The city of Carthen is a sovereign city-state that sits nestled in the Dry River Pass on the edge of the high desert. The city is ruled by Governor Reme Abara and a council, picked annually by the guilds, that advises him on maters of state. Even though Carthen is not part of the Kingdom of Silverthorn, it does have an active contingent of House Jakoric. It is rumored that this contingent is older than the house itself and is the true force behind the governing of the city. The city houses a bit over 35,000 people and is completely walled in to shield its inhabitants from the harsh winds that blow in off the desert and pick up speed as they enter the Pass. The wall also serves to protect the citrus trees that grow outside the city on the leeward side. The cities chief export is cloth. The silks from Carthen are the finest in the kingdom and are vigorously sought out by those of wealth.
The weavers of Carthen have also developed a fabric commonly called "Moonfell" from the secretions of the rather large "Moon Worm". The Moon Worm is a white and blue bioluminescent worm that measure over twice the height of a full grown man but has a diameter no greater than that of a child’s smallest finger. This worm secreets a fine silver thread to create intricate webs to catch other insects and worms for food. When woven, this thread produces a cloth that shines like steel, is lighter than silk, but has the strength of a stout sail. This cloth reflects the hot pounding rays of the sun and is light enough to be worn in the noon day sun without much effort. This cloth is heavily sought after by the Il’Harad.
The Il'Harad
The Il’harad are a nomadic people who wonder the high desert from watering hole to watering hole. They come to the city of Carthen during the fall to buy their year’s worth of supplies. The Il’harad are a quiet stoic people with a dark skin and haunting blue-gray eyes that seem to glow in dim light The origin of the Il’harad is somewhat of a mystery. They do not share any of their history with outsiders and, as I found out, do not take kindly to the questions of the curious. They travel in extended family groups and carry all they own on the backs of horse like creatures with humps on their back. They call these creature "Ara’Shial" and they are the most prized possession an Il’harad can own. The Ara’Shial can travel the desert for weeks on end without so much as a drop of water. Unlike many nomadic peoples, Il’harad males only take one bride and protect them viciously. Taking only one bride may have roots in the philosophy that the family unit must be kept small in order to decrease the amount of water the family needs to survive. The Il’harad as a people distrust all magic exept that connected to the creation of water. Il’harad water-witches are rare amongst the people and when found, they often lead large groups of extended families as the sole political power. It is said that the water-witches can find water even in the middle of the high desert and, if no water is to be found, they can create it out of thin air. Other uses of magic by the water wizards is strictly forbidden by the people and tradition. The Il’harad feel that once the entire high desert was a lush tropical forest paradise that was destroyed bit by bit as the spell weavers of Phantera raped the forces of nature and perverted them to their will. They feel that every time a spell is cast, the last bits of this paradise, the Il’harad watering holes, are stolen away. The Il’harad do not use alchemy either. This may be due to their nomadic nature which makes it impossible to maintain any sort of laboratory in which to create potions.
The Serpentine
Another feature of the city of Carthen is an area known as the Serpentine. The serpentine is a series of alleyways and narrow streets that house the cities brothel district, its junk shops, and its less than reputable citizenry. The most popular tavern in the serpentine is The Green Rose. The green rose is known for its poor ale and hideous bar wenches, but it is a hub of underworld activity. It is said that no item is stolen that does not pass through the Green Rose.
Politics
The people of Carthen are a friendly lot. The prime entertainment in the city is storytelling. People sit in the shade and pass entire days by swapping tales. There are quite a few people who make there living through the telling of stories. They tend to build followings of people who follow them through the streets listening to their stories and paying them with coin and goods. One of the most influential guilds in the city, the Bards Guild, reflects the cities passion for stories. It is said they gain political favors in exchange for not telling certain stories about public officials.
The strongest guild in Carthen is the thieves guild. The guild is much more blatant in the city than it is in the Kingdom of Silverthorn. They make little effort to conceal themselves. The cities guard leaves them be in exchange for the understanding that the thievery will not get too out of hand. Any thief who does not belong to the guild, however, is punished severely by the guild if caught. The guild divided the city into five sectors. The sectors are watched over by a guild appointed "Hawk" through whom all major robberies in the sector must be cleared. Private citizens often pay the Hawk tribute in order to protect their homes and valuables. These Hawks sit on a council called "The Council of Five" and govern the guild workings. The Hawks are constantly fighting for the enlargement of their sector and for control of the brightest and best thieves. Currently, three of the Hawks are members of House Jakoric.