Ab na Ramal

Ab na Ramal or 'Land of the Sisters' in the local tongue is an arid, desert nation in central Thraddia, east of Esterra and the Daggerlands. It is known as a marvel of magical engineering, despite its tight regulations on the practice of magic within its borders. Ab na Ramal, which is the name of both the city, as well as the vast desert that surrounds it, is ruled by a council of seven Kazchramal (mage sisters or mage maidens) who exercise total control over the populace. It is a caste society, with the majority of the regular citizenry having little or no say in how their city is run. Magic is essentially illegal unless you are a member of the Dayra na Ramal (circle of mages), an exclusively female, human society that exists to regulate and maintain magic within Ab na Ramal. Their base of operation, the Tashin (quite literally translating as 'fortification') is both the centre of political power and the administrative centre of Ab na Ramal. it has been theorised by scholars and historians that the inhabitants of Ab na Ramal may well have once lived in the desert of Asgond, prior to the downfall of its cities and temples.

Magical Mechanisms
Ab na Ramal is a marvel of arcanic engineering. The streets buzz with moving platforms which carry the higher born citizens from district to district. Fountains and water wheels move autonomously, bringing fresh water from deep below the desert sands. At night, ever-burning torches light the streets and marketplaces, which never cease trading and bartering. The secrets of how these work are closely guarded by the Kazchramal and the Dayra na Ramal, whose main role beyond enforcing the laws of the city are to maintain and improve these wondrous creations.

Entering and Exiting the City
The desert itself is utterly uninhabitable and one of the biggest fears amongst some Ramalian scholars is that they would all perish under the burning sun if their magical metropolis were to suddenly lose its power. For this reason, there are three portals, within heavily fortified towers, situated at the north-western, north-eastern and southern edges of the desert. These provide a safe passage in and out of Ab na Ramal for merchants, envoys and travellers. They also act as convenient border patrol points, enabling the city to regulate who can and cannot visit. A common form of punishment in Ab na Ramal, particularly for those who practice magic unlawfully, is to expatriate them. Essentially, this involves throwing them from the city walls and into the desert. If they somehow survive the fall, they will come to wish they hadn't, as they perish slowly under the desert sun.