Calimport

Demographics

Demographics - 80% Human 5% Dwarf 4% Half Elf 3% Elf 3% Halfling 5% Other Races
Slave Demographics - 32% Elemental Races (Majority Undine and Oread, Minority Slyph and Ifrit) 26% Planetouched Races (Majority Tieflings, Minority Aasimar) 14% Beastfolk (Majority Deerfolk and Bearfolk, Minority all others) 13 % Human (Majority Calishite, Minority Chondathan, Illuskan, Kymosian) 10% Goblinoids and Orcs (Majority Hobgoblins, Minority Bugbears and Orcs) 4% Dwarf (Majority Duergar, Minority Hill and Mountain Dwarves) 1% Others (Wild Elf, Drow, etc.)

Defences

There are a total of 48,000 amlakkar and officers within the capital, a figure averaging almost twice the normal amount per city sabban. However, they number only half as many as are most likely needed to maintain order in a crisis or keep up with the many duties the crush of humanity in the city creates. The primary legions of the syl-pasha's army quarter here within the city and in nearby outlying garrisons. They number 28,500 standing soldiers and officers, and there are up to 10,000 sailors and support staff and officers of el Nallojal (the navy) within Calimport as well. Private guards and mercenaries also protect the syl-pasha, his estates, and nearly anyone else with money within Calimport, bringing in another 22,000 to 25,000 armed troops.

Industry & Trade

The great city of Calimport is a center for trade and business throughout the known world, known such as the “City of Glory” or the “City of Slaves”, depending on your view. The city itself is a powerful and active place that most trade routes move through in all ways, by air, sea, and land. As one of the several cities in the world that has several skyship towers, the connection to all around the world is absolute and encompassing.
Everything, from magical items to slaves, can be found in Calimshan. Both illegal and legal goods can be found in all parts of the city, sold by the many powerful guilds and organizations that call the city and nation home. The port of Calimshan is the most visited port city in the known world, and the trade routes coming into and out of the city are absolutely innumerable.

Districts

There are 17 wards about the city, as per the syl-pasha’s command that all of the sabbans save the Pasha’s Sabban be organized within wards; whether a ward contained less or more sabbans was determined by the status of the sabbans. (In other words, the richer the sabbans, the fewer of them within that ward.) In Calimport alone, each ward answers to a vizar or sultan who commands the sabbalads (sabban mayors) and numerous druzirs (precinct officials) among his ward. In general, there are also three substrata of wards: The Port Wards, the Central Wards, and the Outer Wards.

The Shackles Ward (Outer Ward)

This ward encompasses the southwestern edge of the city and is the traditional home of much of Calimport’s slave (and slaver) populations. The entire eastern length of Shackles Ward, where it is adjacent to the Armada and Palace Wards, remains in shadow beneath the looming Pesarkhal Wall being built to protect the city center. While certainly the poorest sector of the city, it is far from the most dangerous area to frequent. After all, there are few thieves here since there is very little to plunder. One of the strangest features of Shackles Ward is its lack of drudach walls. While the three sabbans remain distinct, there are no divisions among them internally. Over the centuries, the older drudach walls were scavenged until their walls had been put to use reinforcing the sabban walls and building massive sales platforms even with the byways.
Ward Leadership -Harun yn Jukhan el Rhimod, Sultan of the Shackles Ward (NE Calishite Man, 6th level rouge) is the ill-tempered seventh child (fourth son) of the syl-pasha and is Pasha of the Royal Calimshan Company in his own right. His primary vizar and wizard, Kamal el Estarq (CE Calishite Man, 7th level wizard), is an agent (and lover) of Tamol yr Pirit (LE Calishite Woman, level 9th cleric of Xaanke), who directs them both for the cult of Xaanke and the Company. While both men are smart enough to realize they are being manipulated by this Harem Slave they got from the Muzad, both realize she has other allies whose power they covet and welcome for their own power plays. Neither is farsighted enough to realize that such power comes with a price.
Astaré Sabban Nicknames - the Slaver Sabban, the “Flesh Market”. This sabban is the primary staging area for newly arrived slaves coming up for sale. Of its drudachs, its central one was long a mere composting and rubbish heap that was eventually filled in with mud. Thus, there is a large central market in Astaré Sabban even (at least visually) with the sabban byways, and pashas and the mercantile class can purchase slaves without having to lower themselves to ground level. The bulk of the sabban’s streets are filled by one- or two-room tents and hovels, wherein hundreds of thousands of slaves live. Sabban symbol - Hand and wrist with a shackle on it
Edijo Sabban Nicknames - Penitents’ Sabban. This sabban is the housing sabban for the destitute, sick, and poor as well as the secondary housing area for slaves. This sabban looks out from atop a 30-foot-high cliff next to the Armada Ward, and its isolation on the coast restricts other city residents' exposure to the illnesses rampant here. Of course, when plagues begin, this is the first sabban blamed Sabban symbol - Two eyes, each with single tears beneath.
Minqa Sabban Nicknames - Sadimmin Sabban. This sabban, the westernmost area of the ward and of Calimport itself, is hardly a sabban as much as a military outpost. The military training grounds and garrisons here at least hint to the slaves of this ward that even without chains, they will not be allowed to flee from the city. This is the post for raw recruits and aging soldiers, while others of the sadimmin are stationed among the other city garrisons or elsewhere across Calimshan. Sabban symbol - Scimitars crossed
Qhibal Sabban Nicknames - Red Veil Sabban, Tall Tankards Sabban. This sabban adjoins the gate into Palace Ward and the Pesarkhal Wall. It is the most prosperous and clean of the Shackles Ward sabbans, simply due to the number of merchants, nobles, and the like wandering in from the adjoining sabbans to find entertainment among the many jhasinnar courts and gaming halls. Its secondary nickname comes from the numerous four-story taverns and inns closest to the gates and sabban walls. Sabban symbol - Oil lamp on a table

Faiths Ward (Outer Ward)

Many of Calimport’s oldest temples lie within this ward, thus its name. In fact, while most of the city has been destroyed in past wars, this area has retained most of its structure and architecture for more than 1,000 years. It has not been untouched by fires, plagues, or the constant street battles of both guilds and criminals, yet the buildings take strength from their devoted inhabitants and remain standing, though streaked with the soot and grime of centuries (unless cleaned each day, as some temples are).
Ward Leadership - Aurel yr Petala el Varen, Sultana of Faith Ward (TN Calishite woman, 11th level cleric of Varen) is a remote, distant woman save when she is performing her religion’s ceremonies. Her duties as Sultana, Master of the Counting House, and Pasha of the Guild of Money Lenders, Coinsmiths, and Pawn Brokers do not interfere with her ecclesiastical duties, though her considerable financial and spiritual influence has always been threatened by the rival church of Khasdall, the Khanduq of the Coinfather, and her former assistant, Druzir Petal el Saiduwm (LN Calishite Man).
Bakkal Sabban Nickname - The High Priests Sabban The Sabban is named after the High Priest of the temple of Mehena during the first Age. The hallmarks of this sabban, other than both its ancient and modern temples, are the numerous statues that dot the streets and rooftops. Sabban symbol - Generic face with a coiled star crown atop its head
Erehnir Sabban Nickname - The Statue Sabban There is no sabban symbol for Erehnir Sabban, simply because the inner-facing walls of the sabban are so distinctive. The brick walls of this sabban were either molded or carved to have many statues along the sabban walls. Most are merely stoic high priests of old, but some are posed with weapons and opponents. While the roll of time has worn much of the detail away, the rough outlines of all figures are still apparent. While some assume the sabban was built by the high priests themselves, it is actually far more recent. The many wars of the Lawless Years (937 AC) cleared away the old sabban walls but left this sabban untouched, and these walls were erected in honor of the high priests who were admired by Calimport’s warlord ruler at that time.
Evyrtaan Sabban Nicknames - Dark God’s Sabban, Fallen Grace Sabban This sabban carries a reputation for being the most dangerous section of Faiths Ward, and with good reason. This has long been the sector of Calimport where the greatest concentration of the dark gods’ temples lie, and many folk avoid this area. All within its dark, mud-brick walls is considered unholy ground by many, though the amount of money and number of businesses within its boundaries make it attractive to others. Sabban Symbol - Hawk with a coin in its mouth

Trades Ward (Outer Ward)

As its name states, this ward is the elder mercantile ward and still the primary area in terms of trade with the northern shanates (outlying estate farms), since the Trade Road enters the city directly into this area. The ward attracts many visitors with the colloquially known Golden Sands and Games Sabbans. It is also the ward with the highest concentration of taverns outside of the Port Wards.
Ward Leadership - The twelfth son of the syl-pasha, Faruk yn Jukhan el Rhimod, Sultan of Trades Ward (LE Calishite Man, 8th level Sorcerer) stands apart from his brothers due to his astonishing rise to power. A mere 18 years of age, Faruk has already conquered two guilds, a large part of the illicit trade in the Muzad, and sits as the sultan of one of the more profitable (if not prestigious) wards of the city. His father notes his son's abilities with pride, and he often pits this prodigy in courtly battles of wits against his other sons to shame them into more activity and loyalty. Faruk does not seek the syl-pasha’s throne, but he does harbor some ambition of leading the Temple of Old Night, of which he is an acolyte, to conquer the Muzad.
Bajhit Sabban Nicknames - The Tent Sabban The northern outskirts of the ward are Bajhit Sabban, a disorganized cluster of tents and bazaars that surround the still-standing Malikhan Gates. The sabban also dominates the areas west of the Trade Way in this ward. Those entering the city here get the impression of a slovenly, chaotic city that does not protect its people. However, the infrastructure of the sabban walls and amlakkhans keep the peace among the poor (and the many pickpockets that swarm any foolish enough to travel at ground level more than 30 yards away from the Grand Gate). There are a number of other brick buildings within this sabban, but their numbers are minimal compared to the tents of the poor. Sabban symbol - A tent market
Larau Sabban Nicknames - The Game Sabban, The Arena Sabban The Larau family were among the largest supporters of the Djen Arenas during their rule under the syl-pashas. While there are the usual peripheral businesses and living areas within this sabban, nearly all aspects of life and business have some ties (no matter how small) to the arenas. This northeasterrn sabban is always the busiest, no matter what time of day, and the cheers of the crowds are loud anywhere in the sabban due to the arena games. Sabban symbol - Oval shape similar to an arena with two crossed tridents behind it.
Sahar Sabban Nicknames - The Golden Sands Sabban Of the three drudachs that comprise Sahar Sabban, only one of them provides services outside the control of the Vintner’s, Distillers’, and Brewers’ Guild. The other two drudachs are almost completely given over to the Golden Sands Brewers for production, storage, and distribution of their prized beverages. Pasha (and sabbalad) Tasyn el Effyd (LN Calishite Man) maintains this inequity, forcing far more people either out of his sabban or into the overcrowded conditions of the Qinae Drudach, as his profits are greatly enhanced as guildmaster by giving the Golden Sands its dominance. Sabban symbol - Golden goblet spilling over with red wine.

Emerald Ward (Outer Ward)

One of the first signs of opulence in the city when approached from the northern trade road, Emerald Ward is a home for the many rising mercantile powers in the Outer Wards of the city. An address here indicates one’s fortunes are on the rise and on the verge of reaching the pinnacle of the lesser classes. This ward is worlds apart from the dirt and despair found in Trade Ward’s outer sabbans, as this area was hardest hit in the last fires and disasters. Thus, nearly everything in Emerald Ward is newer, cleaner, and more opulent. This has made it the home of choice for much of Calimport’s new money, and the social one upmanship of the rising villas and businesses is blinding in the overabundance of brightly colored tiles and paints. Still, the recent renovations allowed the expansions of some older bazaars into the more wide-open marketplaces indigenous to northern cities.
Ward Leadership - Muham yn Nasim el Rhimod, Sultan of Emerald Ward (CN Calishite Man) is the favored adopted grandnephew of the syl-pasha by his late oldest brother Nasim. The strikingly handsome young man is as brilliant as the prodigy Faruk of Trades Ward, though his tastes remain close to business, not the intrigues of Calimport Below. Loyal to the syl-pasha to a fault, Nasim the Younger's only failing is his weakness for gambling (which has some of the criminal powers lining up to become his creditors and gain them some leverage among the shining spires of Emerald Ward).
Axash Sabban Nicknames - Cloth Sabban, Sash Sabban This sabban is a constantly busy area and it is the largest market area for clothing, from the most common to the most expensive. Still, with all the business within this sabban, many tailors and clothing sellers pack up their wares and travel personally into Grand or Palace Ward to bring their best wares directly to the pashas and sultans. Sabban symbol - Three parallel waving lines that represent sashes.
Marekh Sabban Nicknames - The Great Bazaar Sabban, Black Sabban. Much of the damage from the city's last conflagration was centered here, and it cleared away numerous older khanduqs, bazaars, and hundreds of row houses. By the early part of the current year, work began on reconstructing much of the burned-out sabban. As many landowners died (as they often did) in the Trades Conflagration, many seized the opportunity and bought up large shares of land within this sabban and surrounding areas. As there is little direct control from the syl-pasha or Sultan Nasim over the use of the area, the western half of this sabban is now open market under the control of pasha Sufontis (for now). The Great Bazaar allows temporary bazaar stalls for either daylight or nighttime 12- hour shifts, and the bulk of the goods here are the everyday foodstuffs, common spices, and basics, which ensure constant traffic at all hours. Much of the remaining land in the sabban is divided among about 12 major families and over 100 individual merchants and business owners. Among the first buildings to go up were the six minarets posted around the periphery of the Great Bazaar, and others soon followed. This is one of the few sabbans in the city that contains no temples, as the former temples of Babylon, Sheyln, and Baara were swept away by the fires, leaving only the Grand Temple of the Seven untouched. Some rumors point to street wars among Baara’s faithful and Babylon’s fanatics as the cause of the Trades Conflagration, while others blame some shipments of gunpowder among the overcrowded bazaars of Marekh Sabban. Sabban symbol - A circle of seven coins surrounding a seven pointed star (a coin at each point).
Otahl Sabban Nickname - Tuhmal’s Sabban This sabban’s greatest notoriety rises from its being the birthplace and home of one of Calimport’s most famous adventurers and rogues. The Pirate Tumahl was a laughing, adventurous figure of the late Eighth Age, and tales of his exploits still resonate through nurseries and taverns alike. In fact, at the center of the sabban’s largest bazaar, a great white marble statue of the Rogue Son of El Otahl stands proudly, its sculpted scimitar pointed southwest, toward the Pasha’s Sabban or toward the Armada docks, the figures Tumahl thwarted the most in his short lifetime. Sabban symbol - The signature dagger of Tumahl el Otahl A slim unguarded dagger with a hole at the dagger’s seat.

Khanduq Ward (Outer Ward)

This ward gained its name from its preponderance of marketplaces and khanduqs, even though much of the business and trade has moved further west into Emerald Ward. This ward contains numerous sites of notoriety, including the palace and villa of the infamous Pasha Pook, a former guildmaster of thieves. Naiid Sabban has also seen a flurry of activity in real estate as bidders fight over prime sales and living space near Emerald Ward. Unlike much of that neighboring ward, the fires here left the shells of older khanduqs and other buildings, allowing people to purchase partially built homes and businesses, their only true costs in renovations, not building anew.
Ward Leadership - Daud yn Daud el Vehmet, Sultan of Khanduq Ward (N Calishite Male, 3rd level wizard/3rd level cleric of Baara) is among the youngest and most inexperienced of the sultans of Calimport. Barely past 17, Daud el Vehmet rules the Spicemonger Fellowship as its pasha, and he is also a rising name among the apothecaries around the city. Though young, he is a masterful manipulator and his eidetic memory allows him to cover and control all details of a deal or a revenge plot all by himself. He has made friends with the sultans of his adjacent wards, and that level of comfort provides him with leverage to handle any troubles that run within his sabbans that are older than he is. The only conflict Sultan Daud openly has involves his lack of membership in the Lyceum, since he feels the control that pasha would have over the exercise of his magical talents will diminish his effectiveness as sultan. For now, the syl-pasha turns a blind eye to the troubles, but the Lyceum wants to corral as many influential members such as Daud as possible, and the syl-pasha needs the guild's support far more than one sultan.
Kaval Sabban Nicknames - The Sabbazaar Similarly to the drudach structures within a sabban, Khanduq Ward has unofficially segregated its businesses and entertainments among its sabbans such that each has a major focus for the ward. Kaval Sabban is the trade center for the ward, and more than half of the sabban's land is occupied by khanduqs, the rest by their street bazaars. Kaval Sabban, or the Sabbazaar, has no living quarters within its confines, and is actually cleared at sundown and all gates leading into the sabban are closed and locked. A full contingent of amlakkar are posted along the sabban walls at night, and another roving patrol either replace the wall-guards or patrol the interior of the sabban against overnight thefts. This Sabban used to be a den of thieves and a powerful thieve’s guild, but has been said to have been cleared out since those years. Sabban symbol - Eye with arrows pointing towards it
Naiid Sabban Nicknames - Pomartal's Sabban. The segregated nature of Khanduq Ward impressed by the sultan turned Naiid Sabban into the entertainment sabban with its clusters of taverns, inns, festhalls, and gambling establishments. Pomartal was the archenemy of a powerful thieve’s guild during his lifetimes, and Pomartal died at the hands of the guild's assassins. Since that bleak night in the Year of the Restless (1099 AC), Pomartal's ghost has walked the sabban walls at night where Naiid Sabban abuts Kaval Sabban, ensuring that Tuamir does not succeed in conquering his honest sabban. For the lawful, Pomartal holds no threat, but criminals acting within sight of the ghost will be attacked with all the power Pomartal holds, for he believes all thieves and criminals still have their ties to his long-disappeared foe. Sabban symbol - Scales with gold balanced (although you often see them graffitied and destroyed, as the entertainment industry often pokes fun at their lawful Sabban leader).
Sholeh Sabban Nicknames - Crowd Sabban In short, this has become the residential sabban of Khanduq Ward, and as such, it is horribly overcrowded everywhere in the sabban. Row houses hold three times as many people as they should, and many ancient khanduqs and villas are filled with poor squatters. Still, despite the squalor and misery of the living conditions, things have improved in recent decades. Sabban symbol - Hourglass

Hammer Ward (Outer Ward)

The Smiths' Home is the ward for the heavy labor of blacksmiths, armorers, weaponers, and the like. The armorers and weapon-makers are all clustered closer toward the heart of the city, so their wares can quickly be used to defend the richer parts of the city (rather than having their goods used against Calimport). Everywhere throughout the daylight hours (and oft into the night), the ringing of hammers on anvils fills the air of the ward.
Ward Leadership - Harel yn Rafam el Qardeen, Sultan of Hammer Ward (NG Calishite Man, 6th Level Fighter). This former blacksmith and inadvertent savior of the current Syl-Pasha, Harel simply interrupted an assassination attempt against him, throwing red-hot horseshoes and sword blades at the assassins simply because he disliked the odds of seven-against-one. While he is happy with his position and succeeded far beyond his wildest dreams, Harel and his ringing hammer can still be heard behind the walls of his villa working in his personal smithy.
Amyran Sabban Nicknames - Hammer Saban The rougher smithies and workshops of the common blacksmiths dominate this sabban. While competition always runs fiercely, there is more than enough work in wheel rims and horseshoes and the common metalwork to keep over 50 blacksmiths' forges blazing at all times. Surprisingly to some visitors, Amyran Sabban is among the safest of sabbans to live in. Its natives are no-nonsense hard workers almost in defiance of the normal Calishite work ethic, and they want to keep their homes and businesses clear of the corruption so rampant elsewhere. Sabban symbol - A smith’s hammer
Sjûl Sabban Nicknames - Anvil Sabban The Calishite word for anvil announcing its primary attribute, Sjûl Sabban is the weaponsmiths' sector of Hammer Ward. In accordance with the True and Skilled Guild of Weapon-Makers, all weaponsmiths of Calimport must meet minimum standards of quality in their work, and they are only allowed to sell two types of weapons per shop, preventing any one weaponsmith from totally dominating the market. Thus, in this ward and mostly in this sabban, there are more than 60 shops that sell swords, spears, scimitars, and other weapons. Sabban symbol - A circle with an anvil in the middle
Tyrbos Sabban Nicknames - Ringing Step Sabban This sabban is home to the metalworkers who do not deal in weapons or common horseshoes. The bulk of the trade and work in this sabban produces metal grills and screens for windows, door hinges, portcullis gates, and some metal shingling that could grace domes and minarets across the city. Due to the larger products and need for space, buildings in Tyrbos Sabban are larger than the norm, and there are fewer of them. The majority of the buildings are warehouses and three-story buildings altered to two internal stories to allow for larger foundries and forges on the ground floors. This sabban also houses many of the most skilled armorers and shieldmakers, though they are found all across the Hammer and Maker's Wards. Sabban symbol - Circle with a shield.

Crypt Ward (Outer Ward)

This ward on the city's eastern horizon is dominated by cemeteries, temples, khamarkhas, and markhouts. While its official title (from the syl-pasha) is Crypt Ward, many locals refer to this as Dead Ward or Skulls Ward, as this has been the area for mass burials and tomb sites since the Sixth Age of Calimshan. Each of its three sabbans are named after pashas' houses, but their colloquial names correspond to the traditional burials found in each sabban and drudach of Crypt Ward. Thus, the khamarkhas (mausoleums) of the upper class dominate the northern sector of the ward, while few buildings beyond the drudach walls disturb the peaceful expanse of fountains, obelisks, and small plinths marking the mass graves of Kirruk Sabban.
It is getting the reputation of becoming the new Thieves' Quarter, as its relatively vacant avenues and numerous shadowed alleys provide many hidden locations from which to plot intrigues and activities. In fact, there are a number of markhouts in Irataq Sabban that have no one buried in them, and they exist to provide secret surface access to the Muzad for certain guild members and those among the rogue powers.
Ward Leadership - Muham yn Nasim el Rhimod, Sultan of Crypt Ward (NE Calishite Man, 5th Level Rogue), is the eldest grandson of the syl-pasha's late brother Nasim and the elder brother of Sultan Nasim of Emerald Ward. This jealous, petty underachiever was given this post as a fitting reward for one of his ambitions. In other words, this sultanate merely keeps him out of the way of the syl-pasha and away from those power players who might easily influence him against his uncle. Unknown to Muham and others in the city, Voraya of the Black Markets has some hypnotic controls over the young arrogant sultan (and he believes her to be simply his favorite jhasina from the Jhasinnar Sodality), which she uses to the benefit of herself.
Adlel Sabban Nicknames - Khamarkha Sabban, Pasha's Rest Sabban. The northern sector of the ward is opulent to an extreme, as many khamarkhas and monuments to the rich and powerful dead of Calimport rise to the skies here. In this sabban, there is no shame in walking on the marble-paved avenues below the sabban byways, for the Adlel Sabban is considered an elevated place in and of itself. The numerous groves that are planted within the walled courtyards and the many magically maintained fountains make this sabban a peaceful area for contemplative walks during the day. At night, its shadows hide many conspiracies. Sabban symbol - The Adlel house mark of a scimitar (pointing left) over a cluster of three trees.
Irataq Sabban Nicknames - Markhout Sabban, Manycats Sabban. This sabban seems by far the most orderly and structured of the sabbans, with its individually walled markhout tombs. While a few temple spires stab into the sky above the one-level markhouts, only the greater markhouts stand out, wherein the cremated remains of thousands of merchants and pashas and the middle class rest in peace. This practice of mass interrment within brass lamps has only been recently restored in the past 300 years, but more than five of the public markhouts have been filled, and each holds more than 500 bottles of ashen remains in the walls and floor crypts. Sabban symbol - A cat’s head.
Kirruk Sabban Nicknames - Mutar Sabban, Forgotten Sabban. The drudachs of Kirruk Sabban uniquely have replaced the drudach walls with metal spear fences, allowing a free and unrestricted view of all the monuments and mass graves of commoners. Despite its common ground and its status as the Forgotten Sabban after all the forgotten dead buried there, it is one of the most popular parks in the city. Sabban symbol - As this sabban is visually diverse enough from any others with only a few buildings rising within its walls, there is no sabban mark (thus also reinforcing its name as the Forgotten Sabban).

Palace Ward (Central Ward)

This ward encompasses the richest and most affluent of Calishite society, including much of the leadership. The Pasha's Sabban, while not officially part of the Palace Ward, rests at its heart. The villas of the pashas dominate this ward, broken up only by the row houses and garrisons for hired guards and mercenaries and the obligatory taverns.
Ward Leadership - Tomuka yr Jhiavora el Kahmir, Sultana of Palace Ward (CE Calishite Woman) is the second granddaughter of patriarch Nur el Kahmir from Nemesse (and a well-known pasha among the spies of Calimshan). While Sultana Tomuka is an ineffectual fop and a fool, she is paranoid and constantly keeps her grandfather apprised of who says what to her merely to find out what she should do about her enemies. Tomuk asurvives here only due to the threat her presence suggests to the syl-pasha's rivals about El Rhimod's alliance with El Kahmir. Her grandfather and his contacts have profited greatly from the amount of information provided by the easily panicked Sultana Tomuka, and this avails pasha Nur el Kahmir well enough to allow his granddaughter to be the bother that she is.
Darehj Sabban Nicknames - Mosaic Sabban Darehj Sabban gained its nickname as the Mosaic Sabban due to the inlaid mosaics in many of the upraised street sections and on the sabban's many buildings. This sabban lies west and south of the Pasha's Sabhan, resting against Armada Ward and the Pesarkhal Wall (and Shackles Ward), and the residents and businesses here tie heavily into the sea and slave trades. Sabban symbol - Five chain links in a straight line
Khatrev Sabban Nicknames - Jambiya Sabban. The Jambiya Sabban gains its name and reputation for its still-too-common assassinations within its walls. The northern sector of the ward, Khatrev Sabban also provides the easiest approach to the Pasha's Sabban through its southern walls. Like Darehj Sabban, it is bordered by the much higher Pesarkhal Wall, though the gatehouses between the outer wall and the inner sabban are not as heavily guarded since much traffic comes in from Faiths Ward to its north. Sabban symbol - A curled slash with a perpendicular slash across its upper end, forming a crude jambiya mark.
Najlet Sabban Nicknames - The Martyr's Sabban, Daemonshadow Sabban. Nearly 300 years ago during the 9th Age, a rogue daemon rampaged through the streets of Calimport during the Weeping War’s end. It slaughtered any that crossed its path, and more than 200 people lay dead by its hands. One herothe pasha's second son Ikham yn Herak el Najletstood his ground and fought the daemon to a standstill. Amid the rubble of two buildings and a courtyard, the warrior Ikham and the daemon Chanaavokh slew each other, their final blows tying each to the other in death in the Year of the Burning (934 DR). Where they fell, the stones became dark red with their blood mingling together. Ever since then, the street remains dark with the silhouette of the dying hero and villain. Even after the raising of the streets and the original site of the fall more than 15 feet below, the dark outlines stained the stone street directly overhead of the actual site. Sabban symbol - A silhouetted head with greatly exaggerated horns on the sides of its head.

Pasha’s Sabban (Central Ward)

This is the smallest sabban in Calimport, and in fact, some drudachs are larger in size than the Pasha’s Sabban (but not in importance). Similarly to Shackles Ward, most of the drudach walls within this sabban have long since fallen or been replaced by other structures. Where there were once two distinct drudachs in which the syl-pasha lived and worked, there are now simply his walled villa estate and the support buildings for slaves, guards, food storage, and more. Just as each sabban could vaguely be considered a small city in itself, the Pasha’s Sabhan is designed to be entirely self-sufficient and can easily be isolated (as is the case in the once frequent coups and sieges of the syl-pasha’s positions).
Ways In and Out
There is only one entrance, as far as 99% of Calimport's population knows, to the Pasha’s Sabban: the Caleph's Gate. A two story-high barbican gate, this entry is constantly guarded by four guards atop the gate, two outside the gate, and two just inside the walls. There are a series of three portcullises that drop down to deter any unwanted entry, and murder holes above and aside the 30-foot passageway into the Pasha’s Sabban. The final defense within the Caleph's Gate is its trapdoor floor. If determined resistance is met, the supports beneath the floor inside the gate can be withdrawn, and the hinged floor drops away to deposit invaders more than 20 feet below, into stake-lined pits more than half filled with the dry, shattered bones of previous invaders (2d6 falling damage plus 3d6+2 for stakes and bone shards).
There are many secret ways in and out of the Pasha's Sabban, and only a few of the syl-pasha's sultans and a few trusted advisors and protectors know of even half of them. Some scholars and random advisors or thieves (or anyone who either knows the area or listens to rumors) know of one or two, but most are believed to be false. The syl-pasha alone knows of all of them, and he and his agents purposely seed the taverns with rumors of secret doors and tunnels to mislead the syl-pasha's enemies away from the true entries. There are subterranean tunnels to and from the Palace of the Murabirs in Faiths Ward, so the greater generals and commanders of the syl-pasha's military can easily reach the sabban. There are also secret passages within the sabban walls leading into the Qysaghanni Fortress of Palace Ward, so the larger contingent of the syl-pasha's personal guards can reach him when necessary (and either whisk him to safety through Armada Ward and a swiftly procured ship or allow immediate bolstering of sabban troops to prevent coups). There could even be more passages leading to the Muzad or even into the Underdark, but even the syl-pasha may not know of them, since the deaths of previous syl-pashas ensured many of their own secrets would be kept.
Buildings and Details
The Pasha's Palace has one central building connected to four smaller wings, spread out in a cross shape, and a solid gold dome tops each of the sections. Within the central building rests the Caleph's Throne, the syl-pasha's personal chambers, and the bulk of the offices tied directly to the management of the city and country. The eastern wing of the palace is exclusively el Rhimod's art museum of sculptures and many more treasures. The other wings hold the offices and quarters of advisors, guests, and the syl-pasha.
The Houses of Ardor: This villa structure contains four five-story palaces, each with discrete and independent sections for more than 36 family units. Here the syl-pasha entertains the families of the major military officers, sultans of other Calishite cities, political rivals, and the like. Beneath the luxurious palaces are a large collective of three cellar levels, within which numerous cells hold less-respected hostages and prisoners, some of Calimport's greatest treasures kept in strictest secrecy, and magical gates to important sites throughout Calimshan (and even some leading to long-lost parts of the former empire). These cellars are guarded by 40 Qysaghanni at all times.
At the southern wall of the Pasha's Sabban are a jumble of buildings: three warehouses and granaries, the well for the troops and the animals, four large stables for horses and labor animals, and the garrison and amlakkhan for the guards.

Jewel Ward (Central Ward)

This ward is the home of many of the city's whitesmiths and gemcutters, but as a place of labor (no matter how delicate or exclusive), it is seen as a lesser place than the equally rich but noble Grand and Palace Wards. Curiously enough, the understreets of the Upper Muzad beneath Jewel Ward are the site of more than 60% of Calimport's illegal weapons and magic trade. The lower levels of legitimate businesses deal in like trades with equal skill, but are less particular about their customers or the goods they sell, disguise, or alter.
Ward Leadership - Janar yn Janar el Vyrsatyr (NE Calishite Man, 8th level Anti-paladin of Babylon) is many things, including sultan of Jewel Ward, druzir of the Octel Drudach, and the third-highest-ranked member of the Kindly Order of Silversmiths. Most importantly to him, he is Dark Lord of the Temple of Old Night alongside the leaders of the cult of Goena and Shar..
Kalil's Sabban Nicknames - Butcher's Sabban, Sholehfall Sabban, Vihad Sabban. Another of the sabbans whose name strays from convention, this one gets its name directly from the 4th Age Pasha Kalil Vihad, the brutal warrior pasha who personally slaughtered the weak Sholeh family to its last child. He is yet known as the Butcher Vihad or Kalil the Bloody to the present day, and thus the sabban's aliases. In keeping with its mark, Kalil's Sabban contains the majority of the finework artists who create ornate weapons and hilts. While not advertised heavily, this is also the place to come if you want jewelry or items with hidden weapons and the like. Sabban symbol - A pair of daggers crossed beneath a skull.
Mjôm Sabban Nicknames - Marriage Sabban. The dominant traders in this sabban are silk importers and jewelry makers and sellers. As both of the primary trades link with marriage ceremonies, that partially provides the sabban's nickname. It also refers to a disastrous wedding that took place early in the Year of Gilded Burials (187 DR), in which a bridal procession en route to its temple died at the hands of the groom's political rivals. To this day, the anniversary of the Brideslaughter still sees the ghosts of all those innocents walk the path toward the House of the Holy Dawn, appearing white and insubstantial but growing more red in hue as they approach the site of the ambush. The ghosts fade with mournful wails within 100 yards of the temple steps, never quite reaching their sanctuary. (Of course, these ghosts are now only seen in the understreets, not Jewel Ward above.) Sabban symbol - Two diamond rings interlocked
Nadana Sabban Nicknames - Gem Sabban The primary home for gemcutters and the gem trade, this sabban has more guards on its streets than nearly any other area outside the Pasha's Sabban. More than half of those living in Nadana Sabban are mercenary guards or amlakkar with the interests of certain guilds or families at heart. The few khanduqs in this sabban are magically protected to provide safe storage of gems raw and finished Sabban symbol - A crown-cut gem of seven facets.

Grand Ward (Central Ward)

Like other areas of the city, Grand Ward fell victim to the Trades Conflagrations of recent years, and much of its real estate was cleared and only recently rebuilt. Like Emerald Ward, some areas were left cleared and Grand Ward now encompasses the largest market area of the city. Grand Ward is the second richest ward in Calimport outside Palace Ward. In terms of sheer status, an address in this ward at the heart of the city suggests one has reached the goal of the idle life of the rich. Of course, those of Palace Ward consider Grand Ward's denizens new money and hold them with some disdain.
Ward Leadership - Perat el Zastar, Sultan of Grand Ward (LE Calishite Man, 13th Level Wizard) is one of the new money upstarts recently immigrated into Grand Ward from Wizard Ward. One of his greatest weapons is his vizar's status within the syl-pasha's court; now with many more intrigues afoot, the syl-pasha may live to regret bringing this viper into the fold, though el Zastar's word is his bond, and it will never be his hand that brings the Rhimod clan down.
Cajaan Sabban Nicknames - Market Sabban. This sabban fell victim to the Trades Conflagration and less than 20 of its former buildings survived the disaster. Where the Cajaan Bazaar once stood among four gleaming white marble khanduqs from the Third Age, the area is now totally wiped clear. The Cajaan Market now provides a wide open marketplace for bazaar carts and stands to sell their wares. Among the greatest losses were not the Cajaan Khanduqs but the gold they containedThe Conflagration turned more than 10,000 gold pieces and 2,500 trade bars into molten gold, and it flowed down into the Muzad where it was eagerly claimed by the many shadowy denizens. While pasha Nura yr Kalila el Wariq (NE Calishite Woman, 4th level rogue) lost an inordinate amount of money in the fires, she has recouped his losses by the fees she charges for day (and night) staging of markets in the market. Sabban symbol - The Cajaan's former signet of a fiery sun pierced from behind by three arrows pointing southwest.
Casajr Sabban Nicknames - Star Sabban This area is dominated by entertainment and some scholarly trades. While none of the city's libraries burned in the latest fires, the warehouses here held much of the stock ink, parchment, and vellum used by both the Masterful Order of Clerks, Scribes, and Scriveners and the Dutiful Circle of Binders and Printers. These items helped fuel the fires and saw nearly a third of the sabban aflame. Sabban symbol - A book with a seven-pointed star on its outer cover (prominent point up).
Makista Sabban Nicknames - Golden Maidens Sabban. One of two sabbans to escape much of the Trades Conflagration, this sabban seems much like the typical jumble of shops and row houses that one would find in any city of Aralla. The only differences are that the goods are expensive luxury items, the buildings are glazed mud-brick or carved stone, and the winding jumble of streets have been set in place for longer than dragons measure a long lifetime. The Makista Sabban's bazaars, while temporary tents and carts in most other sabbans, have become permanent additions and sub-streets winding precariously around the khanduqs and other buildings. While still up on the elevated streets, Makista Sabban has always been a favorite site for thieves and pickpockets, as the jumbled streets deter pursuers, especially now with the ability to duck into the Upper Muzad beneath the street and lose any amlakkar even easier. Sabban symbol - The sabban's nickname and mark are derived from a 4-centuries-old festhall in the sabban the Golden Maidens. The mark are outlines of four female figures set in a cross-pattern, their feet pointing together and merging.
Vahlen Sabban Nicknames - Meal Sabban The other sabban that escaped the Trades Conflagration, Vahlen Sabban prides itself on its many inns and restaurants that cater to the rich and powerful. The banquet halls provide an alternate dining experience with a wide variety of foods, cooking styles, and the like. Dining Vahlen raises a person's status for as long as the stories of the extravagant and expensive meals continue to interest a person's companions. Like Makista Sabban, these buildings have been in place for quite some time, and the lavish nature of building decorations are the only thing more enticing to social climbers than the aromas of roast cockatrice or leg of basilisk. Sabban symbol - A small dagger sunk into a wedge of cheese.

Quill Ward (Central Ward)

Just north of Wizard Ward is the area where scholars, scribes, and learned sages congregate. Much of the city’s actual administrative work gets done here, and it is also the ward with the largest concentration of libraries (though most are private collections only). As it is also one of the quieter areas of the city, it is the home for many peaceful inns and rooming houses favored by travelers.
Quill Ward, while not a recent addition to the city, has one special feature shared only by the Pasha's Sabban and adjoining Wizard Ward: It is surrounded by a ward. This field of magic provides a number of effects for the people of Jhaapir, Hapij, and Nasim Sabbans, though they know only of its most basic reward: No fire larger than a hearth fire can sustain itself long under the ward, thus preventing these areas from succumbing to the fires that periodically ravage Calimport. The wizard Nureh yr Catahra el Namor, also known as the Emerald Enchantress, created the ward in the Year of the Enigmatic Smile (233 AC), to better protect her Emerald Archives from destruction. The ward's other powers include the fact that no plague or disease can take hold of someone in the ward (although it can continue progression if outside of it and brought inside the ward), no paper or book can crack, dull, or rot with age, and candlelight is twice as bright, helping the many scholars of the ward to study.
Ward Leadership - Abbas yn Akkabar el Quaahl, Sultan of Quill Ward (LE Calishite Man, 15th level wizard) is a long-time vizar and Rhimod loyalist. When the syl-pasha was still learning the earliest intrigues in the court, Abbas el Quaahl served as his scribe. The quiet exterior of this small, gaunt Calishite man with a tightly trimmed beard and moustache hides one of the most utterly ruthless souls ever to walk the Pasha's lands. Some oath in the past ties the vizar with the syl-pasha, and both are incapable of doing harm or misfortune to the other, but the plots they hatch as one are frightening in their reach and effect. This little man who dresses always in ivory and tan with a scarlet sash and keffiyeh has nearly as many folk living in fear of his displeasure as does the syl-pasha.
The vizar has little to do with the direct operations of Quill Ward, and he leaves it in the hands of his nervous yet competent son, Malik yn Abbas el Quaahl (NE Calishite Man, 2nd level fighter/2nd level wizard). Malik runs Quill Ward efficiently and honestly, though he has a number of projects guaranteed to bring him some notoriety and influence. His ability to forge documents without the use of magic is flawless, and he has brought a number of his father's and his own enemies down with one mere missive (to the wives or favored jhasinas of a rival sabbalad, professing loyalty to the framed foe, etc.).
Jhaapir Sabban Nicknames - Arch Sabban Tucked in the southeastern third of the ward and abutting both Wizard Ward and Maker's Ward, Jhaapir Sabban is the place for the supplies and raw material traders. Thus, the smell of ink, pressed parchment, and treated vellum wafts through the air here. Many of the inns and lesser wizard's domiciles cluster here, glad for the quiet not found in the rest of the city. One architectural feature in this sabban not shared in many other sectors of the city are the arched bridges and ramps that link the wall byways with many minarets. The minarets, once established amlakkar or sadimmin posts, are now public buildings where lovers stroll up to the open parapets around the domes to gaze out over the peaceful sabban. Sabban symbol - Three vertical stripes linked by two arches near their top ends.
Hapij Sabban Nicknames - Scribes Sabban This squat sabban is the entire western sector of Quill Ward, and it contains the largest concentration of scriptoria, libraries, and places of learning in the city. Despite the din of the rest of the city, this area tends to be eerily quiet at all times. The street level of most buildings is either personal quarters or storage; all building entrances either have bridges built to the byways or there are stairs to the second floor entrances of nearly all buildings. Most trade buildings herein are row houses with living space above and below the work spaces. Sabban symbol - A quill with a black ink drop at the tip
Nasim Sabban Nicknames - Buffer Sabban This sabban covers the entire northeastern quadrant of the ward, as its purpose is to provide a buffer between Hammer Ward and the quietude of Quill Ward. Thus, many of the lesser businesses and laborers' living quarters are found in this poor sabban. Along the northern sabban byways is the barbed metal spear fence that demarcates where the Pesarkhal Wall will grow in the future. Sabban symbol - A small flame surrounding a trio of stacked coins. The mark has been in use for more than 150 years, and yet no one (not even sages of Calimport) can recall the origin or significance of the mark.

Wizard Ward (Central Ward)

Obviously, the bulk of the city's (and the country's) magical might rests herein. There are many strange sights in this ward, from the many wizards' minarets to the permanent illusions and colored wards over many villas. Like the Pasha's Sabban and Quill Ward, the fields of magic have been in place for some time, though unlike those previous areas, Wizard Ward has no one overarching ward providing benefits for all. The wards about the Etarad, Najja, and Tarshaj Sabbans are all placed by private individuals for their own ends. With more than 10,000 buildings within the ward and many of them the homes of wizards and sages, one can barely presume to guess at the variety of magical effects bound in many wards.
Many assume this ward to be among the richest in the city, but to look at it from the byways, it seems half-deserted and less extravagant and magical than expected. In truth, while there are many unique and amazing sights to see here due to the extroverted nature of illusionists and enchanters, most wizards keep to themselves, remain indoors in study and seclusion, and do not seek to impress their neighbors any more than is necessary to ensure their own privacy. The sultan of this ward, however, does exact vows from every wizard living in his sabbans. Lyceum membership is mandatory for all who emigrate here, and guild rules are as strictly enforced by the guards on the streets as they are in the guildhall.
The only other distinction about Wizard Ward, which comes as no surprise to most, is the presence of wizards among the amlakkar. Often among the officers, there are at least two wizards to every 10 amlakkar warriors here, and they are armed with rods of absorption and other defensive measures to effectively neutralize rogue wizards swiftly. Given the amount of magic loosed in the city streets each day, this ward is strangely safe from much of the chaos, as magical problems are expected and ended more quickly here.
Ward Leadership - Elia yr Adnana el Beza, as Sultan of Wizard Ward (N Calishite Woman, 19th Level Wizard) and Caleph Arcane of Calimport, controls the most powerful guild of mages in Calimshan, the Arcane Lyceum, but doesn’t teach and deals with non Lyceum matters more often than not. Long bald by choice, the sultan is tattooed heavily with magical sigils (from trips to Kymos) and other tattoos; she has a rather striking red wyvern arcing from above her left brow around her left ear and its tail running down her neck. The tattoos unnerve some, but the affable sultan makes others comfortable easily unless you've proven yourself an enemy. Her easy smiles becomes brittle and sharp, the light in her eyes dulls to an icy glare, and folk learn how she came to power in Calimport's Lyceum.
Etarad Sabban Nicknames - Novice’s Sabban An unspoken distinction among the sabbans is their classification by rank of wizards and their experience. Etarad Sabban is the lowest of the Wizard Ward sabbans, as the Novice Sabban or Apprentice's Sabban. This is the most tame of the sabbans in this ward, as most of the mundane activity and business settled here long ago (after learning that the prestige of living among fabulous wizards did not help repair one's home after wizards duel atop one's roof). Still, much of the business herein provides services supported by many a wizard, from the procurement of animals and supplies to the preparation of gem dust, location of specific items, or even basic services such as cooking and cleaning (which all wizards are too busy to actually tend to themselves). Sabban symbol - One wand or slash, its tip surrounded by a seven-pointed star.
Najja Sabban Nicknames - Magi Sabban Named for one of its greatest practitioners of magic and colloquially acknowledging its greatest landmark, Najja Sabban is the upper caste neighborhood within Wizard Ward. Herein are the homes of the archwizards of Calimport, the Headquarters and Campus of the Arcane Lyceum. Accurate details on Najja Sabban do not do it justice, for while buildings generally remain in the same places (though not necessarily true in all cases), their external facades and shapes might change with a whim of their magical owners Sabban symbol - Three wands, their tips surrounded by seven-pointed stars.
Tarzshaj Sabban Nicknames - Auret Sabban Like Etarad Sabban above, Tarshaj Sabban seems relatively normal, even dull at points. While seemingly normal and quite similar to areas of Maker's and Hammer Ward, Tarshaj Sabban is the place where items and artifacts lurk in every shadowed alley. This is also the unofficial Sages' Sabban, as those who cannot afford the slightly more upscale living in western Quill Ward congregate here. This is where items are created, enchanted, identified, or even destroyed, and the volatile nature of all those trades explains why there are twice as many amlakkar as normal. Sabban symbol - Two wands, their tips surrounded by seven pointed stars.

Maker's Ward (Central Ward)

Maker's Ward contains many of the skilled trade guilds and some of the newest khanduqs in the city. While not a socially prestigious address, Maker's Ward is home to many tradesmen on the rise, and their close proximity to Caravans Ward aids them in their businesses. Unlike Hammer Ward, though, the variable businesses do not work together to improve their community; rather, they work against each other in near-constant vendettas and street brawls (if not full guild wars) in order for one guild or family to dominate particular trades or business deals. The other distinguishing factor of Maker's Ward is its surprising lack of slaves. Nearly all inhabitants are free people (at least in the strictest sense, if not in the eyes of their guilds), and slaves, while a social necessity, are still a luxury for more than half of those found here
Ward Leadership - Zelmazzar el Fiqra (NG Calishite Man, 3rd Level Fighter/7th Level Wizard), Sultan of Maker's Ward, is among the oldest of any government official across all of Calimshan, as he remains loyal not to any one person but to the Qysar’s Throne. His many sons work in Maker's Ward or Hammer Ward, though one son the youngest, Kholof yn Zelmazzar el Fiqra went north looking for adventure more than 10 years ago. (Zobeck has been his home for nearly all that time, where he goes by the name Olophin and is an officer of the watch.) Sultan Zelmazzar has stayed alive and influential simply by knowing his acquaintances' motivations and desires and catering to them. While many rivals still wish him removed, they recognize that the syl-pasha has respect for the old man and they do not dare act against that for fear of retaliation.
Golnar Sabban Nicknames - Builder’s Sabban In short, this southeastern sabban encompasses much of the dirty, noisy, and thoroughly necessary builder's trades of carpentry, masonry, and the like. Tucked away against the walls of Caravans Ward, the shipyards of Hook Ward, and Crypt Ward, the Builder's Sabban always seems full of work and activity, providing fresh building materials for the city that never seems to run out of demand for them. Sabban symbol - A crossed hammer and chisel
Jaleh Sabban Nicknames - Saamark Sabban This trade sabban adopted both the first and surname of an incredibly indulgent and lazy pasha as its namesake, as Saamark II of the House Jaleh spent lavishly with no sense of the use of an item purchased or any care as to the effects of his lifestyle. (Saamark was slain by his own guards, whose pay had been cut to cover debts owed the Rundeen.) The bulk of the businesses trade in luxuries, amenities to soften life, and rare items to indulge anything from a taste for sweets to a passion for antiquities. Not all trades or goods here are trinkets, as many of the softer items that need creators are created hererugs, clothing, tapestries, etc. Sabban symbol - A lion’s head
Sojrab Sabban Nicknames - Heart's Joy Sabban. This sabban carries the name of a dynasty of pashas remembered fondly for their support of art and culture (though they are hardly remembered for much else among the general populace). With many artists operating and competing within this sabban, courtyards become impromptu sculpting competitions, walls become inadvertent canvasses of the latest masterpiece (designed only to outdo a rival, less so for art's sake), and around it all wander the romantics, the poets, and the lovers of Calimport. In the northeastern comer of the ward, Sojrab Sabban benefits from the quiet of Crypt and Quill Wards, and many temperamental artists, creators, and bards flock to this neighborhood looking for and often finding kindred souls and old friends. Sabban symbol - A harp against a triangular field

Armada Ward (Port Ward)

This ward encompasses solely the enclosed docks for the Nallojal's ships and the garrisons and armories of the same. In the past 20 years, the Djenispool and Pesarkhal pashas have expanded the docks of Armada Ward such that it now is capable of docking two-thirds of the entire Nallojal fleet. Tavihr Sabban contains 90% of the buildings and businesses of the ward, even though it only comprises 35% of the area, since the Djenispool Sabban dominates the rest of the ward. Of those buildings, more than half of them are official city buildings for the management and coordination of el Nallojal. Civilians can enter Armada Ward, but unless they voluntarily sign up for the Nallojal or have some connections with the upper echelons of power (pasha or above title), wanderers looking for trouble in Armada Ward will find themselves press-ganged into service on one of the Nallojal's ships for a three-month-tour of duty.
Ward Leadership - Fahd yn Jukhan el Rhimod, Sultan of Armada Ward and Sabbalad of Makista Sabban (NE Calishite Man, 11th Level Fighter), is the eldest son of Syl-Pasha Pesarkhal at 26 years old. Many of his 12 surviving brothers would covet his sultan's crown, but Fahd's ambitions drove him to take control of all the armed forces save the Qysaghanni (who answer only to his father). As the Syl-Sultan of the Nallojal (navy), the Sadimmin (army), and Farisan (elite forces), Syl-Sultan Fahd el Rhimod spends much of his time touring Calimshan and reminding the outer pashas and scheming sultans of Daraqadim and Memnon (as well as other foreign ports) that the Syl-Pasha is a force not to be crossed. His own physically threatening presence (and that of his personal bodyguard contingent of 12 minotaurs) ensures that those who meet him understand not to question or cross him either. The few who did so, underestimating his cunning and intelligence due to his hulking stature and gruff manner, died swiftly in manners too distasteful for Calishites to speak of. Few doubt, and many fear, that he is truly his father's son.
Tavhir Sabban Nicknames - Hammock Sabban This sabban, named after one of the more militaristic of the bakkal dynasties of Old Calimshan, is the barracks and armory for the syl-pasha's naval armada. The garrisons for the Nallojal are far more unique than most military barracks; the bunks are all hammocks strung up two stories high among ceiling beams and pillars, and climbing ropes and rigging replace floors and stairs. Within this sector, one finds nearly any type of maritime support trade or service, and many of them belong to retired Nallojall seamen. Sabban symbol - Black anchor
Djenispool Sabban Nicknames - Wharf Sabban, The Wharf. While there are a few buildings for the collection of dock fees and minor businesses or equipment warehouses for the League of Harbormasters, there is really little more to this entire sabban than the docks and the ships lashed to them. Sabban symbol - The Djenispool seal of a genie's lamp pouring water out of its spout, a black seven-pointed star prominent on the lamp.

Dock Ward (Port Ward)

Just ask anybody they will tell you the Dock Ward has the most of everything. Such testimonials are common among the seamen of this ward, as this ward contains many mosts for Calimport. As the western half of the central trading and public docks, it does have the most berths for ships, including Armada Ward. It contains the most warehouses for many trade guilds shipping their products by sea, though it does not contain many guildhalls (most preferring to be stationed farther in the city). It also has the notoriety of having the highest concentration of festhalls and taverns for any ward in Calimport. If folk are looking for trouble or just a rowdy time, Dock Ward is their destination. And while all hold numerous taverns, inns, and festhalls, the three sabbans are nicknamed according to which place is most numerous within their walls.
Ward Leadership - Batras yn Faruk el Tuladim, Sultan of Dock Ward (CN Calishite Man, 8th Level Rogue) began his rise a dozen years ago as the young 19-year-old druzir of Gamil Drudach. Learning never to draw attention to himself, he played the sniveling sycophant to his sabbalad until he could kill him and divert suspicions elsewhere. While word of enough murders fell onto his shoulders, the vizar and sabbalad Tuladim used his influence with the Harbormasters' guild and the shipwrights' guilds to financially ruin those who plotted his downfall.
Aktorral Sabban Nicknames - Tavern Sabban. Sabban mark: A tavern mug with a curling wave of ale atop the open mug.
Jarûz Sabban Nicknames - Festhall Sabban. Sabban mark: A pair of dice (or simply cubes, where the dice are worn smooth by people touching them for luck).
Ylar Sabban Nicknames - Inn Sabban. Sabban mark: A trio of small fish.
Since all the sabbans offer relatively the same services and ranges of danger, one description can suffice for Dock Ward's sabbans. As their aliases above note, this port ward sells itself on its notoriety and high percentage of entertainment businesses. Warehouses are the fourth most common buildings in these sabbans, followed by cheap row houses above the street taverns and rope sellers and sail makers. Rarer but still present are some houses and sites of grandeur and obvious wealth, and these are the villas of the pashas among the maritime guilds.

Hook Ward (Port Ward)

This ward takes in the remainder of the public docks (the eastern third) and actually contains the shipyards that service the port. Many of the seafarers' guilds place their guildhalls within its borders. While many of the monied classes make little distinction among the Port Wards, Hook Ward stands out as an area equally balanced between commercial and military influences. It has a far more subdued military presence than Armada Ward, and it is far cleaner and more organized than the rowdy Dock Ward.
Ward Leadership - Tahyr yn Jukhan el Rhimod, Sultan of Hook Ward (CN Calishtie Man, 8th Level Fighter) also answers to the title of Ralbahr of the Nallojal, the commander of the navy with only his elder brother and father to answer above him. A decent, hardworking seaman and officer, Ralbahr Tahyr controls both his navy and the docks of Hook Ward for three reasons: loyalty to his father; an consuming hatred of Rundeen pirates (ever since the death of two beloved brothers and his young wife at their hands and despite a distaste for politics and intrigues, Tahyr as the second son did not wish to hand some of his younger brothers the chance to undermine their father's rule in favor of their own. While Tahyr and the syl-pasha are nearly incapable of being together in one room without disagreeing over politics or methods, the 25-year-old ralbahr (admiral) is one of the syl-pasha's best allies against the sedition common among Calishite families.
Ajvent Sabban Nicknames - Shipwrights' Sabban, Sails Sabban. This sabban exists only as a marked division from the other sabbans of the ward. In truth, it is the entire shipyards of Calimport under the shared control of the sultan and ralbahr Tahyr el Rhimod, the sabbalad Saibh el Daafib, and the pasha of shipwrights. Of course, the sultan has the ultimate authority, but he allows his underlings to manage the day-to-day operations with the understanding that his ships and their maintenance or repairs take precedence over all other customers, including visiting allies' ships. Sabban symbol - A leaping dolphin atop a curling wave.
Osiir Sabban Nicknames - Harbor Sabban As this is the sabban wherein the captains of all incoming ships must register their ships and pay docking fees to the city, Osiir Sabban has become Harbor Sabban for many. Even those who docked elsewhere along the port consider this sabban the entrance to the city, as no more than five people can exit any ship until docking fees are cleared with the harbormasters, and thus this sabban controls entry into the city in its own way. Sabban symbol - The silhouette of a single-masted ship with full sails seen from the side.

Caravans Ward (Port and Outer Ward)

This ward is technically considered both a Port Ward and Outer Ward due to its abutting the shore east of Hook Ward and its location on the eastern outskirts of the city. It contains the majority of the carters, drovers, stables, and caravan services of Calimport. While many arriving by the trade roads grumble about the roundabout trails leading around the city to their staging areas in Caravans Ward, it shows that the bulk of the trade for Calimport arrives and leaves by ship, though this ward easily collects shipped cargo and takes it inland to the northern towns, estates, and other settlements such as slave plantations and mining towns. Pashas and social climbers that do not work here or have business rarely enter Caravans Ward for two reasons: The entire ward is dusty, dirty, and filled with beasts of burden with little sense of the person's true station (and might accidentally cause embarrassment). And aside from the sabban walls which are not so maintained to be proper byways, there are no upper walkways for the cultured to be above the unwashed slaves, cattle, and other loathsome creatures. As a result, this is one area of Calimport with wide avenues and large courtyards for gathering caravans and such.
Ward Leadership - Pasha Kemar yn Kadadf el Dasanm, Sultan of Caravans Ward (CE Calishite Man, 9th Level Fighter). This burly bear of a man worked his way through the Mighty Guild of Bouncers, Laborers, and Sellswords and he still sits among them as a senior member and officer. He also rules as the pasha of the Guild of Excellent Drovers, Shepherds, and Animal Handlers, having worked his way through their ranks as well by being the best oxen driver and caravan guard both guilds had ever seen. While still a bit short tempered (and restoring infrequent use of his nickname as the Bull), Pasha Kemar proved himself and always pushes those he deals with in order to have them justify their own status to him. He only respects strength, force, and volume, as that is how he tends to bluster his way through any resistance.
Drakhon Sabban Nicknames - Stallion Sabban By its alias, this sabban is easily identified as the stables area, the markets for the buying and selling of horses (and other more exotic mounts such as the rare displacer beast or Pegasus), and the area where attendant equipment like saddles, bridles, and the like are made and sold. Despite the strong smells from the stables and the tanneries, Drakhon Sabban is the temporary stop of choice for many poorer caravan attendants and guards. Everything they need of Calimport is hereinns, new supplies, and customers to buy the last caravan's goods and sell you a full wagonload to take back. Tucked against the walls of Hook Ward's shipyards, Drakhon Sabban provides a great view of the ocean from many tavern courtyards.
Aside from a night or two in Drakhon Sabban, there are hundreds of caravan drovers who have been to Calimport more than 1,000 times yet never set foot on the docks or see the sights of Nadana Sabban or the Pasha's Palace. While even the most jaded of caravan drovers can be impressed by some of Calimport's beauty, too many of them cherish their freedom too much to wander where they don't know the way to the road out (and their suspicions are well-founded, for those who look lost are lost, and most often end up as someone's property). Sabban symbol - Horse’s silhouette
Pahlemm Sabban Nicknames - Oxen Sabban The noise and dust of the cattle drives echoes throughout the artificial canyons of row houses in Pahlemm Sabban. This sabban is home to the cattle yards, some slaughter houses, additional tanneries, manure pits, and other assorted businesses tied to the cattle industries of the northern shanates. In order to disturb the fewest people, the slaughterhouses rest toward the outer reaches of the city against the walls of Crypt Ward, and the cattle yards are farther toward the southern end of the sabban. Given the lesser defenses of the eastern city, the Cattlemens' House makes frequent use of mercenaries to protect the penned cattle from wolves and other predators (especially those attracted by the smell of the slaughterhouses). Sabban symbol - A steer's head with enormous horns
Thytos Sabban Nicknames - Court Sabban Resting against the cliffs of eastern Calimport is Thytos Sabban, the main area for collecting caravans both entering and leaving the city. While it is not as conveniently located near the main markets like so many northern cities (even those in Tethyr), Calimport's markets receive any goods through at least three intermediaries-the caravan drovers sell to their guild, which sells it to the Grocers' and Farmers' Guild or the appropriate buyers for the products brought in. These sales guilds present the products within the markets, and Calishites accept this method and its markups since they have always operated this way. The mood and social attitudes relax here, for the most part, unless there is unrest or problems within the caravans. This sabban, while well guarded by the amlakkar, also sees many murdered caravan drivers simply because they foolishly either flaunted their wealth after a caravan shipment or did not immediately turn that money around into new goods to load into the wagons and take to the next city. While each looks out for their own, the guilds and the traders all know the score and do not mourn fools who do not know the system or how to act within it. Aside from those upper class merchants who rose from these lowly ranks, few ever would dream of entering this sabban (and thus, many folk on the run from the upper echelons of society either flee and hide here or into the Muzad). Sabban symbol - A black wagon wheel.

Points of interest

Quarters for Adventurers

Finding a drudach within Calimport that has less than one tavern, feasthall, and inn is a rarity, and the numbers of such structures in a drudach climb with proximity to either the docks or to the moneyed classes. Expect a third of the buildings within each sabban around the docks and the nobles' quarters to be feasthalls, another third to be shops with living quarters above them, and the final third to be a random assortments of temples, taverns, city buildings, and living quarters for citizens or military personnel. Among the more notable of taverns and festhalls are:
The Veiled Lamia (Caravan Ward, Thytos Sabban) - This inn and feasthall caters to caravan drovers and traders. The Lamia's most interesting feature is the petrified-stone lamia noble at the center of its taproom that is sometimes unceremoniously used as a cloak rack. It is kept by the barkeep as a souvenir of his adventuring forays into ancient dungeons.
Quality/Price: Good/Cheap
Seven Dancing Jhasinni (Trades Ward, Larau Sabban) - Once one of the more opulent feasthalls within Calimport years ago, the jhasinni of this tavern and inn became priestesses of Sune after an alleged visitation by the goddess’s mortal herald herself to all of the staff. The stone facade and the roominess of the building remain to tell of the structure's history, and the seven carved pillars of voluptuous jhasinni in various stages of dress serve as the sign for this place, which lies directly opposite the Feasthall of Eternal Delight.
Quality/Price: Fair/Expensive.
The Courtyard of the Jet Jambiya (Faiths Ward, Evyrtaan Sabban) - This open air tavern provides a meeting place from sundown to sunup that is noted for its safety from treachery. Should any other weapons (beyond those of the staff) flash free of their scabbards or sheathes, the magical dark-colored jambiya that hovers over the center of the court flashes toward that weapon and absorbs it without fail. Legend has it that the jambiya has no substance and is a portable hole with some modicum of intelligence. It has swallowed such mighty weapons as the Beljurekd Blade of Nazir Rabtr, Samark the Staff of Screams, the Four Daggers of Delvenahr, and even Giisan the White Lash of Xaanke's Purity.
Quality/Price: Fair/Moderate.
The Festhall of Eternal Delight (Faiths Ward, Bakkal Sabban) - This festhall is more properly the greatest temple to Sune, but most indulgents that arrive here have less than holy thoughts in mind. The only pious figures are among the staff members, who are dedicated to sybaritic excess and hedonism in the name of their goddess.
Quality/Price: Excellent/Expensive.

Important Features

The Djen Arenas are the two major arenas of Calimport. Both are dedicated to the entertainment of the masses and rulers. Both arenas in the same sabban in the northern sector of the town. The Westernmost arena is the largest, housing a chariot track, while the easternmost, nickname the Efreetum by the populace, after it's many flaming entry pillars, provides gladiatorial combat against both monsters and slaves alike. People of all classes attend these events, as admission is totally free to the Djen arenas.
One of the greatest examples of still surviving ancient temples in Calimport is the Palace of the Murabir, sacred to Teseyr. This palace is a high walled escate of four 5 story buildings set at the cardinal directions, with all four of the their entrances facing the center point.
The Qysaghanni Fortress stands adjacent to the Pasha's Sabban within the city and hosts all members of the El Qysaganni, it is notable for it's center minaret, which sees to be made entirely of blue crystal. From the fort, the Qysaghanni launch many flying carpets and patrol the areas around the Pasha's Sabban.
In the Hook Ward, very recently The Technic League has set up a nexus for it's World Tree, a teleportation network that connects to many major cities around the world.
The Khanduq of the First Vault is a marketplace and holy site of Varen, though this permanent market is only distinguished by the 10 foot gold coin at it's center, said to have been forged by Varen himself. Thieves have unsuccessfully been trying to steal the coin for over 600 years.
A long neglected bazaar and street on the eastern edge of the city has quickly gained a reputation in the past months as a pilgrimage site for the faithful of Shaundakul, who once gathered followers and met them in person in that market. They say walking the "Windrider Way" (a small footpath around the market) is said to restore health and wellness to non-natives of the city.

Subterranean Calimport

Built during the 4th Age, the sewers of Calimport span most of the city, this massive labyrinth of pipes empties the most base filth out of the city into the deep sea waters east of the harbor proper. The primary passages are 30 feet in diameter and there arent 5-foot-wide walkways along either side of the passage; workers can cross the sewage every 50 yards, where three 5-foot-square stepping stones rise above the muck to allow them to reach the other side. The secondary passages are only 15 feet wide, with alternating 5-foot-wide ledges along one side or another (stepping stones leading the path from one side to the other every 50 yards) There are smaller pipes ranging from 1 to 8 feet wide that can be messily traversed by slim Medium-sized or smaller creatures, but these are neither mapped nor recommended for travel.
Calimport covers an entire second city of sorts, with its own laws, struggles, and powers. The area is called Muzhujaarnadah (loosely, the city of shadow), by many that frequent it but its most common title is Calimport Muzad, Calimport Below, Dark Calimport, or simply the Muzad. In essence, with destruction of the city over the centuries, rubble was rearranged and new constructions were built atop it rather than waste time clearing away everything and starting completely anew. Over time, this left partially ruined but intact chambers and even whole buildings beneath the level of the city’s new streets. Much of Calimport’s illegal activity is linked with Calimport Muzad, but it is also home to many types of people, from the ratfolk communities to simple outcasts to priests of dark gods and goddesses to monsters aplenty. Everyone knows of Calimport Muzad, but few know it by experience and thus the rumors and tales are often far more the result of fears and nightmares than truth.

Calimport Underworld

The Syl-Pasha, through assassinations tore control of the entire Calishite underworld from the tree major clains of Vyndahla, Jahmir, and Pasawal. He slew the three leaders of the houses and offered the rest a deal: Aid him or die. While the Pasawals resisted and were destroyed, most clans accepted and have prospered without opposition from the government. Listed below are the largest families that run the many underworld business of Calimport;
Assassins - El Kahmir. Butak yn Butak el Kahmir, the gullible yet vengeful first son of the el Khamir, rules an assassins guild thought he has many rivals whose blades are stayed only by their fear of his father's power.
Black Marketeer - El Vyndahla. Amuni el Eradsari, the youngest surviving nephew of the "Octopus", Kadan el Vyndahla, is the pride and joy of his grandmother, Irtemara el Eradsari. Amun rose from grifter to head of black market insanely fast, far to quick to learn it well.
Burglars and Thieves - El Kahmir. This sneak thief turned thieves' guildmaster is the 14 year old Faruk yn Khamas el Kahmir, el Zelyn (the son of shadow). His ambitions outstrip even his father's the head of the spies guild.
Enforcers and Thugs - El Vyndahla. Kadan el Vyndahla, the eldest surviving member of the clan, is called the Octopus, as he is both the head of the "many-armed" enforcers in Calimport and has his hands in nearly everything illegal. He still harbors many grudges against the Syl-Pasha for his subjugation and consolidation of the rogue powers.
Pirates and Smugglers - El Synabbat (El Rhimod). Due to recent shocking deaths of the Synabbat family members, the surviving Synabbat heir, the weak craven Harun yn Bajir el Synabbat, places much of the decision making process on his aggressive and crafty wife, Saida yr Oma yr Rhimod el Synabbat.
Slavers - El Rhimod. Rysal Tamal yn Ralan el Rhimod is the fifth son of the syl-pasha. He is an accomplished sea captain and commander of a small fleet in the navy. Of course, he is also head of slaving operations into and out of Calimport.
Spies - El Khamir. Once a proud of untouchable man due to his friends, Nur yn Jafar el Kahmir saw his protections die because of the Syl-Pasha's takeover. El Khamir is the strongest of the rogue powers not led directly by the syl-pasha, and he is still to be feared. El Kahmir has slowly been trying to uncover secrets on the syl-pasha himself.

The Muzad

Known by a multitude of names from the Muzhahajaarnadah to Calimport Below, Dark Calimport, and most often just the Muzad, the deeper city beneath the streets of Calimport is just as exciting and lively and dangerous as the sunlit metropolis above its stony ceilings. The Undercity of Calimport is more than just a series of sewers and waterways-there are whole streets, buildings, courtyards and great halls, and other areas long buried and forgotten. With the many series of disasters to strike the city over the centuries, it is not hard to believe the rubble was often simply built over after great destruction and whatever fell beneath the rubble was considered gone. Since it encompasses the sewers and areas beneath, the Undercity ranges from 20 feet beneath the raised streets of Palace, Grand, and Emerald Wards to nearly a half-mile beneath Calimport’s sewers.
The Upper Muzad - The original streets of Palace Ward, Grand Ward, and Jewel Ward are now paved over for ease of movement for the elevated social classes above them. The intent was to provide larger areas of mobility for the slaves and servants beneath the streets and out of sight, and the only lights down here are either torches carried in hand or what light streams down through the stairwells leading up to the new street level or the gates leading out into the open-air Port or Outer Wards. While it has taken some time, there are now many indigent people living beneath these streets, and it has also helped the Nadhari (a movement of escaped slaves) to now operate slightly within the largest slave-holding settlement outside of drow cities and Kymos. In many places, the Upper Muzad is still normal aside from its bricked-over sky. However, at certain points near the western edges of it and around the impenetrable stone pilings beneath the Pasha's Palace, there are now open shafts and stairs leading deeper into the Muzad. These areas are soon becoming flash points among the power players of the Dark City as to who will control these major accessways to the surface and the city
The Temple of Old Night - Shar’s greatest stronghold anywhere on Aralla, the Temple of Old Night and its clergy dominate and control a complete third of all the territory in the eastern undercity. In effect, they control the dungeons and darkness beneath the following wards: Caravans, Crypt, Hammer, Maker’s, Quill, Wizard, and sections beneath Hook Ward and Khanduq Ward. The actual central temple and altar for the Dark Goddess lies almost directly beneath the Lyceum in the Wizard Ward, though there is no direct connection between these two places of power.
The Temple of Old Night is among the oldest of worship sites for Shar, Goena, and Babylon in Aralla, and its subterranean structure disguises the god’s and goddess’ importance to Calimport. Many know that the temple is beneath their feet, but since they do not know the extent of it, they fear the darkness even more. The five tiny shrines through which one enters the temple below are insignificant and easily sealed off in case of overzealous amlakkars. The church easily controls numerous powers of the surface world, either directly as some pashas and vizars are clergy under her or indirectly through the Temple’s manipulations of numerous illicit businesses run from the City Below. Recently though, a battle between the sects within the Temple has balanced the three gods, rather than Shar controlling most of it.
As the largest singular power and site beneath the streets, Temple of Old Night dominates the majority of the extant subterranean buildings and streets, patrolling the dark corridors as an army. Those whom they do not control, they fight or they negotiate their detentes, and while Shar’s faithful would have their foes believe there is nothing in the Muzad that they fear, there are some shadows even those who embrace the darkness wisely hesitate to penetrate and disturb what lies within.
The Sewers - There are at least two separate sewer systems in Calimport, one of which was nearly destroyed centuries ago and replaced by the newer sewers as discussed above. The abandoned tunnels, while partially collapsed and destroyed or blocked in places, provide homes and byways for other creatures capable of maneuvering the tight spaces and reaching long forgotten cellars of buildings buried into the Muzad. These Lost Sewers have been conquered in most areas by a number of ratfolk consortiums which number no less than 50 clans in total throughout the Muzad, in at least seven separate collectives. Their leaders, more cunning than the previous residents, have linked their Lost Sewers with the current sewers, and they use these to attempt to usurp the surface controlled thieves’ guilds from here in Calimport Below. Other rodentfolk have joined these mobs of ratfolk, with all families led under the power and cunning of the Ratfather, a cunning and powerful rodent, who is always that generation's Loa of Camir.
The Dark Bazaar - Unlike the up-top nighttime bazaars that are taking place, more Dark Bazaars are wandering bazaars that change their locations and more often with the cleared markets of the central city, each and every time they meet. These trading meets are almost an eerie social gathering, as mysterious gray-robed figures appear at random all across Calimport above and below to beckon to those invited to the Dark Bazaar. No one can determine who or what the gray figures are, but they simply fade like shadows if confronted in any hostile or even argumentative way. If one chooses to follow a Gray Caller, they soon walk a path that the Caller opens that leads to the Dark Bazaar. There is no other way to reach the bazaar without being invited; should someone teleport to the site without an invitation, they would find the site filled with mists and shadows and whispering voices that they can't quite catch. The Dark Bazaar exists around and beside them, but only with those who the Gray Callers wish to attend.
There is one cardinal rule for the Dark Bazaars: Ask or speak wisely, but only spare a secret or knowledge equal to that which you seek. An attendant at Dark Bazaar can only trade one secret for one secret, and once that secret is in hand (whether understood or not), the attendant appears suddenly back where the Gray Caller was first seen, as if it all had never happened. This effect occurs if any scrying is attempted outside of a trading situation or any violence is brought to bear within the bazaar. To those at the bazaar, the disturbing being dissipates into gray mist, while the offender reappears in place, having lost barely a second of time.

Founding Date

101 AC

Alternative Name(s)

City of Glory, City of Slaves

Type

Capital

Population

Population - 1,804,251 non slave citizens, 2,634,200-ish slaves working both in and around the city.

Inhabitant Demonym

Calimportian

Owner/Ruler

Jukhan yn Jaasima el Rhimod

Ruling/Owning Rank

Syl-Pasha

Characters in Location

• Amuni el Eradsari
• Butak yn Butak el Kahmir
• Daud el Vehmet
• Faruk yn Khamas el Kahmir
• Harun yn Bajir el Synabbat
• Jude
• Kadan el Vyndahla
• Kadan el Vyndahla
• Kaida Umezawa
• Khemed yr Yasheira el Rhimod
• Lah yi Calimport
• Nur yn Aban el Esarn
• Nur yn Jafar el Kahmir
• Pecal el Saiduwm
• Rysal Tamal yn Jukhan el Rhimod
• Saida yr Oma yr Rhimod el Synabbat
• Sarsor yn Rogir el Maqaav
• Sayednara the Fiery Lady
• The Sable Sorcerers
• Vanis Vigilhorn