| |
| Izmauna | |
|---|---|
| Latitude | 15°21'S |
| Longitude | 55°59'E |
| Founded | 1070 |
| Ruler | Sultan Ginza Zuju |
| Population | 108,430 |
| Religions | Karaslaa |
| Languages | Naichul |
| Exports | precious metals, Earthblood |
Inhabitants of Izmauna | |
Izmauna is the capital and largest city in the mountain realm of Naiche, one of the Kaspari Empire's most distant outposts. It is also among the most prosperous. Located between steep-sided, snow-covered mountains in the valley of the Taez River, Izmauna is a convenient stop for traders coming to and from Tashakda. The city and its hinterlands are also blessed with great natural resources - including precious metals and easily-obtainable Earthblood. As a result, Izmauna enjoys a richness that rivals that of Qadat itself.
The Sultanate of Naiche is wild and untamed, with immense mountains and deep canyons, and much untamed wilderness outside the capital city. Wild creatures lurk in the wilderness, virtually at Izmauna's door. The capital is the only settlement of significant size in the region. Because the mountains yield great veins of gold and silver that are the Sultanate's main export, a few small villages dot the wilderness, all of them stockaded. A few craftsmen dwell in these villages, but most of their inhabitants are harvesters who bring metals to Izmauna. There, the alchemists do their work, creating many unique and useful devices that are infused with the region's Earthblood.
No other city in the Kaspari Empire is quite like Izmauna. For the most part, it lacks the blue tilework of many cities to the west. Yet it is no less impressive, for the city's architects and craftsmen made liberal use of polished marble and gleaming hardwoods. Its greatest structures - the Great Mosque of Duriche and the Palace of Mog - flank the city.
The mosque boasts an attached university. The priests operating this mosque are strict moralists, but pragmatists and ethoists may study here, and it is the center of worship for the people of Naiche. Sultan Ginza Zuju's palace is a sprawling collection of small buildings, many of them linked by arched viaducts, dotted with a half-dozen spires and domes. It is one of the greatest architectural wonders of the Kaspari Empire, combining alchemical and conventional methods of construction. It is said that five genies work continually to maintain the walls and bridges of the palace.
The people of Izmauna range from the richest merchants to the poorest beggars. The concept of station - that each person has one chosen place in the universe, which is decreed by Fate - is extremely strong in the mountain realm. A caste system reigns. A person may never rise above his or her original station, regardless of action. In Izmauna, even the most successful adventurer from a beggarly background is expected to defer to a less talented or less worthy individual of a higher station. Marriage outside one's station is strongly (and often violently) discouraged. Many of a visitor's problems may revolve around not showing proper respect for those of higher station. General grovelling (particularly in court) is a survival trait in Izmauna.
Rumors and Lore[]
Izmauna suffers little save for its mad ruler, and his madness seems less dangerous the farther one is distant from him. The daily ritual of life goes on, for everyone has his or her place in society, and the merchant houses continue to bring in new wonders from across the mountains.
The city does have one mystery, however. Ruined images of an elephant-headed idol still turn up in great numbers, ranging from small charms and statuettes to large monoliths that are discovered deep in unexplored canyons. They are all that remain of the Lost One, a forgotten god who was worshipped in Naiche before its days of enlightenment.