the novice Glatorian of Fire. The second island was further expanded to match the original patch of land made by Jotun and a multi-layered village was then built on both with sandstone mined from the deserts to the west. Finally, Adytum's iconic bridge spanning the two islands was built over the span of a year. A fair number of builders decided to stay in the newly built city, causing Adytum's population to swell and diversify greatly.

Incorporation
By the time Adytum was rebuilt, smaller towns had begun to spring up inland. As it was by far the largest and most developed city in the region, much of the trading and all port activies were centered around it. The smaller communites considered Adytum as a capital of sorts as important matters and other business were also usually head there.

To this end, the Adytians requested their city to officially be recognized as a municipality. Officially, Adytum became a city 8 years after the Reformation. An official governing body was quickly set up in the same year and is made up of an elected mayor and a cabinet of 5 officials of his choosing and a Turaga, if one is available. These serve as the mayor's advisors.

Around this time, Adytum was already a popular trading and travel port as its location allowed many sailors heading for the northern lands to rest and resupply. Fishing, undersea mining, and logging companies were formed slightly prior to Adytum's incorporation, their rapid growth helping to lend to the city's population boom by attracting immigrants.

Recent History
Since its incorporation 32 years ago, Adytum has not expanded very much in way of land, but the local population of Ga-Matoran, De-Matoran, and Water Agori has been completely homogenized by the many other Agori Tribes and groups of Matoran that have trickled in over time.

The era of multiple small business is drawing to a close. As Adytum becomes more and more busy, three main companies have emerged, one for each of the three main trades. Their prominence has even influenced the municipality's governing body, as tensions rise between two major factions. One of them wish for Adytum to become an independant city-state presided over by a united Consortium of the three largest companies.

Adytum is a stronghold of progressive values despite its economy being almost entirely based on primary exports and its working force consisting of a fair amount of labourers. Very early on, demonstrations and protests led to bylaws enshrining the right of Toa and Glatorian to continue living their previous lifestyle of protecting the city without having to pay taxes or provide for the majority of their living expenses.

The governing body of Adytum is aware of New Odina and The Shadowed One's presence in the western forests. While there has been some pressure on the five Toa stationed at Adytum to take action against them, ultimately, the Dark Hunters have kept quiet and have not warranted any drastics measures from the Toa. Nevertheless, a watchful eye is always kept on them, even to this day.

Pre-Incorporation
During its early stages of development, Adytum was built inland. The area was originally a temperate grassland and tall shrubland, consisting mainly of various grasses, clover, and various other bushes, some of which would later be converted into pastures and farmland. However, due to the immense force of Bota Magna and Aqua Magna colliding with Bara Magna, substantial amounts of foreign vegetation is present throughout the Peninsula, especially in the Vayu Prairies, as the grassland have become to be known as.

A wide variety of hardy terrestial creatures and Rahi make their habitat here, including various organic rodents, badgers, Fader Bulls, Air Gafna, and the predatory Iron Wolf.

Due to the nature of grassland, wildfires are a regular occurrence. A sudden blaze was what caused the destruction of Adytum before it become a registered city.

Post-Incorporation
When Adytum was rebuilt, it was done so on two volcanic islands about a kio off the coastline created by Namoka and Jotun, two Toa stationed there.

The islands are situated in an open ocean biome, with moderate water tempreatures. As the surface of the ocean around Adytum is not too hot, algae is a common occurence. Several species of marine organisms sustain the fishing industries, such as Ruki, Cowrie, various organic fish such as cod and tuna, and shelled seafood, including lobsters and juvenile Razorcrab. Makuta Fish are a common sighting and are treated as pests. Tarakava rarely venture close to the bustling city, but there have been occasional signs of them.

The vast plains once home to Adytians have begun to become overgrown, and there are worrying signs regarding the foreign species knocked about by the Reformation. Several plants have turned out to be invasive species and compete with the native grasses and shrubs, choking them and reducing their numbers. As of late, no effort has been taken to restore the grasslands.

Temperature
Like most of the settlements on the peninsula, Adytum enjoys a temperate climate, officially classified as a subtropical oceanic climate. The weather farther inland is slightly more extreme and to the far west, there is even a desert. Adytum and the rest of the peninsula, however, have much higher winter and slightly cooler summer temperatures. However, being out in the open ocean means the humidity is very high, and Adytian summers are notorious for being "sticky", that is, hot and wet. The maximum daily average is expected to reach 27 Caelsis (81 Fraeniit) with the record high measured at 35 °C (95 °F). Winters, by contrast, are often overcast and rain is very common. The temperature rarely ever drops below 2 °C (36 °F), with the average winter daily low being 6 °C (43 °F) and some Adytians have gone for decades without ever seeing snow. The record low is -2 °C (29 °F).

Precipitation
Rainfall is generally quite high in Adytum, even compared to the rest of the peninsula. Annual precipitation reaches levels reach 944 mbio (1,293 mm), with much of it coming during early summer and through the winter. Storms are somewhat common phenomenon, mainly happening during summers and warm springs. Rainwater is an extremely precious commodity within Adytum, as it is one of their main ways of collecting freshwater.

Urban Planning
Adytum is not the most populous of cities, but urban planning took into account the extremely limited amount of space available. Instead of a sprawl like New Atero, tall towers, the iconic homes built along the face of walls and along the side of the bridge, and a general feeling of verticality are characteristic of Adytum.

Adytum is consistently considered to have a very high quality of life and the low population density means cheap homes, an extremely attractive prospect for immigrating Matoran and Agori. This is not a permanent situation, however, as more and more space is being taken up along the bridge. In the far future, the city may expand underground, though that is an undertaking beyond the current capabilities of Adytians.

Architecture
As Adytum is a fairly new city, most of its buildings are still in excellent condition. Most of the structures are made of sandstone mined from the desert mountains to the west, but Matoran and Agori coming together have resulted in a curious mix of advanced metal plating and the more rustic stone in some neighbourhoods.

Furthermore, the rebuilding of Adytum gave it its nickname, The Grand Bridge. An architectural marvel, twenty Matoran can fit side by side across the width of the city's bridge. Both functional and well-built, it has stood the test of time despite being built out in the open sea where it is constantly assailed by the tides and saltwater.

Demographics
Originally a small community of Matoran of Water and Sonics, and Agori from the Water Tribe, Adytum is now home to Matoran and Agori of just about every element and tribe. The architects and builders who arrived after the emergency summons included Po-, Ta-, and Onu-Matoran. Members of all elements deigned to stay after the rebuilding. Agori and other Matoran slowly trickled in as the city became more prosperous. Each element of Matoran and Tribe tend to live in their own neighbourhoods, a common sight in larger cities. "Little Metru Nui" and "Bridge of Legends" are common nicknames for the bridge among the locals, as there, Matoran and Agori of all types have informally claimed a little section of the bridge for their own, where they sell goods and services pertaining to their element and tribe.

About 20% of the Adytian population consist of Ga-Matoran and Water Agori. A further 10% are made up by De-Matoran. Another 34% is made up of other Matoran, chiefly comprised of Po- and Onu-Matoran. 27% of the inhabitants are made up of Agori from all other tribes, excluding Iron, the Jungle and Fire Tribe being the most populous. The final 9% represents the other sentient species that have come to settle in Adytum. Of this 9%, 80% are Neo-Vortixx. The remaining 20% include Skakdi, sentient Vorox, and Steltians.