Bralizzar

Bralizzar was a caravanserai at the southern edge of the Desert of Desolation. The town began as a way-station serving caravans headed north towards cities along the river Athis, such as Pazar, Terbakar, and Phoenix. The town was greatly reduced in size after the river Athis dried up because of Amun-Re's curse, only gaining a modest resurgence due to the Sandvoyagers' Guild.

Description
Bralizzar was dominated by two streets: its main boulevard ran east to west, between the Temple of Anu and an administrative building publicly known as the Raj. In the middle of the main boulevard, a street sprang south; the bazaar was mostly in that street. A number of buildings were of special note.

Geographical Features
Bralizzar controlled Northknife Pass to the north. Caravans headed for Durpar from the Raurin, or the other way around, would almost certainly have to come through Bralizzar. Northknife Pass was seasonally open, closing during winter and opening back during the spring.

Government
The Hetmann's word was law in the town, and though the lancers and airlancers were not nominally under his control, they would defer to him in all situations.

Defenses
The local lawkeepers were known as the airlancers, pegasus-riding warriors who sometimes wielded magical weapons. Guardposts were established on the northern and southern passes. Visitors were expected to show their bona fides to travel in and out of the city; copper medallions were issued to visitors that came through the southern path. There was also a group of lancers, who lacked pegasi.

History
Originally a Raurindi town, Bralizzar's Raurindi were displaced and assimilated by Durpari merchants. The Durpari of Bralizzar worshipped a god they call Anu instead of following the precepts of the Adama, but they were no less mercantile than the others. Anu's worship required them to neither worship nor revere any other gods, and thus many of the original Raurindi houses of worship were appropriated for other uses. Only the boulevard retained its beauty, lined with the homes of the wealthy and the powerful in the town.

The Main Boulevard
The main boulevard in town was 60 feet wide, with 12 foot wide sidewalks. Along the sides were several residences with decorative brickwork walls keeping all but the tops of trees and the sound of fountains from reaching the boulevard. A southern road springing from the center of the street's length led to the bazaar.

The Bazaar
The bazaar occupied most of a street perpendicular to the main boulevard, at whose intersection, opposite the bazaar, the Inn of the Golden Palm stood. There were a number of shops around the street and in the surrounding alleyways. The proprietors were sometimes willing to share gossip. As of the year where Aman Al-Raqib's adventurers arrived, some of those traders were a seller of harnesses named Abu Bahar, a cloth seller named Adyat al Hayat, a seller of tents called Kurhur, a seller of dried meats named Pasdophilas, a seller of nuts and dates named El Nahud, a grain trader named Ban Fuka, a trinket dealer named Mitan, a rug seller named Torud, a statue dealer named Archimemlos, a trader of horse trappings named Wau el Kebir, a silversmith called Hochart Vestman, a gem dealer called Que Nhon, a blacksmith named Joachim Mullerschmidt, a camel trader named Qatrun Medrusa, and a horse trader named Aujilla.

Temple of Anu
A three-tiered ziggurat of reddish yellow stone, the temple was tipped with a dome. There was a single flight of stairs rising to the upper circle and its only altar; dragons were carved into each step of the pyramid. The original consecration of the temple was unknown; now it was dedicated to Anu. Some throwback cultists still performed rites in it, mostly at night.

Inn of the Golden Palm
The inn was a building of brilliant white stone, with rossed palms growing in stone tubs to provide shade on the entrance; it had once been a temple, but a sign had been added when it was turned into an inn. The inside had a single common area with a stage. The proprietor was Tekuna Chand.

House of Aman Al-Raqib
Aman Al-Raqib lived in a two-story house with round windows and a conical roof. A 14-foot wall surrounded the garden, broken by an onion-shaped wrought iron gate.

The Raj
A four-floor structure of white marble, with its corners capped with minarets and onion-shaped domes. Wide stone stairs spiraled up to a central porch from the sidewalks flanking the boulevard. Cast bronze doors were bordered by intrincate carvings in an ancient alphabet. The windows were covered by intrincately carved stone screens.

Alham Pasha Burak lived on the fourth floor, and had his offices in the first, where the entrance lay. The Sandvoyagers' Guild worked out of the ground floor, and the Durpari lancers garrisoned in the third floor. The garrison consisted of 15 lancers and 15 airlancers. There were never more than 20 in town, the rest working to keep the peace, and there were always two on the front desk. Captain Ashuk Masani preferred to survey the town from the porsch on the front.

The Swayback Camel
An inn noticeable for its smell of unwashed bodies and stale beer, it had pockmarked walls within the alleys west of the bazaar. The inn's common room was kept somewhat dark, with only a few oil lamps for illumination, thus often requiring guests to navigate by feeling the people around them.

The proprietor was Muthi Pashtral (LN Fighter 3). He was unsightly and noisome, making most people queasy about eating in his establishment. However, his inn was frequented by camel drivers of evil dispositions: this positioned it uniquely for the sharing of evil rumours.

The house of Mirth
Right on the western side of the boulevard, this inn was advertised only by a red tile set beside the door. Its main room was long and narrow, several steps up from the rest of the street. It was well-appointed, with large cushions, small tables, and an elegant carpet. The illumination came from niches in the walls. The establishment was of middling quality, in between the Golden Palm and the Swayback Camel: the meals were reasonable and the clientele was not dangerous.

The proprietor was Tasha Lal (LN Fighter 3), who employed three women. She was easy to talk to, which helped her business.

Inhabitants

 * Alham Pasha Burak
 * Tasha Lal
 * Muhti Pashtral
 * Ashuk Masani
 * Aman Al-Raqib
 * Tekuna Chand
 * Fuigarm
 * Al Jilida