Asayahbat

Asayahbat is called The City of Gifts.
Situated in the scorching south eastern desert of Qur Dolakh, Asayahbat resides a few miles northeast of the Izkiah River on the shores of the Tujjar Tremorway Strait. Heavily influenced by middle eastern architectural culture, the varying wards are endowed with bright colors, pristine stonework, and elegant filigree and metallic inlay. A few miles of hills rise up to the west and southwest of the city before one reaches the Izkiah River. These hills have little vegetation as one would expect, but the caverns beneath them are heavily mined by the locals as one of their chief trade exports is highly valued and exotic minerals.

The city acts as the main port of entry to the Sea of Hazakh and as such has a melting pot of culture, slavers, tradesmen, tribal telmatra, miners, glassblowers, mercenaries, and traveling organizations looking for mystery or coin in the region.
If the census of the oligarchy can be trusted, Asayahbat boasts a regular population of around 14,000. Long-standing members of The Goltari League the Ta-jubal Family loosely rule over the region and dictate the ins and outs of the port, trade, tribal dealings, and especially dealings with the other regions in Goltaraim. The law enforcement of Asayahbat are The Cavx Pulwars in service to the oligarchy.

The Wards of The City of Gifts

1. The Northern Slums - This is the poorest district of the city, and where many of the homeless and poor reside. It is filled with crowded streets of tents and shanties, rife with crime, and rarely are the Pulwars seen among its crowds. However, the district boasts its own strengths as much of the illicit trade is done within the avenues and shacks here. Also due to the loose presence of law enforcement, some of the best card games, taverns, and excess hedonism can be found here, particularly after the Bazaar and other trade centers have closed for the day.


2. Thirty Keys - A primarily residential district to the west of the slums. It is also the northwestern most entrance to the city. The vertical rise and ecosystem of Thirty Keys is what makes it impressive to weary travelers coming in from the desert. During the rare but occasional storm, it is a wonder that the higher tiers of the vertical shanties stand against the sands and winds. This district feels like a metropolis with sprawling rope and wooden bridges connecting the different tiers. Much of the housing is made out of scrap from the dockyards, old ships, skins and leathers from long-past hunts.
   
   The colors are brilliant, and it is difficult to decipher where one abode begins and another ends. It is easy to get lost in the endless heights and paths of the Keys, but some of the most peculiar residents reside here. It is also has a sort of political system of it's own as it is the district containing the most conflicting gang activity. There are jurisdictions, inner-laws, and public trials for crimes that don't exist anywhere else outside the walls of Thirty Keys. Rumor is that a great secret or treasure of one of the gangs lies behind thirty hidden locked doors among the metropolis of vertical shanties.


3. Chukars' Sorrow - This district is so named because one of its most prominent features is a massive 30 foot tall sculpture of the bird of the same name. It is primarily made out of hardened clay, with fixtures and feathers of glass and scrap metal. The Chukar looks ever towards the entrance of the Tujjar Tremorway Strait to the southeast, and within the sculpture is a pressurized pipe system built by traveling tradesmen from Trentsmund several decades ago. The pipes connect to a deep desert well and continuously pump water into a very old and rusty basin that was once the bow of a peculiar steamship from these travelers. It is a constant source of water for the district, although not properly maintained.
   
   The majority of Chukars Sorrow is where one would find artisans, blacksmiths, tanners, hunters, glassblowers, bladesmiths, or any form of work that requires some stationary shop. Much of these businesses encircle the sculpture of the chukar, and vie for access to the well's waters. Because of the high value of well-front business property, this is a great district for haggling, bribery, or exchange of favors because it is certainly a buyers market. Those who reside here are more middle-class and well off than the northern districts, usually residing in adobe huts, apartments, or occasionally walled garden manors.


4. The Keepsilent - The Keepsilent is the prominent ward for housing much of the upper-middle class, as well as religious sects, organizations, and cultish traditions of the elite. There exists here an air of perverse preservation of tradition where many of the plutocrats revel in and celebrate their Omhatra roots, viewing themselves as societies human elite. This, however, is generally unfounded as most of the regions human/telmatra are so mixed that there is hardly any biological difference. Yet, the racism of The Keepsilent abounds and its residents primarily use wealth and status as a determinant for whether one is more human, or more telmatran, and thereby welcome or shunned among their ranks. The Keepsilent also houses one of the largest mosque's in the region, owned and operated by The Etholcan Church, known as the Mosque of Lachmarum.
   
   Beneath the sanctuaries, large manors, and decorated gardens of The Keepsilent, lies the local slavehouse - Konulkan Camp - The Filth of the Sands. As a whole, Asayahbat's trade of slaves is not widespread, leaving the darker mass trade of human life to Ghanarqa. However, the practice still exists but has created tension within the city, even being the cause of uprising and riots in years past. The Konulkan camp serves the plutocrats of the Keepsilent as a holding place for those slaves that have been set to be exported to other regions, and in rare cases where an offender of one of the elite is sentenced by the plutocrat's militia to live during an intermittent term of servitude to repent of their infractions on the family.


5. Hafka Bazaar - The main trade hub, entertainment venue, and pride of the city. Every corner has sword-swallowers, fire breathers, glass walkers, snake tamers, cardsmiths, gamblers, jugglers, and many other types of entertainers trying to make a small amount of coin from the vast amount of visitors to the Bazaar. Vast arrays of silks, cloths, colored clothing and garb is hung from posts, tents, and beasts of burden carrying wares in and out of the venue. The bazaar itself resides at the center of the district, but extends down each street within. Shops, tents, and displays are constantly changing and it is rare that one would find the same vendor in the same location each day. Those who reside here are most like wealthy squatters as much as is possible. Because of the busyness of the district, and constant movement of coin and wares, no one stays in the same place for long.
   
   The architecture of the district is primarily non-existent, and were the bazaar to one day be empty, it would prove a void of decrepit and near-ancient housing. Many of the structures that do exist are the hardened and sturdy remains of an Omhatran settlement that Asayahbat grew out of. The transient nature of domicile occupation is sustained mostly on cultural tradition, and the unusual credo amid the cutthroat merchants to 'leave it better than you found it.' While shop space, and residency is so fluid in the bazaar district, there is an unwritten rule understood by all the locals that all of the domiciles are to be occupied by residents of the City of Gifts. Traveling merchants, sailors, or tourists from the port are driven out of any of the abodes by angry locals each night so that the pride of their communal homes may be preserved.
   
   The homes and abodes are often slept in by different merchants. It is not unusual for a merchant to sleep in a different location each night after a long day at the bazaar, and constantly find new corners of the district to count their coin. The goings and comings of the district are as much for entertainment, prestige, and status as they are to actually make a profit. Because of this, members of the Ta-jubal Family can often be found among the ranks. It is the best place to learn of rumors, get hired for an odd job, or scour the unusual artifacts brought in from western men.
   
   
6. Maqead Alrib (Seat of the Oligarchs) -
7. Mantis Triune Sanctum -
8. Dock District -
9. The Candles -  Industrial and manufacturing district.  Here many smithys, craftsmen, small-scale factories, tinkerers, forgers, metal-workers and the like can be found.  Some are open for business, but others deal exclusively in contracts.  The ward gets it's name from the multiple billowing spires of smoke emerging from various smoke stacks at all times of the day and night, giving the look of a series of candles ever burning upwards towards the sky.
   
10. Stone and Chisel -
11. The Crucible -

"...Of course it should be called The City of Gifts! They give us much of what is needed for the foundation of any worthy stronghold in wastelands such as this - fine ores, fine spices, and fine tusked women. Just be sure to not cross paths with The Sabors or the Jasmine Scythes, lest your days of gifts are over."
-Jandu U-kuzul, Telmatran merchant.

Included Locations

• Cuddly Cuddy
• Envoy's Grace
• Gideon's
• The Chukar Well

Characters in Location

• Ashqar Ta-Jubal
• Nahla Ta-jubal
• Qalif al-Abdal
• Taiseer ta-Reza
• Thamir al-Khan
• Yasheira Jassan
• Yasin al-Kabir
• Youssef al-Khan