CITY OF MEDHA

"The sand-scoured walls of Medha stand as both barrier and promise - ancient stones that have witnessed a new queen every twelve cycles. In its sprawling bazaars, scavengers trade relics pulled from the bellies of dead cities for water pure enough to drink. The shadow of the Queen's spire falls across us all, her rule absolute yet fleeting. We merchants whisper that true power in Medha flows not from her gilded throne, but through the hands that control the water pumps and the mouths that sell salvation by the flask. Out beyond our walls, the shifting dunes conceal treasures and terrors in equal measure. But here within, everything has its price—water, weapons, loyalty, flesh. Even time itself is bought and sold in Medha, the last true marketplace of the endless Sand."

• Sand Caravan Master Khalil, addressing traders in the Medha Grand Bazaar,
  Day 3 of The Burning, 124 AP

The city of Medha - the pearl of the mid-sea and gateway to the lands of Sand. Medha is the largest coastal city of what once used to be North Africa and a key trading port for the mid-sea. The mines of Medha provide a vital ingredient for the production of Omnimorph, making the Queen of Medha unfathomably rich.

Queen Nubia the 7th, the current Pharaoh of Medha, resides in an imposing palace complex.

The Palace Guard, the Dha-Habi, are the Pharaoh's elite fighting force. Ready to lay down their lives for any task the Pharaoh demands of them, they are frequently called on to do so. They will conduct dangerous missions, both within and outside of the City.

The Khamadi, the Pharao's Handmaidens, see to their queen's every desire. Hundreds live in the palace, ready to fulfil any wish, any whim the Pharaoh may have.

In return for their service, the Khamadi live a life of luxury that few outside of the palace can ever imagine, but their lives are often tragically short.

To make a mistake in the presence of the queen is a crime, and to commit a crime in the presence of the queen is punished harshly, either by death, or lengthy imprisonment in the dungeons...

Absolute loyalty is demanded from the Khamadi, and they are expected to die for their Queen should the need arise. Many a Khamadi has given her life as a human shield during assassination attempts on the Pharaos of Mehda over the years.

Every 12 years the Prime AI gifts the city of Medha a new clone, specifically trained to become the new Pharaoh.

An Emissary of Prime delivers the new queen to the palace.

As the new queen and the old queen meet, the Emissary, having fulfilled her duty, dies when her collar self-destructs

The current Pharaoh retires into the annex of the palace, where she will serve the new Pharaoh as an advisor, removed from the day to day politics of the palace.

The streets of Medha are bustling with its citizens, the water guild, desert nomads, scavengers, mercenaries, shamans, crime lords and their gangs, as well as traders from far away regions.

Crime Lord Rajul Samin and his gang control an entire district of Medha city.

Nomads, hunting for lost technology in the deep desert, and members of the water guild, are also a common sight on the streets of Medha.

The nomads despise the water guild, as the code of the desert prohibits the selling of water for a profit.

It is not uncommon for members of the water guild to be attacked and robbed. It is also not uncommon war water guilders to be murdered, usually drowned to make a point. The suspects are almost always Nomads...

While strictly illegal, it is nonetheless common for new clones to be bought and sold in underground markets.

The Medha city militia is well armed but not as well trained as the Palace Guard. This is deliberate - the militia are well enough equipped to deal with an unruly population, but would stand no chance in a fight with the Palace Guard.

A small number of Palace Guard patrol the city too, but mainly to keep an eye on the city militia...

At the same time, they do not hesitate to get involved with arresting gang members!

The port of Medha is always busy, connecting Medha across the waters of the mid-sea to the southern ports of the mud lands and beyond.

Ships of all sizes cross the mid-sea every day.

Life and work on board these freighters is hard and dangerous.

With so many cargo vessels criss-crossing the mid-sea every day, it is not uncommon for ships to be attacked by abhorrent giant Kraken, hunting for fresh meat. The Kraken have learned that sinking a ship forces the human crew into the water.

When a Kraken attacks, there is no escape for the crew...

They can either go down with their ship and drown, or be eaten alive by the Kraken, as it greedily plucks them off the ship and out of the water one by one...

Whatever the Kraken doesn't devour, washes up on the beaches the next day, sometimes even the odd survivor...

The vast open cast mines just outside of Medha are the lifeblood of the city and the foundation of the Pharao's wealth. Here, one of the main ingredients of omnimorph is found and dug straight out of the ground. The mining operation runs in shifts without interruption, even while deadly sand mite attacks have to be dealt with. The contracts with the Prime facility demand constant deliveries and the Pharaoh will not permit any slowdowns of the operation.

Sand worms and other creatures burst out of the ground frequently to feed on the workers of the mine. As the life of a worker is regarded as meaningless compared to the value of the orange sand, no-one keeps a count of the daily toll...

The creatures are difficult to kill and the guards can usually only drive them back temporarily. They will reappear when' they are hungry again...

The work never stops during the attacks, as relentless quotas have to be fulfilled! Every few hours, huge haul trucks are filled up with the yield of the shift and are sent on their way to Prime.

Life and work in Medha is hard, so when the night falls, the citizens make the best of the little free time they have...

Combat arenas, some sanctioned, many of them illegal, are very popular in Medha. A lot of money changes hands in bets made on the fights every night.

Anyone can enter the combat arenas. The rules of these fights are very simple: No yielding. No mercy.

As the sun rises over Medha city, a new day begins...