Khum

Khum, also called "The Obsidian Bastion", was founded sometime between 200 and 300 ETW by a wealthy Kashmiri nobleman seeking the prestige of owning a private city in the desert. The merchant's name is no longer known, but several of the wealthy families that inhabit the city all insist that he was an ancestor of their lineage.

As a city, Khum stands on the edge of the western Kashmiri Desert, the last stop for caravans travelling south into the desert. The city is roughly star shaped, with magically reinforced obsidian walls thirty feet thick at the bottom, sloping steeply upwards to a height of about 40 feet. With this reinforcement, it also acts as the first line of defense against any desert tribes (or bands of native creatures) looking to move north, as well as providing a safe haven for the rich merchant families that inhabit it.

Khum is home to approximately a dozen major trade and mercantile houses, each seeking to outdo the last in terms of ostentatious displays of wealth. Public fountains, hanging gardens, and elaborate bath houses make the the streets almost humid, and growing greenery is a common sight. Actual residency in the city is an expensive and exclusive thing, as the city itself has almost no infrastructure at all. Part of the cost of living - and therefore the prestige of the thing - is that food and water must be brought in from the outside, be it physically or magically.

Most of the cities' revenue comes from travelers passing through; As the last stop before open sand, it's also the last chance to replenish supplies... for a price.