Surket

"'Surket has some fancy names; 'Birthplace of Humanity', 'Crown of the Veridian', 'City at the Center of the World', and about a dozen more that all make it seem lofty and fantastical. Naturally, nobody in Surket actually uses these names. No, their name is much more accurate: the 'Meat Grinder'.' - The Crimson City, a Guide to Surket by Dante Rigis"Surket is the largest city on Irdas, lying at the mouth of the Crimson River where it flows into the eastern Veridian Sea on the northern coast of Antibor. The city is a major political, economic, and cultural power within the Veridian Sea and controls the eastern sea from the Stormbinder Strait all the way to the Far Eastern Passage.

Surrounding Geography
Surket lies upon a bluff on the edge of the Veridian Sea, with almost half of the city on the edge of the massive cliff known simply as the White Wall and the other half of the city spilling out and below the cliff to the harbor. The Crimson River flows north from the Crimson Desert into the city proper, where it once fell off naturally into the gorge that cuts through the center of the city known as the Scar. Nowadays, however, the river is diverted into a number of canals and spread throughout the city in aqueducts, with only the sewage and wastewater flowing into the Scar and out to sea.

Surket is surrounded on three sides by the Crimson Desert. The Crimson River flows from the south across the desert and has historically been prone to flooding seasonally. A series of levies exist south of the city that have created several small lakes which provide water for farming and grazing. Further south, the Crimson River becomes the only source of water for days in any direction, but its unpredictable nature and ever changing path makes it difficult to navigate and the source of the river has never been found.

To the west of Surket is the Sultanate of Oristan which is connected by the Iron Highway that crosses the desert along the coast and passes through dozens of small fishing villages. Technically, Oristan controls all territory up to Surket itself. In practice, however, the stretch of coast between Surket and the Oristani city of Al-Hazra is lawless. To the east of Surket lies the Protectorate of the Holy Flame, a span of territory controlled by the templar order of the same name. The Templars of the Holy Flame have sworn to protect the Far Eastern Passage from control by any nation they consider to be heathen or unworthy. This land is rocky and sparse, dotted with ancient temples and keeps until it reaches the east coast of Antibor.

City Layout
The city is comprised of 17 districts, which can be divided a number of different ways. Some common distinctions include splitting the city between the upper city and lower city, with the districts atop the bluffs being the upper city and all the districts descending from the bluffs and along the harbor being the lower city. Another way is to split the city between the new city and the old city, which are distinguished between the districts that are encompassed by the old city wall and the ones that came after that wall was erected.

The city has several large thoroughfares, all of which go through the Gardens District across the Hangman's Bridge, a huge bridge which crosses over the Crimson River as it flows over into the Scar in a tremendous waterfall. The city has a wide range of architecture, ranging from ancient to modern and coming in a plethora of styles. The entire city was built around the Citadel, a huge fortress that lies upon an outcropping in between the east and west chasm of the Scar. It is connected by drawbridge to the Diamond District, another district of the city that is separated from the rest by the two chasms of the Scar.

Districts
There are 17 districts in Surket as well as the Citadel itself. They are as follows:
 * The Citadel
 * Diamond District
 * West Scar
 * West Gate
 * University District
 * South End
 * The Gardens
 * Temple District
 * The Coliseum
 * The Bazaar
 * Longwall
 * East Gate
 * East Harbor
 * Sunset District
 * Slave Market
 * Slum City
 * Cypress Isle

Politics
Like most things in Surket, who rules over it cannot be cleanly and clearly states. The Council of Surket makes policy for the city as a whole, with each member of the council representing one of the 17 districts. The Council meets at least once a month to discuss matters, issue any new policies they deem necessary, and budget the taxes being collected. While there is no leader of the council, they do agree upon an Arbiter who sets the agenda and manages the meeting. The current Arbiter is Arcade Phoenix.

Another notable figure in Surket politics is the Pharaoh. A vestige of the Aquian and Ozymandian Empires of old, the Pharaoh is the religious head of the Aquian faith and holds considerable power within the city. The Pharaoh holds claim to the titles of Empress of Aquias and Ozymandium and therefore can claim to own Surket, but the reality is that these claims are weak and lack any relevancy since both empires are long dead and she lacks the power to challenge the Council openly.

At the more regional level, each district is governed by the Councilor who rules over it. This can look different depending on the district. In many districts, the Councilor is the head of the family who owns most or all of it. In other districts, the Councilor is elected or appointed by the citizens or by an important group within. South End is run by a council of their own and they rotate who represents them in the Council of Surket each month. It is up to the individual districts to decide how they are run.

The city lacks a unified police force, but is instead protected by the Order of the White Hand, known simply as the White Hand by most. This ancient order is sworn to protect the city of Surket at all costs and does not normally get involved in the internal politics of the city, though doing so minimally is inevitable.

Economy
Surket relies heavily upon trade and serves as a hub for many different trade networks. There are countless organizations that have headquarters in the city and operate throughout the Veridian Sea. Because of its location, it acts as a major port of call for ships sailing east through the Far Eastern Passage and for ships sailing west through the Stormbinder Strait. It also serves as a major hub for black market goods. There is a saying about Surket markets that says if you can buy it at all, you can buy it in Surket.

Its major exports are grains, copper, salt, and slaves, to name a few. Surket contains the largest slave market still to exist on Irdas. They are also well known for being a hub of skilled labor, with many famous architects calling the place their home as well as being a center of culture, with a multitude of various artists of all different mediums peddling their works here. Tourism is a significant part of the economy.

History
For more of Surket's history, see the page History of Surket.

Culture
Surket has historically been the beating heart of human civilization. Even after humanity spread across the world, Surket remained culturally important to human identity. Nowadays, many might claim that the city is the last remnant of a long dead empire, but only a fool would underestimate it. Even today, the city is constantly in the throws of Machiavellian plots, power plays that reshape the entire Veridian Sea, and all sorts of crazy schemes. Intrigue is the name of the game in Surket. Everyone, from the humblest peasant to the wealthiest nobleman, is involved in some sort of plot.

The city is ancient and has extreme opulence from the days that it was the heart of an empire. These opulent palaces and temples have changed hands so many times through the years that it is nearly impossible to do renovations without uncovering some sort of ancient ruin. Magic upon magic flows through this place like layers of rock as you unpeel it and it shows on the people. This is a city where people live in slums and right next door is a literal god in human form. This dichotomy of extreme and ancient opulence and complete abject poverty permeates the city, as does the sacrilegious nature of all that exists here. Slaves are carted away in droves, temples that once worshipped ancient gods are recycled over and over by different faiths and people worship demons openly. Money flows through the hands of a select few at the expense of everyone else. It is a place of gods and devils, and it is never clear which is running the show.