Qarah's Dream

Qarah's Dream is the only city on the Isle of Reunification. It was founded by Vah'dis after learning of Qarah's death. It is led by a council of three Siarvaldans and three Yasamaqi, known as the Council of Six Sages. It is the center of commerce and culture of Aj'kar.

Current events

Despite the city's overall positive situation, not everything is as peachy as it seems. Qarah's Dream claims allegiance to neither Siarvald nor Yasamaq, as written in the Everlasting Peace Treaty; they are neutral in all respects, to allow true cooperation between the two continents and allow a neutral ground for negotiations. However, that neutrality is starting to fray.   With the troubles rising between Siarvald and Yasamaq, Dreamers dread the possibility of war. Some have kept a strong cultural identity, and therefore side with one continent or the other, creating clashes with their "adversaries" or even proponents of peace. So far, nobody has been harmed because of such a confrontation, but they have still managed to create a general air of unease and instability in the once-peaceful city.   To make matters worse, some people have taken advantage of the growing discomfort in order to cause chaos; recently, there have been increased reports of crimes such as robbery, burglary, and public aggression. Nobody truly knows who or what is behind that increase, or even if it's just a single entity or more than one working in concert. The only thing that is set in stone is that the long-kept peace of the Dreamers may soon shatter...

Geography

Qarah's Dream is on the Isle of Reunification, towards the north of Aj'kar. It sits between Lake Vah'dis and Lake Qarah, each one being oriented towards the continent of origin of their namesake. The Isle itself is otherwise unremarkable; the city itself, however, is far more interesting. Is it the only city on Aj'kar that could be called a metropolis; it is home to tens of thousands of people, and spans over a large part of the Isle itself, growing larger with each year that passes. Its large size explains the lack of monsters on the Isle, as most have already been culled in order to make more room for the city's expansion, and assure its safety.   The city itself is divided into six districts, each with its specific role. Each district is administered by one of the Council of Six Sages. The districts are as follows:

• Commerce District,
• Administration District,
• Housing District,
• Entertainment District,
• Magic District,
• Religious District.

Because the city is so large, those who can afford it often travel by horse-drawn carriages or coaches through it. Such services cost one copper piece per kilometer. Otherwise, people walk at a normal pace of five kilometer per hour.     Legend:

• Purple: Commerce District.
• Blue: Housing District.
• Gold: Religious District.
• Red: Entertainment District.
• Green: Magic District.
• Gray: Administration District.

Flag

The flag of Qarah's Dream represents not only the initial wish of Qarah, but also its status as Aj'kar most important port city.   The rectangular flag's bottom half represents the blue sea, undulating yet calm. The top half is further divided in two: the topmost quadrant represents the black sky, occupied only by a singular moon in its crescent form in the top left corner, representing the dream that Qarah wanted to so dearly protect. Finally, the middle quadrant represents an unfurling scroll over a white background; the Everlasting Peace Treaty, the defining symbol of trade and commerce in the city.

Culture

Qarah's Dream occupies a very special cultural space in Aj'kar, the likes of which can be found nowhere else. This can be attributed to its central position geography-wise, which means it roughly equidistant from both Siarvald and Yasamaq. When the Everlasting Peace Treaty was signed, it was still a wild, untamed land; therefore, the most ambitious, lucky, and/or reckless people from both continents came to settle this new land, and leave their mark on history. The people who live on Qarah's Dream now are the descendants of those brave few.   Therefore, the Dreamer culture can be both considered a hodgepodge of Siarvaldan and Yasamaqi culture and something entirely unique. Dreamers like organisation and rules, but only when they're so loose that they still allow them a good bit of freedom; they find social coherence to be important, but accept the differences and quirks of each person; they value both their loved ones and the integrity of the community as a whole.   Overall, it would be accurate to describe Qarah's Dream as a multicultural, diverse, open city. The laws are more lax than they are over at Siarvald, but they're tight enough (especially regarding commerce) that crime is relatively low, even with the more recent events. This is aided by a strong entertainment industry and culture that helps keep the people happy, making it a very attractive option for anyone looking to emigrate - if they can afford it.

Final disposition

Of notable concern is the peculiar problem of burying the dead in Qarah's Dream. This was a subject of cultural clashes for a few centuries after the founding of the city, before Qarah's Dream developed an identity of its own; nobody could agree on whether or not bodies should be buried, burned, or disposed of in the Ocean. Since this issue is also rooted in religion, it was harder to settle and led to many changes in policy over the years.   Nowadays, it is generally agreed that throwing dead bodies in the Ocean is harmful to the fishes that live there - not to mention the unfortunate fact that some corpses float, and do not sink. Considering that the soil of the Isle is generally considered useless to grow most things, in true Qarah's Dream fashion, it has been deemed it may as well be useful in disposing of bodies.   This has led to the creation of a graveyard known as the Eternal Sleep.

Economy

As an officially recognised neutral ground between Siarvald and Yasamaq, Qarah's Dream is a center of commerce like no other on Aj'kar. The Everlasting Peace Treaty dictates that all trade between the two continents is to first transit to the Isle of Reunification, so that the boats are less likely to get lost in the Mist of Lost Souls. Furthermore, trade can be made faster this way, as either side only needs to travel half as long in comparison to going to the other continent each time.   All goods that can be traded are found in Qarah's Dream, and the Council of Six Sages levies taxes on each trade that is made within their ground. While that tax is very small, it has allowed the city to flourish greatly - compensating for the fact that the Isle's soil is of fairly poor quality, and that its fauna and flora are nothing remarkable compared to either continent. The wealth accumulated this way has historically been used to help the city's growth, giving it access to establishments that would be rare elsewhere, such as magic schools or bard colleges.   One other thing contributes to the city's revenue is its Entertainment District. It is unique amongst Aj'kar, and is a world-wide attraction that wealthy visitors from other continents pay quite a sum to visit - and then spend the rest of their gold carousing in.

Artifact Hunting

A profession unique to Qarah's Dream is that of artifact hunting. It is a well-known fact that the Yawning Ocean is home to all sorts of ruins, and those ruins are rich in ancient and (often) magical artifacts. This has not failed to attract the notice of the wealthy, nor that of those interested in history. This quickly gave rise to professional artifact hunters, who dive within the depths of the Ocean to gather the treasures within. Considering the various beasts that roam underwater - and the difficulty to breathe underwater in the first place -, the services of Tritons or specialised mages are very precious in said profession.   There are many competing organisations within Qarah's Dream; some keep the artifacts for themselves, others sell them to private or public contractors, etc. Competition is extremely fierce in this domain, further adding to the danger of joining this profession.  

Factions

• Dreamcatchers: The guards of Qarah's Dream, they represent the interests of the common people that wish for a safe place to live in. Their goal is to keep the peace in the city; a particularly arduous task considering the variety of people that call it home.
• One Dream Association: Although Qarah's Dream remains largely independent from Siarvald and Yasamaq, that is not enough for the separatist One Dream Association, who believes that the city should actually become its own nation. Notably, their demands include the formation of an all-Dreamer council, instead of the one composed from Siarvaldan and Yasamaqi that exists to this day; a system they find to be archaic.
• Strength Of Many: An off shoot of the One Dream Association, these radicals believe that Qarah's Dream should not only become independent, but become the foremost power in the world due to their particular position and importance in Aj'kar. They have a belligerent outlook that is nonetheless allowed to be preached in Qarah's Dream - for now.
• Fair Commerce Alliance: This alliance of traders was one of the first guilds to come into existence in the city. On the one hand, it dutifully pays its taxes to the city and does a lot to make sure that none of the goods sold there are illegal or of shady origin; on the other hand, they conspire with each other in regards to prices, often preventing poorer traders from ever having a chance to sell their goods. Their reputation, therefore, is mixed at best.
• Changing Coin: The Changing Coin is the name given to an association of smugglers and various other criminals. While not an officially recognised guild, most people attribute crimes in the city to them. As such, they are the eternal enemy of the Dreamcatchers.