Madaffa

Madaffa is a small, but important, town on the Mercantile Road between the lush plains in the west to the Capitol City in the east. Madafffa serves as a place where merchants can refresh their caravans, settle in for a good night’s sleep, and replace any… “lost” workers before beginning the last leg of the journey to the capital city.

Politics

Madaffa belongs to the capital. Though the king rarely pays visits to the dusty town, taxes are collected and paid to him by the The Shah of Madaffa. The citizens of Madaffa remain mostly loyal to the Royal Family. Most people are unconcerned by matters other than the acquisition of food and protection of family.

Flora and Fauna

Being a desert town, there is not much in the way of animal/plant life, especially when compared to some of the ancient jungles and temperate forests of the west. Shepherd guard their sheep against the regular predators of Heck Jackals, bulettes, and giant desert spiders. Most of the animal life that exists in Madaffa exists exclusively underground, where the temperature remains cool even on  the hottest of days.

During the campaign, Madaffa is harassed by a bulette.

Religion

         Madaffa was a destination for some of the desert mystics who fled the Capitol during King Bellacek's reign. Although Madaffa itself has no major religious presence, the history of mysticism in the area has led to the Madaffa Observatory being held in near religious regard. Some religious relics are stored there, including the torn robes of Father Timon.

The Madaffa Observatory

There is no temple in Madaffa; there is, however, an observatory. The flat land and clear skies make Madaffa an excellent location for stargazing. Often, astrologists and astronomers make a pilgrimage to the town to use the observatory there. There is a library within the observatory. a collection of the knowledge of hundreds of monks that have studied, worked, and lived in the solitary building on the edge of the giant Nadira Desert is stored, protected by the dry winds of the desert. The Observatory is unique in that it is the first in the world to have made use of a glass lens in order to see the heavens more clearly. The original lens, Handcrafted by monks from Nadir Desert sand, still sits in the observatory to this day.

Brother Lucian used to work in the Observatory. Today, his rival works there.

“The Walls of Madaffa…”

         These are the words that appear in some bards’ most obscure (and boring) historical songs. Legend has it that in ancient times, the walls of Madaffa stood high, higher even than the mountains that jut up to the southeast. Today, these ancient walls stand barely taller than the average man. In some places, the walls have crumbled entirely. 10 years ago, an effort was made by the Shah to rebuild the walls, even if it was at a fraction of their original height. Unfortunately, the construction went on too long and over budget. The Rebuilding effort was forfeited after only the southern half of the city was re-walled. Visitors today can see a great difference between the walls of the southern half of the town and the northern half.

Salt Mines

Although the famous salt mines do not exist within Madaffa’s city walls, they are an important part of its economy. A 2 hour ride North of the town, travelers can find an entire subterranean network of salt mines. These mines are tapped daily by wealthy merchants and brave adventurists looking for an extra gold piece. The mines are not well maintained, and therefore dangerous. some say they are haunted, as well.

Salt from the Nadira Desert is highly valued in coastal cities. It is said to be more delicious than salt from the ocean and it reported by some to have healing properties. 6 other well-known salt mines exist in the Nadira Desert, the one near Madaffa being the most accessible.

In the campaign, the Salt Mines are primarily tapped by Meric Molbat and his mining crew. Molbat is a greedy merchant who puts the gold piece above the safety of his own men.

Military

The City of Madaffa does not have its own military or police force. Instead, a small contingent of soldiers from the Capitol are stationed there to serve as a police force. The soldiers are rotated regularly because the boredom and harsh climate of Madaffa make it an unpopular destination for soldiers. At any given time, a group of 60 Capitol Soldiers patrol the streets of Madaffa. There is one Captain who maintains his post permanently.

The Catacombs

         Looking Northeast from the Observatory, a sharp eye might be able to see what appears to be two black fingers sticking up from the sand far from the city walls. These giant black fingers are actually stones that serve as a marker of The Catacombs. The Catacombs are tombs of long deceased desert dwellers beneath the sands. No one knows how large the Catacombs are (except perhaps the occasional grave robber or hyena) as they are known to be extremely dangerous and wholly devoid of treasure. Grave robbers have long since stripped The Catacombs of treasure and wild packs of animals have since called it home.

The fact that The Catacombs exist so far from the Ancient Walls of Madaffa lead some scholars to believe that the ancient city was much larger than the current iteration. Information about The Catacombs and maps are on file at the Observatory.

The Pedestal Mountains

         The Pedesatal Mountain Range runs East to West Through part of the Nadira Desert. It is primarily sandstone, with many collapse caves, small hole-like cavities (honeycomb weathering), hourglass-shaped pillars, chimneys, crevices and mighty, rugged rock faces. Small Shrubs grow freely here. Wild Hares are plentiful, along with other varmints. Falcons patrol the sky.

The Pedestal Mountains serve as Madaffa’s primary source of food. Hunters from the city trek daily into the mountain range to hunt small game. Garen is the guildmaster of the Hunters in Madaffa. There are a few well known freshwater pools, but nothing large enough to be called a pond. The summits of some of these mountains might well be defined as a “desert oasis.”

NPCs met:

Kyra: head prostitute

Aunt Fodda: innkeeper

Soldier: Cardiff, 2 underlings who want to escape

Astronomers: scientist, travelers from far

Salt Miners in their Salt Mines

Pinky the Salt Merchant.

The Stable Mistress Val

The Banker McElroy

The Alchemist in his Apothecary: Pang and his assistant, Motton