Antioch

Antioch is the city capital of the southern region and is the largest trading city of Bahlmorea. The city is the largest in the south, with over 400,000 inhabitants. It's so large because of its prime location on Redrock River, a very long fertile river connected to the ocean that is used to transport goods from regions all over the coastal regions of the continent. Merchants from all over the world come to Antioch to sell and barter their goods. The native tongue here is different from up north. However, at least half the population here speaks Northern Tongue. The language here sounds like Pashto.

The architecture of the city is similar to Islamic and Turkish architecture with great domes, both gold and stone, and intricate colorful mosiacs. Large ornate colorful wooden doors provide entryways for grand houses and apartments with buildings are made from clay and brick. Most houses belonging to the upper class have lush gardens filled with apricot and orange trees, wooden lattices entwined with vines and blooming flowers, and countless rooms filled with valuable antiques and beautiful rugs. In short, the rich love to show off their wealth here.

The poorer districts, however, do what they can to make their homes and apartments just as beautiful in their own way. Either way, the buildings are very clustered together and the dusty streets are narrow. Streets here are not paved like they are in Sidon and instead are either made of sparse collections of worn flat stone or just padded down dirt. People use cows, camels, and mules to pull around carts and wagons, so it's not uncommon to see a wandering bull or camel in the streets. Sometimes, one may see a balaphant moving a cart or preforming tricks in the square.

## History

Antioch is one of the oldest cities in Bahlmorea and its history is still clearly alive in the buildings worn by time. The city's first beginnings started 6,500 years ago as a small, but thriving collection of tribes nestled by the Ostri River. It is said in legend that a human girl, named Assayn born from the womb of a white lion matriarch united the communities together and conquered outward.  Once conquering became secondary to growth, religion the arts, science,  writing and the sort became a priority. As the tribe grew and expanded into the city of Antioch as it is today, it was not without its own share of a bloody history including overthrowing kings and violent massacres for power, plagues, and famines.

## Politics

   The Rajin "king" and his Raija "queen" of the city are in charge of overseeing and ruling the southern end. The Rajin is selected from three large noble families who control certain sectors of the city: trade, political, and monetary/bank.

He is selected on the basis of intelligence and personality and then he is required to choose his wife from one of the two other families.  However, the current Rajin and Raija of Antioch, **Rajin Mahaja** and **Raija Parnina,** are said to be ruling Antioch equally.

While the Rajin and Raija hold the most power, there is a small council of advisors made up mostly of relatives belonging to the related noble families. They versee spending, construction, diplomatic relations, merchant guilds, and so on. These close selected advisors are very close to the Rajin and Raija and therefore, schemes and plots against them are considered uncommon.

## Culture

   Antiochian culture revolves around both self indulgence and hard work. People who have a lot of wealth love to show it off and those who don't have a lot of wealth still show off proudly what they have. Family is also very important to them and usually, the more the better. Large families tend to stick together despite shortcomings even if their house is too small to comfortably support 6-9 people. Men are expected to work even in marriage and women stay at home, but it's not uncommon at all to see women working even in marriage to help pay for food, rent, and such although it makes them vulnerable to scorn.

Antioch especially, is known for its food. Sophisticated use of spices and herbs adds flavor to already delicious dishes. Northers often try to recreate Antioch dishes which is nearly impossible to capture the flavor without the rich use of spices that grow along the fertile river

    Antioch's famous bath houses are renowned throughout the entire continent for their extravagance and beauty. Tiled floors are patterned to tell ancient stories of the city's ancient history with vines growing down from above as the heat from the natural baths rises up in a thick steam. There are several throughout the city, separated for the poor and rich. One may have to pay a lot or persuade their way into a the more grand bathhouses, but it's worth it. Even so, they are surely a beautiful sight to see. Be sure about which one you enter, because while one may be for relaxation, there are plenty of bathhouses that act as brothels.

## Districts

Like Sidon, Antioch's neighborhoods are set up according to wealth disparities. The first district is the

    **Brick District** aka the poor district. It's named that due to the buildings made out of low quality clay and brick. It's located mainly on the outskirts of the city against the docks and pressed against the ancient walls of the city. It's the second most populated district that makes up the city. A main hub of blackmarket trade, pitting, and merchants for most who can't afford the more expensive goods found inside the city walls.

Animals like chickens and dogs wander these crowded narrow streets where open sewage runs down particularly nasty streetsl. The Guards who patrol this district are merciless to anyone who gets in their way. Crime is a common occurrence in these neighborhood although the tightly-knit communities here have their own system of justice and protection since they cannot rely on the King for protection.

The largest district is the **Olive District**, which is home to the skilled and educated population. Its name is due to the deep orange color many of the houses and courtyards have. The narrow streets and alleyways are often decorated with red, yellow, and orange tarps hanging over the heads of passerbys. It's also not uncommon to see bright red ornate wooden doors to some inns and homes, both for decoration and a way to keep the Red Faced God out. The apartments are much more high quality and made from carved stone, brick and a higher quality of clay. Nobles, rich merchants, politicians and the like are the type of crowd that live in this district. Lush courtyards and rooftop gardens are more common here than in the Brick District.