DELETE Suzerain
Suzerain, also known as Medinat al-Tijar, or the Trade City and Medinat Alzamarrid, the Emerald City is the largest settlement in the region of Aradi al-Qadr called the Tradelands. It sits at the mouth of the Alzamarrid River where it meets the Seas of Frost and Flame.
The mouth of the Alzamarrid opens up into the finest, deepwater harbor on all of Azocar. The crescent-shaped harbor is nearly seven miles in length, with half of its boundary with the land north and west of the river and the other half south and east of it. Because of the quality of the harbor and the strategic location of Suzerain, vital for overland transport of goods between East and West, the Trade City's port is the busiest of the western half of the world.
The Trade City is aptly named. It is a vast and sprawling metropolis whose people seem to always be engaged in some form of commerce or other. Goods that find their ways to and from almost anywhere in the world come to or at least pass through Suzerain. It is busiest during the months that the distant lands in the north of Azocar are their warmest but Suzerain doesn't slow down much at any point of the year.
Suzerain sits at the nexus where Tasserania and the Central Continents meet. It's a point through which trade caravans from all around the land-connected world must pass, making it a hub for overland trade. Additionally, its port is a hub of activity for merchant vessels and fleets from all the lands that ring the Seas of Frost and Flame. Its location is, from an economical perspective, ideal. Because of the hills that border it and guard it from inland incursions, and because of its proximity to Spine of the Kings, the Trade City's location relative to its immediate area is just as ideal.
Life in Suzerain
Suzerain is a very cosmopolitan city; perhaps the most diverse city on all of Azocar. Members of every ancestry imaginable can be seen wandering the stalls and shops in Suzerain's bazaars. By and large, all of Suzerain's people consider themselves comfortable. Even the most poor usually have enough to get by. Suzerain is a wealthy city and that wealth benefits everyone to some extent. One source of Suzerain's citizens' comfort is a strong and shared belief that they are each free to make their own way. Yes, the occasional tyrant may arise and occupy the palace in Al'Najma but Suzerain has always managed to throw off the yoke when one does. So the average Suzerainian is proud to the point of haughtiness. They look down their noses at foreigners who they just assume aren't as fortunate as they are. The people of Suzerain absolutely abhor slavery. Many won't tolerate it at all. Those that do only stomach it as a unfortunate consequence of Suzerain's place as the focal point of all trade throughout Tasserania, the Central Continents, and beyond. Visitors to the Trade City are strongly advised to "free" their slaves, even if just temporarily while they visit the city and most comply. Unlike its neighbors south of the Spine, Suzerain is a city of commerce and commerce alone. Academic and artistic pursuits are not null here but they are not generally regarded. Suzerain has no great libraries or museums. Most of its learned and artistic classes come to the Trade City by way of some rich baron or merchant house. Much of the city's citizenry is illiterate as a result but they are not stupid. The rawun tradition is strong in the city due to its origins and most come to what they know by way of the lore-keepers. What the city lacks in book knowledge it more than makes up for in artisanal pursuits. Suzerain's coffee is regarded as the finest in the world as are their carpets, rugs, and tapestries. Suzerain is also famous for its metalwork, particularly in the area of bladed weapons. Suzerainians are also widely regarded in the area of animal husbandry particularly with horses. Beyond those things that are specialties in Suzerain, artisans of all kinds come to and make their way in the Trade City. They do so because they know that, in Suzerain, someone always appears to buy what you're selling. As such, rare is the specialty item or good that cannot be found in the city. There are exceptions to this rule. Artwork, books, and scripts usually come to Suzerain from the outside and can be found lacking. The same is true for items of an arcane nature though this has changed some since the upheaval of the horde wars. Many that passed through Suzerain during the wars brought with them the occasional, fantastic item. Many more have come through after the wars looking for adventure in the lands beyond Suzerain most affected by the fighting.Around the City
WIPAl'Najma
WIPAl'Qurat
WIPAlemliaq's Shadow
WIPAlfajr Oasis
WIPAltanim-rey
WIPMedinat Alzamarrid
WIPMushtarak
WIPNorth Harbor
WIPSouth Harbor
WIPDemographics
At about 40%, humans make up the largest group of Suzerain's citizenry. Elves and their like are the next most-numerous, accounting for more than 30% of the city's inhabitants, most of them elf-kin. There are also large contingencies of dwarves and halflings at about 5% for each group.
The remainder of the people of Suzerain come from a multitude of ancestries. It would come as no surprise if it were confirmed that every known ancestry of Azocar has representation in the City of Trade. This is especially true since the Horde Wars when many of the denizens of the vanquished sought safety in the city.
The distribution of wealth in Suzerain, as is to be expected, is much less varied and widespread. However, even though two thirds of the population could be considered poor relative to others in the city, most everyone in Suzerain lives comfortably. Squalor is is a condition suffered by only the most unfortunate. The city's wealth is considerable enough that some of it finds its way down to the lowest of its citizens.
Another unique feature of the economics of the city is that there is a sizable middle class there. A fifth or more of the population, while not wealthy, are well to do enough to lay claim their own little part of the city by way of home ownership.
The remainder of the Trade City's people, about 10-12% are wealthy. Their levels of affluence can vary greatly though. There is no nobility class so to speak of, in or around the city so the wealthy are almost all successful merchants and artisans.
The business of Suzerain is trade and many of its residents make their living that way. Whether they be lowly laborers and grunts, foremen and supervisors, or managers and owners of merchant houses, trade companies, fishing houses, and the like, the occupation of 60% or more Suzerainians is related to trade and commerce. Most of the remainder are artisans or craftsmen. Agriculture does not have a large presence in the city or its immediate vicinity so few make their living this way.
Occupations that are also rare in Suzerain are those in the areas of education and the fine arts. Suzerain is a city of commerce, not art and its demographics reflect that reality. Because vocation is much more preferable to Suzerainians than education, the majority of the city's inhabitants are illiterate but they are not ignorant. The one fine art that is strong in the city is the art of history and culture as oral traditions. Suzerain's bards and lorekeepers are as accomplished as those found elsewhere in Aradi al-Qadr.
Government
Suzerain has been governed as an absolutist monarchy for over four centuries. A long line of Sheiks and Sultans, albeit from a series of unrelated houses and tribes has ruled the city during that time. The numerous interruptions of dynasties is informative in that it shows Suzerainians do not stomach tyranny for long. The current ruling family has only been in charge already for seven decades and change but likely will only retain power so long as they don't disadvantage their subjects too severely.
Sultan Afzal ibn’Jusmi-Zafiri of House Bakr has ruled for more than a quarter century. Though his elevation to rule as a veritable boy of just 17 summers was met with skepticism, he had the benefit of a capable and pragmatic Royal Court of Suzerain. Afzal's half-sister Sheera has always been one of his closest advisors as has the city's Lorekeeper, Rawun Dulcet Riqqiyah. These two women and others have helped to mold Afzal from an uncertain and untrusted youth to a more trusted and even admired, albeit not yet beloved ruler.
Aside from his closest advisors in the Royal Court, Afzal has learned to appreciate the counsel of other people and groups of influence. Though it can sometimes be a sore point with his closest advisors, the Sultan likes to listen to smart people and what they have to say. Even those whose motivations he knows to be less than pure.
Afzal has such a relationship with one of Suzerain's most notorious denizens, Mistress Tessa Malbane. Everyone closest to the Sultan knows that the fellsworn woman is, at the very least, a top operative in Shadowfayne but Afzal doesn't care. He believes that, when it comes to their city, personal motives are usually set aside. Perhaps he is naive to do so but his allegiance has not been proven misguided as of yet.
The Sultan cultivates similar relationships with many other organizations, both reputable ones like the major faiths practiced in his city, and other less reputable ones. Another favorite conversation partner is Admiral Amberlee Amberjack, often referred to as the Pirate Queen and leader of the Corsairs of Frost and Flame.
Defences
The bulk of Suzerain's military might lies with the city's official guard, the Haris Zamar. They number more than 6,000 in number though, ordinarily, less than half of them are conscripted into active duty at any given moment in time. The Sultan has the power to mobilize the entirety of the guard at his order but it usually takes many days and even weeks to effect that order
A secondary force, commonly referred to as the "Sultan's Militia" is more easily raised by his compelling the different merchant houses and more well-to-do families to assign their private guardsmen to the defense of the city. These combine to more than 1,000 in number and the Sultan's own such "house guard" numbers nearly 300. These conscripts are almost always mercenaries but they are generally well-trained and quite effective.
From the general populous of the Emerald City, Sultan Afzal can also call up a "people's militia" of as many as 10,000. These are generally commoners who are not very well-trained but the people of Suzerain take pride in their home. They never waver when their city is in need of defense from some threat or another.
Additionally, the nomadic tribes that inhabit the lands between the Seas of Frost and Flame and the Spine of the Kings, from the city eastward all the way to the Pass of the Kings, are pledged to Suzerain. This allegiance comes from the legacy of the rise of House Bakr from their own number to the throne. From these, Suzerain can marshal a cavalry of 2,000 or so armed horsemen and two times as many footmen. The core of these is an elite force of about 400 Bakr Riders. These are the most loyal force the Sultan has outside of his city because most of them consider him family.
The Sultan can also count on 100 or so jann from the Spine to come to Suzerain's aid in times of need. As a rule, Suzerain's people abhor slavery but all of these beings are free. They defend Suzerain merely as a function of defending their own homelands.
Finally, the low regard for slavery that Suzerainians all share means there are no mamluks in or immediately around the city. However, there are some influential Sheiks at the edges of the city's influence who do keep warrior-slaves and they can marshal an elite force of another 200 or so if the city is in extremely dire straits.
History
Suzerain's age is impossible to know for certain as much of its story predates the tradition of written history. The rawun, or loregivers of the Tradelands generally agree that the mouth of the Alzamarrid was home to a trading outpost as far back as the final century of the Aradi Kingdoms. The curse that Amun-Re foisted upon the Valley of the Kings was said to befall the land in approximately the 1150th year before the Common Age so most estimate 1250 bCA as Suzerain's approximate earliest settlement.
What the scholars and rawun agree on is that Suzerain has always been a free settlement. The desert known as the Tasser Cauldron, north and west of Suzerain make any potential possessiveness by the powerful of Tasser Dale impractical. The foothills of the Spine of the Kings sit just 50 or so miles south of Suzerain and the city benefits from the most imposing of all natural boundaries that the mountain range represents. The curse of Amun-Re has served to make passage from the south through the Pass of the Kings a very dangerous proposition for more than a millennium. Finally, sheer distance means that the city is out of reach from Uhmlas and lands further east. As such, Suzerain has always been ruled only by Suzerainians.
Suzerain was a small trading outpost for a long time. Then, ships from very far off lands took to using the harbor as a haven for temporary rest and shelter during their long journeys. Suzerainians reacted by expanding their port to accommodate more than just the local fishermen. This expansion began sometime around 400 bCA. From that point, the city began growing quickly. Not long after, a visionary nomad Sheik named Hussain Al-Sharad set into motion events that would raise him to power over the burgeoning town.
Sheik Hussain consolidated alliances between his tribe and numerous others along the coast east of the harbor. His house had long since been nomadic only by tradition. The tribe they ruled had become fisherman almost exclusively and didn't roam the lands beyond Suzerain much at all. Allying with other such tribes gave him a measure of prestige. Then he forged alliances to the more nomadic tribes of horsemen between the coast and the foothills of the Spine all the way to the Pass of the Kings. With these alliances in hand, Hussain then took his biggest gamble of all.
The Sheik of the Sharad leveraged his house's considerable fortune on the proposition that a caravanserai could cross the Pass of the Kings and could trade successfully with the outlying settlements of the Valley beyond it. It was not unheard of for small groups to cross the break in the mountains. But it had been a very long time since a group so large as the one Hussain sent had successfully navigated the treacherous journey.
Hussain's gamble paid off when the caravanserai returned months later, mostly intact and bearing exotic goods from as far as the Sea of Pearls. The expedition reconstituted his family's wealth but, most importantly, it elevated Hussain's standing further still. Before the year was out, Sheik Hussain proclaimed himself the first Sultan of Suzerain.
Sultan Hussain's rule over Suzerain lasted for almost six decades. During that time, the city grew quickly. The Sultan responded to that growth by feeding it. He directed all the city's resources to expanding the harbor and the tradelines through the Pass of the Kings. He also traveled throughout the Tradelands and beyond to entice artisans of all kinds to come and ply their trades in his city. Hussain was said to be a gregarious and likeable fellow and many bought into what he had to offer. By the time he died well into his 10th decade of life, he had firmly established the monarchy's rule of the city.
Over the following centuries, Suzerain continued to grow in all manners and by all measurements. Throughout, the city was ruled by a series of monarchs from numerous lineages. No house ruled the city for very long; a century or so at most. But the struggles of transition from one ruling house to another were rarely more than a temporary stumble for the city. Suzerain continued to grow unabated.
House Bakr, the Horde Wars, and the Common Age
In 54 bCA, Sheik Kori Al-Bakr of the House of Bakr rallied his and other nomadic tribes from around Suzerain to rebel against the tyrannical Sultan Ashaak Al-Jabali. The Sultan had a habit of sending his warriors on raids in the nomads' lands, taking treasure, goods, and even slaves as they went. He was also given to imposing oppressive taxes on the citizens of Suzerain whenever he feared his coffers were running low. It got to the point driving many of his subjects into pennilessness. The people were primed and ready for a rebellion. Sheik Kori led that rebellion against the Sultan and his force would eventually besiege the city. Before acting, however, he sent his son and wisest counselor, Ali through the Pass of the Kings and to the Free Cities in search of assistance. There, Ali convinced the Sultans of the Free Cities that their counterpart, Ashaak had to go. Ashaak sent his own emissaries to the south but, unbeknownst to him, their pleas fell on deaf ears because they arrived too late. When a large and varied army arrived from the south, he misinterpreted its intent and sent the city's entire military force into the field in hopes of crushing the rebels between the two armies. The commanders of Ashaak's army soon realized they stood alone against both Sheik Kori's army and his allies from the south. They quickly surrendered and pledged their fealty to the Sheik and his forces. The Sultan was removed from power and imprisoned and his entire family was exiled to the lands south of the Spine. The Sultans of the Free Cities then met and pledged their allegiance to Sheik Kori as the new ruler of Suzerain. The military commanders of the Trade City and its most prominent merchant houses and families agreed. Kori ibn Zafiri Al-Bakr graciously accepted the responsibility but insisted on keeping the more modest title of "Sheik". The Sheik and later, his son ruled over Suzerain for the next four decades and more. Their reigns were characterized by pragmatism and fairness. They were just and wise rulers and became beloved by the people. However, when Ali died at a relatively young age, his son Afzal took the throne even though he was still a teenager. Many doubted his maturity and their doubts were given fuel when he broke with the traditions established by his father and grandfather. He was the first of his line to claim the title of "Sultan of Suzerain". Not long after this, the Hordes came. Their shadowy masters recognized how important Suzerain was strategically. They realized this importance was borne of its continued operation as a hub for the flow of goods and people. So, instead of conquering the city with violence, they struck a deal with the Sultan. An alliance was forged between Suzerain and the Horde purchased with the promise to keep the Trade City out of the forthcoming wars. And also a veritable mountain of gold. Many of the powerful in Suzerain knew siding with the Horde was not the right thing to do but they accepted it because it was the smart thing to do. Though Afzal was nearing a decade in rule, many still doubted his ability. Regardless, the decision to keep the Trade city out of the wars was viewed as pragmatic and wise. For over three years, war ravished Uhmlas to the east, the Free Cities and Al Qadur Caliphate to the south, and the kingdom of the elves, Tasserland to the north. Still Suzerain was left unscathed. The moral implications of their bargain and having to put up with the less civilized elements of the Horde armies from time to time were a small price to pay to avoid the destruction others faced. After the Hordes were defeated, Suzerain would have been ostracized by it's old allies if only it could be. Its economic importance prevented this. The Tasser and the Angallhan people could not afford to hamper their economies by shutting out Suzerain as they sought to rebuild their kingdoms following the wars. The other Free Cities however, might have completely cut off their former ally to the north. They, the Pearl Cities, and the Caliphate felt the full brunt of the Horde invasions. All four of the Free Cities fell to the invaders and suffered tremendous harm. The same armies that conquered them invaded the southern coast and put the Pearl Cities to the same test These proved more resilient, though they still suffered great losses. The Grand Caliph felt the same sting on his peoples' side of al-Qadr. A massive army of the Hordes invaded from the southeast and threatened to overrun the Caliphate. But ultimately, the resolve of the Caliph and the resilience of his his warriors repelled the Horde from their lands. After the Wars ended, the city-states along the Pearl Coast were in great disarray. Moreso were the Free Cities. The Grand Caliph turned his gaze westward across Suq Bay and saw an opportunity. He decided he'd take advantage of his neighbors' weakened states. Sultan Afzal's counselors wisely convinced him there was an opportunity to mend Suzerain's strained relationships with its former allies in Al Hatal when the Grand Caliph grew greedy. Afzal sent the entirety of his military with him at its head through the Pass of the Kings. He even used some of the gold the Horde masters had given Suzerain to raise a mercenary force to bolster his army. This army met the Caliph's forces at the Al-Hatal Pass. The Caliph had gambled that Suzerain would continue to stay out of the affairs of others. He was wrong and was forced to concede his gamble had failed. He recalled his army and decided it was better to heal his own lands before thinking of conquest again. The Sultans of the Free Cities were again grateful to Suzerain and its people but they failed to warm to Afzal. He returned home with his forces knowing that Suzerain would lose little economically but that it would be on its own militarily from that point on.Geography
Most of Suzerain is nestled between three hills named Alfynyq, Altanim, and Alemliaq, and its wide, crescent-shaped harbor. On clear days, the peaks of the Spine of Tasserania, the foothills of which are just 50 miles or so to the south, can be clearly seen from atop any of the three hills. Suzerain Harbor faces due northeast and is bound by the cliff sides of Alemliaq, the tallest of the three hills. Alemliaq's northwestern and northern faces drop off in sheer cliffs, making the hilltop inaccessible from its inland sides.
Altanim and Alemliaq are two separate hills in that they have two separate peaks but they are joined to each other and the lowest point between them is still hundreds of feet above the harbor and city beneath them. Altanim stretches away from Alemliaq it forms the remainder of Suzerain's natural, north and western boundary as it dwindles down to sea level to where the Alzamarrid River enters the city from the southwest.
The Alzamarid follows a northeasterly path between the two hills on its last couple of miles before reaching the sea. Due south of and across the river from Altanim's southwestern base lies Alfynyq. Alfynyq serves as the other half of Suzerain's western boundary until it tapers off about ten miles from the sea. This ten mile wide strip of land and the passage between Alfynyq and Altanim are open to the semi-arid plains between Suzerain and the Spine. Otherwise, the city is only easily reached by boat or ship.
The foothills of the Spine of the Kings rise up out of the grasslands about 50 miles to the south of Suzerain. This massive mountain range is largely unbroken for two thousand miles. The range forms a natural barrier that buffets the extremely hot and dry weather that rushes up out of the vast deserts to the south. Suzerain and the surrounding lands are thusly spared the worst of the climate that most of the rest of Aradi al-Qadr lives with.
Its location so far south in the world means that the cold and wet weather that comes pouring out of the northern reaches of the globe exhausts most of its energy before reaching the Tradelands and its famed metropolis. As a result, the Trade City remains relatively dry and warm throughout the year. Temperatures rarely dip below 70 degrees during the day and 60 at night. Daytime high temperatures above 90 degrees are not unusual during most of the year and the especially hot days of summer regularly reach triple digits.
Rain is rare most of the year and the river is the city's veritable lifeblood so it is treated with great care. In fact, in Suzerain, it is a crime to dump garbage or sewage into the Alzamarrid. An occasional cloudburst is not unusual during most of the year, but they're hardly commonplace, particularly in the summer. The months around the beginning of each year do bring more rainfall, though. Not prolonged periods of rain; more relatively short and intense squalls that douse the city and wash away the dust and grime for a short while.
Founding Date
1250 bCA, estimated
Alternative Name(s)
Medinat al-Tijar, Medinat Alzamarrid
Type
Large city
Population
230,000+
Inhabitant Demonym
Suzerainians
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