Nizwarin
Overview
More euphemisms have been coined for this town than any other site in Calimshan: Sune's City, for its darker favors; City of Sin, as a haven for smugglers and those at odds with the law of other lands; or even Calimshan's Shame, as the more judgmental temple priests there refer to their closest neighbor. This is the gamblers' and smugglers' town, a place almost designed for those looking for a fight. There are few laws and equally few protections. Stepping on the wrong person's toes gets one thrown into the arenas or (if the person offended is merciful) killed instantly. Few native mages live here, and the few that visit learn to watch their backs and expect attacks from many a fighter who resents their magic, or they leave Nizwarin— often feet first in a gravedigger's cart. Finally, Nizwarin is the place where slavery is most obvious and most abusive in Calimshan; that notoriety filters north in the legends of the Nizwari Blood Arenas and their fighting slaves.Major Exports
Moneylending, mercenaries, livestock, information, weapons, and armorNizwarin Underworld
Most mainline underworld matters are dealt with by the Kahmir Family for the Syl-Pasha. Two of these guilds are of note: Burglars and Thieves - El Khamir. The 35 year old Khamas yn Kur el Kahmir runs the Nizwari headquarters of the thieves guild for his father, Nur yn Jafar el Kahmir. Though experienced, Khamas is fairly dull-witted and compliant to his father's wishes. Slavers - El Viscek. Pasha Ladan el Viscek is the apparent head of slaving operations in the city. (See Vizar Mohad el Fisar for the actual leader.) His primary customers are the two Blood Arenas.Points of interest
Important Area of the City - The Red Minarets of Nizwarin are fully glazed, red brick towers looming above the sabban walls. Their garrisoned amlakkar and soldiers more often shoot from the towers and parapets at the sight of disturbances rather than investigate and resolve the source of the problem. Legends say the towers were once bright white and pure, but the blood of the slaves of Nizwarin has stained the walls of all the towers forevermore. The external walls of the city bristle along the outside with shards of metal and stone designed to keep out invaders and keep away climbing thieves. They also have a dedicated soldier garrison within the wall itself, providing full-time protection from internal and external threats.
The Arenas of Blood are, of course, the places most people have heard of and seek out when they arrive in Nizwarin. Identical in all ways save for their placement at opposite ends of the town, the Arenas hold countless monsters and never run out of humanoid fighting slaves. There are three shows a day of monsters vs humanoids, two shows of gladiator combat, though no fighter fights more than twice a day. Admission to the games is 3 cp per show, or 1 sp for a day pass. With an average attendance of over 40,000 persons, the Blood Arenas easily support themselves, their staff, and the endless supply of weapons and armor required. Games are always to the death unless a special combat duel is set up to settle a political or legal matter. All events in the Arenas, no matter how important, create wagers, and the bookkeepers of Nizwarin have the largest thriving gambling business outside of Calimport. Slave revolts are never known to occur in the Blood Arenas as no slave has ever escaped from the twisted maze of corridors beneath the Arenas. The amount of guards stationed below are often more dangerous and numerous than the monsters.
The Pasha's Palace is a massive fortress that encompasses a whole drudach by itself near the center of the city, and is more heavily fortified and guarded than even the Syl-Pasha's estate in Calimport. Curiously, the palace lies empty and apparently unguarded for more than a year. However, the Syl-Pasha's enemies are finally coming out of the woodwork to invade the Palace only to find their dooms in deadly or subtle magical traps, or at the hands of his many friends in the social circles of Nizwarin. Strangely enough, the rumors of hidden treasures in the unguarded palace are completely true. Jewels, magic items, and documents of lore are kept there, lying in a vault more than a mile below the estate, though they are usually only accessible to the Syl-Pasha himself.
Places to Stay
While Nizwarin has a normal amount of inns, taverns, and feasthalls for a town of its size, and many are notable.
Founding Date
129 AC
Alternative Name(s)
City of Sin, Sune's City
Type
Metropolis
Population
854,000 citizens and 60,000 rural citizens
Owner/Ruler
Owning Organization
Characters in Location
