Drustanaar

Drustanaar is the largest city in the region of Upper Zagesi, and with a population of over 100.000 people also one of the largest cities on the entire continent. It is one of the oldest Hominid settlements in the region, having been founded almost a thousand years ago by the Progenitor of House Yulani, one of The Three Great Ashuurian Houses. It serves as the base of power to House Yulani to this day, and in recent decades has become the de-facto capital of Arasinda, only furthering its influence.

Territory:

Drustanaar is located on the eastern bank of a river on the southern coast of the westernmost region of The Gilded Sea. It controls and administers all lands along the river, from the northern parts of The Neferi through The Bikamer Hills, as well as the surrounding areas and coastline, including The Spires of Ulmar to its east.

Government:

During it's early history, the head of government of Drustanaar was usually the Patriarch of House Yulani, who held complete power over the military, commerce and legislation within the city. During this time, Drustanaar was essentially something between a hereditary monarchy and a military dictatorship.
Around the Time of The Lions Reign however, House Yulani softened its grip over the city, a trend that has arguably continued to this day, though they still hold substantial power. Official positions within the government were opened up to people outside the great house, even the peasantry, should they by some miracle meet the criteria. Trade and tax laws were relaxed, the criminal code was reformed and the city eventually turned to a new form of government around the year 550 pSF, a republic, which would equally represent all people of Drustanaar and the surrounding lands, at least on paper.
In reality most representatives of the assembly, known as “The Darbar Alshurah” often shortened to “Darbar”, happen to be powerful people representing not their citizens, but their own interests. From wealthy merchants and business owners, to generals, landholders and the clergy. While it is not unheard of that those of the lower classes gain enough support to be elected to The Darbar, it is rather uncommon. The current head of The Darbar, known as “The Vizier”, and by extension the leader of Arasinda is “Vizier Ardashir Yulani”.
Ever since the foundation of Arasinda, one of the two successor states of The Ashuurian State, The Darbar has not only served as the government of the city itself, but also Arasinda as a whole, only furthering it's influence.

History:

The History of Drustanaar is heavily tied to that of The Ashuurian State. In an effort not to repeat everything, this article will only focus on things that pertain to the city itself.

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

950~900pSF: The first Patriarch of House Yulani founds Drustanaar

870~850pSF: The reign of “Adamar Yulani I.”, the first Patriarch of House Yulani who’s name has not been lost to time. While his reign is mostly remembered to be uneventful, he suddenly dies under mysterious circumstances around 850pSF, just in time for “The Interregnum War”.

850~800 pSF: During the first years of "The Interregnum War", Drustanaar is on the back foot, as the death of Adamar has come as a surprise to most, and his successor, "Ismael Yulani" must pick up the pieces, never having expected to have to oversee a war against his own countrymen. He eventually manages to win back House Yulani’s conquered territories and after a lengthy stalemate, forces House Arkazi into a peace treaty, though at the loss of tens of thousands of lives. For his fierce defense, he would come to be remembered as “Ismael the Bloodsworn”, passing away just days after the war's conclusion.

The Middle Age: (800 to 302 pSF):

800~720 pSF: The post-war era, marked by the reconstruction and resettlement of the devastated and depopulated city and countryside.

~730 pSF: The House of Hope, a monument commemorating those that gave their lives during The Interregnum War, finishes construction.

720~690 pSF: The Reign of "Dagaz Yulani II.", the first ruler of Drustanaar after the city and its surrounding lands had finally recovered from The Interregnum War. Under his rule, Drustanaars infrastructure was greatly improved and the flood barriers, allowing the city to be safely located so close to the coast of The Gilded Sea, were strengthened, which has allowed them to stand the test of time until recent events.

650~302 pSF: The Age of Tamanis: During The Lions Reign, Drustanaar as a base of political power faded somewhat into obscurity, as said power shifted north to the Lands of House Arkazi, to Bizantahir and Utarak. House Yulani in response to this purposefully gave up much of its power over the city, changing many laws, taxes and more, opening and liberalizing the selection processes for officials, all in order to attract wealth, trade and the brightest minds from Zagesi and beyond to Drustanaar. A plan that worked out splendidly: Drustanaar would turn into one of, if not the most influential trade hub on the entire Northern Continent, and became a center of scholastic pursuits and debate for centuries to come. While “Anatep Yulani III.” the Patriarch of House Yulani and ruler of Drustanaar at the beginning of this time period, certainly deserves some of the credit for this masterful plan, historians nowadays see someone else as the true architect of this era: His Wife, a shrewd merchant and businesswoman by the name of “Tamanis”. For this great achievement, she would not only become the namesake of the era, but also become known as “The Lady of Coin”, and be immortalized in many monuments, motives and myths as the patron saint of Drustanaar.

~580 pSF: The Headquarters of “The Silver Vow”, the largest bank and silver reserve in Upper Zagesi to this day, finished construction in Drustanaar.

510~490 pSF: During The Great Southern Invasion, Drustanaar manages to avoid being dragged into the fighting by paying off its would-be attackers. Wealthy merchants and families of the city gather an immense amount of wealth in return for their safety, conveniently redirecting the attacking armies towards the North. Once Rubakhal the Great would amass his own troops to face the attacking armies, Drustanaar provided the same courtesy to his armies, providing the much-necessary funding for his reconquest of Upper Zagesi.

501~490 pSF: As a result of this, Drustanaar would not face the same levels of unrest as other cities during The Great Revolt, allowing House Yulani to hold on to their power and influence with relative success throughout the coming centuries.

450~302: The Ashuurian Golden Age only furthered the power, influence and wealth of Drustanaar. Many great monuments were built and the city rose to a level of splendor never before seen in Kashura, though all good things must eventually come to an end.

The Age of Strife (302 pSF to 32 SF):

302 pSF: “Malikh Gildas Yulani III.”, also known as “Good King Gildas”, the ruler of Drustanaar, The Ashuurian State and Patriarch of House Yulani, is assassinated by unknown assailants, marking the end of The Ashuurian Golden Age.

301-300 pSF: Taking advantage of the turmoil caused by the assassination of his older brother Gildas, “Anatep Yulani VII.” levies a mercenary army and marches them onto several other city states to strongarm them into voting for him.

299 pSF: “Malikh Anatep Yulani VII.”, later to be known as “Anatep the Terrible” ascends the throne with a 6 to 1 vote, with Korsani being the only city not giving in to his threats.

299-247 pSF: The Reign of Terror: the reign of “Anatep the Terrible”, most remembered for the strong curtailing of civil liberties, individual city rights and economic downturn through the breakdown of trade relations with surrounding states. The Malikh heavily centralized the state, violently crushing any and all opposition to his rule, butchering men, women and children alike, displaying their corpses for all to see as both a threat and a warning. Nowhere is the devastation so severe as in his home city however, where a tradition of over 300 years of relative freedom, prosperity and knowledge is shattered within the lifetime of a single ruler. Publicly elected officials are forced to resign or die, scholars and philosophers are driven from the city and much of the city's wealth is seized.

247 pSF: nowhere was the support for The Three Days Revolt so overwhelming as in Drustanaar itself, though the flag bearers surprisingly were not some charismatic common folk, but a group of bastards from a distant branch of House Yulani, turning their blades against their own kinsmen. Whether or not they were driven by genuine Idealism or simply saw an opportunity to further their own interests none can say for sure, however at the end of it all, the main branch of House Yulani, which had held power in the city for so many centuries was culled completely from the city, lynched, assassinated or driven into exile. A new branch had taken over, the head of which would become the newly elected ruler of Drustanaar: Yaakaris Yulani, nowadays more commonly known as “Yakaaris the Bastard”.

247-225 pSF: The reign of “Yakaaris the Bastard”, was for the most part remembered for two things: Firstly by the attempts to undo the damage done by his predecessor, inviting back those which had been driven from the city, paying reparations and making amends. While only moderately successful, as half a century of atrocities cannot simply be undone in half the time, it was still a good start to get the city back on track. Secondly for the many strange vanity projects depicting the new Vizier in heroic battles, slaying his predecessor or fighting off armies of foes all on his own. The accuracy of these depictions is considered to be dubious at best by both modern and contemporary scholars, perhaps an attempt of the new ruler to rid himself of all ties to his predecessors, and legitimize himself in the process, or simply the sign of a wealthy man’s insecurity.

225-191 pSF: The reign of Vizier Kozu Yulani, also referred to as "Kozu the Triarch", the new Patriarch of House Yulani, following the death of his predecessor. He continued the reconstruction of the city, but is most remembered for reforming the city’s government into what it is today, barring a few minor exceptions. When Malikh Ayatuur Arkazi was elected the new ruler of The Ashuurite State in 219 pSF, it was him that encouraged the city to take up arms in defiance. A successful act of rebellion, thanks to the Viziers coordination with the Governments of Kalaar and Korsani, which also had refused to bow to the supposed new ruler. He is remembered as one of the three progenitors, “The Triarchs”, of The Fractured Dominion, together with his co-conspirators Zacharias the Triarch, the at the time ruler of Kalaar, and Enatem the Triarch, the at the time ruler of Korsani and daughter of Malikh Haki the Great.

218-86 pSF: While Drustanaar never again rose to quite the monolithic position it enjoyed during The Age of Tamanis, it nonetheless returned to being a great trade hub and center of scientific and political thought during The Fractured Dominion, second only to Kalaar.

90 pSF: Tanzimat Yulani is chosen unanimously as the new Vizier of Drustanaar, something that has not happened since the election of Anatep Yulani III. back during The Age of Tamanis.

86 pSF: Tanzimat Yulani, later to be known as Tanzimat the Sovereign, is elected as the new Malikh of The Ashuurite State.

86-29 pSF: While the reign of Tanzimat the Sovereign no doubt had sweeping consequences for the rest of The Ashuurite State, very little changed for his seat of power, Drustanaar. The city benefitted in all the usual ways, but very little changed in terms of law and legislation, and the few changes that happened were met with at most negligible resistance, due to Tanzimats overwhelming popularity.

29-18 pSF: During The War of the Twin Princes, Drustanaar became the seat of the second prince, Aziz Yulani, and would see some of the heaviest fighting of the entire war, with over half of the city lying in ruins. This was in no small part due to the purposeful destruction of the flood barriers by attacking armies, which had protected Drustanaar from the tides for hundreds of years. This devastation to some degree lasts to the current day, as a sizable part of the city still lies in disrepair, despite the sudden surge of population the city would receive in the coming 50 years. A final tragedy struck the city with the assassination of Aziz Yulani, as despite everything he seemed to be beloved and genuinely revered by his people.

18 pSF: The State of Arasinda is founded by the successors of Aziz out of the three city states Ashuur, Drustanaar and Kalaar, as well as their surrounding territories. Despite Kalaar being viewed as the preferable choice by many, as the city was not nearly as ruined by the War as Drustanaar, Drustanaar is chosen as the center of government of this new state.

5-8 SF: Tens of thousands of mostly Draconid and Wildkin refugees flood into Arasinda from Uzdarezi. Most of them settle in and around Drustanaar, leading to a sudden influx of population, which further destabilizes, but also revitalizes the city.

10 SF: A group of Warbands from The Daga-Kurum Desert, led by the Draconid Warlord “Kovesh the Conqueror”, invade Arasinda from the south after having conquered the neighboring city state Marukan. They plunder and pillage their way through the countryside, before miraculously turning around just days away from Drustanaar. Some say that the then still quite young “Ardashir Yulani” cast a mighty spell which filled the invaders hearts and minds with fear, forcing them to change course.

16 SF: “Ardashir Yulani” is elected as the new Vizier of Drustanaar and by extension Arasinda, following the death of his predecessor. His first act as Vizier is to grant all non-hominid living within Arasinda full and unconditional citizenship.

17 SF: Arasinda forges a pact of nonaggression with the conquerors of Marukan.

22 SF: Arasinda begins paying pirates and privateers to attack Uzdarezian convoys and military positions, meanwhile many new wares from the north miraculously find their way onto the markets of Drustanaar.

28 SF: A diplomatic mission from Thassalophon arrives in Arasinda and is received by Vizier Ardashir Yulani. A few weeks later the two states forge a trade alliance. In the coming years, there would be many cultural exchanges between the two states.

32 SF: “The Anyuman”, more commonly referred to as “The House of Night”, the first branch of The Azurite Archive outside of Thassalophon is established in Drustanaar.

Culture and Society:

As one of the earliest cities to be founded within The Ashuurian State, Drustanaar shares a lot of cultural DNA with said state, as such this article will focus on what sets the city apart from others.
Looking back on a history of inclusion, multiculturalism and at least relative social mobility, Drustanaar is a lot more culturally liberal than many other places in Upper Zagesi. Non-Hominids enjoy the right to full citizenship here, without ifs ands or buts, with all duties and privileges that come with it. While the city has an entrenched aristocracy, they have historically been willing to set their own interests aside for the greater good of the city, at least to a certain extent, and if there has ever been a great equalizer in the history of Drustanaar, it must have been The War of the Twin Princes, destroying house, home and families for rich and poor alike.
Drustanaar is known to be a city of scholars and philosophers, as it's people value intelligence and education very highly, as they know that the one thing that can lift even the dirtiest peasant out of poverty is a sharp mind and well-fed intellect. Being well-fed in general is even more ideal.
In general, Drustanaar is known as the "City of Opportunity", the place where anyone, if not everyone, can make it, regardless of strain, origin or social standing, though it’s not all roses.
Large parts of the city still lie in ruin, and in the absence of a strong governing force in those areas, crime has made its place. Many criminal organizations call Drustanaar their home, from gangs to trafficking rings, in fact it is probably not an overstatement to say that Drustanaar houses the most criminals of any city in Upper Zagesi, second only to Korsani, which is openly controlled by pirates. To combat these organizations, various civil militias have formed throughout these areas and street fights between the two are not uncommon, even if they rarely spill into the intact parts of the city.

Laws and Institutions:

The Laws and Institutions of Drustanaar for the most part line up with those of Arasinda and The Ashuurian State, barring some minor differences, though there is one major exception:

The Inner Security Act:

allows the Vizier of Drustanaar to grant certain civil organizations, such as guilds and militias, limited authority to govern the districts they preside over, an act introduced by the current Vizier, Ardashir Yulani, to combat the rapid growth and spread of crime within the city, where the hand of the central government can or will not reach. These organizations may pass laws and appoint their own officials within their jurisdiction, so long as they do not break any other laws of the city. Some see this as an act of desperation by a government that has lost control over the city it presides over, while others say that it is simply the best solution given the circumstances of the city.

Great Landmarks and Monuments:

The House of Hope: A Mausoleum constructed during the early middle age of Drustanaar to commemorate those who lost their lives during The Interregnum War. Against all odds it stands the test of time to this day. The names of dead soldiers are carved into the stone walls of the structure, though most of them have faded with age, and intricate stone reliefs retell the story of The Interregnum War. At the center of the structure atop a marble pillar rests a bronze brazier alight with a roaring eternal flame. An inscription in the pillar reads “For as long as the fire of hope lights these hallowed halls, so shall we watch over the children of Drust” in old Malik-Shah.

The Silver Vow Headquarters: As the name suggests, this building, located in the inner city, is the headquarters of the organization known as The Silver Vow, the largest bank in all of Upper Zagesi. An enterprise as large as The Silver Vow however requires more than just bureaucrats to keep the books balanced, for wherever people take on debt, there are those which try to escape it. For that reason, the SIlver Vow employs a small army of “debt collectors” known as “The Coinguard”, elite soldiers both feared and revered for their combat prowess and merciless efficiency. In truth, the silver vow is not just in the business of moneylending, but also one of the largest mercenary groups in all of Kashura, willing to sell their services to anyone who can afford the steep price.

The Well of the Coinmaiden: Of the many monuments to Tamanis the Lady of Coin, few have survived into the modern age, most having been destroyed in recent times through floodings, war or good old fashioned vandalism. The most well-known exception to this is The Well of The Coinmaiden, a marble fountain standing in the middle of the central market of Drustanaar.

Yakaris fells the tyrant: One of the vanity projects from the reign of Yakaris the Bastard. A massive stone relief telling the story of how “the bastard prince driven from exile returned triumphantly to the city which was rightfully his and slew the serpent known as Anatep the Terrible single handedly, together with his armies.” A claim to fame that has at best dubious historical validity, though it is quite fine stonework nonetheless. Those interested can still see it today on display in the entrance Hall of the Viziers Palace.

The Anyuman (The House of Night): A branch of The Azurite Archive, the House of Worship dedicated to Arcana in Thassalophon, which finished construction early in the year of 32SF. While The Anyuman too doubles as a place of worship for the enigmatic goddess, its true purpose is that of a place of learning, specifically dedicated to the discipline of Arcane Magic, the first of its kind in all of Upper Zagesi.

Drustanaar

Geography:

Region: Northern Middle East - Upper Zagesi

Society:

Population: ~100.000
Strains: Hominids 65%, Wildkin ~15%, Draconids ~12%, Zoltai ~5% Other ~3%
Religion: The Ur-Ashaar

Politics:

Government: oligarchic republic
Ruler: Vizier Ardashir Yulani
Influence: moderate

Commerce:

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