Utaqa
City of Free Men
Located at the mouth of the river Al-Zulma, Utaqa is the northernmost point in the line of Free Cities stretching along the coast of the Great Sea. Its closest neighbor, Hafayah, lies nearly 200 miles to the southwest. Every citizen feels Utaqa's distance from civilization, for the city has a decidedly independent spirit.
More than any other city in the north, and perhaps even throughout the Land of Fate, Utaqa is a place on the edge of civilization. The combination of barbarian and enlightened views have produced a very independent attitude toward the world that is neither of Zakhara nor of the world outside. The city's people are basically honest and blunt, often to the point of seeming rude. They are pragmatic in that they recognize the need for some sort of government, so they feel they might as well make the most of it. All of the clergy in the major mosques are pragmatists, a rarity in the Land of Fate. The Utaqans are also stridently opposed to slavery, in all its forms. In particular, they oppose the mamluks, whom Utaqans describe as "the tattooed attack dogs of oppression." Slaves brought into the city will be rescued (whether they want to be or not). Mamluks are rarely found in the streets except as an occupying force. Visiting merchants who own slaves grant them temporary freedom while in Utaqa, paying them as employees until both leave the city, when they resume their relationship as master and slaves.
Utaqans see themselves as good and decent folk confronted with decadent authority and tyrannical rule. The city's official color is white, symbolizing their purity (to their detractors, it also symbolizes the color of surrender). Smuggling and similar acts are illegal only by declaration of a far-off power. "A man should be ruled by his own internal Law" is the unofficial Utaqan motto.
Government
The Ruler:
Caliph Agara al-Gandar was a merchant with a thriving business and diluted blood-ties to the throne of Utaqa. During the most recent insurrection in the city, the previous caliph and his family were put to the sword by Qudran mamluks. The people of Qudra installed "Agara the Dandy" as their puppet, exerting their influence in Huzuz to receive the Grand Caliph's confirmation of their choice. Qudra had one goal: to provide a safe and fully compliant fortification at the opposite end of the Free Coast, bracketing the cities.
It has not worked out exactly as they planned. al-Gandar quickly discovered that in order to get anything done in the city, he had to return to the citizens and merchants a measure of the autonomy they had previously known. As long as the people of Utaqa are allowed to do as they see fit, they are content. Huzuz has not interfered; as long as Utaqa continues to pay its respect and its taxes to the Grand Caliph , the Grand Caliphate is also content. Nor has Qudra interfered to date, for as long as Utaqa's caliph assures Qudra's emir that the northern tip of the empire is secure, the emir is also content. The only unhappy man in the entire situation seems to be Agara al-Gandar , who must balance the desires of these factions to retain his position. The lines on the caliph's face deepen with each passing month.
The Court:
Caliph Agara al-Gandar is blessed with an overabundance of advisors and aides, most of whom have their own interests in keeping Agara on the throne. As a result, they will gladly bend the truth, lose paperwork, and deliver bribes and favors to keep the status quo. Here are three of those people:
- Chawus al-Rark is a prominent merchant. He made his fortune among the wilds of the north, and he maintains it by dealing with the Corsair Domains. His arrangement with the corsairs is as follows: he helps them smuggle goods, and in turn they leave the ships that fly Utaqa's colors alone - for the most part.
- On-Basi al-Garn is the court's chief scribe. He is responsible for the glowing descriptions of Caliph Agara that are sent to the courts of Qudra and Huzuz. His descriptions are often too glowing, however, because they result in additional demands being placed on Utaqa. On-Basi does try to control his tendency to embellish, but he is at heart a boaster and a tale-spinner. His most recent error: he reported Caliph Agara's victory over an incursion of yak-men. Eventually, this tale reached the ears of those evil creatures in the World Pillar Mountains. In response, the yak-men sent several angry Dao to Agara's bedroom.
- Allena al-Ajami is the court's chief vizier. A foreigner from the distant North, she is apparently on the run from one or more powerful individuals in that region. Allena relates well to other outlanders, and problems concerning outsiders and mercenary barbarians usually fall into her lap. She supervises the coordination (and more importantly, the payment) of mercenary barbarians in Utaqa.
Defences
- 4,000-man city guard
- 30-ship navy
- ten units (10,000 men) of mercenary barbarians who make Utaqa their home base, of which about half are present at any time.
- The city has a large mamluk fortification upstream on the Al-Kufr River, which houses three units of 900 trained men (2,600 total), representing The Studious, The Valiant, and The Dutiful. Ostensibly, these units are strategically positioned to aid the caliph in times of need. The real reason for their proximity: to capture the city if the Utaqans get out of hand.
Industry & Trade
Points of interest
Major Mosques:
- Hajama The Courageous
- Hakiyah of the Sea Breezes
- Haku, Master of the Desert Wind
- Najm the Adventurous
The city also boasts a number of temples devoted to savage (unenlightened) gods, and such temples are a rarity in the civilized world.
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