Asalay
The great Northern port of Asalay is a huge wall of drydocks, fishing docks, and watchtowers, often cloaked in a dim haze. The smoke of the fires and the great kilns blankets the view of the lower city from a distance: it is simply a great constellation of lights glinting through the low clouds and smog. Hanging over this smog are the mountains and upper city. The mountains appear small in size (as they truly are) when the smog is blown away by the wind, but while it sits there the mountains and towering spires of the upper city look towering, like the city of heaven glowering over the earth.
There are several docks of Asalay, but most arrive in the Great Dock of the Grand Avenue. The Great Dock is a boiling stew of wild commerce, under the watchful eye of the Temple Guards and Crownguard. Statues of heroes and kings tower over the docks, hewn of painted marble and often covered in hungry seagulls. Mercenaries, fish-mongers, peddlers, and beggars clog the dock. The air is alive with dozens of languages, each grasping desperately at one another. The dockmaster's staff navigate through the quagmire, pushing through with the authority of kings in their little yellow hats with a sort of almost-rushed almost-stoicism.
Out of the docks, the Grand Avenue is a massive promenade of cobblestone and asphalt. Hundreds of feet across, it looks more like a plaza than a road- and yet it continues on ahead, all three to four miles to the Hightown ascent. Its all very organized and easy to get the hang of: mounts use the inner asphalt roads, smallfolk and cats use the side lanes, everyone else uses the main roads. One direction of traffic goes into high town, the other goes the other way. People ignore these rules nearly constantly, but their sneers and ensuing public cursing only reinforce the natural order- this road needs no signs or law enforcement, only pedestrian road rage.
The buildings here are raised off the ground a few feet, and even the roads are neatly elevated above sewer ditches and grates that give you the distinct feeling that you could in fact be lower than you are. On either side of the Grand Avenue are little markets, inns, taverns, and dens of iniquity suitable for any weary traveler. Many sport hecklers or greeters who welcome in visitors and scout out potential talent for their corporate employers. Adventurers and mercenaries will find a warm welcome indeed if they can impress the entry staff- and may find themselves presented with a contract a few drinks in to seal the deal.
After miles of Avenue, one finally reaches the ascent. As one climbs the ramps or grand staircases, one can better see the city around them. On either side of the Avenue, they will finally see Low-town properly: a sprawl of city blocks, workshops, in-city fields, and massive kilns and smithies radiating outwards from the clean line of the Avenue. Dozens of military walls of differing size divide the dreary apartments, the massive warehouses, and the smoke-belching kilns and smithies. This is the inevitable fate of those who fail to succeed here- the great stagnant labor pool of Asalay. Best not to dawdle.
Upwards, into the luminous heart of the city, the choking humid heat muffled by the shaded roofing. Through the multiple ferocious gates guarded by marching soldiers and twisted black-stone dragon statues. High town lets you know immediately that you have to be someone here to earn the right to misbehave- the guards, the population, looks at newcomers with visible repulsion. It is easy to ignore, though- there are plenty of welcoming restaurants, theaters, and inns for adventurers, tourists, and businessfolk. And the sights!
The Golden Gate must be first, of course. It is a huge entrance to The Underworld, gilded, covered in statues, and surrounded by the largest and most illustrious market square in Asalay. The depths of the Gate contrast with the stone heights of the Stock Exchange and State Bank. The theater and indoor bazaar are no less grandiose in their architecture. The air smells of spices; buildings and statues are perches for dozens of Flowyrms that prey on the local bird population and watch the crowds bemusedly; the stone here is painted with vibrant geometric patterns.
There are many nice places to visit if you can manage to talk your way in: the Cathedral and Gardens of Ishkibal, Castle Debenok, and the Wizarding Arcanum and Royal Library are all fine places to visit. If you can't make it in those places, the Lesser Gates are fun: formidable market squares around other Underworld entrances.
Demographics
800,000 humanoids, 5,000 cats, 20,000 cephapeople live in Asalay. Many more are temporary residents.
The humanoids are 30% Dryads, 30% Human, 20% Prism, 13% Half-Dryad, 5% Vesper, 3% Kobold, 3% Half Prism, 2% Selkie.
Of the cephapeople, 45% are Octoperson, 30% are Cuttlefolk, 15% are Squiddles
Government
The Monarch of Asalay rules the roost here: Akelan II currently, the idealistic young ruler that has only recently taken control. They have granted their sibling and heir, the disgraced and once-disowned Kavinara, administrative rulership of the city.
The monarch selects the General of Peace, who manages the Crownguard and city policing. The General of Peace is a formidable figure with a great deal of political power. Also of note is the Eminence of the Temple of Ishkibal the Dragon, the leader of the Western Ishkibite faith.
Kavinara, as crown princess of the city and steward of Sovereign Akelan, is the political middleman between the General, Eminence, Monarch, and the local Chamber of Commerce (basically run by the corporations). What a job!
Defences
Asalay is very well defended. The lower city's districts are all separated from each other by large walls operated by the Crownguard, creating an urban defense in depth system. Fortresses buffer the surrounding countryside and the interior (these interior fortresses once having been at the edge of the city and now mostly operating as arsenals or prisons).
The upper city's massive walls are imposing and well-maintained. They were originally designed as a monument of imperial power in 1200, with the black stone taken from the Underworld itself. As a sign of high-town's superiority and power, they have been continuously upgraded with each passing regime.
In the event of a siege, low-town has access to in-city fields (certainly not enough to feed the whole populace, though) and a large merchant navy to run supplies. High-town not only has access to the South-port, but a secret weapon: Underworld agriculture and supplies. It is rumored that Castle Debenok, the royal fortress in Hightown, also has an Underworld presence that might allow it to survive if Hightown fall. It is also rumored that the Cathedral of Ishkibal houses some kind of secret weapon extracted from the Underworld below- but no two rumors can agree on what that weapon is.
Industry & Trade
The port of Asalay attracts merchants and travelers from around the world, all of whom bring goods and help transport raw resources into the city. Naturally, peddling, manufacturing, and finance are all big industries here. Metalworking, mass pottery manufacturing, brewing, agricultural work, and shipbuilding are all big industries in lowtown as well. Much of the lowtown work demand is for "floating work" in workshops, warehouses, dockyards, and construction sites. For those with a talent for languages, Asalay also has a robust service industry for chefs, scribes, and hospitality workers.
Infrastructure
The great ports, grand avenues, kilns, walls, and sewer system of Asalay are all well-funded and maintained. Sewer expansion and water management are always pressing issues that need constant investment. Some more ambitious minds have petitioned for funds to be directed towards a Grand Lothay Canal: a mechanical canal that would allow ships to move into the Southern sea from the North. The Chamber of Commerce has refused to throw state money at such an expensive project when it could go towards expanding existing infrastructure. Said ambitious minds have instead turned to the Onskava Trading Corporation and selkie Khilaia. The idea has attracted more interest there and property in the South has even been acquired for such a project- but trying to decide on the specific route and budget has been a logistical nightmare, stalling the project.
Guilds and Factions
There are several major players in Asalay and a large cast of minor players. Of the major factions, look out for the Temple of Ishkibal the Dragon, The Citizen's Guilds of Hightown, and The Corporations (The Onskava Trading Group and the Kinrath Company). Local groups are mostly The Banots and the local gangs.
The Temple of Ishkibal the Dragon: The supreme religious authority of the Kingdom of Asalay and the Ishkibites of Lothay generally, the Temple of Ishkibal the Dragon is wealthy, militarized, and independent from the crown. It is also independent from the other Ishkibite sects, though it does still work with them and generally still answers to Ishkibal directly. It is led by the Draconic Eminence - currently a charismatic and eccentric retired third-gender paladin by the name of Mathri the Pious who is rather popular among the city's Ishkibites. Despite the very aggressively spiritual new leadership, the Temple itself still doesn't play nice if you undermine its authority or its bottom line. Its soldiers maintain order in the Underworld, enforce port tariffs, defend temples, and keep the Banots in line. The Temple's holy symbols are the black-and-white sword and the dragon.
The Onskava Trading Group and Kinrath Corporations: The Onskava Trading Group was originally a group of native Azalen merchants and specializes in spices, ship-building, woodworking, kilns, and smithing. Onskava's symbol is a winged serpent- almost a holy dragon, but not quite there. The Kinrath Company, meanwhile, owns its foreign roots: it is aggressively foreign and creates a public persona of welcoming friendliness around its multi-cultural hospitality. But make no mistake: this company deals in mercenaries, armaments, alchemy, and labor contracting. It is all smiles, but can and will hurt you.
The Citizens Guilds: People who can prove that their family has lived in Asalay for three generations can apply for citizenship. Only citizens have a guaranteed right to pass property to their children after death, only citizens can live in Hightown, and only citizens can join Guilds. Guilds have this extremely nativistic element that comes from this: they are an exclusive club, a way to protect real natives from outside market forces. The Guilds have immense power over hightown, and have leveraged this into significant power generally. They even run a corporation together - The Home-Guild Trading Group (the HGT Group)- to run their properties in Low town and other Azalen coastal settlements. The HGT Group is more dedicated to politics than profits.
The Banots: Banots are religious groups that represent minority religions in Asalay. They run neighborhoods where their religion is the majority. The major Banots include the Halikvar Banot, the Pratasa Banot, the Elemeer Banot, the Ayshan Banot, the Orthodox Desmian Banot, and the recent Kamadan Banot- but many others exist. You can't get into local politics without wading through these local elites.
The Gangs: With so many competing groups that control business here, many people turn to the underworld to avoid paying taxes to any of them. Of course the gangs will want their own cut but they can be negotiated with personally. There are a number of small gangs that drift in and out of favor, but any gang that wants to survive generally finds a crime family to work under: the classy, Hightown Kavani clan; the rough and tumble, somewhat mystical Izilo clan; or the business-oriented Selkie Immalaia group.
History
The history of Asalay is the history of the Kingdom of Asalay in most ways- and is better elaborated in that story than here.
Tourism
The Underworld is an attractive thing indeed- a siren call for all those with the ego or desperation to imagine themselves as a conquering hero. Of course, this dream is a mirage for most- to even enter the Underworld often involves corporate sponsorship (and control), and those who go it alone are dead meat 99% of the time. But the dream, the possibility, is attractive enough to drag in mercenaries and mages from around the world. Even if it is just to stand next to the possibility to better fantasize.
With this flood of adventurers comes a flood of merchants, scavengers, pilgrims, artists, and curious tourists. Asalay caters to these newcomers with bustling hospitality and finance industries. And if they get stranded in Asalay, they are sucked into the labor pool and carefully removed from the view of tourists. Its a win-win, they say.
Architecture
Buildings in Asalay are often constructed from a combination of local red-hued wood, bamboo, adobe, brick, and stone. They are often quite large and blocky, both in width and height. Part of this comes from the need to build up for more room, and part of this comes from the unique way that Asalay builds its buildings: between the floors and often between walls are ventilation spaces. Ground floors are typically raised about half a foot to a foot above the earth to allow water to move underneath them during rainstorms- and to allow air to circulate during the summer. This principle is similarly used for walls and floors above the first- the creation of empty spaces between rooms basically makes for ventilation shafts. Paired with other kinds of cooling technology, this can make for a nice relief from the unbearable summer heat for outsiders. This design also has allows for much cheaper installations of sewer systems and plumbing systems. Unfortunately, these cool dark spaces are also peak vermin property and require frequent cleaning- the slums here are worse than most places in terms of vermin populations.
Windows and doors in Asalay frequently use either glass or fabric, rooms are often separated by fabric sheets, and beds often are draped in fabric as well- fully open windows, rooms, or beds can attract mosquitoes and are considered a malaria hazard.
The roofs of Asalay are often known as "boat roofs" for their similarities to upside-down boats. Poor rooves are made with straw, reeds, and bamboo, while clay tiling with concrete or adobe is more common for more established buildings.
Geography
The Isthmus of Asalay is around 8.5 miles across- the North and South seas both being clearly visible from Hightown. The "mountains" of Hightown are around 200-700 feet high- really more of hills, but remarkable enough compared to the lowlands to be called mountains. The Northern lowlands occupy most of the Isthmus, and are much less humid and rainy than the Southern side, which rains frequently.
Founding Date
200 ME
Alternative Name(s)
Asadon, The Dungeon City
Type
Metropolis
Population
800,000 humanoids, 5,000 cats, 20,000 aquatic
Inhabitant Demonym
Asalayan
Location under
Included Locations
Owning Organization
Characters in Location
Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
Comments