Gaizunai

The language of the Huon Valley is Arabic

There is an old story that originated from the Huon Valley that tells of a pauper who found a way to summon a Djinn and was granted three wishes. He wished for a Kingdom and great prosperity for its people and with his final wish he asked for the Djinn's hand in marriage.

That's is the legend that the grand city of Gaizunai was founded upon and while rumours continue to circulate about the long lived Sultan and his family, there is no denying that this grandiose Human city is also is the first time many living in Yamikora encounter the mysterious Genasi, a people who are rumoured to be the direct descendants of Djinn and Humans who live in nomadic tribes and smaller settlements scattered across the desert of the Huon Valley as is curves around the west coast and hugs the southern peninsula towards the equator.

Gaizunai is a city just beyond the canyons and the last place of civilization for some before the valley opens its heart to a vast and seemingly endless desert. It isn't all sand, in fact there's a great deal of limestone and many ancient fossils and civilisations have risen and fallen in the desert over the centuries. 

The city walls comprise of traders all confined in tight spaces and is a major economic epicenter for the region, a place where many exotic and illegal goods are bought and sold, the main one being the Gaizarre, a honeycomb of intricately connected alleyways, this fundamental section of the old city is a micro-medina in itself, comprising a dizzying number of stalls and shops that range from itsy kiosks no bigger than an gnome's wardrobe to scruffy store-fronts that morph into glittering Zuclian's Crystal wonders once you're inside. It has many citadels, mosques and palaces which are regularly open to tourists with the exception of the Sultan's royal palace, which is carved in rare red marble only found within the Huon Valley province and has a round the clock guard presence. Nearby is an artificial lake, a symbol of the Sultan's wealth and power he has to be able to make the water fall exactly where he wants it to. 

In the heart of Gaizunai is located the Gaizunai library, much like the markets the library itself is a maze. The restricted area is barred from the general public monsters and a blood thirsty beast roams the halls with portals to the abyss said to open and close at random letting monsters through and trapping those unluckily enough to walk through into the nicer circles of hell. For thoses brave enough to enter who knows what awaits a treasure of knowledge or wealth waiting to be found, or for others maybe the challenge of a lifetime.

Only skilled adventurers may enter needing a letter of approval from the Sultan himself.

But for thoses who simply want to indulge in history or get lost in a good book the public area is freely open to all. Lady Teesia Greatmind is head librarian who takes her duties very seriously she possesses an eidetic memory and only the most trusted may borrow books with a breaking of that trust in damage or late returns, likely resulting in serious if not life threatening injuries, she is a minotaur after all and don't forget the "lady" part.

The war barely affected Gaizunai insofar as cutting off trade routes to other cities, as unlike other areas of Yamikora they're used to dealing with dangers and are always able to amass a military whenever required when under threat from the likes of the gigantic sand whale; the Jen'Morhan and a host of other deadly desert wyverns that call the valley home. That's not to say the people didn't play their part, many went to help other cities and villages across Yamikora to give aid in the times of darkness and many still boast that the finest swordsmen come from Gaizunai.