Tyr, City of Ishtar

Imports: foodstuffs,

Exports: Iron, Desert Spices

Ruler: Rykus, Sadira, and council

Religious Ruler:

City Spell: Breath of Khalak

Description: Tyr is located near the eastern border of the Threefold Land. Due to its location and the power of Khalak, its former ruling dragon, it has been one of the most powerful of the cities in the Onesh. It is still central to most Hachdeshani trade routes. Trade with the elves and thrikeen also provide goods for trade with the other Ishtar cities. Like all desert cities, the first rule in politics is a non-interference policy with the trade houses. Before his submission to Taran and Rahasia, Khalak maintained control of the iron mines. Under the leadership of the church, negotiations are beginning to create a cooperatively owned mine, with turned over in exchange for two months to the liberated slaves now looking for opportunities within the city walls. The rulership of Tyr is also very concerned with the peasantry, the poor, the impoverished, and the homeless. Their loyalty to Lord Soothra, the Caararcairn, Archbishop Al'Vere and the church stemmed from their demonstration of concern for the abolition of slavery. Although indentured servitude remains the mildest of the sentence-based judgments in punishment for crime (in place of imprisonment or loss of limbs), slavery as an economic practice has been entirely outlawed. As a political entity as yet outside the realm of existing Nyrondian countries, the city plans to experiment with council-led rulership, allowing the church to maintain control over religious affairs and sacrifices for the city. In recognition of the superior military strategy of Babylonian leaders, council rule will be suspended in times of war or necessary city defense and placed under the leadership of the Lord Soothra.

As the first of the desert cities to be conquered in Ishtar's name, the alliance between ambivalent city leaders and Ishtar sympathizers and the "wetlander" rulers, remains anxious. The presence of the once despotic, and now-cowed dragon, breathless, chained and subdued, along with promises of a golden age of freedom from such tyranny, have smoothed the transition, but much work remains left to do in this experiment. The memory of the Angel Luke's appearance during the first attack on the city's dragon and templars and his net of protection that saved the city's people in the heat of battle against its ruler weighs heavily among the citizens who have little to lose with a change in leadership, particularly the poor and the Preservers among the Veiled Alliance. They, like all the Hachdeshani of the Threefold Land, have little trust in rulers or their promises. Ishtar's followers will need to prove their promises before even those most willing to accept them can become loyal believers.

The Iron Mines: "Cursed" long ago by the Hedgekin, the mines have a natural impurity which poisons some of those who try to recover ore from its depths. Under the Oba’s suggestion, Babylon circulated rumors that the Hedgekin’s Curse was really a poison in the iron itself. Hedgekin are 4-ft. subterranean creatures, very vile-looking. Mine workers have a one in ten chance of being poisoned. Under Khalak, this was blamed upon the "curse" of monsters living within the mine walls, and mining slaves were merely left to die by the templars who guarded and drove the workers. Neutralize poisons DO counteract the effects of the mine's poison and will be available for the new worker-shareholders under the guidance of the church of Ishtar.

The Pattern of Iron: Far beneath the city in chambers guarded and run by Khalak, Balkuni-Suloese pattern-mages drew the pattern of iron, designed to help with the mines. Those who walk it may change the conductivity, concentration, and qualities of the iron. Any wooden items that pass along the pattern are turned to iron, and the iron golem who guarded the pattern may be controlled with the pattern-mage staff of golem control.

The Arena: Almost the site of the greatest carnage in the Threefold Land since the Reign of Colorless Fire was released upon it a thousand years ago, the arena was filled with citizens whose lifeforce Khalak was draining to force his own molting. This drain was disrupted by Taran and Rahasia on the day of Tyr's liberation, and the people escaped, for the most part, unscathed. Gladiatorial matches and the daily and monthly sacrificies to the church take place within the arena and in a tower erected near its center.

The Ziggurat of Khalak: As a sign of his tyranny and a warehouse of spell components for Khalak's metamorphosis, the ziggurat represents the drain of life, resources, and morale to the dragon tyrant, nearly bankrupting the city itself. Much of the lower level of the ziggurat has been destroyed during the battle in its lower chambers in which Taran and Rahasia fought both the present Khalak and a younger version of himself until they were subdued.

At its edges is the central square of the city in which Taran used Andropenes' ring to cast a dragon's green spell and bring some life back to the city during their first skirmish with the dragon of Tyr.

Possible encounters:

Dark Sun Encounter Tables:

Verdant Belt

2 cloud ray

3 drake, fire

4 insect swarm, athasian

5 t’chowb

6 beetle, agony

7 demihuman

8 bog wader

9 erdland

10 z’tal (animal, herd)

11 b’rohg

12 jankz (animal, herd)

13 slave worker

14 braxat

15 templar patrol

16 id fiend

17 thri-kreen

18 drake, earth

19 gaj

20 drake, water

Verdant Belt, First Alternative

2 could ray

3 drake, fire

4 insect swarm, athasian

5 t’chowb

6 beetle, agony

7 gith

8 bog wader

9 erdland

10 z’tal (animal, herd)

11 b’rohg

12 jankz (animal, herd)

13 jozhal

14 braxat

15 belgoi

16 id fiend

17 tohr-kreen

18 drake, earth

19 gaj

20 drake, water

History under the God-King Khalak

Dragon is Khalak (subdued) and city now ruled by council, giving food to Ishtar, home to an iron mine. Each year 1000 people sacrificed to Khalak and 1000 to the dragon in the desert. When Babylon conquers Tyr, the sacrifice to the dragon in the desert goes to Tiamat, and they sacrifice animals instead. The Oba said Khalak’s intellect is his greatest strength, but Himanu said Khalak was a fool. Ishtar tells us Khalak’s greatest power is his electrical breath (376 hp), which alters protections against it and creates permanent scarring.

• Khalak at one point placed his mark, a dragon tooth, upon Taran as a mark of his territory. It was removed when Taran killed Khalak’s older self in battle.
• Khalak avenges our attacks through the Oba’s suggestion about the mine and the thorn of the birthing tree by attacking Altaruk, blocking it with a giant cloud of ash that drains life. It exists on the astral and ethereal planes as well. Khalak is enacting a life-draining ceremony to help him molt and evolve. He first kills Rahasia and Taran, steals Charissa, and returns to his lair under the ziggurat to finish his ceremony.
• Khalak’s lair includes an iron pattern. The rocks in the area have iron ore, and we cannot fly as we become heavy. Normal items carried through the pattern turn to iron. Sald, the liquid iron golem, can walk the pattern quite easily, having been made by it. Information about him is contained in an iron scroll tube, “Sald San Tyr Salid” (Sald, his name, your path is mine).
• The Dragon’s Breath (sacrificed through spoil’s of war) will summon the Angel of Death through the Gate. The Angel of Death has huge swords for arms. Ishtar took Khalak’s last breath, but Rahasia only subdued him as a sign to other dragons in the desert that they should slow down their attacks against Babylon. Khalak remains tied, bound by the circlet of binding under Kigumi’s watch in Altaruk.

A New Beginning under Ishtar

The new church of Ishtar is made of stone

The High Council of Tyr rules with Rykus and Sadira at the top. Verad, former Sheriff of Babylon, serves as Special Assistant to the High Council for Internal Security, and his job is to keep Rykus and Sadira alive.

Adele has been moved to Tyr to run the church with the aid of a 9^th level cleric of Anshar and several shield maidens. Sultan sends Keterina to advise Verad. She is of Greyhawk City and is familiar with desdarmi, the great game. Urik, Drag, Nibeney, all sent agents to destabilize Tyr. House Sham sent 1000 human mercenaries and marauders to attack trade to Tyr, trying to enforce sanctions against the city. Four assassination attempts were made against Rykus and Sadira. House Sham needs to go down.