Amayeh (ˌamaˈeh)

Capital of the Holy State of Kharbrand, Amayeh is also the seat of power for the religion of Qā-Jāre. With 8% of the world's population following some form of the faith, Qā-Jāre the largest religion in the world.
Founded by the Qā-Jāre priests, the first inhabitants of the city were refugees from the clan wars that ravaged northern Iasteron. Directed by the Hārte, the Lion of Summer, the priests claimed the yamije grasslands for xer people and built a great walled city to defend the refugees against further depredation and conscription by the warring states.
Amayeh sits on the lowest safe route over the Vare mountains, forming a gateway to the interior of Iasteron. Despite only having 20,000 permanent inhabitants, the city hosts a large number of pilgrims and a transient mercentile population that frequently triples this number.
In recent years, the power of Hārte has begun to fade and dark things are creeping up from under the earth, drawn by the wealth, trade, and steady flow of people. Shadowy creatures and malign forces stalk the city at night, despite the great bells of the temples chiming hourly and the silver chimes hanging at every doorway.
The eastern gate, the Gate of Flowers, looks out over the grasslands. A statue of Hārte in the form of a winged lion dominates the gate and is a known gathering place for spirits and minor deities. The statue marks the site where Hārte overthrew the demon-prince Qor and used xer bones as the foundation of the city. In the spring and early summer, the stone plants carved into the staue and surrounding buildings bloom. The smell of the stone flowers attracts a unique species of bee and the scent permeates the entire city and is believed to attract people lost in the mountains and symbolise Hārte's protection of the city.
The north quarter of the city is a large market reknowned for its alchemists and apothecaries. The perfectly flat market square is said to be formed from the bones of Qor, and the central fountain is filled with flowering plants and silver coins representing prayers to keep the demon at bay. In deference to the heat, the market has historically opened in the hours before dawn and closed by noon, but the recent curfew has forced these hours to change. Large colourful canopies offer shade to the midday market and fountains of icy water have been erected at strategic points across the square.
To the North, outside the city, is a large mound which moves, "walking" up to half a kilometre in a night. In myth, it is said to be the buried offal of Qor's restless body; recent excavations have suggested it may be shaped by the activity of a colossal underground creature.
The old city centre contains both the great temple of Hārte and the old palace of the now-extinct royal family of Kharbrand. The palace and attached barracks are the remnant of an alliance struck by the people of Amayeh, which turned into an occupation when the then-Queen feared that the influence of the priest-class would eclipse her own. It is now infested with worms and insects, and is off-limits to the general population. A dark miasma has been seen flowing from the barracks at dusk, and local rumour holds that this is the cause of a series of disappearances that have recently begun terrorising the city. The palace's oppressive atmosphere emanates beyond its walls and citizens give the place a wide berth and the city is under a dusk-to-dawn curfew.

Type

Capital

Location under

Iasteron

Related Traditions

• Guardian stones