Chronicles of Sha'Lazar

Arcadia is the most prestigious and powerful city-state of the Rash'ani people in Sha'Lazar. Known for its immense wealth, political influence, and cultural refinement, Arcadia embodies the height of civilization within this desert world. It is a meticulously planned and self-sustaining oasis city, whose influence radiates across Sha'Lazar through economic power, diplomacy, and mastery in trade. Here’s a closer look at what makes Arcadia so distinctive:

City Layout and Architecture

Arcadia is a marvel of desert engineering and architecture. The city is a thriving oasis surrounded by fortified walls, which not only defend it against external threats but also mark the boundary between the prosperous Arcadian civilization and the untamed desert. Within these walls, Arcadia boasts grand palaces, marketplaces, and temples, with wide, paved streets shaded by high stone walls and the occasional vine-covered pergola.

Arcadia’s infrastructure includes sophisticated water systems, such as aqueducts, canals, and wells, which ensure a stable water supply. The streets are lined with public gardens filled with date palms, olive trees, and citrus plants, showcasing Arcadia’s ability to cultivate life within an arid land. The architectural style is ornate, with intricately carved pillars and facades that reflect Rash'ani symbolism and the Arcadian reverence for heritage.

Cultural and Economic Heart of Sha'Lazar

As a cultural center, Arcadia is home to scholars, artisans, and philosophers who elevate Rash'ani arts and sciences. The city is famed for its libraries, where records of Rash'ani history, desert lore, and advanced knowledge in agriculture and trade are carefully preserved. This intellectual wealth is fiercely protected, with the ruling class seeing themselves as custodians of not only Arcadia’s legacy but that of the Rash'ani people as a whole.

Economically, Arcadia is a powerhouse. Its wealth is largely due to its control over tin, a rare and valuable resource essential for making bronze. This monopoly grants Arcadia tremendous influence over the production and trade of bronze goods throughout Sha'Lazar, making it a crucial player in both domestic and foreign trade. The city is known for its luxurious goods, from fine textiles and intricate bronze works to expertly crafted ceramics, which are in demand across Sha'Lazar’s many city-states and even among the tribes of the desert.

Governance and Social Structure

Arcadia’s government is led by an aristocratic council known as al-Jama'a al-'Ashara (the Council of Ten), composed of the city’s wealthiest and most powerful families. The council advises the ruling Empress or Amir, who oversees the city’s key decisions and maintains Arcadia’s independence and prosperity. This governing body upholds Arcadian values of honor, stability, and independence, with a focus on maintaining their economic power and safeguarding Arcadia’s traditions.

The social structure in Arcadia is strictly hierarchical, with aristocrats, merchants, and craftsmen forming the upper echelons, while laborers and farmers make up the lower tiers. Despite this rigid social order, the Arcadian worldview places great importance on loyalty to one’s family and city, and every citizen takes pride in contributing to Arcadia’s wealth and legacy.

Diplomatic and Military Strategy

Arcadia’s approach to power is based on diplomacy and economic influence rather than conquest. While it maintains a well-trained defensive force, it rarely engages in offensive military campaigns. Instead, Arcadia excels in using strategic trade agreements, alliances, and its economic monopoly to secure its position within Sha'Lazar. By controlling essential resources and promoting mutually beneficial agreements with other city-states and tribes, Arcadia can maintain peace and independence without risking the destruction of war.

Arcadian Philosophy and Worldview

Arcadians live by a pragmatic philosophy: “The hand that trades, need not fight.” This belief shapes Arcadia’s emphasis on self-reliance, restraint, and diplomatic prowess. They see themselves as inheritors of a noble legacy, destined not for imperial dominance but for leading by example in trade, knowledge, and refinement. This ethos fosters a sense of cultural pride and a view that Arcadia is a bastion of enlightenment and order in a world often ruled by violence and strife.

Legacy and Influence

Through its wealth, knowledge, and diplomatic acumen, Arcadia has carved out a unique place in Sha'Lazar’s history. It is a city-state that embodies resilience and self-assurance, a beacon of civilization amidst the harsh realities of desert life. To the people of Sha'Lazar, Arcadia represents the possibility of prosperity and stability in the desert, a place where honor and heritage meet ingenuity and independence.

The Taj'Mina bath houses sit to the east of the Bazaar of Arcadia. Separate from the bustling commerce of the main market place, Taj'Mina is available to locals who can afford to pay for such extravagance; frequented mainly by palace guards, rich merchants, and whatever noblemen and women who happen to be visiting the city.

The business and its building houses Rassid Isnafah, the owner, his two wives, three children, four guards, and five servant-slaves.
These fifteen people see to the running of the bath houses - tending: the kitchen, a furnace that burns day and night, the first-level courtyard and gardens, running water to all levels, bathing pool maintenance, and assisting in guest requests, and the security of it all.

The structure is comprised of four levels above ground, and half a level below.
-- The below-ground area is where a deep well can be found which supplies water for the bath houses.
-- The main floor has three large pools with hot water, and two smaller pools with cold water… and the back rooms are guard and servant quarters; housing four guards and five servant-slaves.
-- Level two is a large hot pool and three massage beds.
-- Level three are rooms for lease
-- And, Level four is private home of Rassid Isnafah, his two wives, and three children.

Each pool is treated with mountain rock salt - a new addition as Rassid only recently found himself wealthy enough for such an expense. The result of which has cut down on cleaning time, as well as many ladies, finding that after sitting in the pools for a few hours, their skin is much softer to the touch. The salted pools on the first and second floor come in pairs as heated or cooled, with two per suite. In these rooms, an array of house-made bath products can be found, created by Rassid's wives and women slaves out of the Boabab and Carob trees that grow in the courtyard gardens.

A particular favorite among the Ladies who visit Taj'mina, is a particular set of products made from the mature pods of the Carob tree which are boiled and turned into a porridge. From there, the slaves will apply it to a Lady's body and let it sit for hours until hardened. After, the Lady finds her skin to be rich with moisture and free of blemish.