Hafa is the religious and political center of the Aramid Caliphate, housing the Palace of the Enlightened Throne and the House of the Grand Mullah, as well as a number of important universities and mosques. The city is located on the shores where the river Sala flows into the Great Sea. Trade vessels travel to and from the City using these routes. There are more than 800,000 residents in Hafa, and between 200,000 and 800,000 pilgrims, traders, and tourists.
The city is divided into The Warehouse District; The Caravan District; The Grand Bazaar; The Pilgrim's District; and the Court District. The Warehouse District contains the Trade Harbor and the Caliph's Harbor, and is mostly patrolled by the Diligent. This district also houses Al-Bidir Sallah, the largest university of Aramidia. The Caravan District is actually four districts, each surrounding one of the four gates into Hafa - The Pilgrim's Gate, The Gate of Wealth, The Gate of the Ghost or The Gulf Gate. The Grand Bazaar is the largest open air market in Aramidia, and it is said that anything that can be bought, can be bought in The Grand Bazaar of Hafa. The Pilgrim's District houses pilgrim. Finally, the Court District is home to the rich and noble, with its own Assad Bazaar, the infamous Tower of the Black Crystal - a mysterious and terrifying Grand Sha'ir (Wizard) - and the Palace of the Enlightened Throne, home of the Grand Caliph.
Political Offices in Hafa:
The Justice System:
The interpreters of law are elected qadis, of which there are 12 within the city and 18 within the palace. Qadis hear and judge all legal cases, and appeals are heard if enough qadis can be found who agree that the case should be heard again. Law in Hafa is fairly straightforward, based on the Law of the Grand Mullah and supplemented with a few city-specific laws. As in the rest of Aramidia, punishment for Forbidden Acts is severe, including death, maiming, branding or exile.
Enforcing the law are the members of the city watch, numbering 10,000 footmen divided into watches of 2,500, which are further divided into 125 patrols of 20 each. Each patrol is headed by a mamluk of the Faithful. The patrols answer directly to the nearest qadi. Other forces that patrol Hafa are the Vigilant, who have contingents at each gate and also act as general law enforcement throughout the city as needed; the Immortal Legion, consisting of supposed invincible warriors who self-organize themselves into patrols; and a number of alchemists who support the Grand Caliph and who have agreed to aid the family of the Caliph when there is trouble. Many will also come to the aid of a patrol that has problems.
The Military:
Hafa is also guarded by a (extremely underused) military force.
The Imperial Cavalry is 2,000 strong and the leader tends to hand-choose any who can do fancy tricks with their horses, because they look better in the synchronized lines of parades.
The Imperial Charioteers consists of 5 units of 50 members each, and a reserve of as many as 100 more in training. Their main duty is also to look good.
The Palace Guard consists of about 1,000 large, muscular folk, chosen for their size and good looks. They are also skilled at both intimidation and polite address and are sharp-eyed and quick-witted.
There are 3 Mercenary Units, each of which has 700 members. The units are somewhat unruly, but they are the best and bravest units in Hafa's military.
There are 40 ships in the Navy, one of the few military units to see regular action as it patrols the river and ocean guarding Aramidian trade vessels.
The Immortal Legion is nominally led by the Grand Vizier, and she obtains all necessary supplies for its members, but she usually turns the Legion's leadership over to the Black Crystal, a Sha'ir who enjoys this position of responsibility and does his best with it. The Immortals are excellent hand to hand combatants and are said to be made immortal through mysterious magics or perhaps as a blessing from the god Mazda.
The Alchemists are a somewhat mysterious defense. They never gather in large groups, preferring to train in small units.
The Jannissaries & Mamluks:
Most jannissaries are mamluks, although there are a scattering of special operatives associated with each Society - usually Physicians and Alchemists - who answer to their unit commander. The mamluks are organized into 10-man platoons, with a sergeant in command. Three platoons make a company, five companies a wing, and two wings a full-strength army of 300 men.
All jannissaries are in theory ultimately owned by the Grand Caliph, and swear their allegiance to him as the descendent of the First Caliph who received the Law of the Grand Mullah. Therefore, for them to take action against the Grand Caliph would be treason and heresy. Units have rebelled against their masters rather than strike against Hafa.
All mamluks in a jannissary society wear the facial tattoos and/or scars that the society uses to identify its fighting members. It is considered a crime against mamluks for anyone not of the group to imitate these markings. Non-mamluk jannissaries are not required to wear the tattoos, but those who choose to are given more respect by the mamluks. There are many societies, including the Dauntless, the Defenders, the Diligent, the Devout, the Dutiful, the Exalted, the Faithful, the Honored, the Parched, the Respected, the Studious, the Valiant, the Wanderers and the Wondrous.
The Court & Nobility:
The nobles of Hafa enjoy sponsoring units of the military and ships in the navy, with an informal competition between the nobles regarding who sponsors the best unit or ship. Many daughters or second and later sons of noble families join the military. It is a matter of particular pride for a family to place a child in the Immortal Legion, for the Grand Vizier and the Black Crystal have no patience for incompetence, no matter how wealthy their family is. Nobles often also spend time at court, hoping to gain the favor of the Grand Caliph.
The definition of nobility in Hafa is somewhat loose; anyone who can claim a relationship to the throne may be considered a noble. Even the most unrecognizable person among them can describe a relationship to the throne, such as "my grandmother married the son of the sister of the Grand Caliph's great-grandfather." Lesser nobility often serve in bureaucratic posts around the city.
The Bureaucracy:
Bureaucrats ultimately answer to the administrative representative for the throne, a tasked administrative mullah. There are 3 bureaucratic centers besides that in the palace, each supervising trade and affairs in different parts of the city.
The Foreign Bureau:
This bureau handles relations between the Enlightened Throne and other governments; the dissemination of foreign policy, trade relations, exploration, and external intrigues. Various jannissaries and adventurers are used by the Foreign Bureau as spies, guards, minor ambassadors, and explorers.
The Law of the Grand Mullah:
That Which is Forbidden:
Willful eating of sentient flesh
Murder of the innocent
Disobeying the word of the Grand Caliph
Threatening the Grand Caliph, his court, or the magnificent lands entrusted to his care
Malicious theft, defined as stealing a person's livelihood or cheating them of the bulk of their belongings
Enslavement of the Enlightened, except slaves being punished by the state
Using the minarets of the Golden Mosque for anything but a call to prayer (a law of Hafa)
That Which is Discouraged:
Common Theft
Assault
Murder with just cause
Bribery
Reckless Endangerment
Public Drunkenness
Destruction of property, including slaves
Fraud, including bearing false witness, and slander
Actions against the agents of the Grand Caliph and/or his subordinate enlightened rulers
Preventing others from engaging in tolerated actions
Breaking curfew (in Hafa, 4 hours after sunset)
Blocking a public thoroughfare (a law of Hafa)
That Which is Tolerated:
Trade, including making loans
Public celebration, including smoking and drinking, though not to excess
Free speech and discourse, provided that it does not defame or slander others
That Which is Encouraged:
Enlightenment of the unenlightened
Tolerance of others
Charity and hospitality
Paying taxes
Buying slaves for the purpose of freeing and Enlightening them (a law of Hafa)
That Which is Required:
Obedience to the proclamations of the Grand Caliph
Pilgrimage once in one's life to Hafa and the Court of Enlightenment.
