Lost City of Nula

## Description:

The Lost City of Nula, also referred to as the City of Glass, is an Anchored, Blinking, Open, Invisible Hinterland located on the northern coast of North Africa, in a region of the Sahara Desert previously within the bounds of the nation of the [REMOVED]; the city was constructed in [REDACTED] BCE under the [REDACTED] Dynasty, and suffered a catastrophic [REMOVED] in [REDACTED] BCE under Pharaoh [DATA EXPUNGED]. The city was constructed by the secret [REMOVED] Dynasty to serve as a meeting place of cohabitation between the mundane and the Magic, to mark a middle-ground between the cultures that occupied the Sahara Desert alongside one another; across its long history, the city was used as a neutral zone for negotiations, discussions, agreements, and trade by thousands of factions, guilds, and tribes. The city's primary geological features include the urban center, divided into four (4) sections separated by tall sandstone walls, the surrounding desert occupied by sparse settlements and oases, three (3) roads which lead into and out of the city, the flooded districts along the northwest part of the city, and the coastal regions of docks.

The Lost City of Nula came to the attention of the JPCU in 2100 CE, when powerful seismic activity in the region sparked a strong discharge of Magical energy that drew the attention of global supernatural organizations; a ruined city stood on what was previously empty coastline. Preliminary scouting activities were undertaken by the JPCU, the Catholic Church's Vatican Reliquary Initiative, the GOC, and the SCP Foundation independently of one another; clashes between these groups were reported by several organizations (*Note: See Addendum #33-2 for further information*), while others denied any involvement in the site (e.g. Catholic Church). After the site was deemed relatively abandoned, although not necessarily safe or totally unoccupied, the various organizations were removed under order of the GOC and JPCU; the Cairo Exploration Museum and a number of other independent groups swarmed the city to hunt for artifacts and treasure, although one Sir Bishop Wakefield purchased the land from the Egyptian government shortly thereafter to prevent further looting or exploration by outside factions. The JPCU continues to monitor the site, with SU-3 "Wander Company" set to lead surveillance operations from Facility #7875 (Sahara Desert); surveillance of Sir Bishop Wakefield has been approved by the JPCU's Saharan Regional Command and is underway.

The City's initial discovery was kept a secret from the public until the GOC determined that it did not pose a threat to the Veil; when it was deemed safe for public knowledge, information was allowed to reach the international news. The news was relatively contained on its own, however, as few people outside of archeology departments or Magic Colleges cared about the discovery.

### Geography & Climate:

The Lost City was built before the Sahara Desert became a desert, but survived the region's desertification nonetheless. Now, the city's derelict ruins stand atop sandy foundations, blasted by millennia of storms and seawater. The city's four (4) walled sections grow denser in population the closer one gets to the center; beyond the city's towering (~50 foot tall) reinforced sandstone walls sit nearby shanty-towns, distant oases, and the lawless rolling sea of sand dunes.

The City of Nula's climate matches that of the Sahara Desert, reaching temperatures of up to one hundred (100) degrees Fahrenheit, and the sand itself can reach almost two hundred (200) degrees Fahrenheit during the summer months. At night, however, the temperature plunges into the twenties (20's) degrees Fahrenheit. Precipitation is very low on average. Despite its proximity to the Mediterranean Sea, the City of Nula remains a desert even to this day.

Being a form of collapsed Hinterland, the Lost City of Nula possesses a powerful Magic enchantment upon the land which prevents perception of the city or its inhabitants by anyone that is farther than a half (0.5) mile away from the city's outermost walls; this enchantment prevents outsiders from accidentally discovering the site and provides a great degree of secrecy should forces seek to besiege it.

### Organization:

During its time as a bustling jewel of Northern Africa some several thousand years ago, the City of Nula was led by a Pharaoh of the [REDACTED] Dynasty, who served as the God-King of the city; despite their Demigod status, the Pharaohs of the City of Nula did not enforce their religion on the citizenry of Nula, instead opting to provide temples and places of worship for all those who wished to visit. The [REDACTED] Dynasty is known to have worshipped an alternate series of gods separate from the usual Egyptian pantheon, however. Below the Pharaoh sat the nobility, comprised of the wealthiest and most well-connected representatives for the city's various factions, and the priestly class of the city; the [REDACTED] Dynasty's religious leaders held sway over those clergy belonging to foreign faiths, but they all squabbled amongst themselves for as much power and wealth as possible, and were known to have argued and conflicted with the secular nobles and merchant Guilds within the city for the second (2nd) spot in the region's political hierarchy. Below the nobility and priestly class sit the class of warriors, adventurers, and mercenaries, some of whom were loyal to the Pharaoh and many who were traveling sellswords. Next come the middle class of craftsmen, merchants, performers, etc. Then come the lower classes, the farmers and simple laborers who worked on the massive structures and monuments erected throughout the city. Below even the poorest of the poor come the slaves; slavery was a prominent trade in the City of Nula, even despite the ruling family's love of freedom and acceptance. Those who did not or could not pay their debts, or those who were taken as prisoners of war, were sold into slavery; slaves were treated as a form of livestock, and as such still received a certain degree of "humane" treatment in comparison to other cultures and races; Nula became a hotspot for the Drow and Sun Elves, who traded slaves in large numbers at gigantic auction houses and at the city's stadiums and markets.