Ak'Turan

Turanian fortress east of Irill

In the year 442 AH, Emir Faysal gathered a mighty host on his lands near the Anor Mountains. He marched them along the Bitter Road. His goal was to conquer Andali, the capitol of the Irillian Republic. His northern flanks was harried by the horsemen of Carthia, while the Kithkin of Kith raided his supply train from the south.

Before winter set in, Emir Faysal order the construction of a vast fortress. He had reached nearly three-quarters (3/4) along the trade road and by next summer should be able to besiege the city. Unfortunately for him three Irillian Legions marched east along the road during the winter and besieged his forces instead. If he had not ordered a fortress built his army would have perished; instead he was forced to sue for peace.

The fortress city of Ak'Turan sits astride the trade road although it does not harass or tax caravans passing through aside from a nominal fee to maintain the patrols. Irillian merchants are immune from the fees. It can collect a hawking fee, so the Emir built a bazaar to rival any found in the Empire. Merchants from the west can trade their goods for a minimal fee to eastern merchants and forgo the dangerous road east - Eastern merchants do not have to suffer the higher hawking fees they pay in western towns and cities.

From 445 to 452, Emir Faysal spent heavily from the treasury and his own personal funds to increase the size of the courtyard as well as building another wall farther out. This outer wall encompasses the bazaar and most of the town that grew up near the fortress. It has a good aquifer and access to plenty of stored food inside making a siege nearly impossible.

• Name: Bazaar of the West
• Location: Turanian Empire
• Founded: Turanians 443 AH
• Ruler: Emir Faysal Najem
• Demonym: Bornheimer
• Land Area: 1,300 km² (320,000 acres)

  • Woods: xxx acres (xx km²)
  • Cleared: xxx acres (xx km²), xxx acres cultivated
  • Tenant:
  • Demesne:
• Population: 8,000
• Ethnicity: Human (7,600), Orc (200), Dwarf (100), Kithkin (75), Other (25)
• Military:

Emir Faysal was a competent military commander and picked a defensible location upon which to construct his fortress. The fortress would not have fallen to the Irillians if he had been able to fully lay in his stores and complete the outer curtain wall before the legions arrived.

The land around is temperate grassland providing very good soil for crops and grass for herding. There is sufficient rainfall to keep the rivers flowing in all but the driest season. An aquifer large enough to support a city twice its size if located below the fortress.

While the fortress does not sit on the largest hill in sight, it was built on the largest hill in the surrounding lands that is near the trade route. The city itself was not built on the trade route, but the trade route began to pass through Ak'Turan once the bazaar reached completion.

The Emir rules as absolute ruler - answering to no man. When he passes he will turn over the crown to his eldest son. Nominally there is a council of elders, one from each district, but the Emir simply plays them lip-service. Should the council stand together it may actually benefit the people, but many members of the council prefer the strong hand of the Emir to the potential despots among them.

Each family that owns land in the city or the surrounding villages must provide a fit and hale male of their family for military service. Exceptional men may stay on following their three (3) years of service. These men become the sergeants and officers of the army. One-third (1/3) of the soldiers are released each year and replaced with new men. This retains as much experience as possible within the ranks.

The military of the city provide patrols along the trade route as well as walking the outer and inner walls. Although a few men each year stay on and become officers - in truth most of the officers are mercenaries hired for Emir's silver.