Asqia - The City of Ivy

The pale, marble spear-like city of Asqia is situated in the middle of the wandering heart of the Sea of Sand, where the drifting sands are known for treachery.
Even through there is nothing but dunes as far as the eye can see, there are dry patches of quicksand and enormous ant-lions and ship-sized, brass-horn vipers that can be a threat to both caravan and sailor alike. Some even speak of an entire army having disappeared among the dunes, with not a single soul having arrived in Asqia.

Towering nearly half a mile above the surface, the people of Asqia have a unique issue. The spire keeps growing in height, leaving the populace to carve additional steps on their lower stair to even be able to reach the ground below.
When founded, Asqia was simply a large marble slab, with a artificial oasis at the center. The hope was that such a stone could serve as a harbor, as it was the only firm ground within a fifty leagues. As the days passed, some began noticing the gradual rise of the city. Not more than a single corn’s breath a day. However, that all adds up.

Within years, the marble slab had turned into a raised plateau, taking much of the housing along for it’s ascend. And despite the people of Asqia’s attempts at keeping their ever-growing city in check, the spire now measures thousands of steps in height, with the earliest buildings having long since been abandoned due to the fierce winds and risking the wroth of storm-spirits.
As the spire continues it’s rise, the Asqians keep carving the marble, making tunnels and small caves fit for habitation through hard work and the help of contracted elemental. If there is a reason for this phenomena, no scholar have found it.

Besides the city itself, Asqia is also known for the Sodality of Transmutation, a lodge of alchemists that ply their trade in the abandoned higher reaches. Here, their work is mostly undisturbed, allowing them to continue to wrest secrets from the natural laws of Creation. Internal rivalries tend to spill over, and many a debate have been settled in the courts of the pasha.
One such case was due to a disagreement upon the nature of the underworld and it’s essence. An entire tower was the site of a catastrophic experiment, leading to the banishment of one of the brightest minds of the Sodality. Today, this man dwells in the Black Sands, a unearthly wasteland situated south of Asqia, where he continues his work to this day. He styles himself The Alchemist-Prince, and he and his creations eagerly await their return to the city that exiled him to the sands.

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