The city of Karat-Sizan

The Jewel of Tillia, and the largest port city in the world, Karat-Sizan is a melting pot of Tillians, humans, and other races that come to live in the bustling free city. The capital of the state of Sarlion, it is home to the largest Tillian navy and the second largest army in the country. Both military forces are patrolling for Axius spies, and last winter the navy repelled a beachhead fleet that was looking to land in Khilon where the armies of Dranzeem could not be brought to face them.

The nearly seamless white wall that surrounds the city proper was built by the Del-Triel long ago, and a large tent slum has sprung up to the south of the main gate into the city. a few of the more prosperous and enterprising Tillians have begun to build more permanent structures there, and there is talk of building another outer wall that would provide both farmland and room to expand building that would be protected from invasions.

Rule of the city lies with the lords, a group of organized criminals whose wealth and power allow their families to live well while the vast majority of the city struggles to survive in the crowded slums. Nobility is derived from wealth, but the existing lords work hard to ensure that their positions are not taken by others who have recently come into wealth. Assassination is common in the city, and feuds between families have been know to turn areas of the city into warzones during the most tense times. The goal of many poor Tillians is to become hired muscle for the nobles, and to thereby make enough to start their own business or carve out a subsection of the city and rule it in the name of the noble family who they serve, kicking back profits to the family.

The coliseum between the south gate and palace is a marvel of architecture, and during the times when it is full holds 200,000, or about 1/10th the population of the city. Gladiators are worshipped by the young Tillians, and cheers during the games can be heard as far as the city park across town. The large public park is part graveyard, with large crematoriums that house the remains of the commoners, and private tombs build by those families with enough wealth to care about how their bodies are stored in the afterlife. wildflowers and more organized gardens and trees accompany the burial houses, but large grass covered areas serve as areas for children (and some adults) to play zzrat, a fast paced game of strength and skill popular in Tillia due to its brutality. 12 players on each side work towards moving an oblong tzarla skin ball into a scoring zone on the opposite end of the field.

to be continued...