El'Jazira

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El'Jazira
Leader Sheik Ahmed el'Salam


Clustered around an oasis in the Mhojave Desert was the permanent settlement of El'Jazira. At the entrance to the village was a falconer's tent where those with training in Chivalry hatched their falcon. 609 AF saw the murder of Ashaxei, the White Dragon of Han-Tolneth, by alien assailants. Unfelicitous for El'Jazira, Ashaxei's body ignited in flame as it plummeted from the skies over the Mhojave, landing atop the oasis and effectively reducing the village to a glassy crater.

Leadership

The secular leader of El'Jazira was Sheik Abd el'Salam, whose lavishly ornate tent was a must-see for adventurers, though checking with Jardon, the Sheik's secretary, was advised before seeking an audience. Further towards the back of his tent was the harem, where eunuchs and concubines resided. When Abd el'Salam was killed in the destruction his son Ahmed took up his father's role as leader of the survivors.

The spiritual leader of the community was the Imam, Niven, who bestowed the blessings of Sarapis upon travellers. He was found amongst the prayer mats near the smithy in the southern end of the community, occupying one of the few permanent buildings. Niven was killed in the destruction of the village.

The guards of El'Jazira are slaves who have risen to the rank of warrior, and form the elite Ganissary. Captain of the Ganissary is Horace Burry.

Shopping and Dining

El'Jazira was known for its kawhe, a dark, muddy, nonalcoholic brew sold by the merchant Habbib. The food seller Marwan still offers several dishes to complement the kawhe and sate the appetite.

Two of the major exports of the community were rope and leather, which can still be purchased raw at its ruined commodity shop. The processing of leather from animal hides itself was an extensive process, with a number of El'Jaziran residents helping in the trade. Finished leather wares could be purchased at the stall run by Philipe, before the young man moved to Targossas.

At the stables a variety of mounts could be purchased, including a sorrel desert mare for 4600gp, a proud, black desert stallion for 6900gp, a dromedary camel for 7500gp, a heavy battle camel for 50000gp, or a war elephant for 138000gp.

History

Long ago, an area of the Mhojave Desert was volcanically active, and lava often welled up to the surface of the desert in violent eruptions. It was one such eruption, countless years ago, which ruptured a subterranean river's course. The river was diverted to the surface and the surrounding topsoil, which caused the lava flow to cool and turned the nearby area into an oasis. It was within this oasis that El'Jazira was built.


During the Vertani War millennia later, Vorr of the alien Vertani race built El'Jazira an aqueduct system out of good will, and in turn El'Jazira became the first village of Sapience to ally itself with Vertan. Mhaldor, a city known to harbour those who had slain innocent Vertani, offered El'Jazira sanctuary as an alternative. This was spat at by the tiny desert village, and so Mhaldor slew the village in its entirety. El'Jazira responded by declaring itself in a formal state of war with Mhaldor.

A Vertani garrison was raised in El'Jazira, and skirmishes between Mhaldor and Vertan raged off and on, and many fell on both sides, including the Vertani General Luftyr. Ashtani-based aggravation on the part of the Greater Dragons Xtassy and Silverfox pushed the desert town into conflict with Ashtan, as well. Overlord Estan declared that El'Jazira, along with Tasur'ke, was part of his empire. Mhaldor eventually brought in dwarves from Blackrock to raze the fortresses to the ground, and with the end of the war, El'Jazira dissolved its alliance with the extraplanar empire.


The year 406 AF saw the return of the wanderer Ahmed el'Salam, son of Sheik Abd el'Salam, to the village. His father's joy was short-lived, however, for no sooner than Ahmed's arrival did a pit of quicksand appear to swallow the traveller up. The Sheik shouted for aid and countless adventurers heeded his call. They plunged themselves willingly into the quicksand pit, and after struggling for a time found themselves deposited within a cave in which they found a disheveled Ahmed. As it turns out, an old lava tube full of running water had ruptured, weakening the sand and turning it to quicksand.

Quickly, Imyrr left the pit and ran to Moghedu, where the Mhunna sold him an adhesive which he then used to plug the ruptured lava tube, and the Maldaathi Asteroth led Ahmed out through a portal to Mhaldor - a place from which the Sheik's son fled with great haste. The Sheik rewarded Imyrr with gold and Asteroth with a priceless pendant, and Asteroth repaid him by slaughtering the village. The Sheik and Imam Niven created a ritual which summoned the amulet back to Abd el'Salam, to whom it was magically tied.

Furious, Asteroth brought a group of Mhaldorians back to El'Jazira to slay the offending El'Jazirans et al. Abd el'Salam and his adventurer protectors, meanwhile, fled to the lava tube caves below the village; for if the Sheik was slain so soon after the ritual, the pendant would be destroyed along with him. The Sheik and the adventurers were eventually slain, but not before the ritual had had enough time to sever itself. And so, Imyrr escaped with both gold and pendant intact.

Inhabitants

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