Barrend

SOCIETY “So powerful is the light of unity that we know it can light the whole world.” This saying signifies a hierarchy of loyalties based on the proximity of some people to oneself, beginning with the self, and proceeding through the adopted family as defined by kinship. Disputes are settled, interests are pursued, and justice and order are dispensed and maintained by means of this framework, organized according to an ethic of self-help and collective responsibility. The people of the Frozen Sands share an ethos comprised courage, hospitality, loyalty to family or friends and pride in one’s identity.
When resources are plentiful, it is common to see several families or groups of friends band travel together and help one-another as much as is feasible. While these groups were sometimes linked by a specific lineage, others were just as likely linked by alliances or guilds. The people of the Frozen Sands traditionally have strong honor codes, and traditional systems of justice dispensation in their society typically revolved around such codes. Neutrality in all things is highly encouraged and practiced in many aspects of life in the Frozen Sands.
ETYMOLOGY In scholarly sources, the structure at Barrend (“caravanserai”) often used as an umbrella term for multiple related types of commercial buildings similar to inns or hostels, whereas the actual instances of such buildings had a variety of names depending on the region and the local tongue. However, the term was typically preferred for rural inns built along roads outside of city walls.

Government

Sultanate / Monarchy

Industry & Trade

IMPORTS Livestock, linen, grains, freshwater, and silk
EXPORTS Clothing, weapons, armor, precious metals, and alchemy/potions
TRADE AND COMMERCE The Al’shizar Empire is efficiently run and has always welcomed trade from outside its borders. Its merchants can be found throughout the lands of Dayne and many of its exports are highly sought after. Numerous measures have been undertaken by the empire to increase agricultural production. Canals were dug to facilitate the irrigation of agricultural lands throughout the island. Cultivation of sugarcane was officially encouraged to meet the great demand of it by both the local inhabitants and foreign nations. Thanks to this acceptance of foreign trade, several new plants were introduced to the Frozen Sands, including sesame, carob, millet, rice, lemons, melons, apricots, and shallots.
The main factor which boosted industry and trade under the Al’shizar was the new interests Pallidon nations developed when they came into contact with the desert people. Commodities included incense, scents, fragrant oils, and aromatic plants from all over, as well as ginger, alum, and aloes. Likewise, Valo developed new tastes in the matter of fashions, clothing, and home furnishing. Rugs, carpets, and tapestries manufactured in the Frozen Sands were introduced to the East through Pallidonian-Al’shizar interaction. Adventurers visiting Barrend have returned with old reliquaries for the keeping of relics. The famous tavern and inn are located on the Trade Road and is considered one of the more elegant stops on the trip.
The demand for agricultural products and industrial commodities stimulated maritime activity and international trade to an unprecedented extent. The Al’shizar have played a leading role in this as they controlled sea-trade routes which passed through the ports of Earia and Tradetown via Kings Bay and the Oli Ocean. The trade policy of the Al’shizar Sultanate placed them in a position of great advantage; although they cooperated with the Dabu Greenlans and Valo in the Kings Bay, they limited them from having access to the Arin Sea. Thus, they kept the trade of the area exclusively in their hands.

Guilds and Factions

The Unbound - Are appointed members of the Al’shizar military with near limitless authority to act in the Sultans name in terms of law enforcement and espionage. These fully masked individuals never give their name and rarely identified publicly. They are found everywhere in Barrend (though only one is seemingly stationed here by all accounts) and the major settlements of the Frozen Sands, to include acting as the Sultan Amir’s personal bodyguard. While normally viewed as magistrates or constables, they are also considered the elite warriors within the army. Their name comes from the policy of unrestricted access to records and approaches to investigative manners.

History

Caravans of the Frozen Sands often had to set up camps along side the road, being exposed to the environment and the various dangers the desert housed. Over time, taverns, inns, and similar permanent structures were established alongside the Trade Road. Barrend has several smaller building set up around the massive, centrally-located building. They are now a common feature along the ancient highway that stretches from Earia to the western coast of the island. Royal stations exist along its whole length, and excellent inns and taverns helped to make the inhabited tracts generally free from danger.   Nearly anchoring the main Trade Road, the three-story roadside inn at Barrend is where travelers or caravanners could rest and recover from the day's journey. It has supported the flow of commerce, information, and people across the network of trade routes covering the Al’Shizar Empire. The magnificent building here is set with a rectangular walled exterior, with a single portal wide enough to permit large or heavily laden beasts such as camels to enter. The courtyard is open to the sky, and the inside walls of the enclosure were outfitted with several identical animal stalls, bays, niches or chambers to accommodate merchants and their servants, animals, and merchandise. Barrend’s well is fed from an underground freshwater source and provides clean water for consumption and washing via a unique plumbing system. Barrend also maintains an elaborate public bath system, to include attached amenities such as a fountain. They keep fodder for animals and has several shops for visitors to acquire new supplies.

Points of interest

The Greedy Thief - A grand tavern withing the massive building at Barrend. It is kept by a retired aswararn (calvary soldier) named Fiqud ibn Baha al-Asarji.
al-Bamai's Woodwork - The workshop of a female biata woodcarver named Ra'ain Hady al-Bamai, known for her staves and wands, favored by the Runecarvers Guild.

Geography

Barrend is located in the western portion of the Frozen Sands. The desert area around the tavern is generally flat with fine sand hills and valleys on either side of the Trade Road.

Climate

Barrend, as with most of the Frozen Sands, has a unique climate system. Summers are prolonged, dry and exceedingly hot with less humidity. Winters are brutally cold and somewhat rainy; snowfall is frequent. Autumn is very brief and mild, but has the most drastic temperature change, unlike spring where the transition to summer is more gradual and steady. Annual rainfall is around 130 mm (5 in), occurring from October to May.

Type

Village

Population

70 Est.

Inhabitant Demonym

Mixed - Majority Human, Biata, and Stone Elf

Location under

Frozen Sands

Owner/Ruler

Ferdos Khorasan

Owning Organization

Al'shizar Empire

Characters in Location

• Ferdos Khorasan