Xha’ahan
The grand city and capital of the Hegemony, Xha’ahan has occupied its current site for nearly three and a quarter millennia. Starting life as a small river town in what was subsequently declared to be Year 0 XC, Xha’ahan grew steadily in population and influence, particularly after the construction of the Lujhiran Dam in 1115 XC (–187 I.R.). During this period, the Xha’en engaged in a series of public works and improvements, demolishing old neighborhoods and rebuilding along carefully planned lines. The resulting city consisted of three distinct sections, each enclosed by graceful crenelated walls: the Imperial Palace that rises majestically from the precise center of Xha’ahan; the Inner City, home to nobles, temples, government offices, and bureaucrats; and the Outer City where most of Xha’ahan’s residents live, along with much of the merchant class. Paved streets and canals crisscrossing the Outer and Inner Cities allow a relatively free flow of traffic, and both the Inner and Outer walls are accessible through massive gates, two per side, for a total of eight on each wall.
Over generations, Xha’ahan’s population has spilled out beyond the Outer Wall to form vast labyrinthine slums where crime and violence flourish. Also beyond the Outer Wall lies the Xha’ahan army’s main encampment, where the bulk of the city’s military, including the legendary Tiger-Riders, are permanently stationed.
While it is not the most ancient city in the region (the mystical settlement of Duam in the Gtsang Prefecture takes that honor), Xha’ahan retains a palpable sense of history. Structures from the earliest periods of Xha’ahan history stand side-by-side with modern apartments, shops, and government buildings. Cobbled streets rise above broad canals crossed at regular intervals by picturesque bridges. Boats of every description make their way across the city by water, while the streets are crowded with foot traffic, wagons, and dray beasts.
The Inner City is graced with public parks, the estates of the wealthy, statuary, gilded temples, and stern government buildings. Prominent features include the Azure Tower, a decorative structure built early in the city’s history that provides a panoramic view of the surrounding countryside, and the Great Observatory of Xha, another tower surmounted by a water-powered clock and an elaborate array of telescopes, astrolabes, armillary spheres, and other astronomical devices. Here, scholars and priests chart the heavens and make note of significant celestial events.
The Imperial Palace towers over the rest of the city. Its walls were first laid down during the great rebuilding of 1115 XC (–187 I.R.) and have been added to over centuries. Dark red and decorated with yellow-gold protective icons, the palace is considered to be the sole domain of rulers and their households. This tradition has waxed and waned over the years, and today the Emperor Sajrac su Kar has opened up the palace and allows visits from priests, government officials, and even a handful of foreign dignitaries, including representatives of the High Burgess of Bard’s Gate and an official diplomatic delegation from the eastern nation of Foere.
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Xha’ahan, City of (Capital)
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Capital
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