Hiyal

At the northern rim of Suq Bay, lies the gray, industrious city of bout 360 miles northwest of golden Huzuz, at the Hiyal. Set in the low valley of the river Al-Wahl, Hiyal is cloaked in the smoky stench of its foundries and kilns. The shroud seems to nurture the clandestine, for in the city's dark alleys and backrooms the deals of smugglers, thieves, and unscrupulous power brokers are made

Defences

8,000 footmen; 1,500 cavalry; 2,000-man palace guard; 2,000-man city guard; two mercenary barbarian units, 1,800 strong combined; five units of mamluk infantry, 5,000 strong combined; three units of mamluk cavalry, 900 strong combined.
Prince Anjar bin Alurah commands the regular troops. Princess Hannah commands the city guard, including some elite units who are personally dedicated to her. Hannah lacks a mamluk unit, but each of the sultana's other children (and the sultana herself) has a unit personally dedicated to him or to her. Rivalries exist between these mamluk units; the soldiers take their leader's arguments onto the streets.
The sultana has assumed personal control of the cavalry mamluks, using Tocka as her go-between. She also commands both mercenary barbarian units, the palace guard, and the navy. The navy is used primarily to protect personal cargos of the royal family, since the Golden Gulf is patrolled by Huzuz's superior navy.

Industry & Trade

Hiyal's trademark is its smoky pallor and unpleasant odor, caused mainly by its foundries and kilns. Its valley setting creates a peculiar inversion, literally capping the city with pollution.

Alternative Name(s)

The City of Intrigue

Type

Large city

Population

600,000 permanent residents. If beggars and transients are included, the number may swell to 900,000.

Owner/Ruler

Sultana Alurah bint Asrah

Ruling/Owning Rank

Sultan

Characters in Location

• Sultana Alurah bint Asrah