Tushratta

*Shift only with the sand.* - **Phrase of Tushratta.**

## City Nation of Tushratta

Tushratta is a remote city nation of the Ramal Nations along the banks of the Neket. To the north and west, Tushratta is the sister atta of Pudukhepa. The city of Tushratta is said to be built of square and sand, as most structures, including homes and civil buildings are built of hardened sand and mud bricks. As buildings grow larger, more stories can be added which again are more square rooms of brick and sand. The overall lack of architectural design in Tushratta is not by choice but rather by necessity as high winds from the north can blow up tremendously large and dark sandstorms which plague the city. Such high winds and battering sands would otherwise wreck the city, but the people have learned to live among the sands and so build to accommodate the storms. One of the most noticeable features of Tushratta is the sand barriers, large brick formations established around the fields which prevent crops from being ruined by storms.

Known for its isolation and unfriendly culture, Tushratta shares much of its odd society with its sister hepa. The city and people are wary of outsiders and unwelcoming. Visitors to Tushratta except from Pudukhepa are rare, and new faces in the city are almost always greeted by someone from the government in a manner of interrogation rather than welcome. This nature of keeping to themselves is pervasive among the populace, and it alters the way in which they mingle with each other and their government. The people of Tushratta are thereby quiet, insular, and do not question each other. The operations of the Ramaltas are all but purposefully unseen by the populace, and this allows a greater freedom for the more shadowy elements of society to operate. The power of the Unbodied is thusly greatest in Tushratta due to their culture. The criminal elements of society operate almost above the law and are just generally ignored by the people.

This freedom of operation and insular nature also supports the Blood Cults as well, who are more free to operate within Tushratta. As somewhat of a smugglers haven, Tushratta has become a key city for the Blood Cults as they are able to receive and store very valuable and very unsavory artifacts within the city for study or use that is relatively safe from the eyes of the public.

The Ramaltas of Tushratta is likewise very free to exercise his or her control over the Unbodied within the city without much fear of discovery by the public. Such an ability has created a regime notorious for its use of the criminal elements of society to exercise subterfuge or outright attacks on other cities or even in foreign lands. The Blood Cult Assassins from Tushratta are particularly feared because of their freedom to grow and operate.

The value of Tushratta as a city lies in the surrounding deserts. To those who can sense magic, the pull from Tushratta is deep. Although, none have yet discovered the source of what they believe to be similar to the well, believing it to be buried somewhere in the sand wastes. However, the sands of Tushratta used in Blood Sands Thaumaturgy are more powerful than those used elsewhere, believed to be infused by the presence of magic in the nearby desert.

## History of Tushratta

Tushratta was formally founded by a Ramaltas in 106 AF, nearly a century after the founding of its sister hepa, Pudukhepa. The remoteness of the region of the Sand Seas in which Tushratta lies is far from other civilization and so took some time to form even after the rise of the Ramaltas. It was originally powerful citizens of Pudukhepa who came to the region to establish it as a new city nation. They floated along the Neket for hundreds of miles towards remote villages and bands of raiders who had established themselves deep in the desert. These people were used to a brutal lifestyle and were very unwilling to come together as a single force without martial persuasion. Thus, it was the Ramaltas of Pudukhepa who originally sent forces to the north to conquer the lands.

Tushratta was not more than a puppet state for nearly a century after its founding. Eventually, however, the Ramaltas which was installed there brazenly declared independence from Pudukhepa. A civil war ensued which lasted for nearly a decade, but the Ramaltas of Tushratta proved to be a powerful and gritty leader. He used the Unbodied and other nefarious forces to wage a shadow war against Pudukhepa which eventually overwhelmed the will of the people there to fight. After the brutal war, Tushratta become even more isolated as its main connection to its sister hepa was cut. However, over time, the wounds of this war were repaired, and since, Tushratta has been considered a sovereign state whose authority is respected among the Ramal Nations.

## Arch Rock

Somewhere in the desert around Tushratta is thought to be a source of magic, similar to the Well. The Blood Cults have long spoken of this as those that can feel the pull of magic feel it deeply while in Tushratta. The pull is strong enough and enticing enough as if to drive someone who spends too much time there, mad. The actual source has never been found which has confounded the Blood Cults and the old Republic alike. Although most magic users can be drawn easily to the source of magic, in the case of Tushratta, this path inexorably leads miles into the desert whereupon the source of magic becomes muddled. It feels as if it is coming from every direction. Many deep holes have been dug into the desert with the prevailing thought that the source must be underground, but so far, none have been able to locate it.

In any event, the sands, particularly around that area, known only as the Arch Rock, so named for the giant, arching stone formation that sits alone in the desert there, are very useful in thaumaturgy as they produce more powerful versions of spells when broken. Thus, Tushratta has an underground economy formed around pushing these sands on the black market.

 Return to Ramal Nations Back Story

--Neil (talk) 17:17, 25 October 2016 (AST)