Kali-Shaza

Ruled by the Emperor and his boy prince.

The sprawling city of Kali-Shaza is dominated by a strict caste system that divides society into 5 distinct classes based on a primordial being. From the mouth come the Brahmans—the priests and teachers. From the arms come the Kshatriyas—the rulers and soldiers. From the thighs come the Vaisyas—merchants and traders. From the feet come the Sudras—laborers. A fifth group describes the people who are achuta, or untouchable. The primordial being does not claim them. Untouchables are outcasts—people considered too impure, too polluted, to rank as worthy beings.

One of the oldest cities on the continent, cradle of civilization, near saltwater fishing, temperate plains, limestone hills rich in minerals, resource-rich jungle. A natural spawning ground for human civ.

A great stone aqueduct from the hills into the city, providing fresh water and running fountains.

Sprawling shanty-town of temporary shacks smoky fire-pits with suspect carcasses smoking, drugs, and unregulated commerce outside the walls. Here, the beggar Untouchables risk death by merely touching a guard or other caste.

Then great jade-enhanced limestone walls, 60' high, 30' thick, inpenetrable, jade dragons on the towers threatening to rebuke any attackers.

Guards are in sweet jade-tinted plate mail, embossed with reptilian scales and dramatic steel flairs to their shoulders and helmets. Vicious-looking halberds and glaives. Curtains of chainmail hang from their helmets, guarding the neck. Well defended. They all have mustaches.

From Dragonslayers GM notes:

Within city, 5-story buildings, ornately carved, warriors and snakes and elephants and sharks leaping from the water to attack hordes of tiny naked villagers. Everything is ancient. Underground sewage and marble streets punctuated by 30' high great multi-faced jade statues of multitudinous deities, keep things civilized though, with clean water emerging from the hands, mouths, breasts, penises, vaginas of statue-centered fountains. Brown-skinned citizens in simple sarongs and robes fill clay vessels from these apertures, politely discussing matters of the day in the process.

Elephants! with riders above and carts behind.

Cobra charmers, people placing bets.

Snake temples, with huge cobras atop towers.

The castes! Easy to reconize (from wiki)

Brothels for men and women on main streets, salespeople dragging you in.

Sows and their piglets underfoot, shirtless dark-skinned driver swatting them with reeds.

Goats nudging ppl out of the way.

Lush, trees here and there, some with fruit, monkeys.

Little cookfires on the street, smoky, poor people cooking odd bits of meat on sticks. smells delcious though.

Public slaughter of water buffalo in a stone trough as religious ritual, people collecting blood in wooden bowls from spigots before the priest with painted face and white dreadlocks starts hacking off meat, blessing it with incense and solemn words, handing it out on the tip of a knife.

Certainly some black lotus, the best...

Location: Map 9