Kun Anyam

Kun Anyam

Kun Anyam city-plan

Location of Kun Anyam within Îsra
Type	City
Region	Îsra, Sîrayn
Founded	Ca. Second Age 450
Destroyed	S.A. 3159
Re-founded	Third Age 226

“In the many narrow streets and wide plazas of Kun Anyam, the treasures of many realms may be found; and beneath its palms and fig trees one may chance to meet a merchant from Khey Sârt, a pilgrim from Pél, or a noble who hails from Tûl Harár or perhaps even Númenor. There are whispers of Anbalûkkhôri spies who make their forays from Kun Anyam further into the heart of Îsra and the free cities of the region; and many a thrill seeker has packed their final provisions with the food and craft of this frontier city before heading into the Tûr Betark or the wild hinterlands of Îsra.
There is nothing that has played a greater role in the shaping of Kun Anyam than the Yól Îsra (Ap. "Road to Îsra"). This mighty road splits the town in almost equal halves as it follows its unerring southward path to the verdant lands of Gan and Ti'eresh beyond the Tûr Betark. Along this Great Îsran highway the brave and the foolish venture forth in search of greater wealth and fame, carrying many of Greater Harad's most sought after products and many goods from more distant lands as well.”

Kun Anyam (Tz. "Spice Streets"?), also known as Kuyu Altin on the ICE MERP maps, was a city in Îsra, Greater Harad. The city was a center on the spice trade route, and was oftentimes called the "Spice Streets".

History[]

Kun Anyam was founded in the early Second Age (~450), one of several villages along the great Yól Îsra (Tz. "Îsra Road"), which even then passed along this the eastern bank of the Maudar River as a rutted cart track. The swift Altin River, called the Yamsin Kam (kh. "Spice Wine River") in those years, leapt down from the Tûr Betark through a series of tight channels and danced its way through the foothills to join the Maudar just south of Kun Anyam; and it was this confluence which first attracted settlers to the hill bluff upon which the village was constructed. From the slender Maudar came many fish in the season of Sadayn (Ap. "Flood") to supplement its year-round abundance. The silt-laden Altin gets its name from its mur-coloured waters, and from them does the region about Kun Anyam's bluffs receive its yearly replacement of fresh soil during the floods.

Soon after the founding of the village and the rise of its northern neighbor Tûl Îsra, Kun Anyam began to earn the name "Spice Streets" as traders passed through its boulevards and squares carrying exotic goods and spices from many distant lands. Scholars may debate the relevance of the Altin river to the naming of Kun Anyam, but in the end it was the spice riches which flowed through the town that secured the name.

With the establishment of the town and its rapid growth, merchants heading south found their last outpost before the arduous mountain paths, and their first place of safety upon their return. Taxes were levied and shops and services sprang up to support the merchants' every need. Taverns and inns, both fine and foul, lined the Yól Îsra as it ran through town; temples and shrines to some 30 local and imported deities sprinkled the avenues and parks, with many a makeshift shrine springing up and falling away as merchants came and went. From the beginning, there were few religious prejudices shown to those who would bring prosperity to Kun Anyam. But those of darker ways were not limited to thralls of the Black Enemy.

Despite this general religious tolerance, after several hundred years the followers of the two leading faiths became engaged in a bitter holy war (S.A. 1327). The refugees of the losing sect founded Deve Entol further south along the road, and competition between the two communities lasted over two decades, and twice the struggle broke into open war, without resolution. Deve Entol was finally destroyed by a great tide of Orcs (Ap. Sadayn Grapash: "Flood [of] Orc") from the mountains. Kun Anyam survived and expanded, having regained its former place on the great trade road. But with the approach of the Storm King's forces, fear began to live again in its twisting alleys and wandering paths.

The Renaissance of Sîrayn and the cult of Asrûta[]

By S.A. 2350, the Yól Maudar and the Yól Déve were dotted by seven cities: Kuyu Altin, Tûl Îsra, Rintark, Kuyu Akrep, Tûm Kirmar, Kîrm, and Ayn, each ruled by a Tarb and three or four main Saulen. At that time, Khailûzan priests and merchants started to walk the Yólu, and they talked about their great kingdom in the North, blessed by the gods.

In S.A. 2656 a small army from Mûmakan crossed the Bóas Îsra (Tz. "Isran Pass"), and for the first time the Oliphaunts were seen in later Sîrayn. At first the Tazinain armies were overcome with awe, and their mounts fled in terror; Kuyu Altin was besieged, but the following year Selen Zayan intervened, and he routed the invaders back to their lands. The city of Kuyu Altin made him Tarb, so that his realm covered all the Maudar valley. In S.A. 2699, the Maûmakanar crossed again the Bóas Îsra, this time with a larger force. They fell on Kuyu Altin and plundered the city. The citizens fled to the safety of later Tûl Îsra, and were besieged inside the walls as the army of Tûr Aylra tried without success to break the siege. It was thanks to the deployment of troops from Tyarett that the invaders were defeated.

In S.A. 3155 later Tûl Îsra was besieged without success, and at the same time the fleet of Tyarett liberated again Kîrm. The Sadayn of that year brought an epidemic of bursh, a fever contracted from spoiled food and water, that greatly weakened the Númenórean host. In 3159 the Númenóreans attacked again, with fresh reinforcements from Númenor and many mercenaries brought from the peoples of Sakal an-Khâr: Tûl Îsra fell and spelled defeat for Kuyu Altin. This was the end of the “Spice Streets” city.

During the Third Age, the ruins of the city sheltered many bandits. In T.A. 226, the ruins of Kuyu Altin were cleansed of bandits and transformed into a fortress, and the road to the Boas Îsra opened again. By the end of the first millennium, Tûl Îsra prospered again, partly thanks to the trade along the Yól Maudar, and partly as a pilgrimage centre for the Tayé. Kuyu Altin developed many links with Dûshera, and its merchants travelled by land as far as Sarûl and Kôrlan.

City sites[]

Ca. Second Age 1920:

“Those gardens sing to me down the dusty roads,
and my spirit returns to cool shade and Anyam arms.”
--Verse from Anyaman caravaner's song

“Those voices sing to me down on the streets below,
and my feet return to their softest touch and sweetest charms.”
--travellers song, sung most often near the brothels of Kun Anyam

Though there are many places of interest in Kun Anyam, the following are those sites most commonly of interest to travelers (refer to city plan above right):

TENEVYA SOSEIN. One of the few established temples within Kun Anyam, the Tenevya Sosein (Tz. "House of Tenevya") smiled down upon the travelers of the city.
PELEZAIN FEL ARAM. The Pelezain Fel Aram (Tz. "The Caravan Chambers") housed the offices of the Dorenal, Yarrat, and Tenda companies, along with many other merchant companies.
AMSAL AMASUR. (Tz. "The Great Market"). This great square was the busiest place south of Tûl Îsra. It was a grand maze of tents, stalls, and temporary buildings. The paths between these mercantile establishments changed often, as new vendors arrived and old vendors left.
ANYAM FEL ARAM. The Anyam Fel Aram (Tz. "The Chambers of Anyam") were once the palace of the early Qirsef rulers of Kun Anyam. Since that time the building had been significantly modified, but the original grandeur of the structure still showed through. Great dome-topped towers rose on the four corners, and the central structure was roofed with red stone in the form of a great tent. Slender marble columns lined the many exterior walkways that circumnavigated two of the three floors, and statues of all sizes stood and watched the great market below.
THE GATE TOWERS. The Gate Towers of Kun Anyam remained standing, even though the gate itself was never closed. With the destruction of the wall centuries before, the city had grown beyond its original bounds, and the wall had become an artifact of the past. The towers now served to moderate traffic in and out of the city, as well as to inventory passing caravans for taxation, and to direct travelers to places within the city. Guards still stood atop the towers, but served only as lookouts for approaching caravans from the north.
YOL EHEN. The Yol Ehen (Tz. "The Golden Road") tavern and inn was one of the finer such establishments in the city, its clientele consisting mostly of wealthy travelers, visiting dignitaries, and eminent locals who came to the city from their estates beyond. It was known for its fine food, excellent quarters, and outrageous prices.
KELMEM GROUP. The Kelmem Group was a 'mercenary' company of sorts. They hired themselves out to merchant companies as guardsmen, drivers, and guides.
VAYIN PULMET. The Vayin Pulmet (Tz. "Warders' Hold") was once the hall of the Em Vayin, and the warders make their home in this semi-fortified building still.
CARC BEDIL. This grand estate was the holding of Pem Yarrat, though he himself was rarely there, preferring his estate in the Altin Valley to the noise and stink of the city. His sons were often to be found here, and much of his business was run from this estate. There were frequent parties thrown by his family, for business associates and visiting and local dignitaries. During such parties the walled estate yards were transformed into great fields of light and color, and the round walls of the estate house blazed with the golden and red light of countless lanterns.
THE ORANGE WALLS. This was Kun Anyam's jail. The walls were of a darker yellow stone of the Tur Betark, and gave the place its nickname. The jail was well built and well staffed.
THE ÎSRAN HOLD. This older building had been turned over to A'Inkor and his Îsran forces to serve as a base of operations within the city. It was once a merchant house, but had since lain vacant for some time. The building was three stories high and had had its roof converted into training space for the Îsran soldiers.
QARAM ELIESH. ("Eliesh's Emporium") This building houses the industrious Eliesh and his goods. He serves the merchant companies and others who have need of his wares or services. He offers everything from beasts of burden to refined metal goods and everything in between.
MIEMPER SOSEIN. The temple of Miemper was a long low structure and plain to the eye. Despite its unassuming appearance, it was the wealthiest temple in the city, and the most frequented. The door to Miemper's House was always open, and there could always be found at least a handful of faithful immediately within it, waiting patiently in the small entry hall for an audience with a priest or to make a donation.
OSILEN FEL ORMAL. Named for the Bay of Ormal far to the East, the Osilen Fel Ormal (Tz. "The Winds of Ormal") inn was constructed and painted to look like soft waves of that great bay. It was a popular place among caravanners and travelers, and offered decent food and quarters for reasonable rates. The inn was owned by Mioredan Dorenal and was decorated with the stuff of his travels.
THE ZARAIT. The Zarait was the oldest and most densely populated area in Kun Anyam, and was almost a city within the city. The streets of Kun Anyam disappeared into this great tangle of buildings which clambered atop and beside each other so tightly that the entire conglomeration had almost become a single building which sprawled out, encompassing most of the south-eastern quarter of the city. It tumbled along, ranging from a single story to five or six stories high, with streets and byways running almost accidentally through the spaces between and under the structures. Torches and lanterns burned continuously along the better of these tunneling streets, while the less well maintained were simply black paths leading to literal dead ends or areas best left unexplored. A great many steep and narrow stairways served to connect the various levels and surmount the odd wall or roof. Most of the poor of Kun Anyam made their lives within the ramshackle neighborhoods of the Zarait, and many clandestine dealings took place behind doors tucked beneath a street or recessed in a corner. While the tangle and dark inside much of the Zarait could be suffocating, the roofs of the Zarait were a brilliant display of color and activity. Upon these roofs and within the occasional courtyard or uncovered street, a second great market existed, selling the necessities of daily life for the Anyaman. Cloths were dyed and sold, small gardens offered up fruits and vegetables, and all manner of livestock were penned throughout. Weavers, cobblers, healers, smiths, moneychangers, thieves, charlatans, and others roamed and sold and stole their ways throughout the Zarait.
Though the Zarait proper sat well within the city walls, its creeping influence affected the other neighborhoods around it; raised walkways connected it to many buildings and roofs along the southern wall, and some other similar architectural growths had grown to straddle the city wall itself.
YALED MIEMPER. ("Miemper's Court") This tree-lined square was a favorite place to take fedem. Many of the smaller fedem establishments in the city sat around this square and were frequented by warehouse workers, local merchants and tradesmen, and even the nomadic Ayten as well. At night it turned into a less raucous entertainment square than the Great Market.
NOYAN ALO. The Noyan Alo (The "Ink House") was once the house of the Noyan Trumyai, the Council of Scribes, and was now the office of the Akuar Company, producers of fine papers, inks, and all things related. The building also housed a fine library which was available to the scribes of the city once they had registered with the company (for a fee). The main building housed the library and the store, as well as offices in its upper level.
Several of the nearby buildings were owned by the Akuar Company as well, and it was there that their products were produced.
A'ABFER. A'abfer was Kun Anyam's charnel-house. It was widely avoided by locals and foreigners alike. It was a squat two-storey building with few windows and a handful of chipped and worn statues arrayed atop four-foot pedestals around its perimeter. It was run by Shaluan Omol and Iruileth.
ASHALEE GERZAUD. This tavern was frequented by many of the wealthy Anyaman, and offered discrete rooms for their meetings and other engagements. It was a long single storey building of classic Îsran architecture, with narrow archways and smooth stonework. The owner was Alal Melsorman.
AZHAR ZURUM. Azhar's Company is the premier source of guides through the Tur Betark.
TARABAN IILISH. ("Taraban's Stars") This rowdy tavern at the south end of the city was a favorite among caravanners and miscreants. The nightly entertainment included bawdy performances and private back rooms, and the occasional barroom brawl served to liven the place up when there was nothing else to do. Gambling and contests of all kinds could be found here from night to night, and the potent bitter Iilishel Yam (Tz. "Starry Eye") was the favorite sedative here. Thieves, sharks, and con-men roamed the tables looking for an easy take among the transient customers, and the raucous atmosphere allowed for whispered deals to be made in relative secrecy.
SOSTH ANURTH. (Ga. "The Shrine of The Eye") Erected by Ganai travelling over the Tûr Betark, the Sosth Anurth was frequented by nearly every Ganai passing through. The priestesses offered blessings and other services to Ganai travelers, and maintained watch over the Anurth Memeph (Ga. "Pool of The Eye"), which they believed gave oracular powers to one of their number.
YALED OSAR. The nomadic Ayten tribes of the Sîresha lived between the high passes and vales of the Tûr Betark and the low plains of Îsra and Cénnacatt, as they shepherded their flocks of goats. Most tribes had well-established sites between which they moved from season to season, and they traded with the cities and towns along the way for goods and materials. Kun Anyam had a large transient population of Ayten which passed through several times a year, as separate tribes moved along their migratory routes. The Yaled Osar (Tz. "Goat Court") was frequently filled from end to end with Ayten tents and the sounds of bleating of their animals and their long wooden flutes. The Puiam, Baranahal, and Rajmet tribes all stopped to trade at Kun Anyam during Bauga (Tz. "Water-channels") and Kramask (Tz. "Planting").
HAMALEL AWEP ("Hamalel's Rest"). Named for the legendary Sîreshan who first traversed the Tûr Betark, this grove of date palms, frangreb, and torbechena offered quiet and shade to residents, Ayten, and caravanners alike. The trees were watered by small springs which rose up from through the hill and disappeared again into the porous soil before running down to the river. By tradition, these trees and their fruit were for all, though the Em Anyam had taken to selling harvesting rights to local companies who were required to give half the harvest to the city's poor-houses. Many companies paid the fee and organized harvests simply as a public-relations act, since there was little money to be made in the practice; and the number of companies which did so meant that there were few occasions when a local couldn't simply enter the grove and take a satchel-full unnoticed. The Ayten grazed their herds within the cool shade of the grove and oftentimes set up small tent communities here as well. At the northern end of the grove was the city graveyard, and the graves spread through the trees throughout that end of the grove. It was illegal to cut down any tree of the grove, and even marring one was considered to be bad luck.
THE DYE FIELD. The southwestern end of town held many weavers, cloth and rug makers, and dye producers. The dye field served most of these businesses as well as the Ayten who camped nearby. It encompassed roughly 1500 square feet and was constructed entirely of clay brick cubes ranging from four to seven feet in height, each abutting the next. These cubes were constructed around large smooth-sided vats of various dyes and bleaches, and each had a small flue which led to fire-holes in the base of the cubes. There were some 50 such vat-cubes, around which the many dyers worked with piles of cloth and lengths of string, and a strong smell of chemicals, earth, and steam swirled about the whole place.
TA'AL ZARAIT. This miniature version of the Zarait was home to several loosely organized groups of thieves working in the city, and there was a heated rivalry between those from Ta'al Zarait and the Zarait proper.
WALL TOWER. The remaining wall towers were used mainly for storage now, and were rented out to merchant companies as warehouse space.
WALL TOWER.
SLAVE PENS. The three two-story buildings at the northeastern corner of the Great Market were the temporary holding pens of the city's slave market. All three were solidly constructed and well protected. Many debtors and criminals had seen the last of Kun Anyam from the barred windows of these buildings, or from the auction blocks arrayed in front of them. The interiors were almost entirely comprised of cells which held from 10 to 40 slaves.
CAM EL FEDREM. The Cam El Fedrem (Tz. "Sellers of Flesh") had offices in this building, and it was here that newly acquired slaves were taken to be appraised and prepared. The building sat amidst the warehouses and slums of the northwestern quarter. Its yellow stone walls were broken by a single door on their eastern side, and a few windows and small balconies along the second floor. Most mornings and evenings the slavers moved their 'goods' between this building and the pens in the Great Market. And this section of town was avoided at night by most sane Anyaman, lest they find themselves taken for sale on the blocks. Technically the slavers might not take a person without reason (debt and crime were the most common reasons), but there were reports of lone drunks or lost travelers who had disappeared in this area of town.
TANAT BEHOUN. The tents of the Tanat Behoun and his followers dotted the ground amidst the palms and frangrebs at the southeastern end of the city. Colorful and perpetually filled with the songs and chant of these faithful, the camp was yet rarely visited by the locals. Tanat Behoun himself occupied the central tent, and there preached and guided his followers, but his faith was little appreciated among the Anyaman. Behoun came from the plateau of Cénnacatt where he was a shepherd and priest, preaching the faith of Jarlalel, a regional wind god. According to him, he was visited by Jarlalel in the form of a great bird with eyes of evening flame, and told to go to Îsra and prepare all for his coming. Behoun immediately left his flock and began the long walk to Îsra, crossing the harsh range of Brû Îsra and gathering followers as he went. He taught that the wind would come from the west, and that all who were not blessed would be struck down by it. His followers bowed and prayed to the west three times daily, and sung of flames racing before Jarlalel as he comes. The pilgrims had been camped at Kun Anyam for two seasons, slowly gaining converts to their faith.

Peoples[]

Many folks had passed through Kun Anyam over the centuries; some on the road to more distant lands south or north, some stayed for a season or year and then moved further on, some had come and built great families, and some came to prey on the unwary who passed through the gates daily. There was little left of the original clans wandering into the region from Chy and further lands. Over the sweep of years, the faces had changed almost as if the shifting winds carried with it the wandering folk from across the south.

Despite these shifting tides, the bulk of Kun Anyam's population had always been of Sireshan stock, whether coming from other town and cities in Îsra and Chennacatt or from the wastes of Kirmlesra or the great port of Tûl Harár. The mixing of blood was less prevalent in Kun Anyam than it was in Tûl Îsra or Tûl Harár, where families and companies came and stayed for a time measured in centuries, not decades as was so often the case of the Anyaman.

The Ganari[]

Perhaps the most common of the resettled folk came from the land of Gan south of the Tûr Betark. Of dark bronze skin and small stature, these almond-eyed folk counted themselves among the oldest Anyaman still in residence. Their ancestors came over the mountains some twenty generations before, and as the gift of their native tongue had long been lost to the years, they sounded much like any other Îsran, except perhaps for a greater deepness of voice. Fond of whites and blues, they dressed simply, and in the styles prevalent for the time.
The current popularity of single shoulder wraps was given flair by the Ganari by their addition of stylistic chest paint, one of the few lingering influences of their own culture. The Ganari were almost all fishermen and farmers, with very few of their number ever seeking different professions. Of those who did find other professions, the majority of them were as members of the warders or guardsmen. They married early by Sireshan standards, usually by the age of 12.

The Mablad[]

The Naugrim of Druin’s Folk settled the Yellow Mountains in 1211, founding the great city of Mablâd-dûm in the center of the range. As were their northern brothers, the Mablad were incessantly exploring, and it was only a short time (reckoned by a dwarf) before they came into contact with the various southern cities of the Siresha valley.
Though the great city of Tartaust near the headwaters of the Siresha was perhaps most closely tied to Mablad trade, the site of a Mablad-sponsored caravan passing through Kun Anyam was not uncommon. There were several distinct Mablad families who had established themselves either in Kun Anyam or in the surrounding lands.
They were craftsmen and explorers, and were sought after by any who had the money to afford their excellent services, though many a caravaner had had second thoughts after a quarrel with them; they were opinionated, and kept their affairs to themselves. To befriend a Mablad was to have a friend for life, and to make an enemy of one was to have it forever be so.
Despite common feelings of trepidation most felt when dealing with the Mablad, they were among the more light-hearted of their kin; very few of this stout folk could be called 'dour'. When amongst themselves, there was rarely a moment without singing or music being played, and even among the Second Born, the Mablad were quick to take up a flute or Hurzhan and lighten their spirits with it. Their dress as well mirrored this philosophy, for unless they rarely wore anything of duller color than orange.

The General Populace[]

Though in such a diverse population as Kun Anyam it was difficult to generalize, there were common traits and cultural habits shared (eventually) by most of the various peoples. The styles of dress were a mixture of foreign and indigenous fashions, with the current preference leaning towards the urdel, a loose torso wrap over half-pants or knee length skirt. This was worn by both men and women, with the men favoring the skirt and leaving the wrap only halfway (much like a toga). Colors abounded, and there was a Tûl Îsran habit of altering the colors worn throughout the day which had gained some popularity with the wealthier Anyaman.
Festivities were universally attended in Kun Anyam, regardless of the faith or faction sponsoring them, and it was at these revelries that the homogeny that existed in Kun Anyam was most apparent. The influences of numerous cultures had created a balance of contrast, and there were few elements of Kun Anyam that had been left untouched.
Most Anyaman took a light breakfast consisting of fruits and lentils, often incorporating leftover fish or perhaps a few delicate alqad eggs. The noon-time meal, called Fedem, was the most anticipated of the day and was usually a festive affair. The people of Kun Anyam gathered in friendly groups to escape the heat of the high sun, often in the shade of the many plazas or in a nearby Gerzaud, which was open for business only during the height of the sun.
Fish or fowl were the preferred meats, though for those unable to afford meats, spiced barley cakes and minted cream served well enough.
There was often a tray of fruits, figs, and dates passed about, and the best wines were taken during Fedem.

Characters[]

Early Second Age[]

Men: Dreve Tam Tamun Apel

Second Age 1920[]

Though many famous and great people had called Kun Anyam home over the centuries, there are listed here some of the most prominent and the influential to Kun Anyam's future during the late Second Age, circa 1926.
Elves: Iruileth
Men: A'Inkor Alal Melsorman Azhar Eliesh Forsothi Hulsep Tenda Jahen Obene Kelas Mufra Maurel Alushan Mioredan Dorenal Pem Yarrat Sen Jerek Shaluan Omol Tanat Behoun

Notes[]

Original names in MERP: Ciryedain or Ciryatandi → Anbalûkkhôri. Sindarin names/words - abhorred and never used by Black Númenóreans - have been replaced by an Adûnaic equivalents.

References[]

MERP Fan-modules: Kun Anyam 'The Spice Streets' (.PDF)