The Seven Great Houses of Ulrak'ce

The seven scales or seven great houses of Ulrak'ce are the presiding authority over the city. Each house directly oversees an important aspect of the city. Military, Law, infrastructure, agriculture, trade, magic and water management, and religion. Houses carry strong familial ties, but that does not limit outsiders from working under their domains; just how far they can climb.

Military - anyone can join the military, and if you're poor enough, you'll have to. Because of the original agreement between the united Orc tribes and the Yuan-ti that created the diarchy, half-orcs make up almost half of soldiers of all ranks. Humans, always the ever-present species, make up the next bulk of the military. Most human citizens of Ulrak'ce find themselves vying to work directly under one of the six houses, and the military is the easiest to enter. Unlike all of the other houses, the Ulrak'cean military demonstrates very few acts of nepotism and prefers to reward might. If a Yuan-ti is in the ranks, they may be low in their family's hierarchy, show little magic potential, or are a spy. Yuan-ti, while just as physically capable as every other species in Ulrak'ce, have consolidated their kind to working directly under families in self-fulfilling endeavors for power and authority.

Law - considered the domestic military, the judicial system of Ulrak'ce is straightforward. Keep everyone in line. Other houses try to add and interject to what should be enforced like regulation of magic and prohibiting blasphemy, but the guard are more concerned with more physical matters. Orcs have fallen into the societal position of the physically prowess and make up most town guard. Important houses have their own pick of who their personal guard consists of. Usually people they trust.

Infrastructure - Ulrak'ce's best and brightest make living in a desert possible. They know it's more than just pumping magic into the land to make water. It's building around a secret oasis that the masses aren't aware of, on top of ancient structures to long dead serpent gods, and expanding into a desert to support a growing population. They are as brilliant as they are stressed, but thanks to another desert civilization, underground ruins, and the human/orc labor force, they have everything under control. Maybe.

Agriculture - Literally growing crops and maintaining livestock in a desert. That raises problems, but people need animal products so they make due. Ulrak'ce used to commission farmers from desperate lands for cheap to emigrate and provide their help. That brought a good amount of people seeking asylum.

Trade - commerce is vital for any city, and starting one from two isolated groups - a nomadic collection of tribes and underground cultists - it is hard. Receiving recognition as a city-state takes money and building a city takes money as well. The Diarchy is a very self-sufficient country. Free to expand as far as they can with no neighboring civilization, the only limits are the amount of resources to achieve it with. Trade is rare, but not unseen. Ulrak'ce has trade delegates for both physical products and knowledge. Espionage, information on desert city,