Al-Lat

Surrounded by the Eutshan Desert and brimming with wealth, the city-state of **al-Lat** is one of the Three Jewels of Paran and one of Asul's foremost centers of trade and commerce.

The bustling metropolis of al-Lat, also known as the **Golden City** for its wealth, is a place where anything and everything is said to be for sale. Within its markets one can find, so they say, literally anything, provided one knows where to look. Whatever the truth of these claims, al-Lat certainly has almost no restrictions on what can be bought or sold within its jurisdiction, and drugs and slaves form the bulk of the city's exports.

## History

Like most of the Parani city-states, al-Lat has a long history and has changed hands numerous times. Throughout its long history al-Lat has been a Kemetese city, a part of one Ardashiri empire or another, or, as today, a free and independent city-state. This colorful history and the city's role as *the* hub of trade in Ardashir has given it a distinct and unique cosmopolitan flare and a reputation as something of a cultural melting pot in many ways.

## People

A great metropolis, al-Lat is home to to some 212,300 inhabitants. The majority, over 70%, of its populace consists of Humans, mostly Ardashiri, but many other ethnicities, cultures, and races dwell within the grand city. Indeed, a full 6% of al-Lat's population consists of Gnolls, both as slaves and as freefolk.

## Government

A plutocratic oligarchy, al-Lat is ruled by a cabal of wealthy merchants and guildmasters known simply as the **Trademasters**. The Trademasters impose few laws on their city, and al-Lat is infamous as place of free trade regardless of the nature of one's wares. As long as order is preserved and trade is uninterrupted, the Trademasters are content to allow almost anything.

## Culture and Society

Owing to both its long history and its role as a center of trade and commerce in Asul, al-Lat is a melting pot of cultures, fashions, and styles, although the native Ardashiri sensibilities remain generally dominant.

### **Drugs**

Drug use is a part of everyday life in al-Lat, and indeed one of the many pillars upon which its economy rests. While many Ardashiri city-states are tolerant of some recreational drug use, there are essentially no banned ubstances in al-Lat; anything and everything is permissable. Of course, as with all products in al-Lat, the sale of drugs is something monitored and taxed.

Lamaa grows naturally only around and within al-Lat and Sabbar, Khafre. As Kemet has cut off all contact with the outside world and become a non-player on the international stage, al-Lat has a monopoly on the production and sale of lamaa-based drugs in Asul, and countless are its lamaa houses and vendors.

### **Guilds**

As trade is the highest, some might argue only, priority of the law in al-Lat, the city's numerous trade guilds are the dominant political powers in day-to-day life. The people of al-Lat are proud of their professions, and every trade is part of a guild which guarantees their members' economic well-being and interests. Naturally the guilds are quite protective of their interests, and unsanctioned tradesmen often face swift and deadly guild justice.

### **Slavery**

Slavery of essentially all kinds is not only legal in al-Lat, but one of the cornerstones of the economy. The slave trade has been a part of al-Lat's economy and culture since ancient times and has thrived more or less uninterrupted for all of its history.

While the vast majority of al-Lat's slaves are bought from slavers, some are domestically acquired. Imprisonment is costly and execution wasteful in the eyes of the Trademasters, and so the worst criminals in al-Lat are generally, unless killed while resisting capture, simply sentenced to a life of slavery.

## Description

al-Lat is a grand and sprawling seaside metropolis and port-city. The city-proper consists of five primary districts, while the greater city is considered to include the handful of communities which have grown up outside the city-proper in the shade of its great walls.

### **The Inner City**

Enclosed by an ancient sandstone wall, the **Inner City** constitutes the the oldest portion of al-Lat. The walled palace of the Trademasters can be found here, as well as a number of ancient wonders which stand as testament to the long and storied history of the great city.

### **The Outer City**

The largest district of al-Lat, the **Outer City** sits between the Inner City and the seaside and contains the city's wold-famous souq.

### **The Port of al-Lat**

One of the greatest ports in the world, the **Port of al-Lat** is a sheltered harbor alive with color, bustle, and sound. Besides the maze-like piers and grand stone quays, the docks are home to warehouses, stores, brothels, temples, inns and more.