Revision as of 14:20, 5 February 2025

Geography of The Dark Ring

The environment around the Sea of Screams is harsh and unforgiving like the Dark Ring itself. Most of the Dark Ring is covered by deserts. These deserts are characterized by cold winters with snowfall and large rainfalls widely during the winter and occasionally over the summer. The average Dark Ring desert has short, moist, and moderately warm summers with fairly long, cold winters. The mean winter temperature is between 20 to 34 degrees Fahrenheit and the mean summer temperature is between 70-82 degrees Fahrenheit.

The winters receive quite a bit of snow with snowfalls in excess of 1 foot being common. The soil is heavy, silty, and salty. It contains alluvial fans where soil is relatively porous and drainage is good so that most of the salt has been leached out.

The plants are widely scattered. These cling to life wherever they can but prefer sticking to shaded areas or underground caves. Many species have evolved to retract their leaves and stem beneath the ground during turbulent weather. The main plants are deciduous and more or less contain spiny leaves.

A vast majority of the animals are burrowers. Several lizards do some burrowing and moving of soil. Even the Rael Deer, the only species of deer native to the Dark Ring, burrow into the soil. Their shovel-like antlers are perfectly suited for scooping away the sand and allowing them to dig for their favorite food, tumors.

Across the Dark Ring the deserts are covered in dark gray sand. This sand, made from crushed igneous rock, is extremely fine. Sometimes after a storm the sand is blown into waves giving it the look of an endless gray ocean.

Flayer Wastes

Far to the West of the Sea of Screams is the flayer wastes. These lands are characterized by red plateaus, composed largely of oxidized ore, that rise from the flat gray sand. Other than the plateaus, there is no cover for miles. Explorers have reported a severe lack of water or natural fauna.

This is due to the mind flayers. They have built great hives inside the numerous plateaus of the wastes. Any animal is quickly picked off by a hunting party. All water was drained below ground long ago with the mind flayers using it to lure unsuspecting travelers.

While the mind flayers wish to expand, the combined might of Doud and the garrison at Bakar limit their raiding capabilities. If one of these two were to fall, the mind flayers would have free access to the Sea of Screams.

Gray Peaks

Separating the Desert of Ash from the rest of the Sea of Screams, the gray peaks are an ancient mountain range. Rounded and snow capped, the peaks mark the separation between civilization and the apocalyptic lands of Doud and the flayer wastes. Undead have been known to have a strong presence in the mountains, particularly during the winter months when the lands are at their darkest.

Pallid Desert

While most of the Dark Ring is covered with gray sand, the pallid desert possesses white sand. This startling shock of color is thought to have occurred due to a massive shift in the Ring’s landmass a myriad prior. Large quantities of sedimentary rock were thrust to the surface.

This has left the pallid desert with its pale white color, sand perfect for digging through, and an abundance of natural resources below the surface. Rare minerals, ores, and even natural gas deposits are plentiful throughout the desert.

Red Forest

Toward the East below the Veld Gale mountains lies the red forest. This area of land, covered in Garnet Beech trees, is a shock of color on the gloomy Ring. The leaves of these trees possess deep red leaves year round. Within the thick underbrush live the tabaxi. The red forest is their ancestral home with dozens if not hundreds of scattered tribes living within. Many of these tribes are not friendly and will hunt any creatures, including humanoids, that dare enter their domain.

Sea of Screams

While many would assume the body of water would be a lake, the Sea of Screams is in fact a sea due to it being saltwater. This has puzzled scholars due to the sea’s tributary rivers being all fresh water and the Thonis River, which the Sea of Screams drains into, also being fresh water. To this day, nobody knows where the salt comes from or why the Sea of Screams contains almost zero flora or fauna. Some suggest the sea is cursed while others suggest that the Dark Ring’s low magic properties might naturally turn all water salty over time. Both of these theories are not well respected.

Thonis River

The Thonis River provides life to the region. Stemming from the Sea of Screams, the Thonis flows southward until it drops off the side of the Dark Ring. Every year the river floods out of its banks leaving behind rich natural nutrients. This flooding provides exemplary farming land for those that inhabit the river’s banks. It is an oasis in the otherwise gray desert of the Rings. Many believe that without the Thonis River, there would be no life south of the Sea of Screams.

Veld Gale Mountains

Like the teeth of a great dragon, the Veld Gale mountains rise from the Dark Ring. On top of their highest peak sits the legendary dwarven monastery of Eydenwald Darkseer. This is a secret monastery known only to the elite of the dwarven race and investigative scholars (like myself).

The Veld Gale are characterized by their sheer cliff sides and constant shaking which makes scaling the peaks often impossible for any but the most ardent aether souls. There is a break in the Veld Gale, created long ago by Eshai the Pious in an act of great engineering, known as the Eshai’s Crossing. It is the only known safe avenue to pass through the Veld Gale. Other routes to circumvent the mountains take a traveler perilously near the flayer wastes or deep into Signoria lands controlled by the Nyx. Either option is not desirable.

In recent years, scholars have begun compiling a series of interesting reports about the Veld Gale. It appears that the High Gods are active far more than average on the mountain’s cliffs. Disciples, travelers, clerics, and the non-believers alike have reported a three-thousand percent increase in High God contact upon the mountains. Most of these contacts occur during the Autumn season near the Autumnal Equinox.

Eshai Caliphate Gazetteer

Overview

Across rolling gray sands to the North of the Dark Ring lies the lands of the Eshai Caliphate. Founded in 388 AR through the wit and determination of Eshai the Pious, the Caliphate has grown to encompass huge swaths of land above the Veld Gale mountains in the last four-hundred years. The nation’s eyes focus both on expansion and education. It is this internal strife which limits the Caliphate. Although, to others, this deep seeded temperance is what makes the Eshai so mighty. Try as they might, the hostile forces of the Dark Ring find it difficult to bring discord into the lands of the North. However, as ambitions grow, so do the cracks in the Caliphate.

Bank of Salt

The Bank of Salt is the engine of the Eshai Caliphate. Founded as a central bank for the nation, it has blossomed into the largest lender and financial institution in all the Rings. The bank’s cunning tactics and lending strategy have caused it to gain wealth beyond comprehension. Yet, as of late, the Bank of Salt has found it has reached its limit within the land around the Sea of Screams. Powerful individuals within the institution seek expansion either through deals with the Prime and Primordial Rings or the collecting of new land south of the Caliphate. These wishes bring them into conflict many within the nation but, at the end of the day, money talks the loudest.

Faisal

The Material God of the Caliphate is Faisal. Appearing at times like a two-headed cat and others like a lanky sage, Faisal was the closest supporter of Eshai. She pledged herself to his teachings and in return, Faisal provided the power required to obtain her new nation. However, unlike many other Material Gods, Faisal is not ambitious. He seeks simply the acquisition of knowledge and the perfecting of the lands within the Caliphate.

Although he is a Material God, this has not stopped descenting avoids from arising within the nation. Many believe that Eshai’s future lies to the South and the fruitful lands along the sea. Faisal has resisted these attempts for struggle but over the centuries the Material God has lost much of his power within the Caliphate. Power lies in the Caliph, Mujats, and other powerful members of the government.

As Faisal sees his dream crumbling, some fear that the Material God might remind the Caliphate why he is indeed a god.

Keepers of the Spice Trade

Along the edge of the Dark Ring lies the perfect environment for growing rare spices. Generations of families, many older than the Eshai Caliphate, harvest bountiful yields. Traders and merchants transport these spices around the Dark Ring making a tidy profit. The Caliphate has cemented itself as the keepers of the spice trade. Yet, although the spices continue to flow across the Rings, other powerful factions see opportunity. The wealth they could achieve if they gained control of the spice fields is vast and maybe worth a war.

Leaders in Thought

Many within the Caliphate follow Faisal’s teachings. They dedicate themselves toward lies of learning and study. From agriculture to anthropology to alchemy, every field of study has a dedicated Siyar. These Siyar take the form of estates littered throughout the Caliphate. The Siyar of Mathematics focuses on the study of that particular subject. This massive interconnected system of learning has produced a series of staggering intellectual leaps and great works.

The Zulfaar is an epic poem that describes the history of Eshai that was written by the poet Husna that was written in the Siyar of Literature. It has proliferated across the Caliphate and has become a foundational text of the nation.

Mathematicians in the Siyar of Mathematics have begun work on universal mathematical constants. They believe that with their work, they can articulate the base mathematical functions that were used in the construction of the universe. If these functions are found, they believe that people can figure out how the universe was created.

Finally, alchemists have begun the creation of a rare and unstable compound called Phoenix Powder. This red sand creates a small explosion when struck. Through refinement and careful alterations to the base formula, alchemists think they can achieve a wide variety of arcane effects.

The Bank of Salt

Created near the start of the Caliphate, the Bank of Salt, often referred to as the Salt Bank or Salts, started its life as a simple central bank. However, as the trade of minerals and spices grew the Caliphs gave the Salt Bank more power. After more than four hundred years, the Bank of Salt has almost become an independent entity from the government. While the Caliph can order that the bank take action, this has fallen out of favor and instead members of government usually petition the bank for funds.

Internal System

On the outside the Bank of Salt seems to operate like any normal bank. The bank has a chair that serves on a three year term before a new chair is appointed by the board of governors and approved by the Caliph. The board of governors sits below the chair. Each governor is responsible for a different sect of the rank or region that the bank operates within.

Below this level sits an army’s worth of branch managers, accountants, financial analysts, and more. These lower level positions oversee the day to day operations of the Salt Bank.

While the bank does maintain more than one-hundred local branches across all three Rings, the nerve center of the operation is located in Zosul on the Dark Ring. Located near the center of the city on the street of silver lies the headquarters of the bank. Standing almost two-hundred feet tall, containing more than nine-hundred rooms, and an underground vault said to be larger than the actual city, the bank’s seat of power is a wonder of Eshai engineering.

Investments

With being the larger lender in the Rings comes many investments. The Bank of Salt finds profitable enterprises in many areas. From supporting a rising nation to funding a new bridge, the bank does not discriminate between money making enterprises. The main thing the bank’s leadership examines is whether or not they can make money on the venture or at least break even. Risky investments are often met with high interest rates or absurd pieces of collateral. Once, when the nation of Breoa defaulted on a loan, the Bank of Salt received their entire production of mead for a year. Under threat of being terminated from the bank’s client list, the nation of Breoa capitulated and have never defaulted on a loan since.

The Bank of Salt’s investing is so widespread that they have developed a stock market. Stocks are bought and sold within the headquarters of the bank. It is estimated that more than three million gold pieces worth of stock are traded daily.

The Gold Swords

An organization the size of the Bank of Salt requires a way to keep safe its interests. That’s why the bank employs its own private mercenary army, the Gold Swords. These troops are equipped with the finest weapons, armor, and supplies money can buy. However, it is widely known that the Gold Swords rely on their superior equipment far too often. Their actual training and military strategy is lacking. However, for the purposes of the bank, this is not an issue. The Gold Swords have crushed many private armies or local warlords that have made an enemy of the bank.

The Bank of Salt usually keeps a standing force of two-thousand Gold Swords that can be dispatched at a moment’s notice. However, prior history suggests that within a year, the bank can assemble an additional seven-thousand fully outfitted soldiers. These soldiers are separate from the army of the Eshai Caliphate which has caused some concern amongst the ruling class and Faisal.

When Clients Default

Defaulting on a loan from the Salt Bank is a mistake few repeat. At first the bank sends notification of the default or breach of contract. If payment is still rejected, the bank contacts local authorities. Once even this avenue fails and the bank still has not collected what it is owed, a Gold Sword battalion is loaded onto an astral ship fleet and deployed anywhere on the Rings. The mercenaries collect what the bank is owed, plus interest, before departing from the wreckage they leave behind.

Level of Wealth

It is unknown exactly how wealthy the Bank of Salt is at the moment. As of the year 715 AR, it is assumed that the bank contains at least forty million gold pieces within its vaults with loans exceeding that of two-hundred million gold pieces. However, this vast wealth hangs on a knife’s edge. Running the bank is expensive and too many failed business deals could spell ruin. Maintaining growth requires constant reinvestment from the bank. They run dangerously close to defaulting on their own dealings every year. However, by obtaining more lucrative trade deals and lands, this pressure might be eased temporarily. Many within the bank realize it's not a matter of if the bank will run out of money, but when unless a new source of income is found.

Kasheevs

Corruption is usually rampant in organizations the size of the Salt Bank. However, the board of governors has a secret weapon: the Kasheevs. A Kasheev resembles a humanoid, standing seven feet tall with dull gray skin. The creature has eight eyes that line the top of its bald head. It has claws sharper than swords and bones that have surprised being dropped from mountain tops.

A Kasheev has the unique talent of sensing deception. From a blatant lie to an omitted truth, the Kasheev will detect it. But the Kasheev goes further than that. Deception causes extreme pain to the Kasheev. The creature will attack a deceptive creature. Employees are kept honest as these creatures patrol the halls of the Salt Bank. Many would-be thieves have been scattered across the walls as an angry Kasheev ended their life.

Great Colleges of Eshai

Under Fiasal’s direction, the Eshai Caliphate has been a strong proponent of learning and knowledge. The great colleges of Eshai are many small, semi-independent, institutions of learning that specialize in a specific field. These Siyar are the backbone of learning not only in Eshai but across the Dark Ring. Many hopeful students make pilgrimage to Eshai seeking education from only the brightest minds.

These disparate pieces continue to be worth their weight in gold. The technological and logistical innovations yielded by the great colleges keeps the Caliphate one step ahead of the other Dark Ring nations.

The Siyar of Knowledge

While the Siyar are often small and independent, there is one great exception. The Siyar of Knowledge, located in Daratu, is a central institution that houses all other known Siyar fields. Only the best teachers and students can attend the Siyar of Knowledge. However, there is no shortage of such minds. With the Siyar’s grounds there is room for more than forty-thousand pupils and five-hundred teachers. Despite the Siyar rarely teaching more than thirty-thousand, the grounds are still bustling with the rising stars of tomorrow.

The Siyar of Knowledge also contains the finest equipment. Alchemy labs are packed with rare ingredients, the library on site contains over eighty-thousand tomes, and magic users of all kinds wait to teach pupils about their specific arts.

Magic Proliferation

Mages within the great colleges teach the expansion of magic. This comes to the dismay of certain organizations like the Ard Magos but the Caliphate’s protection is enough to ward off any unwanted threats.

This desire to proliferate magic does not mean that the great colleges are not careful. They recognize the damage that could come from irreverent use. However, the inherent power within all magic is a siren’s song that few can ignore. The mages particularly focus on low magic as it is more powerful on the Dark Ring. In fact, after years of diligent study, the mages have found that the ill effects of low magic decrease by 96% while on the Dark Ring.

Elven mage Basir Cem Caith released an essay titled The Damping of Detorioral Presences of Low Arcana in the Daratu Area in 712 AR. In the essay, Basir claims that low magic within the vicinity of Daratu and perhaps across the Dark Ring should be considered safe to use as the effects are consistent with any other form of magic.

However, unknown to the public, the leaders of the Siyar of Knowledge held back Basir’s follow-up essay. This essay details that high magic is unsafe on the Dark Ring. Basir noted the dangerous effects of high magic increased 249% across ten different studies in the area around Daratu. Cem Caith’s superiors believed that this revelation would draw the ire of many powerful enemies and decided to bury the knowledge. Now only Basir Cem Caith, a few loyal students, and the leaders of the Siyar of Knowledge know the truth: high magic is dangerous on the Dark Ring.

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.