Ashuur

Ashuur is a major city located in Upper Zagesi, and with a high likelihood one of, if not the oldest city in all of Zagesi. It is the birthplace of The Ashuurian State, founded by The Three Great Ashuurian Houses and home to the largest Temple dedicated Zargoran in all of Kashura. Despite its steady decline, the reasons for which are manyfold, the city still is home to around 30.000 people.

Territory:

Ashuur is located on the northern banks of the Nabu River, right in the middle between The Neferi to the west and The Gilded Sea to the east. It controls and administrates the lands in its immediate vicinity, including all the lands lying on The Nabu River, as well as The Ruhar Forest and Lake, which can be found upstream.
While Ashuur was once settled right in the middle of the most fertile river valley in all of Zagesi, The Whailing Wastes to its south have been slowly but steadily expanding for hundreds of years, consuming more and more farmlands with every season, leading to more and more people either settling in The City of Ashuur itself, or leaving the region altogether to look for greener pastures.

Government:

As Ashuur started out as the seat of The Ashuurian State in its early years, its earliest rulers were a hereditary line of House Atakuz. With the fall of said house following The Reign of the 15 Princes and a relatively short lived provisional government during The Interregnum War, things mostly went on as per usual. The rulers were no longer members of House Atakuz, but still the Malikh of The Ashuurian State.
This all changed during The period between ~650-500 pSF, a time known as The Lions Reign. During this time, The Ashuurian State was heavily dominated by House Arkazi, which understandably wanted the seat of their power to be located within their heartlands, and as such, Ashuur lost its illustrious role as the states base of power, something it would never quite recover from.
There were many attempts at different times of government in Ashuur during this time period as people looked to other places for inspiration, but power in Ashuur eventually shifted to the only remaining authority, the clergy.
Ashuur would become a theocratic dictatorship, the ruler of the city was to be the high priest of Zargoran, an office filled via election by the highest-ranking clergy of the city and held for an entire lifetime. This way, the High Priest, known as "The Darahdid", held control not only over spiritual, but worldly matters.
While faced with many struggles throughout its lifetime, this system of government has survived in some form or another to present day. Nowadays the powers of The Darahdid are largely ceremonial, though he still oversees the treasury, public spending and the organization of public holidays, as well as foreign affairs.

History:

As the first city, base of power and trade nexus of The Ashuurian State throughout its earlier millenia, the history of Ashuur is heavily tied to said state. In an effort not to repeat everything, this article will only include outside events which pertain to Ashuur itself, otherwise focusing on the city's internal developments.

The First Age: (??? pSF to 800 pSF)

1000~900 pSF: The city of Ashuur is founded by Zargorans descendants, the progenitors of House Arkazi and House Yulani leave the government of the city to the progenitor of House Atakuz.

920~870 pSF: The reign of “Malikh Sharukh Atakuz, The Builder”, the first Ashuurite King whose name has not been lost to time. He earned his title through greatly expanding the city of Ashuur, as well as erecting many monuments and wonders, some of which stand to this day.

~870 pSF: “Malikh Sharukh The Builder” is assassinated by an unknown assailant, leaving the throne of Ashuur to his son “Malikh Khusra Atakuz”.

870~850 pSF: The Reign of the 15 princes: Starting with the reign of “Malik Khusra Atakuz”, 15 progressively younger and younger members of House Atakuz come to rule over Ashuur in rapid succession, after each one of them suffers an early death. Some were poisoned, others succumbed to illness, unfortunate accidents or simply vanished without a trace. The last of these 15 princes, “Malikh Abukanezzar Atakuz”, died during a horse-riding accident at just 12 years old, setting the stage for “The Interregnum War”.

850~800 pSF: During “The Interregnum War”, the city of Ashuur falls into heavy political turmoil as it lacks a direct ruler, and different political parties and interests declare support for different sides in the war. Parts of the city turn into a battlefield for months, if not years, with the priesthood of Zargoran being the only unifying force within the city. Turmoil in the city eventually calms down as the war drags on, with the priesthood forming a provisional government, until they peacefully hand over power to the newly elected “Malikh Naram-sin the Unifier”.

The Middle Age: (800 pSF to 313 pSF)

800~700 pSF: Under the reign of “Malikh Naram-sin the Unifier”, the war-torn city begins reconstruction, which would only conclude around 700pSF.

650~630 pSF: Under the reign of “Sharuk the Lion”, the Capital of The Ashuurian State is moved to Utarak, marking the beginning of “The Fading”.

650~580 pSF: “The Fading”: A time period marked by economic and societal decline for the city of Ashuur, as it loses its prestigious position as the “Eternal Capital” of The Ashuurian State. The city is also plagued by instability, as it lacks a unifying ruler and legitimate government for over half a century. Many provisional governments with different structures are instated, but fail to return stability to the city and are as such soon dissolved. As the city continues its decline, people eventually turn to the one and only unifying force left, the clergy of Zargoran.

~580 pSF: While at first hesitant, the at the time High Priest of Zargoran, then simply known as Marahdid Eknatoz, eventually accepted this role. During his coronation he was granted the title of Darahdid.

~570 pSF: First signs of The Whailing Wastes expansion are recorded, though for the moment they seem rather minor and aren’t of much concern to anyone.

580~540 pSF: The reign of “Darahdid Eknatoz the humble”. He was known to take his duties very seriously, meticulously separating the spiritual from the worldly. Under his rule, Ashuur somewhat recovered from The Fading, and as stability and centralized rule returned to the city, it also gained a new sense of relevance as a major pilgrimage site for the devotees of The Ur-Ashaar, through which both commerce and a newfound sense of pride found its way to the city. Eknatoz would rule Ashuur until the day of his death with both his power and authority unquestioned. Despite this, he was remembered as a kind, humble and benevolent ruler. He laid out his wishes for his successors in his final public address to the people of Ashuur, stating that: “We, the priesthood of Zargoran, are ultimately the servants of the city's people. As long as they wish it, and not a moment longer, we shall govern them with kindness and benevolence.”.

540~510 pSF: A series of successors to the position of The Darahdid, which all die in relatively quick succession, as they are all quite old by the time they take office. This time is viewed as largely uneventful.

510~485 pSF: Due to its natural protection through geographical features from the west and south, as well as the general acceptance of the government, Ashuur was largely spared from both The Great Southern Invasion and The Great Revolt, which plagued many other cities in The Ashuurian State at the time. “Darahdid Shiloh the Statesman”, the ruler of Ashuur at the time was known for handling the situation well, maintaining diplomatic ties with all involved parties and facilitating the movement of refugees to the city.

485~313 pSF: The Divine Hegemony: While the rest of The Ashuurian State was thriving under the reign of “Malikh Rubakhal the Great” and the subsequent Ashuurian Golden Age, things took a turn in the city of Ashuur itself. Taking advantage of the general prosperity of the city and good will towards his position set up by his predecessors, the even at the time controversial priest Sularima is chosen to be the new Darahdid around the year 485pSF. He would later be remembered as “Darahdid Sularima the Unworthy”. Starting with him, the following rulers of Ashuur would take advantage of the already great power invested in their position, over time diverting more and more power and wealth into the clergy. Over the years more and more funding was diverted from public projects and important welfare programs into the pockets of the clergy and the construction of lavish monuments, all in order to “honor The Ur-Ashaar”. Many contemporary pilgrims and travelers described Ashuur at the time as “A golden poorhouse” and “proof that without proper guidance, we are no better than our would-be enslavers”.

The Age of Strife: (313 pSF to 32 SF)

313 pSF: The Night of Red Tears: Following another unanimously unpopular decision by the at the time Darahdid, known as “Darahdid Namuyak the Viper”, the tension in the city finally reaches a boiling point, as tens of thousands of people storm the steps of The Fire Temple. Hundreds of defenders and thousands of attackers die until eventually the gates are breached. There are no exact records that detail the carnage which took place that day, but if most recollections of the day are to be believed, that day not a single person even vaguely associated with the Darahdid survived that day, from the lowliest handmaiden, to the most influential priests. The death toll of this night is estimated to be close to 5000, a good 6th of the city's population at the time.

313-295 pSF: The Free City of Ashuur: Following this bloody revolt, Ashuur is quickly reformed into a republic, following the examples set by many of the other great cities of The Ashuurian State. This change was orchestrated by the man who would later also become the first elected ruler of this short-lived republic. A simple man of at the time little renown, going by the name of Darassan. He was generally remembered as a harsh but fair ruler, who managed to lead Ashuur out of a great crisis through clever diplomacy and smart policies, for which he would later become known as “Darassan the Fox”.

295 pSF: not content with having a newly emboldened republic on his doorstep, “Anatep the Terrible”, the ruler of The Ashuurian State, has Darassan imprisoned and executed, then reinstates the Darahdid as the rightful ruler of Ashuur and violently crushes all opposition.

295-247 pSF: Ashuur falls under martial law, as the people are not content with another tyrannical government. Royal representatives are attacked on the open street and murdered in their homes, as royal troops retaliate in turn, escalating the situation further. In the year 256 pSF the rebellious people of Ashuur join “Haki the Phoenix” in his resistance against the Malikh.

247 pSF: Following the sudden death of “Anatep the Terrible”, the current Darahdid of Ashuur immediately steps down. His successor, who would later be known as "Fahrid the Reformer”, offers the people negotiations in order to restructure the government, resulting, with small exceptions, in the laws, government and legal structures Ashuur uses in present day.

247-29 pSF: Politically, the time period from the election of “Haki the Phoenix” until “The War of the Twin Princes” is viewed as largely uneventful, with the city spending most of this time recovering from almost 250 years of oppression, civil unrest and the countless massacres which took places within its walls. The same cannot be said for its climate, as in the year 237 pSF, the people of Ashuur finally noticed the ever-accelerating spreading of The Whailing Wastes to their south. A problem that only got worse with time, and plagues the city to present day.

29-18 pSF: Ashuur sided with Elam in The War of the Twin Princes, and even after its end stayed loyal to his claim, thereby agreeing to be absorbed into the successor state of Arasinda. Due to being out of the way from most of the conflict, Ashuur was not hit quite as hard by the war as many other City states, though the death-toll of Ashuurians was still in the tens of thousands.

5-8 SF: Tens of thousands of mostly Draconid and Wildkin refugees flood into Arasinda from Uzdarezi, and a few thousand of those decide to settle in and around Ashuur, leading to a great influx of people, many of which follow foreign faiths.

26 SF: “Darahdaari Sasani” is elected as the new High Priestess of Zargoran. She is the first woman in the history of Ashuur to hold this position and by extension the first ever woman to rule over the city of Ashuur. Though the ruler of Arasinda, Vizier Ardashir Yulani, has publicly announced his support for Sasani, she is still viewed with much skepticism by many people, with some even claiming that she bribed her way into the position, or that Drustanaar installed her as a loyal puppet to Arasinda.

Culture & Society:

As the birthplace of The Ashuurian State, Ashuur shares a lot of its social and cultural DNA with said state. With that in mind, this section will mostly focus on notable differences between the two.
While The Ur-Ashaar is the predominant Faith in Zagesi, its pluralist nature usually means that its practitioners have no trouble coexisting with adherents of other Religions (for the most part), not so in Ashuur. Here the worship of foreign Gods is outright banned, at least in public, which has some curious side effects. For one, Ashuur and the lands under its control have sizable non-hominid populations, mostly Zoltai and Wildkin, which as a result of this have converted to The Ur-Ashaar, or are openly atheist. There are of course those that practice their Faith in private, but most would never admit this.
Whereas The Ur-Ashaar tends to be a mix of regional and cultural practices in most places, in Ashuur it follows much tighter dogmata and is centrally organized (for a real-world analogue, think of christianity before and after being taken over by the Romans).

Laws and Institutions:

As the laws of Ashuur tend to largely line up with those of The Ashuurian State and Arasinda, this article will focus on the notable differences between Ashuur and the other two.

Open Worship of Foreign Gods:

Contrary to most other places in Zagesi, the worship of Idols, Gods, Deities etc. which do not belong to The Ur-Ashaar is forbidden and those breaking it stand to be severely punished. This law has been in place ever since The Divine Hegemony, though in recent years and especially under the rule of Darahdaari Sasani, it has been toned down in severity. At least now the city guard aren’t breaking down the doors of “suspected heretics” anymore.

Dual-Court System:

Ashuur has 2 different courts of Law: The High Court, which is for the most part filled by the clergy and particularly influential/wealthy individuals. The Common Court is mostly filled with elected representatives from the populace. While The Common Court mostly deals with petty crimes such as theft, The High Court concerns itself with more severe issues such as murder, treason, blasphemy and worst of all: tax evasion.

Great Landmarks and Monuments:

The Summit of Kings - Originally constructed during the reign of Sharukh the Builder, The Summit of Kings is a cultivated garden atop a Ziggurat, overlooking the inner city. The Centerpiece of this garden is a series of monuments constructed throughout the ages, each one meant to commemorate the reign of a different King and their achievements, though with time, many of these monuments have weathered away, their inscriptions becoming illegible, breaking down entirely or even being destroyed on purpose. The last monument to be added commemorated the coronation of Sharuk the Lion, an empty pedestal as he never bothered to have an actual monument constructed.

The Red Tears Obelisk - Constructed upon the ruins of the old temple complex, which was torn down and destroyed during the time following The Red Tears, The Red Tears Obelisk is a massive, 4-sided basalt column about 15m (50ft.) in height, covered edge to edge in tightly packed inscriptions on all four sides. It is meant to commemorate the deaths of those lost during The Red Tears, allegedly holding the name of every single life lost during that night.

The Fire Temple - The Fire Temple is, according to some sources, the oldest building in all of Ashuur, a house of worship dedicated to Zargoran and the divine flame he made his own. Originally built around the time of the city's founding, greatly expanded during the reign of Sharukh the Builder, then again during The Divine Hegemony, partially torn down during the time of the free city, only to be rebuilt during The Reign of Terror, it has been through many iterations. The Fire Temple of present day is an architectural marvel. It is built atop a square ziggurat reaching 100 meters (~330ft.) in height and width, with 3 great flights of stairs, decorated with braziers of eternal fire, leading up to the highest platform, where the temple proper is located. The temple itself is another 20 meters (~65ft.) in height, built from blocks of limestone covered in engravings depicting the founding myth of The Ur-Ashaar and colored by turquoise pigments. The temple interior is decorated in a similar way, motives of different stories covering the walls, all guiding observers to the centerpiece of the temple, a 9 meter (~30ft.) tall bronze statue of Zargoran himself, gifts and offerings at his feet. The lower levels of the Ziggurat serve as public gardens, parks, and housing for the clergy.

The Ashen Grove - A grove located around the northern city limits, which serves as a sort of burial site to its people. While it is rather uncommon for followers of The Ur-Ashaar to bury their dead (though not unheard of), those that wish to have a place to remember their dead bury urns filled with their ashes here, or scatter them to feed the plants, so that they may return to the earth. The grove is maintained by followers of Catriona, who chose to place the grove as far away from The Fire Temple as possible.

Ashuur

Geography:

Region: Northern Middle East - Upper Zagesi

Society:

Population: ~30.000
Strains: Hominids 85%, Wildkin ~7%, Zoltai ~5% Other ~3%
Religion: The Ur-Ashaar

Politics:

Government: theocratic dictatorship
Ruler: Darahdaari Sasani
Influence: minor

Commerce:

Currency:
50 copper grains = 1 silver glimmer
25 silver glimmers = 1 gold sovereign