Biata the ancient city of the Mountain

They say there is a demon city of Rakshasa up on that mountain. They say there is a city of Sphinx. They say there is the ruins of a Demon Age city up there.

Esali Isha, Inn keep of Brinesariqua

Legend and tradition hold that there are lost and hidden cities in the Salt Spire Mountains. One is the storied city of the Sphinx - humanoid-headed, lion-bodied, winged creatures of ancient origin and possessed of all manner of secrets. Biata is said to be over ten thousand years old, though few scholars have ever been there or been able to verify the legends. The stories of the villagers in the remote valleys of the Salt Spire mountains say it is built of strange substances like nothing known and crystal that the village gongs are made of.

Demographics

The Sphinx are the rulers and highest status in the city, though they are not the most numerous. Humans and Bahku are common and there are many feline type Beastmen. This is remarkable because the Beastmen are from the far west in the Golam lands, many thousands of miles away and only in the past several centuries had they been introduced to the east and north by Imperial slave trade. There are occasional Rakshasa, proud fierce and dangerous. The only fae races allowed to stay are Dwarves and Satyr, who each have small enclaves. The strangest residents are the Cutooku, grey skinned creatures in body built like a miniature meter tall elephant with three blue to turquoise eyes and tentacles sprouting from the shoulders. They do not have tusks or an elephant trunk, the mouth being wide and flat with slit horizontal nostrils above the eyes on the domed head. They claim ancient ancestry as traders and travelers caught in the city at the time of the Tumult. There are only a few minotaur or centaur in the city - descended from explorers and adventurers over the millenia.

Government

The Consigliere tribunal are the ruling body - a group of three Sphinx. How they are selected is kept by the sphinx themselves. The Regents are human, Beastmen, Bahku, Dwarves, Satyr and Cutooku. These form an advising and administrative council. Rakshasa see themselves each as sovereign and reject collective representation.

Defences

Access to the city is limited. It is in a pocket dimension within the Fissures. The entry will shift from place to place around the central mountain to which the city was bound. The entries only occur a few times a year - at new moons and the Double full moons.
The residents recognize the moon cycles but not the imperial calendar.  The days of a 10 day week are numbered ( first day, second, third)

The Guard and Watch are the Sphinxes who are called the Hours.  Militia may be called up, but are mostly ceremonial for Temple festivals or other civic events.

Industry & Trade

The Sphinx protect the surrounding valleys and free farmers. In exchange, the farmers make offerings of food that the sphinx carry away. These offerings are placed on large raised stone platforms or tables called Tal. Each village has a crystalline gong. Harder than any metal and producing a deep ringing tone when struck. This alerts the Sphinx that offerings are ready. In times of hardship or difficulty, as well as about once a generation (15-20 years) a child, children or a young man or woman is offered up. These persons carry specific requests and thanks to the Sphinx and are meant to be the servants of the Sphinx. Most are never seen or heard from again. Occasionally one has returned to tell of the fabulous ancient city.
The city occupies a small valley surrounded by steep cliffs and crags covered in ice and snow. The cliffsides have mines established by Dwarves and others, all under Sphinx administration and supervision. The mines supply various stones, gems and metals. Several cascading waterfalls supply the city, which is sloped down to the valley floor from the northwest cliffs. Waste and run off flow through arched gateways and vanish. None have returned from attempted passage of these channels and none know where they flow to.
On the valley floor are herds of Eela , large silken furred, bushy tailed animals with long backswept ivory horns. The feet have four toes with thick nails. The eyes are violet or dark purple. They supply milk, fibre, skins and milk. The body is about 2 meters in length and 1.3 meters tall. Wild Eela are found throughout the Salt Spires.
The broadleaf gum trees are also found upon the valley floor. The gum may be mixed with sweeteners and flavors and chewed but is frequently treated with blister beetle extracts and other alchemical treatments for shoe soles and rainproof coatings.

Infrastructure

The city is of stone, demonscale and crystal. Many buildings are decorated by "cat's eye" designs with tear or swept corners. Doors are rounded archways. Streets are smooth and flat with seamless demonscale material in plain white color. They become quite slick when wet and special gum soled shoes are worn in the rain to prevent slipping and falling.
Water flows through many culverts along city streets and aqueducts of crystal and stone rise above most of the city with dwarven Etherium piping supplying water to homes and other buildings. Waste water goes into the culverts and streams which vanish through crystal arches to places unknown.  Trash collection and disposal is by carts that go house to house once weekly. This refuse is dumped onto an ancient mineshaft. Giant tangleworms inhabit the deep shaft as do the strange lumpy yellow glowing Things. The Things stand on three suckered legs with three tentacle arms around the squat lumpy body and a large wide mouth across the top of the body that is full of pale blue teeth. They possess no eyes, ears or apparent nostrils. At rest they are a bright yellow color that glows in the dark. When hunting they become  the color and texture of their surroundings.  Sunlight seems to harm them, so they stay to the one mineshaft they are known for.

Policing is and judgement are by Sphinx, though pleaders may petition the Sphinx on behalf of criminals or the victimized.

History

Established in the days of the Demon Age the Hidden city started as a Temple and Monastery. This was in dedication to the Sidereal queen and Mistress, Huntress of the Void. Huntress of the Void was a feline type form and collected things feline. The Guardians of the Temple and Mastery were the Sphynx - winged, lion bodied creatures with humanoid face. The Huntress brought captive Raksasha and Bahku to serve at her Temple. In the age of the Tumult the Complex survived within it's own bubble in the fissures, inhabited by it's servants and guardians, as well as traders, visitors and worshipers. The Raksasha mostly set out into the new hunting grounds after the Tumult. The more primitive Bahku set out later. The Sphynx retained rulership and limited others leaving.

Architecture

The city is remarkable for many things: The temple complex made of demon Age materials seems to be of multihued crystalline material. There are turrets around the Temple made of slick, impenetrable Demonscale in many colors, that resists damage, staining and scratches. Demonscale is a hard, slick somewhat greasy feeling material that has some bending capacity but conducts neither heat nor cold.  ( See Demon Scale Book )The turrets are topped with the dens of the Sphynx. Many tall buildings and spires have sphinx dens and platforms. The bells of the city chime on the half and full hr.

Geography

The entry to the city shifts at the will of the Guardian Sphynxes. It will also only appear at the double full and new moons. The extra planar Dreaming and Umbra approaches are blocked and guarded as well.

Climate

The climate of Biata is warm and. tropical all year round. Even in the depths of winter when the mountains are coated in deep snows. The days remain constant 12 hrs of day and of night.