The World Of Khoras - Civilization - Nations - Padashan Empire

The City of Ikemar

Ruler Jhad Kal Muedrayna
Population 22,600
Demographics Human (Padashani) 71%, Human (Southerner) 12%, Human (Anquaran) 4%, Mandalar 5%, Other 8%
Adjectival/Demonym Ikemaran/Ikemari
Languages Padashi 71%, Quaryn 14%, Mandalar 7%, Southern 5%, Other 3%
Nationality The Great Padashan Empire
Year Founded 1141 CY
Currency Padashi
Natural Resources Sandstone, limestone, marble, camels, hamalka, durgang
Manufactured Goods Sandstone carvings, quarried stone, leather goods, textiles
Wealth Average
Walled Yes. Inner and outer stone curtain wall.
Crime Level Low
Technology Level Middle Ages
Primary Religion Hramish (Official State Religion)
Other Religion None
Climate Temperate to subtropical
Terrain Arid rocky hills and highlands
Province Imperial Province of Adalijan

 

Overview

The town of Ikemar is a military stronghold built around a single central fortress. It is home to several thousand soldiers who are stationed here. The town of Ikemar is charged by the Emperor with defending the empire from the threat of mandalarian raiding parties and other threats from the Border Clans and Anquaran incursions. To meet that goal, Ikemar is in the process of building a wall across the Throat.

The town militia conducts frequent patrols throughout the region. It even goes so far as to raid into Border Clan territory. There are a few brave adventurers and caravans who risk the journey into the Border Clans - to plunder ruins for treasure and/or trade with Anquar. A special permit granted by the city of Ikemar is required to be allowed to pass the border and enter Border Clans territory. Without such a permit, imperial citizens are forbidden to travel there.

The rest of the town exists to service the military soldiers and officers. Although it is not a port city, it is a trade center. Caravans do come and go connecting it to the rest of the empire and some caravans pass through on their way through the Border Lands. Despite political and military tensions between the Padashan Empire and the Kingdom of Anquar, the two great nations do conduct some trade.

The town of Ikemar struggles to grow sufficient food due to arid conditions and poor soil in the region. It is dependant on caravan shipments of foodstuffs from the empire.

Ikemar has access to a variety of good stone and quarries a great deal of stone. Animals and plants in the area provide them with meat, dairy, leather and textiles.

The Emperor himself has demanded that Ikemar build the wall to seal off the Throat. The town has been working on the wall for more than 20 years and it is nearing completion. There are dozens of "kiln" houses throughout the town which continually bake bricks for the wall.

Notable Guilds, Shops and Establishments

The Gaping Maw

Social Club/Wizards Guild- The entrance to this stone building is shaped like a gaping maw and front of the building seems to be vaguely demonic in style. The Gaping Maw is a private social club which caters to wizards, scholars, sages and other educated types. A few nobles have memberships as well. Due to the very exclusive nature of its members, the club is actually quite small (currently only 47 members). The main room functions as a tavern which is open to anyone, but the back rooms and upper floors are open only to members. The Gaping Maw offers its members a quiet retreat where they can mingle with like minded people. The food and wine is very good here. The upper floors have private bed chambers, a library, laboratories, spell research chambers and so forth, which are all available to members only. The owner and operator is Jarak, the leader of the guild.

The Parched and Dusty

Tavern - This small tavern has a tall iron door. The inside is dark and dominated by a massive iron wine rack. This tavern serves a wide variety of drinks, but only a small selection of food. It has no private rooms and no rooms for rent... only a large central room with many trestle tables and benches.

The Sand Viper's Den

Private Social Club - The Sand Viper's Den is the largest private social club in the town of Ikemar. The main hall within is luxurious. Marble pillars, silk cushions and drapes, velvet covered divans and gold wine racks fill the large room. Every inch of the interior is decorated. This exclusive club caters to the wealthy. It has a monthly membership fee of 10 gold ujan. Meals and wine within are equally expensive. Members tend to be military officers, wealthy merchants, nobles and anyone else with sufficient coin. Private rooms, prostitutes, recreational drugs, fine wine, orgies and every other possible pleasure are all available for those who can pay.

The Broken Spear

Tavern - This tavern catered to those who live by the sword. Common soldiers, militia men, mercenaries, caravan guards and officers are all welcome here. The interior is decorated with a military motif. Weapons and shields hang on the wall along side the heads of big game.

The Golden Shield Inn

Inn - An upper class inn that caters to wealthy merchants, visiting dignitaries and other travelers with sufficient coin.

The Horn of Plenty

Inn- Babbok Hashan is the proprietor of the Horn of Plenty. He is a hugely obese man, with a lustrous, thick black beard which is braided and adorned with gold and gems. He dressed in brightly colored silk robes. He is a charming, eloquent and charismatic man with a booming voice, bright happy demeanor and frequent laugh. He employs all women as servers and has them dress in very revealing clothing, mostly nude. The dining room on the ground floor serves roasted sand lizard, scorpion surprise, honeyed fire cakes and more. In addition to food, they serve a wide assortment of drinks, a variety of tobacco and drugs and have many private rooms in the back. You can even order a slave girl for pleasure. The upper floors contain common and private sleeping rooms for rent.

The Desert Dog

Tavern - A small and grimy run down tavern filled with seedy characters. This place is a cover for the local thieves guild. They have several underground chambers beneath this tavern and tunnels that connect to other thieves' dens.

The Hall of the Ancients

Library/Museum - This place is part library and part museum. It is filled with books, scrolls and artifacts from the Border Clans region. One can also purchase maps here, as well as books, quills, ink, parchment and spell components. It is the best place in town to learn anything about the Border Clans, the mandalar or the kithdari ruins. It is run by an old padashani sage named Gadamar. He is an expert on the mandalar and the kithdari.

Miscellaneous Notes

The Iron Dragon

There are very few caravans who are willing to make the dangerous land run between Anquar and Padashan and risks the mandalar tribes therein. Some attempt it and of those, some don't return. There is one trader that has been particularly successful. The Iron Dragon is a huge armored landship which has successfully made the journey through the Border Clans and back more than a dozen times. It is captained by a man named Kaizan, an old man with white hair and a thick white moustache. He is a southerner who has lived in Padashan for decades. The landship is the size of a small ship, has twelve wheels and is propeled by a half dozen craghorns that are harnessed within the vehicle. The Iron Dragon has three internal levels, has a crew of six, a large cargo capacity and several deck mounted weapons.

 

Mandalar Slaves

There are several mandalar slaves in Ikemar. Most were captured during raids. Captured mandalar are used as cheap labor because of their great strength. They have their horns sawn off. This is partly to make them susceptible to magic (to better control and intimidate them) and partly symbolic, to break their spirit.

 

This web site last updated Wednesday, June 2, 2021. Copyright 1990-2011 David M. Roomes.

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