Fereshan
The city of Fereshan is located on the east coast of the Ruby Sea, about 150 miles from where that body opens into the great ocean, at the mouth of the small Tahir River. For many generations a small town with a mediocre harbor, Fereshan was forced to make many improvements to suit the needs of the Axuumites. As the Imyan port closest to Axuum’s capital of Mazaber, it has become the base of the Axuumite military in Imya. Many people are employed transporting supplies for the Royal Army of Axuum, and in supporting its headquarters and camps. Not everyone is happy about the presence of the army in the area, but the Mulya has people alert for dissent; her spies usually ferret out troublemakers before they inconvenience the troops and cause difficulty for the entire city.
Fereshan is also the port where great elephants captured by Axuum for release in Imya’s interior disembark. The king’s animal speakers, who are able to command the cooperation of the huge beasts, prefer to let the creatures off the ships as close as possible to their eventual home. Most of the folk of Fereshan are in awe of the great beasts, and some are so enchanted that they follow the elephants out of the city to the savannah, where they settle in to watch them for long periods of time. A few have even sought to become animal speakers in Axuum, but at best have ended up as servants; they exchange the onerous task of keeping the transport ships clean for the privilege of caring for the majestic beasts for the short time they are in captivity.
In contrast, some residents of Fereshan are among those previously displaced from the country’s interior to make room for the new herds of elephants. They resent the creatures and occasionally try to harm them, or advocate against cooperating with the animal speakers whenever they bring more. This has resulted in more than a little tension in the city, and the mulya and her officials work hard to keep the situation under control lest it come to the attention of the local Axuumite commander, General Fer’am of Jarmi, also sometimes known as Fer’am the Grim.
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