Akbar, the First City

While many cities have been built to bring civilization to the never-ending desert none of them are as old and great as Akbar, the first city to rise from it and remind us of the greatness that we once had. - Prince Ronan Vasha

Demographics

The city is filled with hundreds of people from other parts of the world with different cultures and backgrounds. Though most of the population is still native to the east, most friends are just hired to help in helping the wealthier members of the city.

Government

Wise Council: A group of the most powerful and influential leaders of the city that decide the laws and maintain order thought it. However, its members often try to outplay one another for control of the city.

Defences

Old Wall: The oldest wall in the city And remains so to the day as its large size keeps all invaders out. Its sheer size alone keeps most attackers from trying to get past these walls that are said to be soo tall that they block out the sun.
Stone Watches : The rocky terrain in the region has been used to create watch towers from caves found inside of them to warn of any dangers that might come.

Industry & Trade

The city’s power comes mainly from trade from merchants that come to the city to sell their goods. However, the city also has mines in the surrounding areas that contain iron, copper, and other rich minerals that can be found near its rocky terrain.

Infrastructure

Inner Wall: Buildings inside of the walls are often where the wealthier residents live and have access to running water, gardens, and many more wonders of ancient times.
Outer wall: Outside of the city wall lies a series of buildings that make up a small town known as Dust Town. It is here that most of the city's poorer residents reside and where criminals do their dealings.

Assets

There are stores that are filled with good both foreign and domestic to begiven to merchants to buy and sell. Along with fertile soil to grow plants and crops.

Guilds and Factions

Princes of Jeon'ru: Despite the Menapha Caliphate collapsing over one hundred years ago, some of the nobility has survived, all of which are now the nobles that rule the most powerful houses in the city, many of which call themselves princes claiming to be the descendants of the last Caliph, Jeon'ru Munbasa in the hopes of rising to power under a new Caliphate.
Guild of Trades: A merchant guild that has control over trade in the city with a vast connections with other parts of the world. They will buy and sell just about anything that is worth while and most merchant ship in the city belong to them.
Brotherhood of Priests: A order created to deal with the many regions that exist within the city. They have all sworn to each other to uphold the faith of all gods and to ensure that no religious tensions get out of hand.
Blades of Many : The acting military in the city that ensures that it is protected from danger, they have sworn not to rebel and take over the city, but it does not mean they can't be bought to fight for someone else.
The Builders; Masons that ensure that the city is maintained and kept from falling apart. They are some of the only people that know how to repair the older buildings in the city.
Sowers of Green: They are some of the only people that know how to grow plant life in the city and have control over the food made on their farm. They often take care of the gardens and trees that are inside the city as well.

History

First City of the Desert

Akbar is considered the first city to ever be built since the Jantani Desert was created. It was founded by the mythical Sun Sultan of the Paranth Sultanate and would be its capital until its collapse. The city itself would be seen as a beacon of hope and the return of civilization from the nomadic desert tribes that once ruled. The city would gather thousands in those early years and bring about an exchange of culture and ideas that would help the Sultanate to grow and expand over the entire Eastern Lands. From here the city would grow with the lands that it brought into the fold as it brought resources and a booming population that would live within its walls. The city would retain its power for centuries before any other city would be built after it and would be the most powerful settlement in the entire region as it brought the sultanate into a golden age. During that time the city would expand along the surrounding terrain it was built on the deal with its increasing population.
However, this would be a problem later on as resources would become scarce and it lead to mass famine and disease that would spread to the other cities of the time being known as the Age of Decadence as the city like many others would strain their resources for pleasure and luxury. Due to being the capital, it managed to fare better than others and tried to find ways to solve the crisis on their hand. Often creating methods to lessen the burden upon the population and ease the suffering. In one attempt they would be building underground farms to deal with the food shortages and there are still some that can be found to this day under it, but they needed much more land to produce more land. So to spare food they began banishing everyone that was considered undesirable, being the sick, feeble, crippled, and criminals as well in order to survive. This would continue until the Age of Exploration began and the discovery of the Dark Continent. This led to a mass exodus of the poor and desperate being made to depart to the new lands by the government to finally stabilize the population and get things under control.

Center of Culture

Akbar has always been a place that has been filled with history and culture no matter how many centuries have passed by. Every street to the buildings has its own history that comes with it. The city itself would find itself under the control of more than a dozen different states since its founding but it would remain mostly untouched and diverse from the more destructive elements of some of these states due to the significance it held. Allowing for knowledge and the true histories that it held to remain mostly intact and would be a safe haven for those escaping persecution and death. Many religions would survive within its walls as well despite many being outdated and their gods being all but forgotten. For there is a power that the city holds over the people that live within it and power is that of remembrance of the past that existed with it. It is with that the people have never forgotten their heritage or the knowledge that came with it as many other places had. It is an accepted truth that all have come to know and always remember. It also makes it an interesting place to explore for anyone that wants to explore the city and see the ancient wonder that can be found within its wall if they have the chance.

Wealth Through Trade

Akbar was fortunate to find itself where it is today as it is considered the closest city to the Dark Continent and many ships from there often come here first before any of the other cities. It allows the city to gain access to luxury goods and trades their own resources as well to earn a profit often being in metals as the mining can be difficult on the Dark Continent due to the many dangers it has. It has allowed the city to make a decent income for itself as sent these foreign good off into the desert into other settlements and at times other parts of the world through it trade partners. It has made Akbar one of the wealthier cities in the east and often depends on trade in order to make a living. But goods are not the only thing that it desires, it is knowledge as well. Anything knew to learn is often brought to the city to use it to improve it, it can be anything really from engineering to medicines as long as it has value it is worth while. As long as anyone is willing to bring anything to trade with then the city will reward them for anything that is worth the coin.

Beginning of a Crisis

Akbar knowing its past has often taken precautions when it comes to trouble and how to avoid it. But one can never really be safe when diseases begins to spread throughout any population. The Withering Sands has taken its toll and have claimed many, out Akbar has managed to keep the sickness away from entering its walls. Though those outside of the city are less fortunate and the disease has claimed many lives. What's worse is that trader has become more caution because of this and have begun avoid the city in case of contamination. Causing to less ships coming to trade with the city and forcing them rely heavily on caravans to trade with other cities or use their own ships to travel and trade with other lands. But the fear of the Withering Sands has brought about paranoia and everyone is searched to ensure that no one with it enters the city and start a panic.

Tourism

With ships coming, Akbar is at the center of trade between itself and the Dark Continent to it every day to trade for goods in the city's markets. But other merchants from other parts of the world come here, along with diplomats that seek audiences with the city's leaders to gain favor with them. Though some might want to explore and learn of the owners that the ancient city might hold within its walls as well.

Architecture

Much of the city is still covered in the old architecture of the Paranth Sultanate, with marvelous statues of animals and rulers of old, grant archways and buildings with elaborate designs carved into them. Many are still domed-shaped, and the more important buildings are elegantly designed with colored patterns and gardens filled with plants and water. Some of the newer buildings take a different shape being more square-shaped and multilayered in design with pillars coming out of them. But all are made from sandstone as is common in the region and in great abundance to build more things around the city.

Geography

The city was built on a large stone formation known as the Pillar of Kenu near the end of the Spear of Mondes, a peninsula shaped like a spear. Much of the region is rocky terrain that allows the city to have some elevation to avoid the desert below.

Natural Resources

Minerals: There are mines that are found around the city that produce with their main production being in iron, copper and tin.
Cave Farms: Farms that were built under the rocks to grow crops using soil from other lands and are used to feed the population of the city.

Founding Date

1676 BCA

Founders

• Sun Sultan

Alternative Name(s)

The Oldest City, City of the Sun, The First City, City of Memories

Type

Large city

Population

600,000

Inhabitant Demonym

Akbarites

City of Wonders

the Western world saga 07 by Liu Qing

Akbar has many places with it that are still considered great achievements for their time some of them being temples or places of knowledge. Event the architecture of the city is unique considering it is a few thousand years old and from a different age are has mostly remained intact. They are considered sacred places to the residents and strive to maintain them to ensure that they do not fall into disrepair.

Rules of Power

Sedentary Arab by Mubarizun

Due to the how old the city is and it history it has some traditions that have not faded away so easily. One of them being the how the city's government works. In the old day the city would be ruled by a monarch or a governor under a ruling state, but consider their are none know its ruled by the resident of the city. The way this works is through how much influence they have over the city with the most powerful groups having a seat on the Wise Council, the acting government that is comprised of ten members to run the city and maintain the status que to keep it in order.

Ignored Suffering

Egyptian Slums by Andrew Bosley

One the many problems that the city tends to ignore are that of the less unfortunate citizen that live in and around the city. There is a large gap in wealth between the elites and the average citizen causing many to struggle in making a living form themselves. Many of them live in Dust Down outside of the city walls and are often exploited as cheap labor or to become criminals. Once in a while they rebel and are quickly put down with no one batting an eye at them.

Places of Interest

Temple of the Hundred: The largest temple in the city that is used as a place of worship for all faith to worship the hundred gods that are inside of the city.
Library of Omaris: A library created by Omaris the Wise to allow all to learn and share knowledge with one another no matter their status.
Azure Harbor: The city's large harbor named for the clear blue water the surrounds it and can hold hundreds of ships to drop off cargo into the city.
Palace of the Sun: The Palace was said to have been built by the Sun Sultan using only the finest materials and decorations that could be found at the time.
Necropolis: One of the largest tombs in the world that bury all of the city's royalty and historical figure and is said to go on for miles deep underground.