<div class="floatright">(https://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/4/4d/6dc00d6a0bf801f6d9c5b8bdb17b1588.jpg)</div><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 18pt;"><strong>Sha’ib, City of Mazes</strong></span><br/>Population: 23,000 out of 73,000 possible at low point of the season.<br/>Ruler: Sultan Haddad ibn Mazim, Fountain of Wealth<br/>Religion: Asaheem<br/>Imports: Gems, trade<br/>Exports: Jewelry, textiles, silver, trade<br/><br/>Sha’ib, the City of Mazes, gained its moniker not only from the twisting streets shielded by colorful drapes to ward off the heat of the sun, but from the labyrinth of caves that twist and turn diving deep into the canyon walls that surround the city.  Below the city is a true maze left over by some ancient civilization that left little record of its passing.<br/><br/>The city is located in a gap in the Jinn-Wall Mountains.  It was discovered by accident as there is only one way in to Sha’ib and one way out.  The Trail of Nadhir is a twisting path from the Great Dune Sea that winds between shear canyon walls only revealing the city after its last twist.  The Trail of Sighs leads southward out of Sha’ib through walls as shear and steep as those of the Trail of Nadhir to the cooler grasslands of the Veldt.<br/><br/>Sha’ib was discovered, or rediscovered, but a Bedu tribe hundreds of years ago who used it as a hidden oasis during the worse of the summer months in the Great Dune Sea.  Eventually the tribe settled the area and traded between other Bedu tribes and the tribes of the Veldt south of the Trail of Sighs.  Now it is a city of trade along the Northern Trade Road between Balyana, the Crimson Fortress and the Veldt.<br/><br/>Sha’ib has surprisingly few permanent residence for its size.  However the transient population of merchants, traders and adventurers can swell the population to overflowing during certain times of the year.  The claustrophobic nature of the streets of Sha’ib do well to hide the fact that some of the districts are virtual ghost towns at low points of the season.<br/><br/>Navigating the streets is no easy feat, even for locals, who even after a lifetime of walking the maze can become lost (albeit momentarily) if they do not pay close attention to their surroundings. Storytellers tell of citizens who became lost and starved to death before they found their way home, or about men who set off to work as boys and returned years later as old men.<br/><br/>One legend which has lured more than one adventurer to the city is the tale of Nasser the Wanderer. According to storytellers, Nasser walked through the city streets in such a way as to never walk down the same street twice. When he finished his travels, he found himself outside a house made of pure gold in which lived a hundred and one nubile women eager to please him. Nasser languished in the arms of the maidens for a year. After that time, he decided to share his bounty with his friends, and duly left to fetch them.<br/><br/>Unfortunately, in his absence the Sultan had ordered new streets constructed, which changed the layout of the city. Nasser spent the rest of his life trying to find the golden house of pleasure without success. Some say he still walks the streets at night, trying every possible route through the ever-changing city. Storytellers say he will share in his bounty if he is aided in his quest.<br/><br/>These are, of course, mere tales to amuse the masses, but for a stranger the city is a very literal maze, with many districts looking like neighboring ones and few street corners with names on them. Worse still, several areas are haunts of vicious gangs of cutthroats and thieves—entering these areas can be a death sentence. The largest thieves’ guild is the Seven Fingered Guild, who control around half of all illegal activity in the city.<br/><br/>Gangs of children gather around the gates and at the wharves, offering their services as a guide for a “mere” 10 dinars a day. Visitors lacking wisdom or generosity quickly regret their decision to venture into Sha’ib alone.<br/><br/>Sha’ib’s fortune comes from the textiles and silver trade. While it exports processed metal ingots, its plethora of goldsmiths and silversmiths produce exquisite pieces of jewelry. Gold, silver, and platinum are combined with imported gemstones and semi-precious stones to make rings, necklaces, bangles, and brooches.<br/><br/><div align="center"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 18pt;"><span class="bbc_u"><strong>Places of Interest</strong></span></span></div><br/><strong>The Golden Kada:</strong>The grandest temple to Asaheem in Sha’ib stands as the tallest building in the Great Dune Sea. It soars above even the Sultan’s palace and can be seen from anywhere in the city. The outer walls and domed roof are coated in sheets of pure gold, which blazes in the day like a terrestrial sun. Following the sun symbolism, eight gold, decorative spikes protrude from the dome at equal intervals.<br/><br/>No local thieves have tried to steal the gold for centuries. Though once a favored source of wealth, a previous Sultan had jinn mages bind a dozen fire jinn into the walls. Those who try their hands at thievery are quickly incinerated for their sins.<br/><br/><strong>Great Library:</strong>The city boasts the greatest library in the Dune Sea, the Qarah Library of Enlightened Understanding, usually just called the Great Library. Founded shortly after the building of the city, the library has undergone many expansions, and is now a mishmash of styles haphazardly blended together. The library boasts over a million books and scrolls spread over six wings and two floors. Each section of the library is organized by broad category, subcategory, and specific topic.<br/><br/>Entrance to the Great Library costs 5 dinars per day, and the money used to maintain the structure and acquire new material. No book or scroll may be removed from the library, but tomes may be copied. Patrons can either perform this service themselves, or hire a copyist, which costs between 3 and 20 dinars a day, depending on the quality of the copy and the number of errors the patron can live with.<br/><br/>Two sections of the library are restricted and guarded by burly mercenaries. The first contains many treatises on magic, as well as spellbooks and spell scrolls. The librarians understand that power in the wrong hands can be dangerous. As such, only mages registered with the city council (costs 100 dinars per year) are allowed access. The second section contains material excavated from ancient tombs. Though none of the subject matter is of a sensitive or dangerous nature, the scrolls are extremely fragile (and worth a great deal of money to private collectors). Entrance is at the sole discretion of the Chief Librarian, and patrons are not allowed to handle the scrolls directly.<br/><br/><strong>The Dry Well:</strong>In a secluded part of the city stands a well. The well appears no different to any of the dozens of wells elsewhere in the city, save for one noticeable factor—it is heavily guarded by members of the Sultan’s army. During excavation, the diggers broke through into a hive of tunnels and chambers. Preliminary exploration revealed it to be the remnants of an ancient city, long buried and forgotten. Further studies discovered the city in turn had been built on top of a far older city, one predating the Hekatic Empire. Unfortunately, all manner of vile beasts lurked in the shadows, making the retrieval of any treasures extremely hazardous.<br/><br/><div align="center"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 18pt;"><span class="bbc_u"><strong>Events</strong></span></span></div><br/><strong>The Sky of Many Colors:</strong>In summer, when the hot winds howl through the dusty streets, Sha’ib hosts a bizarre race famed throughout the Great Dune Sea —the Sky of Many Colors, known more commonly as the Musayid 10,000. First formulated by Haddad’s grandfather, the race involves dozens of flying carpets tearing through the narrow, winding streets, the drivers fighting against fierce cross winds, avoiding obstacles along the route, and trying to gather as many gold rings as possible from posts stationed at key points.<br/><br/>The contest is open to anyone who can meet the entry fee of 5,000 dinars and who has their own carpet. Needless to say, it is popular among the alchemists. The winner is crowned Emir of the Winds, and is guaranteed a very warm welcome at any home or establishment in the city. The current Emir is Dabir ibn Azar, a pasha from Sirhan who has won the race for the past two years.<br/><br/>Of the entry fees, 10,000 dinars goes to the winner, half of the remainder goes to the Sultan, and the remaining half is spent on sponsoring street parties for the citizens. Although Haddad grows richer each year, his people continue to sing his praises for his generosity.<br/><br/><hr/><br/><div align="center">Post Header</div><div class="codeheader">Code: <a class="codeoperation" href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="return smfSelectText(this);">[Select]</a></div><pre style="margin: 0; padding: 0;"><code class="bbc_code">[floatleft][img height=200 padding=5]&lt;insert image&gt;[/img][/floatleft][hr][b]Name:[/b]<br/>[b]Race/Culture:[/b]<br/>[b]Location:[/b] <br/>[b]Day/Time:[/b] &lt;Morning, Noon, Afternoon, Evening are fine&gt;<br/>[b]Tagged:[/b] <br/>[hr]<br/></code></pre><br/><hr/><br/><div align="center"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 10pt;"><span class="bbc_u"><strong>Seasons and Months</strong></span></span></div><br/>The year is broken down into three major seasons: Alak Arkhet (Flood), Alak Paret (Harvest), Alak Shemu (Dry), and a short “holy” season. The major seasons consist of four months of 32 days each. Within each season, the months are called Amt (First), Baot (Second), Anshi (Third), and Tamith (Fourth). Holy season is a single 32 day month at the end of the calendar, and is called Alak Neteru (Season of the Gods) by the Faithful and Alak Suha (Season of Contemplation) by the Devoted.<br/><br/><div align="center"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 10pt;"><span class="bbc_u"><strong>Days &amp; Weeks</strong></span></span></div><br/>Each month is broken down into four weeks of seven days, plus four extra days at the beginning. The weeks are<br/>numbered using the same notation as the four months of the each season. The seven days of the week are called Yaus al-Maat (Day of Balance), Yaus al-Kemi (Day of Flour), Yaus al-Hamala (Day of Lambs), Yaus al-Sesht (Days of Scribes), Yaus al-Niwt (Days of Houses), Yaus al-Ittrou (Day of the River), and Yaus al-Nefar (Day of Freedom).<br/><br/>The first four days of each month, which always fall during the new moon, are sacred holidays, being considered<br/>very unfortunate times to do anything except pray to the gods (Faithful) or contemplate the Hamad in order<br/>to ensure one is living in accordance with Asaheem's way (Devoted). It is especially unlucky to conduct business<br/>deals, weddings, funerals, battles, or anything else of significance during this time. As a result, the four religious<br/>holidays have no name, and when citizens must refer to one of the four days, they do in general terms such as,<br/>“tomorrow” or “in two days.”<br/><br/>In order to give a specific date list the week number, the day, the month number, and the season. For instance,  Anshi Yaus al-Sesht boat Alak Paret translates literally as, “The third Day of Scribes in the second month of Harvest Season.”  Using the translation is fine.<strong>We are starting the game on: The first Day of Houses in the first month of Harvest Season</strong><br/><br/><div align="center">Calendar (http://plothook.net/tools/calendar.html)</div>