Ajayib
City of Wonders
The westernmost of the Pearl Cities, Ajayib is situated at the base of rising hills. The steep slopes have been terraced and cultivated into great gardens. Higher up, there are coffee plantations, and their harvest is famed throughout the Land of Fate.
The coffee, or mocha, of Ajayib is renowned throughout Zakhara for its dark, rich, powerful flavor. To the north of the city, the land dries out and becomes dotted with frankincense trees, from which resin harvesters also bring in rich rewards.
Ajayib is known as the last stop for enlightened civilization. Beyond it to the west, the Al-Suqut Mountains plunge into the sea, creating a foreboding coastline-the hiding place of mad wizards, savage inhuman tribes, and sea-going brigands. It is the gathering spot of the bold and brazen: adventurers preparing voyages to the south and west, civilized men who are weary of civilization, sorcerers seeking solitude, and criminals on the run.
The people of Ajayib are proud of their frontier nature. They are independent, strong-willed, and opinionated. Rich colors are common in their dress, though herders, coffee growers, and resin-gatherers prefer a duller and more utilitarian costume. Women and men may be veiled or not; this is a matter of personal choice as opposed to a community standard.
Government
The Ruler:
Caliph Halima al-Wahsi is a tall warrior-queen with a face more perfect than the brightest moon, eyes darker than the deepest well, and a smile that, when given to a faithful follower, may set fabric on fire at fifty paces. Her long, thick hair hangs to the small of her back, and she wears it loose in court. In combat, she coils it into a tight, whiplike braid. Yet it is not by her beauty that she rules Ajayib, for her mind and her sword are quick and sure. Halima is active in the day-to-day rule of her city, and she takes all decisions (and all comments) personally. But Halima is a warrior at heart, not a statesman. She enjoys nothing better than to ride out and do battle against the savages of the Al-Suqut Mountains, putting off courtly bureaucracy for another day.
The Court:
The two most important individuals in the caliph's court are a priest and a genie. The priest is Imam Mojos al-Yunqani min Selan. He is 40 years the caliph's senior, and often balances her passion and sense of adventure with a voice of relative reason. He would prefer that the caliph address matters of state as opposed to western savages. Imam Mojos keeps a careful eye on ambassadors from the other Pearl Cities, whom he considers a greater threat.
The genie is a noble dao, Zaheb al-Zidq, the Righteous One, His Most Respected Majesty and Puissant Hetman of the Mighty Khan. The dao is apparently smitten by the caliph's beauty. He is constantly at her side in court, composing bad doggerel and "protecting" her from the advances of other suitors. The caliph, in turn, treats the dao as a favorite pet. Given the natural tendency of dao toward humans, this is most unexpected, and it has been surmised that Zaheb is under some spell or charm. Whatever the true case, Zaheb is a combination of personal body guard, confidant, and enforcer. The caliph has no husbands, and Zaheb discourages all but the bravest of suitors.
Defences
- 8,000 city guards
- 2,000 cavalry
- an elite unit of 300 1st-level farisan under the command of the caliph herself
- six-ship navy used against western raiders
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