Baharna

Baharna is a city on the northern coast of Oriab. A great port of the Dreamlands, Baharna is home to the Baharnans, who take their namesake from the settlement, and the only remaining major point of civilization on the island.

Baharna is governed by a council of elders drawn from the wealthy and powerful of the city.

## Economy

As a midway point in the vast Southern Sea, Baharna sees a lot of traffic from vessels of other major ports such as Celephaïs and Dylath-Leen. The myriad wonders of Oriab provide an array of unique goods which can only be found or crafted in Baharna. These include the sweet resin that is harvested from the island's trees, exotic pottery molded from the clay and magma of Ngranek, and, most notoriously, Ghost Leather tanned from the hides of dangerous wamps which dwell in the ruins across the Lake of Yath.

## History

The original inhabitants of the city came here from their old homes on the slopes of Mount Ngranek, which lies at the southern end of the lake. These people lived there for many generations, slowly building their villages higher and higher up the mountain. They began to notice strange shapes prowling about their homes in the night, and began suffering strange disappearances. Finally, they felt certain that their presence on the mountain would no longer be tolerated, so they moved to the northern end of the lake and founded the city of Baharna. Their descendants still live in the old quarter, and still practice the old trades of lava-gathering and carving. Much can be learned about Ngranek and the surrounding environs from these folk.

## Architecture

As a city, Baharna is quite beautiful in its own way, although not as brilliant as Celephaïs, opulent as Oonai, or labyrinthine as Dylath-Leen. It has "wharves of porphyry, and the city rises in great stone terraces behind them, having streets of steps that are frequently arched over by buildings, and bridges between buildings" (The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath, Lovecraft). Its builders constructed it upon a steep slope, with the more expensive shops and dwellings on the higher levels and the less reputable establishments further down.

A pair of lighthouses named Thon and Thal guide ships to its harbor. A canal runs from the ocean beneath the town to the Lake of Yath. In times of great storms, ships are moved from the main harbor in the bay to a secondary, sheltered harbor on the lake.

The city is divided into four general sections. The first section, near the wharves, is filled with sailors and traders from across the Dreamlands, as well as the merchants of Baharna. Here is the marketplace where resin from the fragrant inland groves of the island and the pottery and sculptures of the lava carvers are traded for a variety of goods. The second and third sections, at the top of the hill on which the city stands, are filled with various government offices and the homes of the wealthy and powerful. The higher up the hill, the more wealthy and powerful are the residents. Finally, the section occupying the far side of the hill near the shores of the lake is home to the city's lava- and resin-gatherers, and its image-makers. This is the city's oldest district. There is another marketplace in this section of the town where the farmers who reside along the shores of the lake bring their produce and livestock to sell. Goods from either market place are transported between the two via a system of ferry boats which operates through the underground canal.

Other notable landmarks of Baharna include the Library, the Steps of Ngranek, and the Ruins of Tyrhhia.