Ank'Jir
The Jewel of the Desert
Pronunciation: /ahnk.JEER/
Ank'Jir is both the birthplace of Jirian culture and the capitol of the Jirian trading empire. Technically, the boundaries for the city are the boundaries of the nation -- making it a city-state -- but Ank'Sah, Tan'Rul, Tan'Val, and Tan'Mar are all, also, considered part of the Jirian state. There is speculation over the existence of a third city-state, Ank'Zor, which is fabled to be the home of The Sorcerer, and the secret manufacturing hub of Airships. There seems to be little to no evidence of its existence, though it's existence has never been formally denied by the Khazimiri, and The Sorcerer, himself, has remarked on occasion, when asked about the existence of Ank'Zor, why he would put so much energy and time into Ank'Jir if he had his own city to oversee?
Pronunciation: /JEER.ahk/
Ank'Jir has many names, and many of those names consist of it being the jewel of something, which is not all that inspired, but Ank'Jir is truly an oasis that sits on the banks of the Jiraak river, one of the largest and longest rivers in the world, and not to be outdone by Alar's natural wonders, Ank'Jir is a marvel unto itself. The city is enormous and gleams in the coastal desert light with is alabaster buildings, crystalline towers and domes, all draped in fabrics of purples, blues, reds, and virtually every color under the sun! The entire city is rumored to have been wrought by powerful magics spun by The Sorcerer, himself, but there is still a fair bit of labor that goes into the city's construction. However, the glass is definitely a arcane wrought, and Ank'Jir is home to some of the finest glassworks, both magical and mundane, in the world!
The city itself is a sprawling metropolis interlaced in a mesh of canals. Buildings rarely surpass two stories, aside from the Forum of Guilds, the Temple of Taraim, Sahiradim, also called the Enchanter's Guild, and the palaces of the Thirteen. Ank'Jir is a wealthy city, renown for it's opulence, gold and marble are used liberally in the city, though brass and bronze are by far more common accents.
Ank'Jir was raised up on trade, and trade is its lifeblood. As such, open air markets perpetually crowd streets and alleys. Dedicated spaces for shopfronts, restaurants, and just about anything that you could possibly pay for. From the exotic to the drab and familiar you can find it in Ank'Jir.
The forum of Guilds is in one part a ruling body of government, and in one part a house of trade. The trade that gets conducted here, however, is conducted by guild masters and is rarely for goods. Services, however, are frequent commodities between guild masters and favors their currency.
The Forum operates as a balance to both the noble houses and the Khazimiri, though their power only extends so far as Ank'Jir, and generally not beyond -- except in the pursuit of guild business where that may apply. The Forum seeks to protect the interests of their various guilds, helping guide the Khazimiri towards mutually beneficial outcomes, or stonewalling short-sighted greedy ventures instigated by the nobility -- or even a Khazimir. The Forum is not unskilled in Raq Shatemz, and have had more than one Khazimir removed over two hundred years.
More commonly known as The Enchanter's Guild, the Sahiradim is monolith of power in Jirian culture. Not only have the graduating Sahiri become responsible for making Ank'Jir the jewel it is today, but they are directly responsible for a considerable portion of the nation's wealth. Enchanting is difficult, magic items are rare, but the Sahiri have perfected -- so they claim -- the methods to make magical items. The Sahiradim is also a major source of The Sorcerer's power and influence, as he oversees the school, and by extension its pupils.
Entry into the Sahiradim is an entrance exam to discern potential versus risk, the weaker the initiate the greater the risk, and you sign a contract that stipulates that you enter indentured servitude as a Guild Enchanter to recoup the cost of teaching you. Tutelage at the Sahiradim requires no upfront payment for tutelage, but debts are accrued over an initiate's stay at the school. The longer the stay the greater the debt and the longer they remain in service to the guild. You can of course pay your way, but it is prohibitively expensive, and generally only the exceedingly wealthy can keep from accruing debts.
Should you owe the Sahiradim any debts, you will be expected to work off your debts. Failure to pay typically results in seizure of property, which can be your very own person. Should you try to avoid this seizure, your family is likely to incur the debt. Should you not have any family who can pay or have property seized, or should the seizure be insufficient, a warrant for your arrest is issued, and any additional costs incurred in returning you to the Sahiradim will be added to your debts.
WIP