The City of Eshmakaar

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NAME: The City of Eshmakaar

KINGDOM AT A GLANCE: A small desert city, built around an enchanted oasis, that bows to the Free City of Macharia.

SIZE AND LOCATION: Small for a kingdom: a city, some outlying towns, and a certain amount of desert. 

WEALTH: Medium. Eshmakaar has close economic ties to Macharia. Though Macharia benefits more from their relationship, Eshmakaar doesn't do too poorly either. Eshmakaar is built around an oasis with an unusual magical effect: to visit the oasis, or to drink its water, is to experience unusual tranquility and clarity of thought. After removal from the oasis, the water retains this property for a few days, long enough that water-caravans to Macharia are a profitable investment. An ancient guild of water-carriers studies the properties of the oasis, and teaches its secrets to visiting magicians for a fee. These secrets tend to be...watered down.

STABILITY: High. The Sultan of Eshmakaar avoids egregious mistakes and rules in such a way that organized opposition rarely gets traction. Notably, he has ensured that one quarter of the oasis' waterfront is always clear and accessible to the public.

DANGER TO TRAVELERS: Medium. Eshmakaar itself is relatively safe as cities go, but it's surrounded by desert. Like nearby Macharia, Eshmakaar can be a lethal destination: often as many as a quarter of all caravans lose their way when going to or from the area.

FORM OF GOVERNMENT: By convention, the hereditary Sultan of Eshmakaar is an absolute ruler but only when absolutely necessary. In practice, his legions of bureaucrats run the city.

FREEDOM AND OPPRESSION: By and large, Eshmakaar is relatively free on an individual level. The general atmosphere is 'leave alone and be left alone.' Nevertheless, woe betide you if your wife, sister, or daughter catches the eye of the Sultan or one of his chief officers. She will wind up in a harem and you may probably wind up dead.

COMMON SPECIES: Everything looks relatively human, with a scattering of elves and dwarves. Desert spirits and stranger things, all in human guise, make up as much as one percent of the city. As a result, a small but significant fraction of the human population has unusual ancestry.

MILITARY FOCUS: Eshmakaar follows Macharia's lead, with a focus on cavalry. The Sultan's Eshmakaari horse archers are notable, though not legendary.

TECHNOLOGY: Medieval to Early Renaissance, depending on social class. 

PLAYER CONTROLLED: Valerija ast Macharia has final word on Eshmakaar, which is an integral part of Macharia's sphere of influence. This kingdom was made in thanks for the creation of the Kingmakers RP miniature exchange banner.