Malakiard (near Larsa)

**Malakiard** is a Kyrenaian City in the Khanate of Khond. The City along the Saghara River is at the centre of its own Beydom, which is currently ruled by Princess Aurelia bint-Damir from the Altinyarat-Palace.

Malakiard is 250 kilometres away from Larsa.

## History

* 1529: The Altinyarat-Palace is finished
* 2023 Malakiard Spring Festival of the Selkie-Diaspora

## Geography

The Beydom of Malakiard extends for 75 kilometres down and 36 kilometres up the Saghara River and up to 69 kilometres inland as seen from Malakiard itself. A total of 163,789 people lived there in the 2021-census. A total of 16 smaller towns an villages sit in the area, starting with Eashiq, famous for its stud farms.

A number of small rivers cross through the usually dry land (some of them drying out in the Hot Season) and run into the Saghara River, including the Sud River.

The Saghara River is, until today, used as a transport route of iron from the pits in Beitruna to the Lake Tahul and the Tahul River System and the industrial core along its shores.

### The City

Malakiard itself sits at strategically important fords and nowadays bridges. A river island, Nahriarat, is already part of the Ilkhanate of Kyrene. The City is overlooked by a small cliff, on which the Altinyarat-Palace sits.

High Priest of the local Grand Temple of Ischthar is Aurelia Maswuwl. She also officiated the 2023 Wedding of Princess Aurelia bint-Damir and Atif Qalb in her Temple.

## Demographics

*See also: Citizens of Malakiard.*
* 163,789 people (2021-census) in the entire Beydom, 51,394 people in the City
* large communities of Kyrenaian Christians (especially in Kanisa) and Kyrenaian Selkie
* surrounding communities:
	+ Kanisa: Christian Community, small church under Sister Aischa, including a small orphanage
	+ Eashiq: stud farms
	+ Hariq: Whiskey Destilleries, barley plantations
	+ Milki: Small Tantalum mines, Mukhtalifa Mining Company

## Economy

Malakiard, among other things, is the seat of the Katanga Mining Advocacy Group.

## Infrastructure

### Malakiard Regional Airport

Malakiard Regional Airport is a regional airport, which goes back to the year of 1926. Originally a small airport intended for connecting to Larsa and the Lake Tahul Region. With increased range, the city became a destination in its own right, even if not as much as many local businessowners would have liked. In 1930, the airport became a pilot school, both for civilian pilots and for pilots of the RKA. During the Decolonization Wars, the regional airport became an important school for CAS-Pilots flying the Sinaljanah S-630 Alzawjiu Heavy Fighter Aircraft and its successors.

In 1935, the airport was modernized accordingly, the runway concreted and a second one constructed. A more permanent concrete terminal and hangars were constructed.

In 1970, the Army left left the airport, handing all facilities over to the civilian authorities. The pilot school became a civilian facility, focussing on airline piot training and turboprop planes in particular. Milhqalea Airlines has its main seat and training facilities in the city to this day.

In 2000, one of the hangars was handed over to a civilian enterpreneur, the building is nowadays a multi-functional installation, housing an aircraft museum, a bar, an outdoor lounge ideal for plane watching and a night club. Known as the Flying Bunny Hangar, it is a household address.

Today, Malakiard Regional has two runways, one 3000x50 metres, the other 3600x50 metres. Five helicopter landing spots exist, Khalat Helicopter Airlines offers regular helicopter flights to various close range destinations. Aside from Milhqalea Airlines and its schools, no other airline has its headquarters here, but around a dozen connect the airport to the larder international airports or the smaller ones. A pair of rescue helicopters, and three police helicopters, are stationed in their own, fenced off area. The Armed Forces use the airport as an emergency landing site. In 2019, before the COVID-Pandemic, around a million people landed or departed from Malakiard Regional Airport in a bit less then twenty thousand flights.

## Education

* many smaller schools in the towns and villages
* no universities
* two Senior Technical Colleges in Malakiard
* one music school

* the most esteemed high school in Malakiard: Kassaia Girls' High School of Malakiard
	+ maybe becoming a Young Academy in the near future
	+ Kassaia Girls' High School Horsewoman Team, patronage by Princess Aurelia bint-Damir and with friendly support of the stud farms in Eashiq
* also well-regarded: Belresunu Boys' High School of Malakiard
	+ Belresunu Boys' High School Horseman Team, with friendly support of the stud farms in Eashiq
	+ starting in 2024: Patronage by Prince Atif ibn-Walid

## Malakiard in 2100

Malakiard in 2100 was a very different city from the one seen in the 2020s, much like the Sultanate, and later the Kyrenaian Remnants were different. Climate change had not been kind, neither to the City nor to the country as a whole.

The Saghara River bounces from extreme to extreme: In summer, it is dried up, in winter, the city floods.

Temperatures, on normal days, are rarely below 70 degrees Celsius in the shade, confining life to indoors - and those, who have to leave, usually do so either in exoskeletons or inside of vehicles. The City itself, consisting of quite a few skyscrapers, has moved a lot of the life, living and infrastructure 'downstairs', into the Underground City.

After a population peak of 250,000 people in the 2060s, Malakiard shrunk down to about 15,000 people.

With the end of Utica as capitol after the 2050 Utica Terrorist Attack, Malakiard became first residence of the Ilkhana of Utica, then residence of the Sultana - Aurelia-Sultana Alraakiba resided there until her death in 2101. With her death, and the crown going to her Granddaughter Felicia, the Sultanate was transformed into the Kyrenaian Remnants.