Medina al-Afyal

Medina al-Afyal was the capital and only real city on Afyal, the Isle of the Elephant, in east Zakhara.

Description
While lacking the blue tilework of most Zakharan cities, it featured polished marble and gleaming hardwoods in magnificent style.

Society
A rigid caste system prevailed on this island. While the concepts of station and honor were important throughout the Land of Fate, they were extremely strong on the Isle of the Elephant.

Another peculiarity were Afyal's elephants: They showed more intelligence and were easier to train than others of their kind. To protect this asset, the strongest laws forbid the killing of an elephant, dating all the way back to the island's first padishah, Alon.

Rumors & Legends
Expeditions into the nearby jungle provided multiple reports of encountering monoliths or religious charms to an elephant-headed god. Known only as the Lost One, it was said that this pre-Enlightenment deity was driven off the island and into the Crowded Sea. These relics of his bygone worship were generally destroyed by the church of Selan, who did not tolerate the existence of such heathen idols.

Defenses
Medina al-Afyal supported a city guard of 2,000 soldiers. Their impressive cavalry consisted of 500 normal cavalry and 500 elite elephant riders. An additional four companies of mamluks from the Wondrous Mamluk Society, numbering 1,200 in total, served as palace guards and special escorts within the city.