Caero

Caero was an Atlantean city-state amid deserts, plains and drylands with it's helter-skelter back alleys. The buildings of Caero were made of nonflammable mud-brick, but the structural elements were made of river reeds, twisted together, dried, and tarred. A touch of flame, and they blazed up like torches. South of the city was an abandoned quarry which the Black Powder Rebels used as a rendezvous point during the early years of the Rebellion. Across the Roa Vizorr Caero was bordering the city of Venetia (or Venthia).

## Organization

It looked like a toy city, gleaming walls penning in a thick horseshoe of dun mud-brick houses and buildings. Closer to the river and the Port Gate, larger boxy edifices rose—Temples to the ancestors of the city’s leading families. Beyond that stretched the great bridge across the Roa Vizorr. But what really caught the eye was the quartet of pyramids rising up beyond the city walls, each more massive than the last, the huge structures shone a dazzling white in the late-afternoon sunlight. The gleam came from an outer coating of white limestone over a body of red granite. These stone innards showed like a huge red wound in the smallest pyramid, which had enormous scaffolding erected along one side. Many folk thought repairs were underway but no, it had turned out to be a not-so-subtle reminder of Imperial hegemony. Lord Tackett, the garrison commander, had ordered his engineers to steal dressed stone so they could enlarge the local temple to Tezla.

The ground around Caero is rocky and starts to rise into a series of low hills. There are places where the ancient Kosian workmen must have attempted to cut some of the stone for the great building projects of Caero, but these outcrops must have been too far from the river for easy transport. They detoured around roughly carved cubes that were still taller than a full-grown man, even if one was mounted on a northern pony. The ancients had tried to move the blocks, though - a track of sorts had been scratched across the stony landscape.

Humans from Caero are called Caeronn - they are known to be friendly folk and are welcome in almost all other cities. The dustwinds of Caero might not be as blinding as the sandstorms of the Galeshi homeland, but they had been known to lay a hot, droning presence over cities and towns as far south as Atlantis. The hollow sound of the wind had something of the tomb in it, and no matter how tightly the shutters were closed, the caustic, abrasive grit found its way into homes — and mouths.

The elite Atlantean Surok school is located in Caero. It's apprentices are taught a blend of magical abilities as well as potent martial arts skills.

## History

### Age of Battle

In -237 Tz: The Kosian civil war is fought. A second Priest-King, Khomen-hotep, rises to power in the eastern city of Caero, Ormanep raises armies to crush his rival in Luxor. After a summer of bloody civil war, with tens of thousands of Kos warriors killed, the Oracles of Rokos ultimately prophesy that two Priest-Kings are to rule over the Kos together - Khomen-hotep from the sun-seat of Caero in the east, and Ormanep from the moon-seat of Luxor to the west. Knowing that the consequence of deviating from prophecy is to be struck down by the gods, both Priest-Kings agree and divide their lands into two roughly equal parts.

In -221 Tz: The first of the pyramids at Caero are completed. In a massive quarry along the Roa Vizorr, armies of human slaves spend their lives digging out blocks of stone for pyramid monuments, sun-throne temples and capital buildings for Khomen-hotep and his royal family. Relations between Ormanep and Khomen-hotep are strained but holding.

In the days of the Kos Empire, Caero was the sun-capital of the state. The road linking Caero and Luxor, the Moon Capital, was more than seven hundred years old, predating Tezla’s Empire by a good three hundred years. Atlantis’ Imperial government maintained the roadway now, but the trees lining each side of the ancient roadway were the gift of centuries.

### Age of Princes

In -162 Tz, The Orcs sack Caero. A huge Orc Raider horde led by Kzar Natan attacks Caero, breaks its defenses and puts the entire Kosian ruling family to the sword. In the middle of looting the city, an Orc eagle god appears in a vision to the kzar. Badly shaken by the omen from his god, Natan orders the Orcs to leave the city and never return. By the end of the year, the rest of the eastern Kosian Empire shatters into twenty warring states as well.

In -161 Tz, Caero is rebuilt. Delphana wizards, with the support of the few remaining members of the Kosian noble class, take control of the ruined city of Caero. Wanting to preserve the Caeronn culture, the nobles take Caeronn names, marry their children into the surviving Caeronn lines and ultimately reshape the city from within. Within a year, Caero declares itself a neutral merchant state, frees its slaves, and declares the era of the Kos at an end. Over the next three generations, the successful breeding of Delphane mages with Caeronn nobility results in a rash of Caeronn children able to wield powerful magics. The act of “freeing” Caero ultimately solidifies a pocket of Delphane control along the Roa Vizorr and guarantees the Delphanes an inland ally with substantial economic and military resources.

In -140 Tz, Delphane rises to power. Many leaders from the warring states now send their sons and daughters to Delphane or Caero so that their offspring can learn about the world from “civilized” teachers. Over the next 140 years, Delphane magic, law and philosophy spread like wildfire throughout the human-controlled lands, eradicating the last vestiges of barbaric Kosian society.

### Age of Tezla

In the year 419 Tz, Caero was set on fire by Atlantean forces utilizing Incendiary Golems to weed out whatever rebel forces were there - Sarah Ythlim, Rikka and their companions were caught in the fire and had to escape. Meanwhile, Atlantean troops - crossbowmen, spearmen and Magi were trying to encircle the part of the city that the Rebels were in. The larger streets ran thick with Imperial patrols.

The fire, however, didn't engulf the entire city and was soon put out by Atlanteans themselves - perhaps the Imperials had become aware that their flamecasting was threatening the entire city. If the searchers also had to fight the flames, the Rebels’ chances of escape increased. Perhaps a quarter of the city had suffered from the fires started by the Imperials. From here, though, it seemed a good half of the dun-colored adobe buildings had disappeared in a huge blackened swath. The dustwinds had blown the flames right into the temple district, although the stone buildings had fared better - otherwise, the fire might have extended right to the Port Gate.

## Districts

Caero has its tunnels that smugglers and Black Powder Rebels often use. The walls were masonry, with large stone lintels every ten paces or so. During the burning of Caero in 419 Tz, the stone was scorching enough to blister unwary hands.

### Port Gate

Caravans with pack trains or wagons, small merchants or farmers with high-piled carts pulled by amazingly small donkeys, travelers on horseback, even peddlers afoot with sacks over their shoulders stood waiting for the Port Gate to open. The growing crowd probably had representatives of every tribe within the Empire. Caero traded with all; she was the enemy of none.

### Shopping District

The Shopping District was where merchants literally sat on the windows of their stores, using removed shutters as seats and counters. Some of the merchandise was familiar, some — like the cult-items of various factions and religions — utterly strange. The walls of the houses on the Shopping district were blank adobe, few windows, all stoutly shuttered, and even stouter plank doors.

### Ceremonial Way

Ceremonial Way was the widest, longest street in the city. Centuries ago, Kosian Priest-Kings had marched this pavement in solemn procession, blessing the city. Statues of the Ancestors were still taken out on parades.

### Street of Jewelers

The Street of Jewelers was the richer part of Caero - Wensu used to own a shop there until his son died.

1. ↑ Rebel Thunder (Bill McCay), Chapter 13
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Rebel Thunder (Bill McCay), Chapter 14
3. ↑ https://www.mageknight.net/wp-content/uploads/Mage-Knight-Lore-Expansion-Whirlwind.pdf
4. ↑ https://www.mageknight.net/wp-content/uploads/Mage-Knight-Lore-The-Ages-Longer-History-of-The-Land-From-the-Third-Bookshelf-in-Old-Scrying-Chamber.pdf
5. ↑ Rebel Thunder (Bill McCay), Chapter 12
6. ↑ https://www.mageknight.net/wp-content/uploads/Mage-Knight-Lore-The-Ages-Longer-History-of-The-Land-From-the-Third-Bookshelf-in-Old-Scrying-Chamber.pdf
7. ↑ Rebel Thunder (Bill McCay), Chapter 17
8. ↑ Rebel Thunder (Bill McCay), Chapter 16