Qui-zi

## Location on map

Once a merchant city in the wilds of Tukharistan that purposely broke Suleiman's code to make silk. It eventually become a target of the Nahid Council in their effort to punish the shafit and those who sympathized with them; sending Darayavahoush e-Afshin and a troop to commit one of the worst war crimes in their history.

## History

Long before Zaydi al Qahtani's rebellion, the Tukharistani were the most loyal subjects of the Nahid Council. However, introducing silk to the Daevabad market presented a dilemma. Instantly popular with the Daevabadis but too delicate for the djinn to create on their own, the Tukharistani invited a few human families into their tribe for the purpose of making silk. These families were embraced and given their own protected city: Qui-zi.

Over the years the Tukharistani and humans intermingled, creating shafit. None with human blood were allowed to leave the city, and with silk such a prized item, the Nahid Council turned a blind eye to them for centuries. Until Zaydi al Qahtani and his rebellion against the cruel treatment of shafit, which threatened to upend all of Daevabad.

### The Scourging of Qui-zi

*\*Note: some of this information is based on a scene from The Empire of Gold that was read at VoyagerCon 2019, and is therefore subject to change when the actual novel is released.*

As Zaydi al Qahtani's rebellion gained momentum, the Nahid Council decided to strike back in the form of attacking Qui-zi; as a way to end the war and perhaps as a lesson in what happens when djinn "broke Suleiman's law and got too close to humans." Darayavahoush e-Afshin, barely older than Prince Ali at the time, was chosen to lead this mission based on his military skill and obedience. He was to lead a group of men to the city and follow the Nahids' exact instructions, which included that there be no survivors.

As a merchant city with few defenses, it fell to the Afshin forces almost immediately. They sacked the houses, burned all of the silk, and brought all of the inhabitants outside. There Dara scourged every man, woman, and child until they bled. Those with any crimson blood were killed immediately, their bodies thrown into an open pit. The pureblooded men had their throats packed with mud and then were buried alive in that same pit along with any pregnant women. Pureblooded boys were castrated, and the women given over to rape.

Barring the gates to let the city burn to the ground, Dara chose to bring the surviving pureblooded women and children back to Daevabad in chains. Whatever story the Nahid Council had hoped to tell about Qui-zi was overtaken by the survivors, who told all what had happened.

### Aftermath of Qui-zi

Within a week of Dara's return to Daevabad, the Nahid Council banished him in retaliation. And by the end of the year, the remaining Tukharistani clans swore loyalty to Zaydi al Qahtani's rebellion.

Five years after the Scourging, Zaydi and the Tukharistani, possibly led by some of the Qui-zi survivors, invaded Daevabad and sacked the Daeva Quarter. As part of their vengeance they killed Dara's family; carving the names of the Qui-zi dead into his young sister's body.

Sometime after the war was won and a Qahtani king replaced the Nahid Council, the finest Tukharistani silk spinners mark the Qui-zi anniversary each year by sending the Qahtani king a new royal silk turban.

Additionally, a monument for Qui-zi was placed in the Tukharistani Quarter of Daevabad, that memorializes the names of all those who died that day.

## Population

Before the Scourging, the city would have been a mix of Tukharistani djinn, humans from that country that knew how to make silk, and the resulting shafit kin.

After the resulting war that saw Zaydi al Qahtani take the throne of Daevabad, it is unknown if the city was ever rebuilt in the years since.

## Culture

### Language

As merchants, the Tukharistani djinn would have spoken Tukharistani and Djinnistani at least. What language the humans spoke is unknown.

## Economy

As a producer of silk, Qui-zi's products were in high demand, and supported half of Tukharistan's whole economy. After the Scourging, the economy tanked.

## Military

As a merchant city, there was not an official militia, and therefore they had no defense when the Afshin attacked.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 The City of Brass, ch. 30, pg. 514
2. ↑ The City of Brass, ch. 22, pg. 402
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 The Empire of Gold excerpt read at VoyagerCon 2019
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 The City of Brass, ch. 30, pg. 515
5. ↑ The City of Brass, ch. 27, pg. 479
6. ↑ The City of Brass, ch. 12, pg. 219