Charakur Settlement in Alana | World Anvil

Charakur

WFRP4e
Work in progress!
ORC License
Slightly NSFW!
Charakur sits at the mouth of the river Manapali and is the capital of Calika and the largest trade port of the area, even outperforming Han's capital Mo-Lung, which lost its status due to high taxes, over-regulation and Han's internal struggles. Whoever trades with Han first makes a stop at Charakur to check if he can get a better bargain there.  
Charakur by Tillerz using MidJourney
 

Government

  King Harun is reigning over Calika from within his palace in Charakur. He is always surrounded by a dozen advisors who suggest options and alternatives to his ideas, most often meeting their own interests.   Harun's wife, Queen Fathia, tries to tone down his actions a bit to make them bearable to Calika's inhabitants.  

Markets

  Besides the regular markets for daily needs, the city has a few specialized markets, which are all located close to the harbour and in their own district, visibly separated by high walls, but connected via huge open gates.  

Pakada Market

You can buy rolls of fabric from Calika, Trendelika and Han as well as already finished pieces of clothing. Pieces from Han are mostly made of silk and quite expensive. Trendelika and Calika provide items made of linen and cotton, which are more affordable and durable and are worn by most people.  
Many merchants offer to tailor fitted clothing for you in a couple of hours. They take your measurements, you select the fabric and come back in the afternoon to pick up your new dress. Simple cotton tunics start at a few silver pieces, while silk gowns with trims and borders can go up to several hundred gold pieces.  

Rikada Market

This market provides everything for a luxurious meal: expensive spices like the extra hot Blood Root (it looks like it is bleeding when you cut it) or saffron to give the meal a nice golden colour. You can also buy crabs and lobster as well as snake and crocodile meat.
Merchants from Han sell thousand-year-old eggs, rice wine and the much stronger Honey of Han liquor, which is almost as thick as honey when cold and only drinkable when hot. Goat cheese from Trendelika is being sold in small wooden boxes that are sealed with wax, to keep in the strong smell.   A few merchants offer food as a service, bringing their staff and providing all the food and drinks to the home. This is often used by wealthy people for big weddings and celebrations.  

Sukada Market

Jewellery and other riches! Necklaces, rings and bangles manufactured from gold, jade, diamonds and pearls, exquisite weapons, but also furniture and carpets for the upper class. Want to buy a precious gift? This is the place where you can find it.
Items made of gold are paid for based on their weight. Manufacturing is only paid for if a piece has to be made with very specific instructions. Magic items can also be found here, everything from rings to cloaks to swords to armour. You'll need the big bucks though.  
Charakur Market by Tillerz
 

Law

  To deter thieves, the punishment for stealing is severe. Losing a hand is probably the least severe punishment available. Trying to sell inferior goods for a higher price is something you only do once. Your competitors will take care of it. There are almost no cases reported in the specialized markets. Either no one dares to steal, or the thieves are simply too skilled to be caught.   Thievery on the daily needs markets is happening more often, but there are usually no officially counted cases because no one reports them. The number of non-locals in these markets is extremely low, and local merchants are well aware that these thefts are committed for survival rather than wealth.
 

Plot Hooks

Got fire? - The merchant Rankur is waiting for a "special herbs" transport to arrive from a small settlement 30 km up the river Manapali. The delivery is a week overdue now and his customers are quite upset and uneasy, becoming more aggressive every day.
  This stinks! - Hasan is having a quality problem with his goat cheese lately. It's not the usual stink the cheese emits, it just smells and tastes rotten. His supplier from Trendelika is affirmative that his cheese leaves his shop in perfect quality.
  A cry in the night - For two weeks now, a blood-curling scream has been waking up half the city every night. The Fist of Charakur had already attempted to locate its source, but had so far had no success. People are worried, the rumour mill is working hard.
A world full of wonders.
Founding Date
950
Alternative Name(s)
The Old City
Type
Capital
Population
45,000
Location under
Owner/Ruler

Articles under Charakur


Comments

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Dec 19, 2020 18:29 by Dr Emily Vair-Turnbull

Sounds like an awesome market town - I like the section about the law in particular. The plot hook sounds really fun! :D

Emy x   Etrea | Vazdimet
Dec 19, 2020 20:15 by Tillerz

Thanks! More to come, I just started laying out the whole region and important people and what's going on. Have an eye out on it. Isibella I am just working on :) 17 year old daughter of the reigning king.

Dec 19, 2020 20:30 by Angantyr

I think you may have missed the end of a sentence at "officially counted cases either because no one is reporting them."   Will you write more about each market? It would be so awesome to go through the fragrant spices, the complex jewelry, exotic and common materials!

Playing around with words and worlds
Dec 20, 2020 08:55 by Tillerz

Whoops, gonna fix it. And yes, this is a WIP, more to come. :)

Dec 23, 2020 12:04 by Dr Emily Vair-Turnbull

Have another comment as you've updated this! I love the sections on the market, with all the little pictures. Really makes it come alive. :)

Emy x   Etrea | Vazdimet
Dec 31, 2020 16:58 by Michael Chandra

Sounds like a nice place to visit as a tourist.


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