Al-Azar

"Upon the stand at the far end, he observed chained, naked men and women paraded by a plump merchant in humiliating display before the leering crowds that were clogging the messy marketplace. Some were no doubt from his own homelands, for he recognized the copper locks of one of the women as that of a northern dame, though her ivory skin had long since been burnt and seared by the unforgiving sun of that harsh desert land. "Twenty silvers for the burly lad! Do i hear Twenty Five? Strooong he is! Look at his arms, and his chest!" the plump, silk-draped merchant tweeted in an obnoxious, high pitched cry. He turned away from the display, setting his gaze on the distant, looming golden spires at what must have been the city's northern reaches, for there was no doubt that those spires rose high as if to seek communion with one of the many foul deities worshipped within this forsaken land. He heard clattering of hooves, and the skittering of tiny feet upon the sandy stone pavement, this place was just as much a haven to unrepentant men and women as it was for the tainted remnants of Quormander, and the honorless woodland knife-ears of the Direwoods...."

Widely regarded as the most dangerous city in all of Avander, Al-Azar is a haven for the lawless, the extortionists, and the unrepentant slavers of the realm. Though the ownership of slaves is widely banned in most of the southern kingdoms, the flesh trade is alive and well within Kharemjun, and in particular, within the dark stonewalls of Al-Azar. While it is most infamous for being an open slavemarket, Al-Azar is also an important trade hub in dealing with other valuable commodities, such as precious metals, silks, and fine craftsmansship. The city's Artisan Guild holds much sway in political decisions, and the ruler, Emir Arhemin El-Khomein, is said to recieve substantial bribes from the organization in exhange for low taxes and for turning a blind eye to most of it's workers dire conditions.
Despite it's dreadful reputation, Al-Azar is more than happy to welcome non-human visitors without much questioning or suspicion, as whomever visits the city often brings along with them something of value that is inevitably exchanged at one of it's many glutted marketplaces.

Landmarks

Among it's more infamous features, is the wide, deep crater on wich edges this dreadful city is built, Hell's Maw is an infamous and near mythical geographical anomaly, even within the exotic boundaries of Kharemjun. Pilgrims and scholars from across Avander visit it to gaze down this bottomless pit in a futile attempt at deciphering it's mysteries. Along with this hellish, possibly volcanic crater, there are also the cathedrals of Al-Azar, a collection of tall, garishly ornamented temples rising high above the muddy brick houses of the city, their gold-spired domes and towers visible from beyond the dunes miles away.

Founding Date

1447 BR

Alternative Name(s)

Sinners Refuge, City of Scoundrels, The spires upon the wastes,

Type

Large city

Population

567 000

Inhabitant Demonym

Al-Azarian

Location under

Khaan Desert

Owning Organization

Kharemjun