Karusha

Art Credit: "Rakdos Guildgate (Dragon's Maze)" by Eytan Zana for the game Magic: The Gathering https://www.mtgpics.com/illustration?i=24802 copyright Wizards of the Coast

Demographics

The demographics of the city Karusha have remained nearly unchanged for more than 600 years with nearly 80% of its populace being the native Smokeless race and the remainder being travelers and nomads.
Much of this is due to the inhospitable nature of the area surrounding Karusha, colloquially referred to as The Firelands. Rocky crags, superheated sand, and lakes of flowing lava prevent long-term residence from any but the most fire-resistant of races. Much of the remaining 20% of the population is filled up with Orcs who migrate from Sharizdur and stay in the area. Though they do not venture into the hottest climates of the capital, Orcs of all kinds are a common sight among The Smokeless.

Government

Karusha maintains a political office referred to as Light Bearer, a position held by one person who, once earned, remains in power for life. The Light Bearer keeps a cabinet of trusted advisors and experts to guide their policy, but otherwise, they maintain full authority on the direction of The Firelands. The only other position with arguably as much influence as the Light Bearer is an office known as "The Burning Envoy". The Envoy is a representative elected into the cabinet of The Light Bearer who spends most of their term away in the Orcish capital of Sharizudr. While there, the Envoy maintains correspondence with his home senators while also affecting policy in the northeast, effectively extending the reach of Karusha into Ilvenal's Mouth, one of the world's few estuaries. Despite this immense influence, Burning Envoy's have historically been utterly faithful to the ruling decree of their presiding Light Bearer. Though disagreement may rise, there is no precedent for an Envoy disobeying an order or a legislative preference of a Light Bearer, and there likely never will be considering the history and tradition of loyalty in Northeastern Spirix.

Infrastructure

Karusha is a curious city, built over the molten caldera of a still active volcano that has sat in the Firelands since time immemorial. Though most of the Firelands are at least temporarily accessible by non-firekin, the capital city of Karusha is a harsh and forbidden environment that requires serious magical protection or an elemental heritage to withstand. It began as a single tower that was meant to be the tallest in all the land, stretching far enough into the sky that it could rival The Green Line. Over hundreds of years, that tower expanded into a castle of obsidian, basalt, and glass, meant to be the most secure fortification in the world with a moat of molten lava that surrounded its gates. During the war with the emerald elves of Aldrané, Karusha quickly grew into an important strategic area, not quite a city but big enough to house a few hundred soldiers and artillery array. In those five years, Karusha expanded rapidly into a veritable military capital with enough space to house a standing army of thousands and fortifications to defend them easily. It became a launching point for the Smokeless offensive.
Since then, Karusha has had much time to convert its previous military infrastructure into civilian quarters. With little ability to attract merchants and traders, the typical central market area of a large capital is instead devoted to the Annals of Argan, a massive building that keeps texts detailing the history of Karusha, the Smokeless, and the other races of Spirix as well. The Annals go deep into the earth, so deep that it is posited they were the original structures that predate even Karusha's tower, ancient and winding corridors that stretch forever into the depths until darkness or magma consumes all who venture into them.

History

Native to Spirix is a race of Fire Elemental-kin called The Smokeless. The precise history of this race remains unknown to this day, but what is known is that they have existed in the desert sands as long or longer than any other race there. Long before The Impetus, many of The Smokeless came together to create their homeland. It began as a single castle, known as the Black Cathedral, and from it, many smaller and similarly designed structures were added. The word Karusha itself is a Primordial word for home, a term of endearment that began seeing popular usage around the 2200s E.Y.

Founding Date

E.Y. 2856

Type

Capital

Population

412,300

Inhabitant Demonym

Kazar

Location under

Spirix, the Glowing Sands

Owning Organization

The Country of Terisirae