Hattan
Set along the winding bends of the Matej River, Hattan is a city of rhythm and resilience. It does not boast the grandeur of Halila or the mercantile might of Sabar, but it is the steady heartbeat of Eastern Vaaskyr. Here, river barges glide between fields of barley and fig, bureaucrats tally grain shipments beneath sun-dappled awnings, and temple bells ring through a city that values duty and balance above all.
Hattan serves as a link between desert, river, and trade, connecting farmlands to the empire’s broader commercial and political structure. It is a city where tradition holds firm, even as the world around it shifts.
Hattan serves as a link between desert, river, and trade, connecting farmlands to the empire’s broader commercial and political structure. It is a city where tradition holds firm, even as the world around it shifts.
Government
Hattan is ruled by the River Prefect, appointed by the imperial court in Halila. This figure oversees grain taxes, regional water rights, and river navigation laws. The position is deeply respected, and former prefects are often elevated to advisory roles in the imperial bureaucracy.
Civil administration is aided by the Ledger of Flow, a council of record-keepers, canal engineers, and scribes responsible for organizing river schedules, crop yields, and maintenance of the irrigation systems.
Civil administration is aided by the Ledger of Flow, a council of record-keepers, canal engineers, and scribes responsible for organizing river schedules, crop yields, and maintenance of the irrigation systems.
Defences
Hattan maintains a river watch, a trained guard of soldiers and sailors who patrol the Matej for bandits or illegal toll collectors. A small armory rests on the northern bluff, with beacon towers that can alert Sabar or Wasneh in emergencies.
Its strongest defenses, however, lie in the city’s meticulous knowledge of the land: floodgates, riverlocks, and food stores that can sustain it even under siege.
Its strongest defenses, however, lie in the city’s meticulous knowledge of the land: floodgates, riverlocks, and food stores that can sustain it even under siege.
Industry & Trade
Hattan is a breadbasket city, exporting grains, fruit, and livestock downriver to coastal cities like Sabar or northward to the empire's drier reaches. It also supports industries in:
Irrigation engineering and ceramic pipe-making
Preserved foods and tanned leather
Papyrus and parchment production
Stone milling and river transport services
While not a bustling marketplace city, Hattan hosts seasonal river fairs, where regional goods are traded in bulk and farmers bring their harvests for appraisal and sale.
Architecture
The city sprawls across both banks of the Matej, connected by three large stone bridges adorned with Vaaskyrian knotwork and guardian effigies. The riverfront is tiered for irrigation and transport, with long quays built to accommodate low-hulled grain barges and ferries.
Hattan’s buildings are simple but elegant, with domed villas of red clay and smooth brick, cooled by shaded courtyards and latticework windows. The streets are broad and clean, reflecting the city's deliberate and orderly nature.
Hattan’s buildings are simple but elegant, with domed villas of red clay and smooth brick, cooled by shaded courtyards and latticework windows. The streets are broad and clean, reflecting the city's deliberate and orderly nature.
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