Ashdod
"Ashdod" typically refers to the Ashdod Territories, home of the Babelite
Empire. Collectively, it is considered one of the top three powers of
Sinai. Until recently, it would be wrestling with the Nagai Empire for second place.
Now, it would appear that its best rival for second place under Rephidim would be the
Khattan Emirate.
1.0 Major Peoples of the Ashdod Territories
The Ashdod Territories are associated primarily with the Eeee, but not in
the same way that the Nagai Empire is associated with the Nagai.
1.1 Eeee
Eeee are bat-like humanoids best known for their ability to fly, and for
their keen hearing and high pitched voices -- which, together allow them
to "see" even in pitch black darkness, by means of echo-location. They
tend to be fairly frail compared to most races, and light-weight. There
are three known sub-races:
1.2 Nagai
There is a large population of Nagai to be found in Babel -- a settlement
with a history dating back for centuries. The Babelite Nagai do not have
a cultural identity tied to the late Nagai Empire. Rather, Babelite Nagai form a
sort of upper-middle-class
in Babel, serving the major Houses as mages, scribes, mentors, personal
attendants, and in similar capacities.
2.0 Major Locations
The Ashdod Territories are located on the northern half of the continent of
Ur, stretching from the east coast inland. Ashdod goes from sea shores on
the east, to mountain ranges, to foothills, and then to rolling plains
toward the west. Ashdod is located along the equator, but large portions of it are
at high altitude. Ashdod is not a true
country, per se, but more a loose confederation of city-states and fiefdoms
that occasionally come together in times of war. In recent times, some of these
territories have formally broken off their ties with Babel, in hopes of getting out of the
long-running conflict between Babel and Rephidim.
2.1 Babel
Babel, also known as the "City of Strife", is the largest city-state in the
Ashdod Territories, and known as the capitol of the Territories -- were any
true capitol to be recognized. Babel is located in a range of mountains on
the east side of the Ashdod Territories, the ocean within view of the
towers. The city has been built up over countless generations, new
buildings being built up using the old as foundations, to the point where
Babel looks like a jumble of gravity-defying towers, bridges and platforms
with an almost Escher-esque quality to the construction. For the most part,
it is a city only friendly to fliers, whereas non-fliers are typically
confined to a single (albiet large) building structure for the bulk of their
stay in Babel.
2.1.1 Tower of Babel
Taller than any of the buildings of Babel, and rivaling the surrounding mountains, is
a gigantic structure that slowly tapers as it rises upward, looking like a great
man-made plateau, with roads spiraling up the outer wall. With each
generation, more has been built onto the Tower of Babel, it being a matter
of pride just how tall the tower can be made to rise. The tower's base
has expanded outward out of necessity, swallowing up numerous buildings.
Indeed, its base can't be seen any longer, the point where it reaches the
ground being deep within the Undercity.
Access to the tower is greatly restricted, and it is considered an
especially holy site to the Eeee. For ages, the contents of the Tower were
a secret, until the time of the Sabaoth's war against Rephidim, and the
Battle of the Plaguebringers. These giant insects were brought out of
a millenia-long slumber, and brought out of the tower to fly in combat
against Rephidim. The interior of the Tower of Babel hides a gigantic
hive, and ancient biotechnological machinery based upon the bodies of
insects bred to large size and peculiar functions, with mechanical implants
added to make them serve as vehicles for Babelite warriors.
Since the destruction of the Palace at midnight at the turn of the century between 6099
and 6100 RTR, the Palace of the High Princess has been moved: Now, the High Princess
resides atop the Tower of Babel itself, flying in the face of ancient taboos.
2.1.2 The Pit
The Pit is a huge, roughly circular "hole" cut in the city, all the way down to bare rock,
roughly centered on the location of the former Palace of the High Princess. It's as if
somehow, someone took a giant cookie-cutter chunk out of the city and removed it utterly.
Although the Tower of Babel's base crosses the rim of the pit, the Tower of Babel is
completely unscathed by the blast -- a fact taken to heart as a miracle and a sign of favor
from the gods by the Babelite people.
Buildings along the perimeter of the effect have broken and toppled into rubble, having had
their supports cut away, or sometimes being cleft in twain themselves. Within that zone,
many brave Eeee have tried to reclaim the land, though Babel will probably eventually have
its own official plans on what to do with it.
2.1.3 Mages' Guild Hall
The College Esoterica of Babel was one of the three largest branches of the
Collegia Esoterica (the other two major branches once being found in
Rephidim and Nagai City). However, it was destroyed in the dropping of the Boomer on
Babel, as it was caught in the area that became "the Pit".
The mages opted not to build another college in Babel, but they did convert one of the
outlying dormitories into use as an "embassy" of sorts for the Mages' Guild, as the
Mages' Guild Hall of Babel. It serves as a presence for the College Esoterica in Babel,
where mages in the service of the College's interests abroad can stay, and as a central
communications point for Guild members who happen to be in Babel.
2.1.4 Mount Dronnel
Mount Dronnel is a mountain sacred to Ashdodites, the site of many events of
legend and history, from battles to key murders to divine appearances to
much more. Outsiders would consider its history to be far from holy. But
to the Ashdodites, it is a place of epic conflict and decisive change, and
therefore pilgrims from all over the Ashdod Territories will come to visit
this place. Whereas the Tower of Babel is sacred to Babel, Mount Dronnel is
of import to all Ashdod. It also happens to be the largest and tallest
mountain in the Ashdod Territories.
2.1.5 The Seven Sisters
This is a range of seven peaks near Mount Dronnel that form part of the
border of the city-state of Babel. Each is named after a different goddess,
each of them held to be sisters (and not terribly nice ones) in Ashdodite
mythology. Each also has a shrine built on it, dedicated to the appropriate
goddess. Pilgrims will travel to these shrines to make offerings ... but
these offerings are typically payments given in exchange for particular
services, rather than just obscure blessings from the goddesses.
Each mountain has a path paved with broken red rock, flanked by "fences" formed by poles placed at intervals, supporting rope barriers. Pilgrims are expected to walk along these paths up to the mountain, rather than flying. Flying over any part of the mountain is forbidden except for members of the priesthood, royalty, and those granted special exceptions. (For example, in times of war, Babelite airships may be granted exemption, so that they may fly over sacred sites.)
2.1.5.1 Mount Rephath
The loneliest of the seven shrines, this is a base for the operations of
the Priestesses of Rephath, who act as vigilantes, answering only to
themselves. From time to time, there have been clashes between this
temple and the authorities, and this temple is not beyond being swayed by
sizeable donations.
2.1.5.2 Mount Blakat
The priestesses of Blakat are warrioresses, and
serve as mercenaries. They are collectively known as the Yodhblakat, or "Daughters of the Dagger". In many ways, they are like the priestesses of
Sunala, only with even less concern for their personal safety, or for
any sort of subtlety. While priestesses of Blakat have a reputation for
being great warrioresses, they're really just berserkers ... and with a bat,
that is not terribly impressive. They are dangerous, but they are
not the most fearsome of the various "warrior sects" to be found on Sinai,
because they have no self-control. A skilled and well-informed warrior can use this
against them, even if outnumbered.
Donations made at the temple are not made in the usual manner. It is a matter of tradition that no one gives anything to Blakat, and to offer anything to her is an insult. Rather, Blakat takes what she wants. Therefore, the faithful come to the temple with whatever they wish to make available to Blakat, and the priestesses demand it from them. One must be careful not to bring anything that one isn't willing to part with. An individual who is not properly respectful - or who catches a priestess on a bad day - may consider himself lucky to leave with nothing but his undergarments, and still having his teeth intact.
2.1.5.3 Mount Inala
The most popular of the shrines, this is a den of
iniquity, where all manner of vices are celebrated. All priestesses of Inala come from a single bloodline, and along with the menfolk are known as the
Children of Inala. (Only the females may become priestesses, and thus are known as Yodhinala, or "Daughters of Pleasure".)
Infants born with deformities are quietly snuffed out or offered as sacrifices,
while those who are
deemed less than perfect but still fair of feature will be sold off to
wealthy families to be raised as attractive house servants. The rest --
only the most ideal -- will be destined to serve as male attendants and priestesses in the shrine.
2.1.5.4 Mount Sunala
The priestesses of Sunala are assassins, and
offerings to the shrine are given either in the hopes of getting the
servants of Sunala to do one of their ritual killings on one of the
worshipper's rivals ... or else as "protection money" from suffering
from such a fate at the urging of a rival. The mountain is distinct for having ancient statues of Sunala all along the road that leads to the summit, giving the way an appearance something like that of a graveyard. At the very top, the temple of Sunala is shaped like a stepped pyramid, the individual steps so steep that a body sacrificed on the altar at the top can be tossed down, and fall all the way down to the bottom.
2.1.5.5 Mount Zakaro
The priestesses of Zakaro are, for the most part, Chaos Mages, acting
outside of the influence of the College Esoterica, but tolerated because
of their traditional position in Babelite culture, and because they keep
to themselves for the most part. Patrons who make sizeable donations to
the temple may gain magical boons from the priestesses, but these mages
don't "hire out" in the same way that most mages would.
3.0 Babelite Politics
Babelite politics are particularly vicious by most civilized standards.
There is much pomp and formality, but the thin veneer of civility hides a
long-standing cultural tradition of opportunism, lies, betrayal, and
general back-stabbing (real and figurative). Different factions are forever
maneuvering for power and squabbling, and it is generally only in times of
war that Babel -- let alone the whole of Ashdod -- can be motivated toward
a single cause. This particular fact has led to several clashes between
Ashdod and some of its less powerful neighbors, over history.
3.1 The Sabaoth
For most of Ashdod's history, it was governed by a ruler known as the
Sabaoth both in name and title. Tradition holds that the Sabaoth was
immortal, and had a continuous reign from the time of the formation of
Babel. Some legends and fables, however, seem to suggest times when some
other ruler might have held the throne ... but these are generally "once
upon a time" types of fables that defy attempts to chronologically place
them in any definite era.
It is believed by many that the Sabaoth maintained his immortality by
means of some sort of magical rituals used to give him a new body when the
old one grew decrepit. The Royal Mages claimed to have "rediscovered" this
"ancient ritual" in recent history, when transferring the "life essence"
of an Aelfin to a new Eeee body in Babel in 6099 RTR.
Whatever the case, the Sabaoth never married -- there is no "queen".
The Sabaoth did, however, have a sizeable harem. From time to time, there
would be a Prince born to the Sabaoth, but he would not be destined to
ever become Sabaoth -- for the Sabaoth was immortal. Instead, most of the
present Houses have family heads who can claim to be a "Son of the Sabaoth"
by descent from one of these Princes.
Whenever the Sabaoth would grow old and die (or, that is, should his
"avatar" grow old and die, depending upon one's beliefs), the members of
the harem would be put to death, and quite a few of the Sabaoth's
personal attendants as well. If nothing else, this encouraged those
closest to the Sabaoth to have his well-being and health at heart.
The Sabaoth, however, died shortly after the ill-fated Battle of the
Plaguebringers, in which he had roused some ancient fighting bug-machines,
and sent them against Rephidim ... but they were soundly defeated. Back
in Babel, there were several riots, and the Sabaoth was slain by a former
courier known as Brishen Kara, who had previously been an ardent supporter
of the Sabaoth, and even gave patriotic speeches to the Plaguebringer
pilots before they went off to attack Rephidim. (But then, such is the
nature of Babel.)
3.2 The High Prince/Princess
After the death of the Sabaoth, the Prince Boghaz (formerly known as
Boghaz bar Sabaoth -- that is, the son of the Sabaoth) returned from
exile and took the throne,
under the guidance of Grand Vizier Thath. The Prince changed his title to
High Prince, rather than assuming the title and name of Sabaoth, in order
to make a break from the old traditions, at least in name.
The reign of the High Prince was short-lived, however, as was the High Prince himself.
He was assassinated, and the High Princess Saraizadze took his place as leader of
Babel, and it's no real secret that she has also taken Grand Vizier Thath as her new
lover. So far, it remains to be seen if the reins of power of Babel may pass on to a
successor without the violent death of the present leader.
4.0 Babelite Religion and Morals
Babelite culture -- and, by extension, that of Ashdod as a whole -- is
marked by many contradictions and conflicting trends in a constant struggle
for supremecy. This is echoed by the constant bickering between the gods
and goddesses of their disorganized pantheon, and the political conflict
of their rulers.
There are several different myths, generally disagreeing with each other on several crucial points, but this is of no real concern to the Ashdodites. Consistency and chronological order are not even considered. It is not that they do not believe the myths, for the faithful are many, but it is that logic and reason are not to be applied to "spiritual matters".
4.1 Seven Sisters
The Seven Sisters are the best known of the countless gods and goddesses
worshipped and/or feared by the Babelites, and a fair example of the
morality (or lack thereof) exhibited by Babelite deities. Basically,
Babelite gods and goddesses are trouble-makers and pot-stirrers, making
things happen with no apparent grand master plan, and dealing more
harm to innocent fools than to vile criminals. Some Babelites believe in
a sort of afterlife, but it is one where Heaven and Hell are not reserved
based upon one's morality, but more one's power and influence in life --
and thus the ability to get oneself into paradise and to make sure that
one's enemies are subjected to eternal torment.
The Seven Sisters are, of course, seen as sisters, though not much thought
has been given to their lineage. (Some myths attempt to use one god or
another to be a parent to this squabbling bunch, but they contradict
frequently on this point.) There are countless tales about the Seven
Sisters, often involving them fighting each other in some sort of bitter
(and, to some, pointless) feud, or else focusing their attentions on some poor
mortal fool and bringing him or her to ruin. These tales are typically
very violent, very sordid, and occasionally involve the death of one or
more goddesses ... though somehow they pop back up again in the next
tale. No real concern is given for chronology or any sort of internal
consistency, but this doesn't bother the average Babelite worshipper in
the least.
The most consistent feature of the myths is that the Seven Sisters were the first of the dieties to be made by the Creator, or by a Creator/Earth Goddess pair. This Creator/Earth Goddess pair either died or passed into irrelevance, and in some versions were murdered/overthrown by the Seven Sisters themselves.
It should be noted that the names of the goddesses are, in fact, words in the Babelite language, though given a "proper name" form. "Rephath" means "vengance". "Sunala" means "death", and so forth.
4.1.1 Rephath -- Goddess of Vengeance
Rephath is the Goddess of Vengeance, and a matron of vigilantes. From time
to time, the authorities try to portray her as a Goddess of Justice, and
invoke her as a matron of law enforcement, but this is only possible if
one ignores the content of the myths that celebrate her. In myth, she is
always getting revenge on some mortal or a fellow diety for some perceived
slight, real or not.
4.1.2 Blakat -- Goddess of Conflict
Blakat is the Goddess of Conflict, but sometimes called the Goddess of Madness.
She is also sometimes called the Goddess of Murder, though most of the
Seven Sisters could compete for that title.
She is portrayed as a wild-looking woman, typically with red fur or hair, always with an expression of fury. Blakat is almost always motivated by jealousy. She is seen as a matron of mercenaries, but also of pirates and brigands.
4.1.3 Inala -- Goddess of Pleasure
Inala is the most popular of the Seven Sisters, and portrayed as the most
beautiful of the group. She is also recognized as the eldest of the Seven Sisters, and the most powerful. She is a complete hedonist, and myths featuring her
are the least suitable reading for impressionable minds. She is sometimes
presented as a "Goddess of Love" for the benefit of outsiders, but such
sugar-coating does little justice to how she is portrayed in myth. Quite
often, it involves some mortal catching her attentions, and she "blesses"
this mortal with all manner of gifts ... and then ends up destroying the
mortal in the end. (He arguably dies happy, though.) So many Babelites
apparently still see this as a
great way to go, and Inala is the one goddess of the Seven Sisters most
truly worshipped rather than merely appeased.
4.1.4 Sunala -- Goddess of Death
Sunala is the Goddess of Death, and a matron of assassins. Of the Seven Sisters, she is traditionally believed to be the second eldest, and Inala's most powerful rival. She is believed
to devour the souls of her prey, giving them utter annihilation rather than
the afterlife. Nonetheless, sometimes condemned criminals or wounded
soldiers will pray to her, begging her for a quick death, seeking annihilation
rather than the horrible, slow deaths they expect to face. Despite her
role, Sunala is depicted as a beautiful woman (by Babelite standards), with
beauty rivaling that of her older sister, Inala.
In Babelite myth, Sunala is the only goddess of the seven that is spared
from ever being subjected to getting killed off at the hands of the others.
It is suspected that if someone were to introduce a story that did
portray Sunala as dying, he or she would receive a personal visit from
some priestesses of Sunala intent on purging this "heresy". Any time Sunala is
thwarted in her plans by another goddess, it usually involves playing off of
Sunala's pride.
4.1.5 Zakaro -- Goddess of Sorcery
Zakaro is portrayed as a great mage amongst the Seven Sisters, even though
they all exhibit miraculous powers as would be befitting to deities. She is
associated with ancient, lost rituals ... but she is also seen as meddling
in the spell-casting of mortals, causing spells to go awry when mortals
displease her. As such, she may be revered by Babelite mages, but offerings
to her are more for the sake of appeasement and turning away her wrath than
for seeking of any boons from her. Although Zakaro is never portrayed outside the
bounds of what is considered physically attractive in Babelite culture, she could be
described as a glutton, as she is portrayed in myth, perhaps symbolic of how mages are
seen as being hungry for more power. Zakaro is almost always regarded as being the sixth eldest of the sisters, since the number six has special relevance to Babelite mages, who tend to regard the six "elemental spheres" as the most powerful and primal of the Spheres of Magic.
4.2 Afterlife and Burial
One contradiction about Babelite culture is that, as little value as they
place upon life, they hold great reverence for the dead. Much of the
lower levels of Babel are taken up by mausoleums and crypts holding the
dead. Even though it is so common for an heir to conspire to kill off his
own father in order to get his inheritance early, he will then turn around
and spend extravagant amounts of that money to see that his father is
interred with honors. Babelite culture is cynical enough that this is
generally not done just to put on a good show of being innocent of
the crime.
Babelite theology is shaky on particulars, since there is no true central
organization of religion, but it is typical for the dead to be mummified
and then buried with clay or stone representations of various luxuries,
tools and weapons for the afterlife. (They are usually not buried
with actual treasure, as this would encourage grave-robbers all the more,
and put one's existence in the afterlife in jeopardy.) Burning on a pyre
is simply not an option, as it curses the spirit to wander without
physical form in the next plane of existence.
There even exists a currency of the dead -- coins "minted" from shell
segments, made at the Palace of the Sabaoth (or High Prince/Princess), and sold to
those who wish to bury their dead with currency to use in the afterlife.
These coins are worthless for trade in this life, of course, and no one is
allowed to sell or trade them save for officers of the Palace.
There is not really anything in the way of theological debate to speak of,
save for the occasional petty squabble about whose god or goddess is the
best. If anyone tries to bring logic into discussion of the afterlife,
the typical Babelite will wave it off, insisting that logic of the
physical world doesn't apply to spiritual matters.
4.3 Law and Punishment
Law enforcement in Babel typically takes the form of "peace-keepers",
beholden to one House or another, protecting their particular "turf" in
Babel or in Ashdod abroad. Crimes in progress will be stopped, and the
guards will also deal with disturbances, or chasing down those who have
caused offenses against members of a House or their properties ... but
they don't deal much in investigation. Theft is treated as a more serious
crime than murder ... so long as the person murdered doesn't have more
powerful friends than enemies still alive, wanting vengeance.
Punishment is typically meted out quickly and lethally. Disobedient slaves
will be killed immediately -- unless they are of sufficient value and owned by
a sufficiently prestigious owner who may forbid it, and insist on some other
punishment instead. Thieves are either killed immediately, or maimed horribly
(having their hands and feet cut off). Another typical quick sentence is
to cripple the offender's wings, and then fling him over the side, leaving
him at the mercy of gravity and the Undercity.
Courts, such as they are, exist mainly for appearances, and for crimes that
require special vengeance, so that a House Lord can have the pleasure of
drawing out the process and making the offender make a vain effort at
defending his case before being sentenced and put to death. They are
sometimes used for outsiders, in order to satisfy the other major powers
of Sinai.
(That doesn't mean, however, that a non-Eeee can expect
special treatment if he's caught red-handed stealing from a vendor --
especially if the non-Eeee in question looks like someone of no great
importance ... such as a Kavi. If it doesn't seem like someone in
Rephidim or Nagai will raise a stink over the disappearance of the
offender in question, a warrior may simply kill the offender and pitch
the body over the edge.)
House guards are not above corruption, but it is quite common for
House Lords to arrange for their servants to be tested by having an
agent make a bribe. Those who prove to be unfaithful, of course, are
quickly and permanently dealt with.
Punishment for more dire offenders can be quite nasty. After all, when
you can be punished by death for stealing an apple, it will take a bit of
work to make sure that there's something worse in store for engaging in
acts of piracy. The Babelites, rest assured, have done that work, and come
up with countless creative and awful ways for people of all species to
die. The most "popular" way to deal with pirates, traitors, spies and
serial killers is to stick them in a chamber with an egg-laying horrib.
The victim is paralyzed, then has an egg planted inside its still living,
still conscious body. The egg will hatch, and become a larva that feeds
upon the living host, until it bursts forth into a new horrib. More
creative ways of dying await those who have really annoyed someone
powerful.
5.0 Major Languages
There are several languages spoken widely in Ashdod, though the "official"
language is Babelite (or "Eeee").
5.1 Eeee (Babelite)
This is a language spoken by the bat-like Eeee, and typically uses a wider
range of octaves for emphases than most non-Eeee can even hear. As a result,
non-Eeee miss a lot of verbal cues in the language, and non-Eeee speakers
come across to Eeee ears as flat and unexpressive.
5.2 Nagai
The language of the Nagai is spoken here as well, though a Babelite
dialect that borrows a number of words and phrases from Babelite influence.
Some slave-owners know Silent Tongue, in order to communicate with their
Savanite slaves. However, this language is not common beyond those
boundaries ... and some Eeee simply get by with making sure that their
slaves understand commands issued in Babelite, and allow their slaves to
pantomime or point when they need to get a message across.
6.0 Magic
The upper class and rulership of Babel relies a great deal on magic. With
so little value placed in truthfulness, Scrying encourages a little honesty,
since lies can be found out. With so little value placed in loyalty,
Mind Magic can be used to encourage obedience in weak-minded underlings.
With so little value placed on good city planning, Earth Magic can be used
to make sure one's towers don't collapse. And so forth. Where so many
morals have been allowed to erode, magic has become a crutch in Babelite
society.
6.1 College Esoterica
Whereas there was once a large College Esoterica campus in Babel, it has now been
obliterated. The College's official presence in Babel is marked by the Guild Hall of
Babel, which formerly served as a dormitory. There are no campuses here, as all of those have been moved to Caroban.
6.2 Royal Mages
The Royal Mages once served the Sabaoth, but now have been more or less
incorporated back into the structure of the College Esoterica -- separate,
yet still supposedly a part of it. The practices of the Royal Mages have
long been viewed with suspicion by elements of the Collegia Esoterica
proper, as they were basically mages pulled out of the College in order
to pursue rituals not in keeping with the usual College ethic. (Spells
dealing with transferring a "spirit" from one body to another are generally
considered to be in the realm of necromancy, for instance.)
With the death of the Sabaoth, the Royal Mages officially reverted to being
under the jurisdiction of the College, but they were allowed to keep their
titles, and their position in the hierarchy was left unclear. In practice,
they've been left mostly to their own ends so far, having accumulated
sufficient wealth under the Sabaoth to support their own pursuits. With the outbreak
of war, they made it clear that their side was that of the High Priestess of Babel,
rather than being neutral as the College Esoterica is trying to be.
6.3 Priestesses
The most controversial group of mages to be found in Babel, and sometimes
in Ashdod abroad, would be those priestesses of Babelite gods and goddesses
which happen to practice the magical arts. Most notable of these would be
priestesses of Zakaro (mostly Chaos), Sunala (Shadow), Barada
(Light/Scrying), and Gorphat (Life - Disease Specialization). Some of these
priestesses have actually studied in the College Esoterica and have become
paid-off Alumni, but there is evidence of training going on within the
shrines that is outside of College Esoterica authority, and without approval
of the Mages' Guild.
These unapproved mages are classified as "Shamans",
but have so far avoided any punitive actions from the College Esoterica.
The first reason would be fear of retribution, since the priestesses enjoy
considerable influence amongst the common people of Babel. The second would
be that, since none of the priestesses is technically for hire, they
ostensibly don't compete with accredited mages for employment. (That they
get their employment through "donations" to the shrines is a loophole.)
Third, membership in the priesthood is not open and free -- one becomes a
priest or priestess for life, and there is no "retiring", save by death --
so the College has no reason to fear masses of mages flocking to the shrines
in hopes of practicing magic without the ethical boundaries set by the
Collegia Esoterica's rules.
Furthermore, there are also some priestesses who exhibit powers that seem to defy the traditional concepts of magic usage. They claim that these are divine powers granted to them from the Seven Sisters themselves ... and there may well be some truth to their claims. By the terms of the College Esoterica, this would fall under "consulting spirits", and thus be classified as "sorcery" or "witchcraft". However, considering that the "spirits" in question happen to be goddesses worshipped by a large portion of Ashdod, it's highly unlikely that they would face any sort of punitive action.
7.0 Ashdodite Cuisine
Ashdodite cuisine has quite a bit of variety, though outsiders would rightly
note that it involves a great number of types of bugs to comprise the
typical main course.
7.1 Bugs
There are many types of bugs and bug-like creatures to be found in Ashdod,
and they comprise the primary protein in the diet of the average Eeee.
In addition to "common" bugs prepared in a number of ways, there are plenty
of giant bug species that require special attention, or serve special
purposes. A number of bugs in Ashdodite cuisine are only found
raised domestically, apparently engineered by magic, long-lost science, or
breeding to the point where their mechanisms for surviving in the wild are
gone, and they have curious properties that make them convenient in
various ways -- such as, for instance, a bug with a shell that forms a bowl,
and the rest of the body turns into soup when cooked.
Squibbits and oghnoighs, though they might be considered remotely bug-like,
are not generally eaten by the Eeee -- they're just too chewy. Just about
any other sort of bug is fair game, though. Even poisonous horribs are
considered a delicacy, provided that they are carefully prepared.
Perhaps ironically, the somewhat bat-like chibix is considered an Ashdodite
staple food. Chibix raised domestically have their wings ripped off, which
prompts the chibix to build up a lot of body mass over the next few days.
The chibix is force-fed specially spiced foods meant to make it tender
and tasty, and it is served alive, with its rear shell torn open, or else
served with a tool so that the diner can remove the shell him- or herself.
The screams made by the chibix as it is eaten alive are considered in Ashdod
to be pleasing to Eeee ears.
7.2 Fruit
The other main menu item to be found in abundance in Ashdod would be fruit,
whether it be served whole, sliced, or as juice or jam. It is very rarely
served dried. While fruit is the bulk of the meal for Saskanar "fruit-bat"
Eeee, it's also consumed regularly by the typical Eeee. Most of the fruits
served in Ashdod come from the orchards of the Saskanar Territory, but there
is some trade to bring in fruits from abroad, and occasionally sky garden
varieties are served as novelties.
Pala fruit is considered a minor delicacy, as the tiny fruits are eaten
en masse. While it is commonly found on the tables of the upper class at
parties, or the extremely wealthy on a daily basis, they are too expensive
to be considered anything less than a luxury food. There have been some
attempts to make varieties of pala fruit that are more productive and
grow in a wider range of environments, but these fruits are bigger, and
considered less tasty than true pala fruit, even though some may call them
"pala fruit" without distinction, leading to some confusion.
8.0 Travel
Travel in Ashdod is primarily by air, not land. Although a few roads have
been built in Ashdod for the sake of moving heavy loads across land,
there is no organized road system, since the Eeee are more inclined to
travel by air. The Fnerfs tend to live in the open country, and might
wear a few paths here and there, but show no inclination toward public
works.
9.0 Military and Warfare
Despite the major setbacks after the Sabaoth's war with Rephidim, the
military forces of Ashdod are still one of the major powers of Sinai.
Since the Eeee are physically weak and fragile compared to most other races,
but have keen hearing and the ability to fly, the Eeee military is based
on stealth and air mobility rather than having any real presence on the
land or sea.
9.1 Air Fleet
The air fleet of Ashdod is potentially the second largest on Sinai, but
the various ships serving Ashdod are in the hands of several squabbling
Houses. The fleet under direct control of the ruler of Babel can still
perform some military actions, but is small compared to the fleet of
the Nagai Empire, and certainly to that of Rephidim.
Ashdod's military vessels are typically stationed in Babel, as there are
few military targets worth attacking in the Ashdod Territories, and Babel
presents the single most inviting target, since the heads of each of the
Territories have primary holdings in the city. If Babel could be taken or
destroyed, the political structure of Ashdod would be pretty much toppled.
Military airships are typically assigned one Air Mage, and sometimes a
Shadow Mage for stealthy assignments. Babelite airships are fairly
small and fragile, and since Babel has no access to sky island bases,
gunpowder weapons are not to be found on its airships -- as gunpowder has
a high chance of exploding when it gets down to ground level. Therefore,
the Babelite air fleet is best suited for stealthy operations.
10.0 Relations with Sinai
In the war that broke out between Rephidim and the Nagai Empire, Babel threw in its lot with the Nagai and with other surface nations that joined. This wasn't necessarily out of concern for the "boomer" or the fate of the City of Hands, but rather in a symbolic gesture of defiance against the perceived oppression by Rephidim of the surface nations.
10.1 Rephidim
Relations with Rephidim were bad enough after the Sabaoth's War and the Battle of the Plaguebringers, and then subsequent embarrassments with the Babelite ambassador to Rephidim. It seemed as if the new High Prince Boghaz might be able to smoothe things over with Rephidim, but then he was assassinated, and replaced by his wife, Saraizadze, who took on the title of High Princess. Not long thereafter, a conflict erupted between Rephidim and the Nagai Empire over the nature of an Exile weapon known as the "boomer", and the City of Hands. Rephidim demanded that Nagai turn over the "boomer" in their possession, and they refused.
In a slightly ironic twist (perhaps), even though the Nagai had acquired this weapon from a Babelite ship, the High Princess Saraizadze threw in her nation's support with the Nagai in their defiance of Rephidim's dictates. This, of course, put Babel squarely against Rephidim once more.
On New Year's Eve at the turn of the century, 6099 RTR, the "boomer" ended up being dropped on Babel, purportedly by a renegade Rephidim airship captain. The palace was destroyed, along with the College Esoterica of Babel, and the homes of several prominent noble families, with deaths numbering in the tens of thousands. It is presumed that this section of the city was swapped with the vacuum of space, resulting in horrible deaths for those caught in the area of effect.
Although the war had come to a temporary lull with the capture of the "boomer" and Fetiss Sky Island from the Nagai, this served to fan the flames once more, and the High Princess accused Rephidim of hypocrisy, while the Temple claimed its innocense. This did little to shift any major allegiances, but gave Rephidim's detractors another moral high ground to take in their resistance.
With Babel far away and the Nagai Empire shattered, the war has all but ended. Relations couldn't be worse, but Babel hasn't the resources to mount attacks directly on Rephidim, and Rephidim is in no position to send forces to Babel. Their exchanges are mostly marked by privateering and cloak-and-dagger acts of sabotage and spying. Rephidim-aligned ships that stray too closely to Ashdod, however, may invite open attack.
Back to Section 7.4 of Politics of Sinai
5.3 Silent Tongue