Kiyaratta

*Even the air is heavy in Kiyaratta.* - **Phrase of Kiyaratta**

## City Nation of Kiyaratta

Established in 134 AF, Kiyaratta is the sister atta of Shuttuhepa and a power along the banks of the Hmadi. Not far from Shuttuhepa, only about one hundred-fifty miles north, Kiyaratta is the second major stop along the Hmadi either coming from or going to the sea. Known as a place of wealth and decadence, Kiyaratta largely draws its power and income by controlling the more direct route inland to the riches of Shuttuhepa. The Ramaltas and other wealthy aristocrats of the city enjoy a lifestyle of extreme leisure while the general populace works the fields and toils the river for fish. Unlike most other cities in the Ramal Nations, Kiyaratta's culture is more akin to a traditional feudal society where the rich aristocracy controls the populace to a much higher degree and lives off of their hard work.

The lavish parties and festivals that Kiyaratta is known for are a sight to behold for any in Indagar. There, the powerful within the city will sometimes turn the entire area into one endless festival, covering the city in fine cloths bought from Shuttuhepa and colorful works of art toiled on by commoners within the city. This air of festivity however, betrays the reality of the life in Kiyaratta for the peasants as being one of general hard labor and servitude. Unlike most city nations, the populace of Kiyaratta sees its commanding Ramaltas as more of a despot than a savior. To quell such thinking, the Ramaltas utilizes an infamously brutal control of the Unbodied within the city who will spy on its own citizens and create turmoil where obedience is not granted. Those who work within the Unbodied see Kiyaratta as a city of thieves, murderers, and a general haven for criminals. The populace, rather than face the wrath of the Ramaltas, oblige the Unbodied and other seemingly cruel machinations.

Kiyaratta long ago discovered that by placing a hidden tax on all shipping through the Hmadi, especially to the wealth of goods made in Shuttuhepa, that it could easily fill its own coffers. This hidden tax is not applied directly as that could possibly be an overt declaration of war but rather through subtler means. Should a barge carrying goods fail to grant a donation for the docks and civil works along the river while passing through, they may find themselves at the unfortunate dagger point of the Unbodied.

Far more aggressive than its sister cities, Kiyaratta is tolerated by the other Ramal Nations for only one reason. In the long history of the Sand Seas, the Ramaltas of Kiyaratta have been the only ones who have been able to quell the unrest in the region with such force as to maintain some semblance of stability. The lands surrounding Kiyaratta are rich from the flooding of the Hmadi and just a few days slow trip down the river towards the sea. In times past, and even now, uprisings of raider bandits and other nefarious groups within the region are very common, and the Ramaltas of Kiyaratta is able to quell them and maintain order mostly through infiltration and at the sword point of skilled Unbodied.

## History of Kiyaratta

Shuttuhepa was formed as the liberation of slave villages from warlords in the region. However defeated, those warlords did not disappear. Instead, they retreated north up the river, away from Shuttuhepa where they regrouped to lick their wounds. This happened just after the founding of Shuttuhepa. Now afraid of the Ramaltas to the south, but unwilling to give up power, the warlords instead consolidated their power around tiny fishing and farming communities in the northern area. To protect themselves from reprisal from Shuttuhepa and under the guise of the rise of the Ramaltas, the warlords combined to form their own dynasty promising to the people that they could build a city known as Kiyaratta which would be a power to rival Shuttuhepa.

Formerly established in 134 AF, the ground for the city was broken using the largely forced labor of local denizens and captured raider bands. A puppet Ramaltas was installed who was to be controlled by the warlords band, but within 20 years, the Ramaltas surprised the warlords and had them murdered, assuming full control of the city. Construction of the city was further continued under order of the Ramaltas and the first workings of the hidden tax came into being as dockyards and mandatory docking was required by any vessels travelling to sea.

At first, Shuttuhepa protested the establishment of Kiyaratta, but the new city, with a willingness to do whatever it took to maintain power, showed its new sister hepa through secret plots and sabotage that it was not to be taken lightly. After an extended period of hostility, eventually the Ramaltas in both cities came to an agreement that Kiyaratta would not cause Shuttuhepa trouble, and in return, Shuttuhepa would turn a blind eye to small operations in Kiyaratta needed to sustain its economy and bring stability to the otherwise hostile region.

## Black Market of Kiyaratta

One of the best known traits of Kiyaratta is its thriving black markets. It is said that anything in the world can be purchased from someone in Kiyaratta, at the right price. One does not have to travel far in the city streets before running into someone who is trying to peddle otherwise ill gotten wares. The very rich and powerful of Indagar have often made the long journey to Kiyaratta in search of magical trinkets or heirlooms of tremendous value that somehow found their way into the clutches of the Unbodied in Kiyaratta.

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--Neil (talk) 17:54, 19 October 2016 (AST)