Abalar: A city on the rise (Patreon)

These notes are for a city our players in The Lazarus Expedition will come across in the first few sessions. It sits on what will one day be known as The Vodan River, but at this time goes by another name. More details about the region to come.

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Abalar is a city on the rise. It has 2 distinct city centers.

The Old City
Fully walled in (save the border with the river which is unwalled)
Home to major temples
Temple of Terrin & Nadinis
Temple of Nerual & Martha (Healing)
Temple of Bellum & Astair
Sacrificial Altar (rarely human)
The Old Grand Forum, the former city government center when the city was ruled by tribes and this is where they met to discuss, is here.
City Security forces are housed here
Old families
Oracles (nowhere else)
No livestock, other than on the way to be sacrificed
No dogs

The New City
Broken up into districts and quarters, and half undefined space. A new wall is being constructed around the new city, but it is only partially done. The new gate houses are built, and a large wall is being extended from them. In between there is a small wall (5’ high, not thick) that marks the bounds of the city and serves to keep swift riding raiders at bay with limited effectiveness. 

Districts: Areas where certain types of things are concentrated by convention

• Temple District: Governmental & Religious headquarters. The New Ziggurat is here. Few homes. Sages and scholars.
• Sky District: Upper middle, and lower upper class can be found here, as well as The Temple of Illumis.
• Mud District: Poor people, cheap labor, dirty streets, drab colors

Quarters: Areas where certain types of things are concentrated by law. Such things cannot be found outside their quarter [exception for existing in the Old City, but there are very few of those]

• Artisan Quarter: All skilled labor is sold and performed here. The Smith’s Union has their own security forces known as the Hammer Watchers that enforce peace. 
• Blood Quarter: The Arena / Slave pits and the jail are found here. Entertainment services and vices are permitted here: Sex workers, drugs, theater, acrobats, animal performances, magicians, etc. 
• Summer Quarter: Inns, guest services, transportation, scribes, translators, money changers, and the Abalar mint. 

The New City is built with the New Ziggurat at its heart. This is where the Queen Priest, Mehohlahtah the Divine, lives. The New Ziggurat is a great structure made of fired mud brick. It contains great stores of grain, gold, and goods for dire times. It has wells in its lower levels. Religious services are held here, matters of state are hosted, records are kept, grand offerings are made at its apex, and numerous workers and slaves are housed within its stepped walls. The Ziggurat was made by the first Queen Priest, 230 years ago with divine aid. 

Queen Priest Mehohlahtah is a 14th level generalist cleric. 36 years old, 6’3” tall, 500lb, woven black hair, covered in jewelry made of gold, bronze, tarnished copper, with pearls, turquoise, and onyx stones and rosewood or bogwood accents. She wears only a wide, embroidered, linen sash belt around her waist with a large and wide extension that dangles to her knees. When she walks instead of being carried on a palanquin, she adorns her feet with elaborate strappy sandals of gold and turquoise.

Her appearance and the way she is treated by her people would be quite shocking to those from across the sea. Not merely respected, Queen Priest Mehohlahtah the Divine is actively worshiped with prayers and sacrifices made to her. She is a Priestess who is adorned with more wealth than anyone from Tides End would feel comfortable with. She’s a Queen who not only eschews the modesty of clothing, but honors her people with her nearly naked and exceedingly fat form. When she is paraded through the streets, all people old and young drop to their knees with a prayer as if they were being honored and blessed by her presences. It is a great honor to be near her, to serve her, and especially to bring her food or drink. 

[Note: Mehohlahtah is pronounced may-oh-lah-ta]
[Note: Abalar is pronounced ah-ba-lar]

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Note about the apperance of Queen Priest Mehohlahtah. I have specifically picked an appearance for this important NPC that defies our current norms to create a sense of "we're not in Kansas anymore, we may have to rethink cultural norms when in this new place"; however, I understand that some viewers are still in the "ha ha, naked woman" or "ha ha, fat person" phase of youth. I worry that in highlighting the difference of cultural norms that I might be baiting the most frustrating and immature parts of the internet. There is nothing to be done about that, so I'm going to go ahead and tell the stories I want to tell in the way I want to tell them, audience understanding or approval be damned. 

I may write a separate article talking about the uses and value of sex, sexuality, nudity, and other things that make people cover their mouth and say, "Oh my". These sensitives subjects have a lot of potential impact in storytelling, but are difficult to use because they will be received in so many different ways by different audience members.