Editing Dark Ring (section)

== Government Structure ==
Eshai’s young government, while considered strong, is often disorganized. Tradition and familial ties bind officials more than any written law ever could. While the ruling Caliph still has unquestioned authority, the balance of power has been diffusing across the Caliphate for some time. Some are even beginning to question whether the government has become too weak to govern. Many like the Bank of Salt or the spice traders are beginning to consider something new.

=== ''The Spiral Law'' ===
The bedrock of the Caliphate’s government is the Spiral Law. Written over three volumes by Eshai the Pious, this law book details the government structure, the legal code, and how people should live within the Caliphate. However, the Spiral Law is often contradictory, written in verse, and traverses between a dozen different languages. The first paragraph alone contains instances of nine different languages. While it is undisputed that the Spiral Law is wise, the average person within the Caliphate cannot read its text.

==== ''Caliph'' ====
The Caliph is regarded as the religious and political successor of Eshai within the Caliphate. They wield nearly unlimited power within the Caliphate except regarding matters of the judiciary. The Caliph can also not violate the Spiral Law’s word. 

A Caliph serves for life or until the Mujats deem they completely disregarded the Spiral Law. During the latter instance, the Caliph is exiled to the edge of the Ring to a house known as the Heretic’s Roost. The exiled Caliphs spend their days learning the Spiral Law and asking for penance. Only people with special permission from the Mujats may visit them. 

As of 715 AR, the current Caliph is Davar Cem Akram.

==== ''Mujats'' ====
The Mujat are legal specialists who help rule the Caliphate. These 144 elite interpret the Spiral Law and handle matters of the judiciary within the Caliphate. Mujat are chosen by Fiasal or through a special council constructed by the Siyar of the Spiral. 

Inside the Caliphate, it is the Mujat who wield power. Due to the complexity of the Spiral Law and other’s inability to read it, a single Mujat can sway the course of public policy for decades. With enough united Mujat a Caliph can be reduced to little more than a figurehead. 

This is why a smart Caliph often pits the Mujat against each other. The Mujat spend most of their time fighting amongst each other. Their petty squabbles often devolve into dark dealings, assassinations, and political betrayals. Occasionally they are united which is often a death knell for their enemies. 

==== ''Descendants of Eshai'' ====
Nobility in Eshai stems from royal families connected to Eshai or her cousins. These descendants trace most of their wealth or station to gifts that Eshai gave them during the founding of the Caliphate. Even destitute families who have squandered Eshai’s gifts are still held in an air of reverence. Many within the descendants become prominent business owners, high ranking officials within the Bank of Salt, A-il Sham, or members of the Mujat. 

==== ''A-il Sham'' ====
Generals of the Caliphate and protectors of the caravans, the A-il Sham control the warriors of the nation. Many live in and around Bakar in the West and hail from the nobility. However, any soldier with enough courage, skill, and friends canrise to the position of A-il Sham. With new lands ripe for the taking, the A-il Sham are always ready for a fight. For this reason more temperate minds within the Caliphate are wary of them.

=== Khabat ===
Khabat, the miracle city, the jewel between two rivers, the cradle of civilization, sits at the heart of the Eshai Caliphate. It was Eshai herself who found the land they lay between the two azure rivers nestled in the heart of the desert. She laid the first stone of the royal palace herself before becoming the first Caliph. Since then the city has risen to be a hub of trade, politics, and cultural exchange. Khabat is the jewel of the Eshai Caliphate and its beating heart.

==== ''Capital City'' ====
Khabat acts as the capital city of the Eshai Caliphate. The roads of the nation trace their roots to the city. Amongst sprawling stone buildings lie every amenity of civilization. Many believe that Khabat brings together the best of the Caliphate into one place. Faisal said once that Khabat shows what could be across the Caliphate.

==== ''House of Eshai'' ====
The royal palace stands as a testament to the Caliphate’s power. Its great blocks of limestone were mined from the Veld Gale mountains hundreds of miles away before being dragged to the new foundations. The structure encompasses a garden which contains every known plant on the Dark Ring along with an artificial waterfall which stands eighty feet tall. Within are also halls used for political debate, whole trading markets, and theaters for people to enjoy performances or book readings.

==== ''Grand Arena of Malem'' ====
Near the edge of Khabat lives the arena. Here contests from around the Rings come to compete in contests of skill. While combats are not uncommon, the challenges often include some metal components. Whole labyrinths are constructed on the arena floor, the arena is flooded for diving contests, and once participants had to construct massive golems uses parts scattered around the arena floor which then fought each other. 

===== ''Festival Grounds'' =====
There is always a festival occurring at Khabat. The people of Khabat welcome these celebrations and the merriment they bring. For this purpose the Caliph dedicated festival grounds outside the city for these engagements. Spanning more than three-hundred acres, the grounds support advanced sewage systems, permanent outdoor stages, and massive kitchens designed to feed thousands.

==== ''The Twin Miracles'' ====
Two rivers that run on either side of Khabat with the city nestled between them. To the East is the Kalan and toward the West the Losha river. These rivers begin from underground streams four miles North of the city and run above ground for only seven miles before falling back below ground. They create an oasis amongst the desert. To this day scholars from the Siyars say that the rivers are miracles on the Dark Ring. However, to the people of the capital city, they are more than a miracle, they are what keeps Khabat thriving. 

==== ''Khabat Astral Lighthouse'' ====
The Astral Lighthouse of Khabat was the first built on the Dark Ring. Zell and Fiasal collaborated in its construction hundreds of years ago. Modeled after Clover’s lighthouse, Khabat’s sees almost as much use. Many trade routes from the Prime Ring to the Dark Ring run exclusively through Khabat and Zosul. 

==== ''Gilded Way'' ====
Also known as the Caliph’s Route, this road that starts in Khabat and runs through all of the Caliphate toward the holy city of Garib. It is one of the most traveled and guarded roads in all the Dark Ring. The Guild Way was built by the second Caliph of the Caliphate, Omran the Builder. 

=== Zosul ===
On the southern border of the Caliphate, at the edge of the Sigornia of the Nyx, lies Zosul. The Bank of Salt has made its home here along with many merchants. This prosperity has not gone unnoticed as many on the Dark Ring seek to gain control of Zosul’s riches for themselves. However, with the Salt Bank in control, the Caliphate has a formidable ally protecting its border.

==== ''Seat of the Salt Bank'' ====
The Bank of Salt has made Zosul its headquarters. Much of the city is dedicated, in some way, towards its enterprises. For those seeking an audience with the bank or trying to disrupt the institution’s plans, Zosul is the first place to go. 

===== ''Street of Silver'' =====
Zosul’s main thoroughfare is nicknamed the Street of Silver. Wealthy merchant companies and rare vendors make their homes here. Proximity to the bank and its vast resources is highly prized. A person could walk for hours along the street without ever seeing the same vendor twice. 

==== ''Singer’s Bridge'' ====
The bridge connects Zosul to the Nyx city of Halkyn. Legend says that it was sung into existence by powerful clerics. Stones from the bottom of the sea, bound together by magic, formulated the structure that connects the Caliphate to the Sea of Scream’s Eastern shore. Guards from both nations patrol the bridge. 

==== ''Port of Zosul and the Grand Fleet'' ====
Zosul’s port represents the Caliphate’s only access to the sea. For this reason the Caliphate has poured gold into the port. Robust stone docks jut into the waters and are large enough to harbor more than two-hundred vessels at a time. Sailors from Breoa have often complimented the docks on their design.

The docks also serve to host the Eshai navy and the Salt Bank’s merchant fleet. These two forces patrol the waters of the Sea of Screams hunting enemies of the Caliphate or trading with other port cities. If the port of Zosul were to fall, the Caliphate would suffer a catastrophic blow to its trading ecosystem.

==== ''Zosul’s Astral Lighthouse'' ====
The Caliphate’s second Astral Lighthouse was built in Zosul. It was financed entirely by the Bank of Salt to further their trading enterprises. Even with the bank’s immense resources, the Astral Lighthouse in Zosul is half the size of that in Khabat. This is of no concern to the bank who now has faster means of shipping their products and envoys off Ring.

==== ''Nyx Raids'' ====
An old foe of the Caliphate, the Nyx constantly send raiding parties over the water into Zosul. These clashes are small, with casualties sparse, but the two side’s efforts hamper the other all the same. So far the Nyx’s goal appears to be destroying the expansion of Zosul. However they have been stifled by the overwhelming power and tenacity possessed by the Salt Bank. The bank views this as an opportunity to prove their superiority and further train the Gold Swords under their control.

=== Daratu ===
If the heart of the Caliphate is in Khabat, the brain resides in Daratu. Home to the best scholarship and manufacturing in the Caliphate, the city of Daratu is home to the smartest people within Eshai. Specialized craftsmen walk the city’s streets in droves. People take pride in the arts and what they can create.

==== ''Seat of Wisdom'' ====
Located in Daratu is the home of the Siyar of Knowledge. This Siyar unifies the other Siyar around the Caliphate. Sometimes referred to as the seat of wisdom, it houses on average thirty-thousand students who often join the workforce of Daratu or use their talents to study at one of the other Siyar across Eshai. 

==== ''Monolith of Gestrom'' ====
Upon a hill to the West of Daratu sits the Monolith of Gestrom. This imposing red structure hums at night. Near the base sits a small oculus which a person can peer through. Using dials on the sides of the monolith, a person can gaze across the night sky with far more precision than any telescope. The Monolith of Gestrom is responsible for finding many of the safe routes across the astral between Rings.

==== ''Factory Row'' ====
Dozens of factories, great and small, are based in Daratu. Many are clustered together in a region colloquially known as factory row. These factories employ most of the city's population. However, many know not to stay out past dark inside factory row. Roving bands of bandits or the occasional Nyx raid can find a lost traveler in the dark. It is no hyperbole to say the most dangerous thing a person can do in Daratu is walk the factory row when night falls. 

==== ''In Construction Astral Lighthouse [Needs Update]'' ====
Being financed by the Salt Bank, a new Astral Lighthouse is under construction in Daratu. Estimates believe the Lighthouse will be completed sometime before 740 AR. This project represents a new union between the Bank of Salt and the great colleges. Their great hope is that the Daratu Lighthouse will be filled with new innovations and will become the most advanced Astral Lighthouse in the Rings. 

The great colleges hope that this will bring further prestige to their institutions. The city of Daratu wishes to expand their market across the Rings. The Bank of Salt has secured within their contract that they can impose a small tariff on all goods moved through the lighthouse. Daratu’s lighthouse has the potential to ignite a shining future for the city. However, failure could plunge the city into chaos as all three organizations have dedicated an enormous investment into its construction. This has not gone unnoticed by the Nyx.

=== Bakar ===
Bakar is the city of spices and swords. Between the fields of spices lies the training grounds of the Caliphate’s armies. Life in the city is simple; either harvest the spice fields or grab a weapon. There is little in between. 

==== ''The Spice Fields'' ====
Bakar’s spice fields grow many spices not found anywhere else on the Dark Ring. Upon last inspection, the Bank of Salt appraised the total value of one spice field to be upwards of six-million gold pieces. It should thus be no secret as to why the Caliph made Bakar the home of Eshai’s legions. Soldiers crawl the spice fields on constant guard for thieves or arsonists. 

==== ''Rain Orb'' ====
Found more than a thousand years ago, the Rain Orb sits in a temple within Bakar. This deep blue orb has the ability to summon rain clouds above the desert. Without the orb, many of the spices would be unable to strive. After the rise of the Caliphate, the orb’s safety in Bakar became top priority. The Rain Orb is one of the most highly guarded sites in all of Eshai.

==== ''Military Fortification'' ====
The military of the Caliphate is housed in seven different forts inside and outside the city. While they are the standing military of the Caliphate, the soldiers are often used for many other common jobs like cheap labors, guarding the spice fields, or acting as Bakar’s town guard. The city is a military town through and through. 

==== ''A-il Sham Home'' ====
A majority of the A-il Sham make their home within Bakar. The proximity to the soldiers and lucrative spice trade investments make for an enticing draw. However, some have voiced concern over many of the country’s foremost military leaders all being located in one place. So far, reasonable minds have not won that argument. 

==== ''Wandering Way'' ====
For those not wanting to head South via Zosul or ship, there is always the Wandering Way. This road journeys South through the desert and into the nation of Qis. It is heavily guarded by soldiers. The threat of a Qis invasion via the road can never be ignored. 

==== ''Nesting Ground of the Roc'' ====
To the South along the Wandering Way is the nesting ground of the Roc. These giant birds make their nests atop plateaus that protrude from the desert sands. The Roc usually hunt native bulette or other ground dwelling creatures that make their home in the desert. However, the beasts are opportunistic and have been known to hunt caravans or lost travelers. A single Roc can eat fifty fully grown humanoids a day.