 Refers to both the capitol city of Ashdod, as well as the great tower which dominates the cityscape. This city, dominated by the bat-like Eeee, is a major center of trade and political power in Ashdod on the continent of Ur. It is built in a wide valley in the Golan Mountains, rimmed by a ridge of peaks known as the Seven Sisters, and under the shadow of Mount Dronnel. The valley is a short flight from the ocean, and the mountains serve as a buffer against winds, making the city suitable as a port despite the high altitude. The city is truly ancient, records indicating that it was founded millenia ago, and new buildings have been repeatedly built upon the ruins of others, to the point where the metropolis consists now of towering spires and ziggurats, interconnected by bridges and aqueducts of stone and brick to bear water from the mountain peaks. The towers are so tall as to defy gravity, what with their construction materials, so they depend upon Earth Magic enchantments, renewed yearly, to keep them from cracking and eventually collapsing. The largest structure by far is the Great Tower, Babel, which is forever under construction. It has a solid enough base (and purportedly First Ones era materials at its core) that it does not require Earth Magic to sustain its shape. It is a measure of a ruler's power how much he can add to the tower's girth and height, and over time it has expanded outward to consume older portions of the city. Officially, no one actually lives in the Tower. It is a structure of religious (and political) significance, and a statement of the power and age of the Ashdodite civilization. Many of the battles fought in Babel are between warring construction crew factions, over matters of building and resources to be used. Babel is sometimes known as the "City of Strife", for "gang wars" are commonplace, especially in the shadowed and ruinous "Streets Below" in the forgotten lower levels that have been built upon with each succeeding generation. For millenia, the ruler of Babel (and, by extension, the ruler of Ashdod, at least in title), was known as the Sabaoth, which means "Almighty". After the War of the Plaguebringers, in which Babel was soundly defeated during a raid on Rephidim, the Sabaoth was killed in 6098 RTR at the hands of Brishen Kara, a former courier. He was succeeded by the High Prince, Boghaz bar Sabaoth, who -- rather than taking on the title of "Sabaoth", kept the title of "High Prince" as the new label of his office. His reign lasted barely over a year, as he was assassinated in 6099 RTR, and succeeded by his wife, High Princess Saraizadze ... and she in turn died in 6105 RTR. After that, chaos has reigned in Babel.
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Refers to both the capitol city of Ashdod, as well as the great tower which dominates the cityscape. This city, dominated by the bat-like Eeee, is a major center of trade and political power in Ashdod on the continent of Ur. It is built in a wide valley in the Golan Mountains, rimmed by a ridge of peaks known as the Seven Sisters, and under the shadow of Mount Dronnel. The valley is a short flight from the ocean, and the mountains serve as a buffer against winds, making the city suitable as a port despite the high altitude. 