Great City of Aaqa

The Great City of Aaqa, also known as Aaqa, the Citadel of the Wind dukes, and the Grandest City of Aaqa, is a floating city found in the Plane of Air. Built on a rock that hurtles at great speed throughout its home plane, Aaqa has no fixed position but can be accessesed through portals or flying the dangerous currents of its homeplane. Built by the ancient and long vanished Wind Dukes, Aaqa is the last relic of this fallen and forgotten civilization. The capital of the Plane of Air, the ruling Djinn Sultans live in the ruins of the Hall of the Wind Dukes, passing out their judgement on their plane from afar.

Demographics

The Great City of Aaqa, being located in the elemental plane of air, is primarily populated by Air Genasi. Secondary populations of other genasi, djinn, Aarakocra, and gith can be found in the mighty city.

Government

The Grand City is ran by the Air Dukes, an ancient and illusive group of powerful Djinn who rule over the entire plane of air. Beleived to be the most ancient djinn in the multiverse, they are rarely seen by their subjects but use their Speakers to handle the day-to-day running of the city. These cities are of a noble rank and of air genasi or aarakocra descent, with some lesser djinn holding this position as well.

Defences

The Grand City is defended by its elite core of air genasi, elemental, and djinn warriors who form a small but strongly trained army. Fearsome in battle, thankfully for the rest of the multiverse the guard are focused on defence and care little for what happens outside the grand walls of their home. The formidable ancient walls once spanned the whole city, and were defended with magical traps and golems, but a portion of the wall was lost and the hurricaine quarter remains wide open. Ranged equipment is scarcely used in the plane of the air due the constant winds, but magical balistas that fire magic missiles can be found built in the walls and towers at various points. Within the city, stone statues can be brought to life to fight any would be occupier or invader.

Industry & Trade

As the central hub of the plane of air, the many residents of this strange elemental land come to this city to trade theri wares. Portals can be found throughout that lead to other realms where food and other goods can be brought in and traded for the wealth of the grand city.

Infrastructure

Build on a lone rock hurtling through the winds of the plane of air, the city is built into this rock. Its buildings are carved out of this stone so the prevailing hurricanes do not destroy any of its inhabitents. The city has winding roads, a might palace, and grand walls with statues of the ancient Aaqians carved into their side. Due to the shifting gravity of the Plane of Air, stairways are never found in Aaqa, rather air currents are manipulated to guide its citizens to higher floors. This means buildings are often narrow and tall.

Districts

The city is divided into four quarters. The King's Quarter, the hurricaine quarter, the knowledge quarter, and the dream quarter.

King's Quarter

The King's quarter is the wealthiest and most beautiful district of Aaqa. The Hall of the Wind Dukes is built here, with numerous high terraces and ancient carved stone buildings. The oldest quarter of the city, the King's Quarter dates back to the first Wind Dukes of Aaqa, and the wind corrosion has faded many building's facades over the centuries. The Cyclone Markets can be found beneath the Hall of the Wind Dukes and houses goods from across the multiverse. The Aaqa Mage's guild, dating back to the city's founding, is also found in a grand old manor house iconic of the district.

• - The Hall of Wind Dukes is based here, where the ruling Council run the city from.
• - The Cyclone Markets, with a Wind-Tornado fountain, are also here. Within the markets the following special vendors available: Rasha’s Rarities: run by Rasha, a fire genasi and traveller of the planes who sells high end magic items. Mystral's stones: A high wealth gem and spellcasting vendor ran by a former air genasi mage named Mystra.
• - The Caliph’s Crown: a well to do inn dealing in exotic food and drinks, ran by an Air Genasi named Ashid Cerulean
• - Talia’s Hall of Magic: a magical artefact store
• - Aaqa Mage’s Guild: an ancient and mysterious floating stone castle where extra-planual creatures study magic- Church of the King in the Skies: a temple led by an ethereal looking Tabaxi named Mian

Hurricaine Quarter

This poorer quarter is found in a wind corroded sector of the rock the city is built on. A portion of the grand walls lies broken here, long lost to the prevailings winds of the plane. This leads to a relentless current of air that funnels its way through the narrow streets of this densely populated and tightly packed district. The buildings are old and weather worn, with the underground of the city finding their bases here.

Cloud Walker’s Market: a market for foods and meats, travelling caravans will meet here and sell all sorts of good. A ring of criminals known as Aashirad’s Cartel are largely based here.

The Swirling Wind: a dive bar inn ran by Hirisa Swift, an air genasi and rogue

The Crumbling Tradepost: a pawn shop for gear exchange

The Testing Grounds: a small colleseum for fighting air domain beasts, the Genasi here are all fighter and gladiators led by their Djinn slave-driver, Urimas the Magnificent.

Knowledge Quarter

This is the second oldest portion of the city, built on raised rock with a mixture of old and new buildings connecting to each other. The district has the highest towers of the city with grand stone palaces and narrow, stairless towers. This district is largely populated by Aarakocra, who fly between the buildings. The residents here largely work for and support the Star Ranger Core, who have their headquarters based in an old Wind Duke castle.

Star Ranger Core Headquarters: This impressive tower is home to the star ranger core in the Plane of Air, it has direct access to all their outposts and their astral sea secondary head quarters.

Library of Aaqa: a grand library full of all manner of ancient knowledge, very little modern can be found here.The Library is run by the Archivist, a nameless Genasi who has the title handed to him. Order of the Librarians, a small sect of Genasi dedicated to knowledge, are based here. The Archivist is always selected from them.

Drifting Bird Inn: a tavern ran by the retired 28 year old Aarakocra Crow. He’s a wise and aged bird with plenty a story to tell about the material plane and beasts. Plenty of old tropheys can be found here.

Warstore. A blacksmiths and armoury operated by the Artifcer Branch of the SRC. Dwarves, Gith, Genasi, and Aarakocra operate the place with conjured elementals to

create exceptional powerful items.

Dream Quarter

This largely residential quarter has sprawing homes with little room on the streets. Resembling a mass of houses and towers thrown together, with archways and tunnels on various levels, this district houses the entrance to the catacombes beneath the city which house the dead Wind Dukes and the ruins of the civilization that ruled the city prior to the Djinn. The Purveyors of Knowledge, a guild of historians and archeologists have their base of operations here.

Guilds and Factions

The Star Ranger Core has their headquarters here and are well regarded within the city. The Mage's guild are secretive and limited in operations.

History

The Grand City of Aaqa is rumoured to be as old as existence itself. Built in a long forgotten age, the city was once ruled by a group of people known as the wind dukes. Who these people were is a complete mystery, they were not djinn or genasi and are likely a long extinct people. Legend states they once ruled the whole elemental planes, yet fell in a 'great destruction' that left their home abandoned. Their legacy remains in the city to this day, with their grand constructions and defences being found throughout the city, including the magical defences and animated statues that can defend their former home. Sicne the city is so impregnable and there is no sign of battle damage within, it is clear the Wind Dukes did not collapse to violence, it is as if one day they simply vanished.
Since time immeroiral, djinn have taken the place of the wind dukes and now rule the city alognside numerous air genasi and other elemental creatures. The city has remained a grand show of force and its reputation as a grand citadel within the multiverse still holds to this day. Although its glory days remain long behind it, the Great City of Aaqa is the de facto capital of the plane and the heart of Djinn control.

Geography

Floating through the plane of air, channeled by tremendous wind currents, the surrounding geography is constantly changing. Occasionally stable clouds, rocks, or ice sheets will attach themselves to the city briefly adding additional districts to the settlement, but these will always be blown away within time. The endless sky, clouds, and rocks mean there is no day or night, and people run off their own internal clocks with businesses being open at all times.

Population

10,000

Inhabitant Demonym

Aaqaian

Location under

Plane of Air

Appearances: 3

• Session 15: Finding Home
• Session 18: Secrets and Stories
• Session 63: Brawls and Crowns