The Myth of the God Incarnate

The Cities of the Coast
Copyright (c) Simon Brooke 1992-1995
describing the coastal city-states which provide the Great Place with it's nearest (semi) civilised neighbours
The entire centre of the continent on which the action takes place comprises a low, domed limestone plateau, rather arid (especially towards the centre, with few surface rivers. Orthographic folding has produced a ridge parallel to the southern coast; this ridge is considerably lower than, and is straddled by, the mountains of the Rim. The ridge, like the plateau, is of porous limestone, and the major rivers of the steppe, such as they are, tend to flow under rather than through it. Volcanic activity, now largely inactive, has intruded other mineral masses into the ridge. South of the ridge is a fertile littoral, generally between thirty and seventy kilometres wide, warm and well watered: a climate not dissimilar to that of the Great Place. This littoral is generally open, with few natural barriers. It has been habited for many thousands of years. Politically, it is divided into a number of independent, and fiercely competitive, city states, known collectively as the Cities of the Coast. They are culturally and linguistically similar, and all practice a form of the dragon cult as their primary religion. West from the Great Place, the cities include:

Koantuan

Koantuan was once a powerful city, monopolising trade across the Rim with the Great Place. The city itself is built on an island in the river Andun, some fifteen miles inland from the coast. Lack of room for expansion has made this a very crowded and rather unhealthy city. It is known for keeping dragons in a specially built pit in the city centre. These dragons, regularly fed (on slaves) and having little exercise, and, particularly, having no opportunity to fly, were rumoured to be the largest in the world. The feeding of the dragons was a regular public spectacle, which drew considerable crowds. Recently Koantuan's power has waned, as pressure from the Coiremhiconic has driven an increasing proportion of trade from the overland caravans to sea routes.

Huandun

Originally the port for Koantuan, Huandun occupies a rocky peninsula at the mouth of the Andun, protecting a well sheltered harbour. A succession of walls has enclosed progressively larger amounts of the peninsula as the city has expanded. The city is notorious for the wealth and dissipation of its ruling elite, and for its macchiavelian foreign policy. It has supplanted Koantuan as the main centre for trade with the Great Place, and also has a considerable distant water trade. At the time of this story is it just completing its conquest of Koantuan.

Sinhua

Is a port city at the mouth of the Sinata river. A long term rival of Huandun, Sinhua has a considerable marine trade, and pioneered many of the transoceanic trade routes.

Hans'hua

Hans'hua is an inland city, built in a strategic position to control water resources on the barren limestone pavement of the coastal ridge. It has historically held a close grip on the overland trade routes to the distant Cities of the North, and has also dominated the trade with the barbarian tribes of the steppe, buying horses and slaves, and selling textiles, metalwork and weapons. The increasing power of the Coiremhiconic has had an effect on Hans'hua, leading it to seek to open up new markets; both because it fears its northern trading routes may be closed, and because the increasing supply of slaves is saturating its local markets. To this end it has captured the smaller coastal city of Tchahua, and is establishing a fleet. This has brought it into intense conflict with its eastern neighbour, Sinhua.
Copyright (c) Simon Brooke 1992-1995

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