In all of Shdustu there are three great cities. Two are in the south and consider each other primary rivals. The westerly of these is Shnududishgu, the City of Scorpions, which also serves as the trade center between Shdustu and all points west and south, including the entirety of the Sanid Empire. Goods sourced throughout the Khanate of Sunshtasgus flow down the Shgudulus River to the city before before returning to the steppe and entering the flow of foreign commerce. Though nominally subject to the authority of the Khagan of Sunshtasgus, and paying significant annual tribute to that distant lord, the prince of the city otherwise retains control of their own domain, has a powerful army under their command, and considers their authority perfectly equal to that of the Khagan. In the reasoning of the city residents, the submission is a mere polite fiction offered to assuage the egos of the Kharal, who are considered immensely prideful. There has been no major conflict between the city and its supposed overlords in over a generation.
The city sits to the south of the river, though two grand bridges cross the vast span to a smaller sub-city on the northern bank. Several satellite fortifications extend along the irrigated territory nearby, but these are not truly independent and are garrisoned by the prince's soldiers. Considerable land to the west of the city is under cultivation for cotton, a crop of great significance in the production of textiles despite seeing little use in the Sanid Empire. This growth is by far the largest source in Shdustu and serves as the foundation of much of the city's wealth. Flax and hemp, also critical to weavers, are cultivated nearby as well, on somewhat drier plots. In addition to clothing, many rugs and blankets are produced here, with a quality to rival those manufactured by the best imperial artisans, a statement I do not make lightly. These are of critical importance in trade with the Kharal, who utilize them to line the earth within their yurts.
Initially a circular city, the gradual expansion of the settlement across the centuries has produced a rounded, roughly oval-shaped outline stretching like an egg to the north and south. New extensions of the walls enclosing such pulses of growth are abundant, and the marks of old foundations can be found in many streets within. At the time of the Dragon Expedition the city held nearly one hundred thousand souls, and proudly proclaimed a greater number of inhabitants than its rival Snushgud to the east. This multitude is fed both by dense fields of grain grown on the southern side of the river and by tremendous orchards to the north and east. The city itself also produces considerable quantities of vegetables and fruit, making the greatest possible use of all space. It is fondly said that every tree in Shnudidishgu bears fruit, and upon inspection this is broadly true. Apples, dates, figs, plums, and a variety of nuts are cultivated extensively, with the gardens of the wealthy featuring exotic products whose names are not widely known. The only substantial exception to this rule is the mulberry tree, which is grown in groves near the river itself in order to feed silkworms. Silk is highly valued, but production here is limited and irregular. The mulberry struggles with the periodic droughts that plague Shdustu, no matter how well-irrigated the plots, and recent generations have relied more and more on cotton, returning dominance of the silk trade to the distant east.
Mines are found north of the river, and gold, silver, and gemstone production have long been important to the city. The production of these mines has declined over time, and much precious metal and stone is now pulled from the ground by slaves working under the Kharal further north, but the jewelers of the city remain masters of their craft and conduct their work vigorously. Rings, necklaces, sculpture, and other products of the jewelry works are everywhere in the city, with even base peasants sporting trifles featuring tumbled quartz stones. These commodities are important in foreign trade, but are of lesser value in exchange with the Kharal, who seems to prefer warm fabrics to cold metal and stone. Rivalries exist between the three main jewelry houses, often erupting in spasms of murder.
This city is built not of stone, which is often difficult to obtain on the steppe, but of mud bricks strengthened using straw and hardened beneath the sun. The vast city walls are rammed earth, quite sturdy and long-lasting given limited rains. Stone is only used in palaces and temples, and the nearby quarries have long since been depleted. As space is at a premium, construction of two, three, and even four stories is common. The poor, especially, may be crammed into high apartments in the hot southern districts. These are block, square constructions lacking any appeal, but they are usually cloaked by trellis works covered in climbing vines, most often grapes. This gives the city a verdant feel in summer, but a ghostly vibe when it grows cold and the leaves vanish to leave only bare brown branches behind. Most homes are flat topped, but palaces and temples are built with fine domes, rounded and symmetrical using layered stone and covered in glossy glazed tiles.
It is tradition in the city that each new prince, upon coming to power, produces a new palace and converts the palace of their forebear into a temple that also serves as the funerary monument to the fallen and their ancestors. This tradition has filled the center of the city with grand temples, far more than the people could possibly use or the priests maintain, even considering that fire and Kharal sackings eventually reduce all truly aged structures to ruin. Some aging temple structures are formally reduced to rubble in acknowledgment of the primordial cycles revealed in the Enlightened Revelation, preserved only as models and drawings. Other, more recent, creations, are given over to the city's scorpions to serve as their domain. In this way the palace of the ruler gradually moves and inscribes a slow spiral outward from the ancient triple standing stones that serve to mark the founding city center.
Such construction is an extremely expensive practice, especially given that turnover among princes is rather high and long reigns rare. The city can afford such extravagance, however, for it is very wealthy. It does not display commensurate virtue. Quite the opposite, the ubiquity of grapes means that wine is abundant and the residents are very much given to drink. Their parties during the cold winter nights are notable, and among connoisseurs of debauchery, legendary.
The palace temples of the city are constructions raised of pale stone in a square base. The triangular courtyards often feature round columns, towers, or minarets. Complex tiled mosaics and painted motifs in glaze are commonly found adorning the exteriors, while rugs and tapestries are hung inside. Individual rooms are highly vaulted, with wide open spaces as a display of wealth. The understanding that they will eventually be converted to temples and the generally frenzied speed of their construction given that princes usually perish abruptly means that while these buildings often possess grand proportions, their interiors tend to be simple and feature only a small number of well-defined chambers. Interior division is created during use by means of screens, curtains, and other obfuscation. Shnudidishgu's princes have also relocated many of the functions of government such as court observance, diplomatic audiences, and seasonal feasts to the grand halls of the Honorable Association of Herbalists. This massive structure serves as the headquarters and training compound of the city's guild of assassins and poisoners, which is also the source of the grand vizier and most other ministers. The prince maintains a second residence, which is also used when their palace is still being built, attached to the royal treasury. This large complex near the city center also includes fine apartments for official guests, gardens, rooms for members of the royal house, their servants, and trusted advisors. Maintained by paranoia and constant vigilance, this structure contains narrow corridors, confusing pathways, and endures almost constant reconstruction to confuse those who would strike at the prince.
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This complex also contains the royal harem, which serves as the residence of wives, concubines, and female relatives of the prince. When the prince is female it is necessarily rather empty. Trusted eunuchs, who are not slaves but free persons, and carefully chosen cooks control the harem and all foodstuffs that pass to the royal table. Everything the prince eats is tasted beforehand, though even this often fails to detect poison.
According to Nikkad teaching a man may keep up to three wives, one for each of the Divines, in accordance with the Enlightened Revelation. This is the same as the law in Sanid Empire and most other enlightened realms, though the Kharal disregard this. The number of kept concubines, however, is unlimited save for cost and the availability of young women. The princes of this city may have dozens, primarily slaves purchased from foreign merchants. It is considered prestigious to keep exotic women in thrall, and princes make a point of keeping Kharal, Bahab, and Rutar concubines as a means of asserting their authority even if they do not favor women of such features. Even female princes will keep a modest harem for this purpose. Otherwise the harem of the female prince is generally much smaller, though with few possessing more than a handful of paramours in addition to their single husband. As the harem is a significant drain on the royal purse, this trait has been known to endear female princes to their ministers, and is often argued in support of the ascendancy of a female ruler.
Eunuchs, though rare in Shdustu, are used to maintain the harems of the three great cities, work as servants to female relatives of the princes, such as their mother, sisters, and daughters, and in service as tasters and bodyguards. Nikkad men may not, according to the rule of their priests, be castrated save as an immediate prelude to execution – which is done for certain perverse and severe crimes. By the unified decree of all three Khagans, Kharal men may not be punished in this way under any circumstances, a ruling the Nikkad respect rather than offer an excuse for war. As such, all eunuchs are either foreigners or Rutar. Their overall numbers are quite small, with less than a dozen in the city and most likely no more than one hundred at any time anywhere in Shdustu. They were rare enough that persons from regions where this practice is not known, such as the far south, did not recognize the eunuchs for what they were.
Nikkad law forbids inheritance by the children of concubines, and steps are taken using their understanding of alchemy to prevent such births from occurring. This serves well to avert the traditional practice of infanticide found in large harems in many regions, something the priesthood has long condemned. In Shnudidishgu the alchemists possess a method of 'poisoning the womb' that can successfully and safely permanently sterilize, the woman suffers only brief pain and a few weeks of recovery. This technique is a closely guarded secret that has never been successfully stolen, leaving other places with far more dangerous and far less sure approaches.
The twisted and complex politics of the city, divided as they are between a handful of exceedingly rich landowning houses, are of little interest to outsiders save as a source of sordid tales of poisonings, stabbings, and smotherings. Curiously, those adjacent to the halls of power such as skilled artisans and mid-level scholars are far more likely to live to die in their beds of old age and illness than those who dwell within the palace halls. Local people consider this ordinary and will privately claim that having young and vibrant rulers who remain focused on their survival is superior to other methods. These are, as might be expected, disparaging of the Khagans, who they claim are old men who do nothing but hawk and drink every day. Blandishments aside, that charge retains some accuracy, though it seems a question best left to greater scholars whether drunkards or poisoners make better rulers. It would seem better to pray that the Divines spare us from both such fates and retain enlightenment within the imperial lineage.
Palace concerns were a matter of influence upon the Dragon Expedition, as the officers were called to appear before the prince. This is an uncommon case among travelers. Most may enter the city freely upon submitting their identity to the guards, though all merchants must pay a fee to conduct commerce in the city, a price offered in addition to the one demanded by the Khagan to trade within his lands. Grumbles regarding this 'second tax' are common among caravaneers, but this does not seem to dissuade any from the constant exchange of luxuries that fills the markets.
There are three main bazaars, though many locals utilize smaller markets that periodically take over streets for their daily needs. These occupy a roughly triangular placement around the old city center and are the largest open spaces within the walls, a major contrast from the tightly packed confines universal elsewhere. The stalls, blankets, and other stands set out by the merchants and artisans easily fill such spaces, leading the buyer to walk carefully down narrow paths lest they jostle merchandise. The true scope of the pavement can only be seen at night when the market empties out. The northern bazaar closest to the river sells durable goods such as jewelry, pottery, and the critically important textiles. In the west, closest to the gates, sales are primarily of foodstuffs, spices, and other perishables. This includes livestock, and camels are bred and sold here. All remaining goods are handled in the eastern bazaar, including medicine, slaves, and innumerable services. The counting houses of the merchants, guild houses of the craftsmen, and other structures related to commerce surround these squares, benefiting from proximity to such concentrated mercantile activity.
Many of the city's merchants are fabulously wealthy, but they keep their apartments small and outwardly drab. Public display of wealth is an expression of power among the Nikkad, and to proclaim such means entry, willing or not, into the intrigues of the upper classes. Most merchant lineages are unwilling to join the deadly byplay that consumes the city's politics, and these choose to hide their wealth in order to avoid this cutthroat dance. Instead, they content themselves with extraordinarily sumptuous interiors, fine foods, and expert artworks. They trust that the landowning rulers of the city will not breach this arrangement by raising taxes too high, something that has generally been respected. The merchants compete among themselves to win favor and prestige by donating immense sums to the perpetually active temple construction, and those who impress the priests may be honored by have lineage markers added to outer chambers. A circuitous approach to the balance of interests, but it seems to satisfy the city's elites.
As is common in most large cities there is an active mystic presence. The alchemists are the most prominent, but do not admit outsiders. The Rose Opal Society likewise keeps there small academy cloistered, offering services through temple venues instead. The Chapter House of the sorcerers is open, as always, but only a fool enters such a facility without an invitation, and those are rarely granted. The Silversheen mercenaries maintain a small office here, as many caravans hire them out for internal trade in Shdustu at this point. It is widely believed that at least one home believed to belong to a rich merchant is in fact an outpost of the forbidding wizards of the Obsidian Order, but whether this is true and where it might be no one knows. None of these groups play an direct role in local politics.