EBE #202 - Chapter 12: The Great City
#202 - Chapter 12: The Great City
The city of Qarth has maintained a relatively independent and special status since ancient times. Valyria never occupied it, and the Dothraki never invaded it.
Qarth's towering walls and the endless red wasteland outside the city have isolated it from prying eyes. Qarth's wealth is tempting to any power, as the city straddles two worlds: a greedy and curious West and a mysterious and wealthy East.
In the markets, one can find exquisite porcelain from Yi Ti and mysterious jewels from Asshai, as well as goods from the Free Trade Cities and Westeros. Arbor wine is very popular here, and there are even luxury goods produced in Highgarden and fine leather from Skagos.
Liu Yuan's dragon landed near Qarth, a journey that took a full seven days, during which they would find places to rest as needed. Leviathan was also tired of flying, so he opened a gate to let it return to rest. He also released a team of twenty guards and a clipper ship, as he intended to enter Qarth through proper channels.
At dawn, the ship arrived at the Qarth docks. When Rickon opened his eyes, he could already see the city walls not far away. The entire city is surrounded by the sea on three sides, so the architectural style of the city is very magnificent and luxurious. Qarth has three thick city walls, whose unique shape is a symbol of the city's power. The outer wall is made of red sandstone and is thirty feet high. The outer city gate is inlaid with copper and carved with various animals.
The docks they approached were where scattered merchants gathered, and there was a huge market just behind the port. Merchant guilds that were permanently stationed in the city had their own docks, which were generally rented. Great merchants and various guilds all had their own exclusive docks, while the most central part of the city was the port exclusively for the royal family. Qarth's fleet was directly controlled by the royal family.
The royal family is descended from the ancient Qarth kings and queens, and consists of thirteen families without a king. They formed an organization similar to a noble upper house in the Hall of a Thousand Seats to manage Qarth's major affairs. In addition, the royal family is also responsible for commanding the city's defenses, including the camel cavalry, the city gate guards, and the powerful fleet. Qarth's major affairs must have their participation, but they control powerful military force and all the shipyards.
The royal family transferred the control of most areas of the city to the nobility and wealthy merchant groups, allowing them to fight and scheme against each other, thinking they were containing the royal family to compete for the city's dominance. After years of evolution, it became three main factions: the Thirteen, the Ancient Guild of Spicers, and the Tourmaline Brotherhood, which became a power structure similar to a lower house of parliament.
The Ancient Guild of Spicers was initially a group of local merchants dealing in spices. Later, due to the continuous expansion of their power and wealth, they controlled more than 30% of trade with the West.
The Tourmaline Brotherhood was established with the initial intention of countering the Spicers' Guild. Their trade target was the East, and besides merchants, another component was adventurers. Qarth is also an important base for exploring the continent of Sothoryos, so the Brotherhood is very powerful.
The Thirteen were established relatively late, and were an organization formed spontaneously by all the local scattered merchants to avoid being squeezed by the two major guilds. Its members come from the city's top wealthy merchants and slave owners in various industries. The members of the Thirteen are not fixed. Once someone dies, whether it is to establish an heir or to promote a new member, it must be approved by the other members.
After paying the berthing and entry fees at the port, Liu Yuan led Rickon around the streets, with twenty guards following behind them. A scale like this was not conspicuous, as many wealthy people had more attendants than him. Next to the sea was a huge, round-the-clock trading market. Wine cellars, warehouses, and gambling houses were all over the roads. The buildings in the city were in varying shades of dreamy rose, violet, and tan.
The goods in the market included saffron, sweetsleep and liqueurs, strong seasonings, silks, spices, and elephants. There were also gold, gems, and giant ivory found by adventurers on the east coast of Sothoryos. Rickon was dazzled, even though he had stayed in Pentos for a while, he had never seen such a prosperous scene!
The locals of Qarth are tall and have fair skin. They have a very strong sense of national pride. In fact, the current Qarth people have little blood relationship with the ancient Qarth people, but they still retain many traditions. Traditional Qarth clothing exposes one breast of women, while men prefer silk beaded robes, and some wealthy people will embed jewels in their noses.
Rickon asked, "Where are we going?"
Liu Yuan pointed to the city, and Rickon looked over. Inside the second city wall, a huge colorful ball, like a cloud, floated in the air, with the legion's sun and moon markings printed on it. "Wow ~ what a big cotton candy!"
The middle wall is made of gray granite and is forty feet high. The middle city gate is inlaid with iron and carved with lifelike battle scenes. Unlike the huge and chaotic outer city, the city is completely in another style. Countless slender spiers stand tall, and the squares have exquisite fountains in the shape of griffins, dragons, and manticores. Crossing the city is a huge arcaded street, with ancient heroes standing on white and green marble pillars.
The people who live here all have certain assets, and small green gardens can be seen everywhere. The Thirteen, the Tourmaline Brotherhood, the Ancient Guild of Spicers, and the House of the Undying are all located here. Following the guidance of the balloon, they quickly found the legion's trading station in Qarth. This is a white marble building located on a hillside. In addition to the five-story main building, there are two courtyards above and below.
The person in charge here naturally recognized Liu Yuan and knelt down directly when he saw him. He was one of the earliest slave affairs officers and had followed Liu Yuan across Western Essos. He stood out during the large-scale construction on Skagos and became a fully responsible person.
Liu Yuan smiled and asked him to get up: "Sean, get up! I don't have the rule of kneeling here."
Sean: "I didn't expect you to come to Qarth as soon as I sent the message. What do you need me to do?"
Liu Yuan: "This is Rickon, this is Sean, the general manager here, get to know each other. First, settle them down, and then send the intelligence of the various forces in Qarth, especially about the warlocks. Also, Daenerys Targaryen's recent situation, I want to know who she has met."
Sean: "Yes, sir. I'll do it right away!"
The inner wall is made of black marble and is fifty feet high, with spring palace carvings all over the wall. The inner city gate is inlaid with many golden eyes. The city center is completely different from the outside. In the center is a huge palace with a circular dome. This is the real power core of Qarth: the Hall of a Thousand Seats.