Samarra
The City in the Marble Canyons, Samarra, is the center of trade and power in Manadh. It is a deeply divided city with the nobility literally living above the lower classes. The power held by the noble houses especially House Tannous has deeply corrupted the law and security force while the lower class lives in slums continuously shadowed by the opulence above. a booming merchant district has opened new opportunities, but done little to address these long standing issues.
Sarenrae is considered the patron Goddesses of the city and although grand monuments to her dot the city, the people of the city are not particularly religious, giving lip service to their faith rather than actual devotion. Even within the church, the upper echelons are too content with their noble status to make a difference.
The Upper City The Marble Canyons are actually mostly sandstone with thick layers of marble running through them. The upper city of Samarra is built on a shelf of this material that encircles the city about 40 feet above the floor of the canyon. This well patrolled area is reserved for nobles and rich merchants, special permission is needed by any who wish to operate among this upper echelon. The most powerful noble houses have their mansions even higher built into the canyon walls above up to the top. (100 feet above the canyon floor).
The Founder’s Dam holds the water of the Kenah Reservoir to the east of the city as well as serving as the ceremonial heart of the city. Five 100 foot tall marble panels define the Dam with waterfalls flowing between each one. The side panels bear huge embossed sigils of the four founding Houses of the city; Tannous, Al-Ganim, Daher, and Al-Cham. The center is blank and has a huge draped tapestry of Sarenrae. The large promenade below serves as the open-air center of her worship in the city. Rumors say a vault that holds the tombs of the founders and the secrets of the city is located somewhere within the dam. The Marble Courts are the center of law and justice in the city holding the Offices of it’s Judicators as well as headquartering the Bektashi, the primary security force of Samarra. Built into the Canyon wall it contains large courtrooms, public offices, and very secure prison. The entire structure extends down to the Undercity and is an ominous reminder to those tempted to step out of line.
The Canyon of Veils is a strange place in the strictly proper Uppercity, but a long-standing tradition of the nobles of the city. Beautiful veils and aromatic incense give this canyon a dream-like quality and the boudoirs and cafes lining it are dedicated to pleasure, self-expression, and experimentation. Men and women wearing layers of semi-transparent veils walk it streets offering tantalizing romantic encounters. The strangest thing for outsiders is that these are not professional entertainers, but the actual sons and daughters of the noble houses. Any payment or gifts that exchange hands are for admiration and not service. This tradition allows the young nobles to learn about love and their own sexuality in a safe space, frequently taught by resident nobles who act as teachers and match makers. The Canyon of Veils is a subject of endless speculation by the people of the undercity but is kept separate and safe by its own semi-supernatural guards, the Veils.
The Undercity The Merchant District sits between the Kenah Canal and the Eastern Gate to Marblemount Pass. This district has grown significantly over the last few decades as new trade opportunities with Hakak have blossomed. Warehouses, markets, and merchant houses dot this middle class district connected by major arterial roads that are constantly busy with commerce of the city.
The Shadowed Slums is hidden below the shining Upper district. Literally and figuratively in the shadows of the city’s nobles, this is a rough and tumble district of day laborers, dock workers, and the lowest class of servants. Criminal elements blossom here as the Bektashi rarely bothers to patrol or investigate the petty crimes of this district. Most o the cities homeless also call this district home subsisting off of fishing the sewers for semi-toxic fish.
The Seaward Docks is busy with ships of all kinds, Al-Cham patrol ships, Verdan merchant steamships, and civilian fishing vessels. The Al-Cham house acts as the Harbormasters and taxes incoming goods and keep order on the boardwalk where the sailors are surprisingly well behaved with clean flophouses and tasteful brothels. Those interested in darker and seedier fare can travel the sewer network to the Shadowed Slums, a popular route for smugglers. The Kenah Barge Docks are the gateway to the Greenfold with crops and raw materials keeping the city afloat and sending finished goods back out to be sold in the rural villages and towns. Recent advances in technology imported from the Verdan have supplanted some of the traditional oxen pulled barges making this district smell of burning coal that almost covers up the century’s old layers of dung. Small time merchants and travelers who use the canal adjacent road quickly skirt this area for the clear air of the adjacent Merchant District.
House of Wisdom is the largest center of learning in Samarra, this huge spiral tower contains a vast collection of books, artifacts, and scrolls. Students, Teachers, and Researchers of all disciplines roam the halls and is open to anyone able to pay either in money, work, or knowledge. Field agents can be found gathering knowledge across the Peninsula. The House of Wisdom was built at the direction of Sarenrae herself and dedicated to her former mentor the dead god Ihys.
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