Assuan (Old Lore)

## Assuan

*"Assuan endured the darkness of old day. It survived the fire of war and the hardship of drought. Now, with a new dawn arising, we can atlast forge the glory promised so long."* -Kaleyda, High Queen of Assuan when welcoming Aton

## Introduction

Assuan is one of the six great cities of the Esharin. It became the richest and most famous of the six as its the center of trade for *Stormplanes* and *Kunic wastes*.

## History

Assuans origins lie deep in the Ancient days. The date of its founding is unkown but it was most likely constructed before mankind was created in islands of Eoam. The Asak of the east constructed it as it lay in a good position, close to the *Ala Sut,* which runs threw the entire Kunic wastes.

Under Asak rule, the city consisted of the central temple and the holy gardens. Around it, the great reptiles constructed a few houses and temples to host their small population. It was one of their most holy cities as it birthed and hosted *Besbat***,** the god associated with magic and wisdom.

Assuan was more or less spared by the war between Asak and *Suthekru*, and remained proud and untouched for several centuries. When humans arrived in Apophis, the scaleblight caused severe damadge to Assuans population. Unlike the rest of the Asak empire, the children of Besbat where cured relativly fast as their god discovered a immunity relativly fast and modified their Born to master this new thread.

*Esharin* and his daughter *Neferi* arrived in the city first, accompanied by almost 300 Aniter. Besbat refused to let the humans in at first sight. It took three weeks to convince the god before he allowed the humans to live in his city and recieve his guidance.

This new species of rapidly reproducing indiviudals was new to the city of light. Quickly, large parts of the gardens and inner cities turned into embattled walls of stone and great houses of stone. The humans quickly turned the templecity into a large metropole and outnumbered their Asak masters within almost 100 years.

### Pratonian invasion

Assuan was one of the few cities that managed to defeat the Pratonians several times. Since the invaders came from the sea and Assuan lay in the heart of Apophis, the Esharin had enough time to prepare a proper defense. They raised five great walls of stone and gathered all military forces the weakned Asak empire had at its disposal. With this force, they managed to fend of the first three attacks of a ambitious Hementor general. The first siege of Assuan ended with his death, as one of their Assassins took his life with a poisoned dagger.

The city remained under Besbats rule for almost 30 years after this first victory, only fighting smaller attacks. It was Vvind that at last managed to conquer the city. Instead of wasting his troupes at the waters under the controll of the god of magic or at the high walls, he simply bombarded the city with titanfire until it surrendered. Besbat knew that this meant his own death, but he was willing to give so that his human scholars would survive.

### Pratonian reign

Under the reign of the Eriador, the city managed to further develop and grow. The people of Assuan quickly abandoned their old teachings and forgot the Asak that gave their lifes for them. Instead, they prefered to leave in peace instead of risking rebellions like other cities.

It was during the later Eons of Strive that Assuan was attacked again. The third siege was most likely the worst. A old Hementor general rebelled against his Cor and desired to take the city to uncover its old magical secrets. The attackers where fend off again, but he managed to destroy all ships and starve the great city.It fell atlast as the weakned forces made a desperate counterattack from the main gate and died a fiery death.

During the Era of light, the city regained its own title and became the religious center of the Anstolh Pratass. The Hementor masters build a great fain in the sun district praising the *Asar Cor.* Again, Assuan worshipped living gods, this time of human origin.

### The Pratonian fall

It was Hagash and his armies that attacked the city once again. This time however, no blood was shed. The Mad God managed to enter the city unseen and invade the temple where he challenged its rulers. They did not manage to withstand his physical and magical might and after each Pratonian was dead, the gates where opened.

This time, Assuan did not give up its faith so easy. As the former center of religious worship in Apophis, the city hosted countless clerics and priests that where willing to die to avenge their fallen gods. The city of light became one of the prime examples of Hagashs tyranny as his soliders held it with a iron fist while its inhabitants engaged in a bloody civil war.

### Bloodclad ages

During the Bloodclad Ages, Assuan became the main fortress of Esharin defense against invaders. Most of its militairy forces moved threw the city and where trained in its secure walls but the city was spared from attacks mostly and never again faced a bloody siege.

It was this time the cities spirits began to arise in the city. Assuan became one of the first cities to inspire a new faith among the Esharin, praising the ancient city as the only true god its inhabitants ever truly knew.

Unfortunatly, during this time, the great river Ala Sut lost most of its water in a series of terrible draughts that destroyed the green shores that surrounded it. Since its erection, Assuan was surrounded by a small forest of giant sugarcanes and palms. All green disapeared however and the muddy ground became dry and sandy. Since this day, no plants grow around Assuan and the city relies on the food it gets from the *Ala Sut* and *trade*.

### Rise of Aton

Assuan was the second first city to sign the Golden Contract. It was close enough to the Kune desert to see Mu Karath arriving. Aton and his servants where welcomed with open arms. He filled the cities Bornhold and earned the High Queens favour very quick. Assuan joined his new order quick, although the civil resistance was far higher then the one of the nobility. The Dawnbringers established their hold in the city very quick and managed to convince most of the population of the Unforetolds cause; this time without blood and civil war but propaganda and new perspective.

### The Golden Age

Assuan became the heart of all Dawnbringer operations in the esharic empire. They did not only used it cause both nobility and population supported them but also because Assuan quickly became the heart of esharic trade. They opened a passage to other human worlds and since this day, Assuan is overcrowded with outlanders and foreign traders as the city was the gate to eastern Apophis. This brought the city wealth but also alot of inner conflict. Asugri syndicates and other criminal organisations previously absent in the city arose to power and the streets became alot less safe at night.

## Structure

Assuan is constructed in typical Esharin fashion. Its biggest speciality is the great aqueduct creating a passage between the water gardens and the port. The main four districts lie deep under the outer surface. They have been recessed to a dept of about 35 meters, making the four great streets large bridges whose carriers form gateshaped holes seperating the districts from each other.

### The Temple

Assuans temple is build from pale white sandstone and marmor, making it shine in the sun. The three suntowers throw the light of the sun on special glass towers constructed in the inner walls, which enlight the entire building even furhter. This gave Assuans temple the reputation to be build from solid sunlight.

The startowers reflect the light of the stars to light up the temple even at night so it can be seen at any time from any point of the city.

### The Gardens

The holy gardens of Assuan are known as Watergardens and are fed by the *Ala Sut* entirely. There are artifical islands and stationary platforms on the water, serving as tiny gardens and pavillions. The nobility moves across the water with tiny boats and flying charitos and tends to take their meals on larger boats. The Watergardens host the most diverse collection of water lilies in all of Apophis. Every last inch of water is covered by large green plants that bloom in the most diverse of colors. The smell of flowers is omnipresent on the water. Larger water lilies are so strong that they can carry a human. The skilled gardeners of the Esharin have created green paths across the water that consist of these large plants.

Under the layer of water lilies swim all sorts of large fish. The Watergardens host any peaceful waterlizard and fish that can be found in Apophis together with some of the great sealizards that can survive in freshwater. Next to them swim dolphins and small sharks, many from the great sea of Kyrillia. Above them life all sorts of waterfowls and birds. Most of them come from the Greenreed bays, but some are more exotic.

Although a rare sight, there are large crocodiles and white alligators that inhabit the gardens of Assuan. Their teeth have been cut out to make sure they do not hurt their masters, but there are rumors that untamed sharks, crocodiles and even Malamor swim into the gardens from the *Ala Sut* river. This is the reason most nobles refuse to swim in the gardens, although the waters are ensured to be perfectly safe.

### The four districts

Assuan has always been a overcrowded city and the ancient houses grew during times where large streets where unnecessairy. This is the reason, Assuan lacks the well organised street system other Esharin cities are so famous for. To solve this issue, new routes have been created across all districts. Since the esharic faith does not allow the destruction of existing houses, they have been modified. The floor of each building that is part of such a street has been emptied and transformed into a passage while two of the former four walls support the upper building.

The rest of the city is a dense and narrow network of alleys. Most of them are between a half and two meters wide, although there are many so small even thin Aniter have to walk sideways to get threw. Only those that lifed several years in a district are able to manage their ways threw this maze of alleys without getting lost. Those who lack the orientation or are simply foreigners hire one of the many guides that sell their services at every corner of the city.

#### The black streets

The black streets are a remnant of the ancient pratonian invasions. Even after more then three thousand years the parts of the city that have been bombareded with titanfire are pitchblack and porous. After the fires consumed large parts of the city, the rebuilding was quick and chaotic. For that reason, the black streets are far less organised and well build then rest of the city. The ancient houses have been build without plan and do not follow the typical esharic style.

At every corner can be found tiny markets and shops that do not care for the approval of the cities goverment. The black streets have a reputation to host criminals and murderers in uncounted quantities. In fact, they are almost safer then the rest of the city. Since guards rarely enter them, the inhabitants of these zones have created a militia that keeps the streets safe, although the entire region is far less strict organised.

#### The Dawn district

The Dawn district is surprisingly poor and rundown compared to other cities. While the first district is usually every cities pride, it is actually the least favoured disctrict. It has no connection to the river and no portal which means its the least relevant economical part of the city. Although the Dawn district is still in better shape then the outer slums, its the black sheep under Assuans districts. It holds the least foreigners and those who life there are usually extremly poor. This makes it the refuge for more traditional Esharin that despise the cities development.

#### The Sun district

The Sun district is Assuans pride. It far better organised then the rest of the city and the naitive inhabitants make sure its representative for esharic glory. Almost every house is painted in bright colors, dancers and musicians play on the streets and priests clean every corner. The district contains the House of Maad, the public fain of Assuan. It is build in ancient pratonian style and most likely the largest fain in all of *Kurashai.* The second reason the district is so well run is that it contains the main Eathergate and is the first place any wealthy foreigner sees when arriving in Apophis.

The Sun district does not only contain the most guards, there are also hundreads of Dawnbringer agents disguised as common citizans that keep up the public order and intervent in the case of any crime or attack. The Sun district is mainly inhabited by wealthier foreigners who make up 60% of the districts population. The Haquid and Esharin living in the districts are usually the most friendly and open. Conservative radicalists are activly prevented to buy houses in the Sun district.

#### The Dusk district

The Dusk district is the most chaotic of all. Some areas are extremly run down and dirty while others are almost as beautiful and clean as the Sun district. The Dusk district contains a second, smaller Eathergate. This is mostly used by poorer outlanders. All in all the Dusk district is the most diverse. It hosts the most criminal activity, but unlike the Dawn district, the crime is well organised. There are only few rubbers and cutthroats on the streets but countless agents of the Asguri cartel, mercenaries and assassins. The human trafficking or drugdeals bloom in the darker alleys of the district and since its the most overcrowded, it is almost impossible for the guards and Dawnbringers to prevent all of this.

The Dusk district contains a large Asguri cartel, which has been legalised by the cities goverment. It is run by the Gashat Syndicate but the real power in the district lies in the hands of the Akalai and Nadaith Syndicates, who constantly battle each other for controll over the black market.

#### The Night district

Assuans necropolis is one of the largest and best organised. Its houses are organised in three categories: Temple, mansion and home. There are three huge temples hosting the corpses of the nobility. The House of the dead is a giant temple almost larger then the High fane in the Sun district. The large mansions host the corpses of the rich and famous, that managed to buy themselfes a comfortable afterlife. The homes are clean but very small.

Assuan is the only city that allows foreigners to purchase a place for their corpse in the Night district so their spirits may life on the life in their new home. This caused many Esharin to sneak into the district of the dead and defile or destroy foreign corpses and scatter their ash across the streets. For that reason, the Night district is under strict surveillance of the cities guards and the punishment for entering it unallowed is far more cruel then in any other esharic city.

### The deep district

The deep district, sometimes also called "The Sewers" is a city of its own build directly under Assuan. Since the desert surrounding the city is too rough, the slums moved under it. The guards tried to prevent people from living in the canalisation for almost 100 years before the High Queen declared their efforts fruitless and simply allowed the homeless and poor to life in the dirty sewers. In modern times the foreigners and disenfranchised have build a entire city into the canals. Thousands of small apartments and roomes are carved into the walls. This also became the center of the worst forms of criminal activities since there is almost no one down there to enforce the law. The deep district is overcrowded and devoid of sunlight. Some people even live their entire life down there. There are small boats driving across the canals which serve as the main form of transport. There are many inns, markets and tanneries in the deep district, creating its own local econmy. The Syndicates are the biggest powers down, although it is believed the Dawnbringers actually support the deep district as this gives them better controll over the cities criminal side.

There is nothing impossible to purchase in the deep district, be it exotic drugs, forbidden weapons, occcult tomes or even human slaves. They are the dark side of Assuans trade.

### The Prisons

Assuans prisons are not build within the outer walls like in most esharic cities. Instead, they have been carved into the stone of the inner cities subterranean hangs. Assuan is the only City that does not punish or execute criminals in public. This have the city the renown of inner peace and high public order. In reality, Assuan has more criminals then any other esharic city. Yet, most of these criminals have comitted gar less severe crimes. Since there are so many cases of small thefts or the defilement of sacred ground, Assuan has given up on the cruel punishments that the other cities use. Instead criminals often have to spend a few months in jail or get a few whips before being released again. Most criminals can simply buy their way out of prison. Executions happen only rarely. Assuan has only three glasstowers and they are usually empty.