Difference between revisions of "Azra, City of Bronze"

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Azra, City of Bronze, is a fortified city-state located on the alternative material plane of Fierth.

Overview

Azra is a walled city, home to perhaps 7,000 souls and built around an oasis in the Desert of Geoff on the alternative material plane of Fierth. The city's great sandstone walls rise 20 feet from the desert floor, looking like slabs of rock thrown down by the gods themselves. Men in bronze helms and leather armor walk the top of the wall, spears at their sides, every vigilant for threats that might rise from the desert.

Beyond the wall a handful of three-story sand-stone buildings rise over the walls, the great flags of red and gold fluttering lightly in the desert breezes. Two great iron gates prevent access to the city. During the day, the gates stand open and guards interrogate anyone attempting to enter. During the night, the gates are shut, and no one is allowed entrance into the city.

Efreet Visitors

The city is occasionally visited by efreet traders from the Elemental Plane of Fire, who travel to the city through the Burning Tree of Azra (a planar portal located two days outside of the city)

Undead Threats

For the last month (Sunsebb 591) the ancient dead have been rising from their graves and walking the land. Some of these are ancient skeletons from the centuries-old apocalypse. Some are the newly dead, risen as ghouls hungry for human flesh. The later seem so life like that a few of the guards let them into the city, much to their everlasting regret. It took an extended hunt and a pitched battle to kill the creatures, and those who were slain by the creatures soon rose as undead themselves.

As a result, the Gates of Azra now closed at night; only those who’ve been touched by the suns rays are allowed admittance to the city.

Dying Oasis

Unknown to all but Sheik Zorgar and the city's druid protector Master Ankor, the city's oasis is dying, and has been for the last month or so. The druid is dying along with it, his animal companion -- a great desert camel -- having died only days earlier.

The Dragon

Over month ago, a red dragon appeared and spent spent several weeks flying over the desert. When it finally roosted in the nearby Crystalmist Mountains, one of the great mountains -- Mount Infernous -- awoke. According to the Sheik, there are claims from travelers that burning lines running to the mountain can be found in the deep desert … and that those lines are slowly growing longer. Mount Infernus is believed to hold an ancient sealed portal to the Elemental Plane of Fire and the Sheik fears the dragon might be attempting to open that portal.

Kobold Menace

Bands of kobolds have taken to menacing the caravan roads in and out of Azra. The creatures arrived through the Burning Tree, and are believed to be allied with the dragon.

People

Leaders

• Sheik Zorgar, Lord of Azra: Zorgar is a proud paladin of Al'Akbar, still strong and capable despite being nearly 60. His arms look like steel ropes, and he still carries a gilded scimitar at his side ... and can clearly still use it. He is a wise ruler, and one who knows that the fall off in trade is the least of his cities worries.
• Master Ankor, Druid Protector of Azra: An elderly druid who's strength has recently been sapped by the mystical assault of Fierth.

Guardsmen

• Daywatch Commander Ghatair (War1; Diplomacy +2, Insight +1): A reasonable, jovial man who enjoys talking with travelers. He laments the drop off in trade recently, and the damnable kobolds. He blames their plague on the recent reawakening of Mount Infernous, a volcano located in the range to the west, by a red dragon.
• Nightshift Commander Haridj (War3: Diplomacy +3, Insight +3) Absolutely paranoid. His mean plead with him to let travelers in at night, but he refuses. He is suspicious of anyone outside the gates after nightfall, claiming that they can not trick him, and that surely they know of the undead plague that has threatened the city for weeks, since THEY ARE PART OF IT!

Shopkeepers

• Ulunhai (Exp2), weaponsmith
• Alaj (Wiz3) brewer of potions and magical trinkets
• Zajma (Com1) seller of dry goods and desert travel supplies
• Bulqan (Com2) supplier of mercenaries and scouts for overland caravans.
• Morbin (Com3), owner of the Golden Cobra Inn