Grasili
Grasili is a wildly liberal and flamboyant coastal city in Sayaffallah with a deep Orthodox history and influence on most of the architecture. The population today of Grasili is 7,202,150 (7.2 million).
Georgraphy & Temperature
Geography
The city is a coastal city extending into the southernmost sea with tropical plants growing within its limits and date palms all along its coastline. The city features some small rolling hills to the north and to the distant northwest but for the most part the city is flat and prone to flooding during typhoons and large scale rain events.
Temperature
The temperature within Grasili is tropical typically not going below 26C(80F) in the winter and not rising above 37C (98.9F) in the summer time. Its proximity to the ocean means that cooling breezes exist all year long and typically are strongest in the fall and spring with the least amount of wind falling in the winter period of Grasili's climate calendar.
History
Early History
Grasili was founded by Orthodox missionaries in 1310 and later occupied by a garrison of 6,000 Orthodox soldiers who defended the city as an enclave of Orthodoxy. The Basilica De Grasili was constructed by order of the Archbishop of Grasili in 1340 and completed by 1410 making it the largest building in the city and the tallest. On its roof were several parapets manned by Orthodox soldiers allowing them to see far distances out to sea to determine whether or not enemy ships were incoming to the city or not.
Grasili at this time was a citadel surrounded on all sides by several thick white washed walls with soldiers manning guard posts on the roof to watch who was coming in through the gates on the land side and who was entering through the hand cranked hydraulic gates on the sea side of the harbor. The citadel formed a vital protection also from the sea keeping the waves at bay as they crashed against the outer walls and the wind from whipping through the streets.
Islamic Invasion
In 1600 the Islamic tribes attempted 6 times to invade Grasili failing each time and on the 6th attempt the Islamic Tribes signed the Agreement of Grasili which maintained Grasili as an independent city state functioning as an enclave of Orthodoxy. This agreement stipulated and allowed for peace and trade between the Islamic Empire and the City State of Grasili. Grasili prospered under this agreement and soon made the decision to take down some of their walls in 1820 to allow for even greater levels of growth as the city ballooned in size to over 2,600 residents by 1830.
Typhoon of 1840
In 1840 the sea walls were breached by 60ft (18 meter) waves which rocketed over the tops of the walls and crashed against the roofs of buildings nestled against the sea wall area. The walls were quickly destroyed by these waves and large gaping holes were created. The city began to flood around 9 in the evening on June 2, 1940 and the waters came to the rooftop level by 2 in the morning of June 3, 1840. When the waters subsided it was believed that over 260,000 people perished in the Typhoon and over 6,000 buildings were wiped out, taken away or destroyed by the force of the waves and the flooding throughout the city.
To this day June 2 & 3 are city wide holidays with the flags lowered to half staff and in the evenings at 11pm over 260,000 candles are placed in the water as the Orthodox priests chant funeral rites until midnight at which time everyone either disperses or waits until the last candle drifts out of sight.
Revolution of 1900
The national revolution in Sayaffallah in 1900 saw the end of Islamic rule throughout the country but in Grasili it saw celebrations and a sense of unease as to what the future would bring. However this unease would not last as approximately six months later the city would vote unanimously to ask to join the nation of Sayaffallah under its new government. Terms of agreement were drafted and so long as Orthodoxy and Islam are able to cohabitate equally in the country the city will remain a part of Sayaffallah.
December 1, 1901 saw the agreement come into full force and the flag of Grasili was lowered and the Sayaffallan flag was raised. So great was the divide in public opinion that flags of mourning in the traditional black were lowered across windows throughout the city and in other parts people protested strongly by blocking traffic. The police attempted to clear the protestors but many of the police ended up joining the protestors after hearing their impassioned arguments. Many in the historical community say that the instant the police joined the protestors it started the counter-government expressions that would become more prominent in the 1970s.
