Najera'jad

Najera'jad (Pronounced: Nuh-zhair-uh-zhodd) is a desert settlement on the northern coast of Nieden. It was established on October 16th as a result of local villagers rediscovering the Buried Bells, a long forgotten nomadic deity. It once served as the epicenter of the Najer cultural reawakening, as well as a regional capital for the Miner's Guild, and the Rovers of Rathnir. A significant market square exists within the city; iconically selling flowers, wood, and mining products.

Origins
Taking advantage of the lawlessness caused by Gold Wednesday, pillagers ravaged the northern coast of Nieden in search of anything valuable. Fearing for their lives, the Najer people fled into the desert in order to seek refuge inside the multiple sand temples abandoned there. As their homes burned, they discovered multiple rooms within the ancient almost-ruins, each containing relics of the forgotten past. In some, ancient symbols of lost gods lay patiently on the floor. In others, dusty tomes waited to reveal their secrets yet again.

Armed with their ancestral customs and knowledge of the desert, the Najer lured raiders into multiple ambushes, noticeably dwindling their numbers until the raiders fled to Plagos.

Upon victory, the region witnessed a cultural reawakening, as many of the unearthed relics were brought to the best preserved of the nearby temples, which in turn became the site of a new capital - one stronger than their disparate villages. Named Najera'jad (literally People Mountain in the local language), the locals embraced the Buried Bells, the lost god of renewal, as their tutelary deity and symbol of the age.

Government
The city is under the government of the Emirate of Najer.

Formative Period
At the death of Seyoh Vusha after the final battle with the pillagers, Seyoh Solomon took charge of the burgeoning encampment of Najera'Jad. For over half an MC year, the Najer tribes worked together on establishing the city; developing it from a valley of tents, to more of a mountain-home. This time also saw the Najer peoples host foreign diplomats from Noxnorr for the first meeting of what would become the Silver Coalition (Oct 19th). This period ended shortly after the establishment of the Silver Coalition (Oct 25th), as the Enfycene Plague ravaged the world, causing many civilizations around the world to vanish completely.

Lonely Era
Ushered in by the Enfycene Plague, the city saw its people - once enthusiastic and unified - flee in fear for the newly re-adopted nomadic traditions. 60% of the Najer people would die as a direct result of this plague, with another 20% go to either resettle the town of Kijaro, or migrate away from the homeland. Among the losses was Seyoh Solomon, who was replaced by Seyoh Avreham Basha close to the start of the era.

Najera'Jad would prove to be resilient through the cataclysmic loss of population as it remained continuously populated - though it remains to this day unable to recover to its original numbers. Instead, the Seyohs of the Najer focused less on building what would be an empty city, but rather expanding the influence and solidarity of the Silver Coalition. It was during this age that the Silver Coalition swelled to become the most populous nation in Rathnir (November 25th Census); going on to found the Trillium Alliance. While both of these triumphant feats guaranteed the survival of the Najer politically - as Seyoh Avreham was instrumental in both; the era is nonetheless stained by a general aura of impending extinction: That the Najer people who - despite small growth, and literary revolution, would fade into memory.

As a way to harden morale, the Najer adopted the phrase "We Remain;" hearkening back to the extensive history that the people have, which span the lifetime of empires long forgotten. It is used both as a promise and a hope that the Najer people will persevere past any hardship: That they will remain, as they have done so for millennia.

This era lasted seven MC years, with the only major development on Najer lands being the construction of the Great Najer Road - Linking the city to Escharia.

Renaissance
With a finally stable population, Seyoh Avreham commissioned on December 3rd for the rapid development of a Caravansary, and many other public buildings. This was to not only welcome home the far and disparate Najer of the world, but also to attract foreign investment, as the Najer economy never developed beyond the culture's traditional barter-and-lend system. At the dawn of this age, the Dunefort was also established.

Sterling Crownlands
During the time of the Sterling Crownlands, Najera'jad fell out of focus, due to it's small population and the influence of its leaders internationally. It continued to prosper and endure until the fall of the Crownlands. The Najer people dispersed from the once-great city across the Wandering Desert, forming the foundation of a new nation, the Emirate of Najer.

The capital of the nation was moved to Wobambi-on-Sea, leaving Najera'jad a relic of the past, with few inhabitants aside from government officials.

Architecture and Significant buildings
''They don't believe in doors. They believe in an arched roof and a straight wall.''

The city's architectural style is a revival of ancient Najer architecture techniques. It has often been said that the Najer do not believe in doors, a manifestation of the Najer's extreme trust in one another, as well as functionally improving the air flow within the city. Where doors do exist, they guard private or sensitive areas.

Equally as iconic is Najera'Jad's insistence on retaining the terracotta and symbology found in their desert temples. On the city walls, the symbol of the Buried Bells can be found in a proud orange. Building off of the coloration afforded by their ancient religion, the city incorporates plants wherever it can.

These design principles have carried over to many other cities across the Emirate, merging with new techniques and customs.

Significant Public Buildings

 * Caravansary


 * BarSixSeven


 * Bath House


 * Public Library


 * Hostel


 * Buried Bells (Religious)


 * Miner's Guildhall


 * Market District

Phenomena
Mysteries, conundrums and otherwise explainable events.

Precursors
Throughout the Najer Deserts, massive petrified bones can be found dug hopelessly into the sand. Current records of the Najer do not indicate their true origin. Instead, any reference is made in passing - suggesting that the ancient nomadic Najer recognized them as mundane parts of the world. Whatever massive form they took, it is thought that they were the first inhabitants of Rathnir.

Cactus God
During the Lonely Age, a massive cobblestone statue appeared outside of the city gates. It is unknown who the Cactus God is, nor what the statue is supposed to resemble. As a sign of reverence to the apparent divinity, Najera'Jad has left the statue alone, though recent reports of crumblings falling from above make the statue a debated topic between the Seyoh and his people.

Signage
Occasionally a sign will appear in the City or along the road stating in capitalized letters that "SIGNS" are the only true god. It is unknown if this is solely a phenomenon in the homeland, or if it is a cult with malicious or benign intentions. Often these signs are discovered well after they were placed, but their occasional appearance at sites where the road was destroyed call into question the "cult" - as they have been called - and its intentions.

Celestial Lilly
Towards the end of the Lonely age, a Lilly flower was found beside the city-walls overlooking the sea. Inscribed on an accompanying reed were the words "Celestial Lilly" in multiple languages - one of them Najer. No sources of wisedom could provide an explanation for the Lilly's significance, nor why it was abandoned so close to the city.

The Beet Man
During the night shift, a wall guard noticed an figure outside the walls. Thinking it was an attack, the city closed its walls, and dug in for an attack that never came. Instead, by morning, a small pouch lay in the sand, filled with beetroots, merely signed "The Beetman."