Look well and be made of stone. - Phrase of Shuttuhepa.
City Nation of Shuttuhepa[]
Shuttuhepa is the hepa to the east, lying along the eastern ridges of the Spine. Shuttuhepa is also the northern most hepa of the Ramal Nations. Shuttuhepa resides near the source of the Hmadi and benefits from the yearly flooding which saturates and fertilizes its farmland. Shuttuhepa is known as the city of cloth. Stretching back for over a thousand years, Shuttuhepa has boasted some of the finest cloth makers in all of Indagar. They are capable of weaving and sewing rich clothing, elegant dressings, rugs, banners, and any manner of fine, artistic goods. This is made so due to the rare Raa Flower which can only be found near the source of the Hmadi. The petals of this flowering plant can be boiled and mixed with minerals to create colorful dyes which can be easily applied to most fibers.
Shuttuhepa has direct access to the ocean via the Hmadi river, and although the people of this city do not maintain a large fleet, such access has given them the ability to ply trade across the sea and also to easily access the markets of Arkland. Further, because of the Hmadi, goods from Shuttuhepa can also be taken to Kiyaratta by barge and then unloaded to be carried overland to the southern borders of Arkland.
Existing along a low slope up the Teeth, Shuttuhepa is also dotted and surrounded by ornate and mysterious rock formations. These formations come up from the ground and tower high into the air, teetering there as if about to fall. They are often referred to as the Fingers of the Hmadi, and they have existed as far back as the written history of the area stretches. A people with a penchant for art, the citizens of Shuttuhepa have draped some of the formations, especially those sitting in the city, with ornate cloth, decorating them, and providing a unique scene for all in the city to enjoy.
With its roots in artistic culture, Shuttuhepa has become an art and cultural center of the Ramal Nations. Shuttuhepa boasts many play houses, civil structures dedicated to festivities and art galleries, and a Grand Bazaar where artisans make and sell fine clothing, rugs, and other goods made of colorful fabrics. It is the goal of many in the Ramal Nations to visit Shuttuhepa to bask in the beauty of the city, take in the ornate designs of the Fingers, and shop in the Grand Bazaar. Many travelers reach Shuttuhepa by traveling north along the Karma as far as they can only to brave a journey across the Sand Seas for the short distance to Shuttuhepa.
History of Shuttuhepa[]
Before the Ramaltas, the people who inhabited the villages which would eventually combine to become Shuttuhepa were slaves. Three warlords of the desert wastes had formed an alliance, and as such, conquered those villages and forced their people to work fields to produce food and Raa Flowers which they could then transform into goods to be sold in foreign markets. However, within 5 years after the first Ramaltas took power in Tadukhepa, the idea spread north to the area of Shuttuhepa. One of the warlords in the alliance decided that a better way than enslaving the people would be to establish a city nation, granting power to the people, and growing a large city. This warlord was Saagara Kissa, and after she proposed this to the other two warlords, they attacked her fearing that her ideas would bring them all down. Unbeknownst to the slaves in the villages, a great battle took place in the desert, and Saagara Kissa destroyed her enemies.
With a great victory behind her, Saagara Kissa returned to the villages after consolidating her forces and freed all of the slaves. She was seen as the great freer of the people, and the villagers, surprised by their luck, began calling her the Mother of Shutthepa. The villages combined their strength and established a central location which would grow into the new hepa. This city would sit along the slopes of the Teeth and grow around the Fingers, seeing them as a symbol of their new found strength.
Freed from slavery and with new found fervor, the people built the city of Shuttuhepa and eventually abandoned their villages. Saagara Kissa continued to consolidate power, bringing the desert bands under her control and establishing rule of law and order within Shuttuhepa. She was able to continue to grow her power base as the villagers who were once slaves now worked twice as hard in the fields to produce and manufacture fine goods from the Raa Flower. This allowed her to establish great wealth through trade in foreign markets, especially further down the Hmadi.
From this beginning, Shuttuhepa has spent centuries growing into a powerful city nation. With a history of art in hand woven goods, it was natural for Shuttuhepa to continue to grow and support artistic endeavors. Further Ramaltas encouraged this idea and supported the construction of civil buildings around theater and art. This would further serve to increase their power base and turn Shuttuhepa into the prime destination for any within the Ramal Nations.
Cultural Center of Shuttuhepa[]
As a people rooted in art and grown around stone, the citizens of Shuttuhepa have established a great power out of the desert relying heavily on the petals of the Raa Flower. Over the centuries, Shuttuhepa has also grown into a burgeoning cultural center. The wealthy in the city establish the seasonal dress that is copied throughout the Ramal Nations. Further, great paintings, sculpture, and other art adorn many of the civil buildings and sit in the homes of the powerful within Shuttuhepa. Such access to fine works has created much demand for the work of Shuttuhepa not just in the Ramal Nations but also by foreigners. To own a work of art made in Shuttuhepa is a great sign of prestige and power. Art made in Shuttuhepa can be found in the homes of the most powerful leaders in Indagar.
Return to Ramal Nations Back Story
--Neil (talk) 17:56, 24 October 2016 (AST)