Rings of Honor

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Cadentia is an outpost at the edge of the desert, a short trip by shuttle from RhyDin or Fools Luck Bay - longer by horse, car, or camel. It is a settlement ringed by a patchwork mosaic of crumbling walls that bear testimony to the civilizations that built it. There is a main gate, but the caravans take a different route, passing through a humble limestone arch to the two-mile lane they call the Bazaar.

The Bazaar is flanked by stalls and storefronts, tents and mats where they sell goods from far across the desert. There are valuable parts and repaired appliances scavenged from the wastes, bustling livestock auctions, and rare spices from far-flung realms among the market's many offerings.

At the one-mile marker is the heart of the Bazaar, where it is enclosed by two limestone archways, with a vaulted ceiling over a wider space with ancient columns and colourful banners that dangle all the way to the floor. It is filled with the promising smell of wine, water, and grilled skewers that give the space a smoky haze, emanating from the vendor stalls that line the far walls. The mosaic tile floor spirals into colourful patterns, forming four distinct circles around the center. Entertainment is provided here every night, from music and dances to fights and impossible feats. In the center of it all is a statue of a headless king with velvet cushions piled into his lap, a grim perch for an honored guest to watch the festivities.

The Bazaar ends where the Great Desert begins, a vast wasteland meant for the brave, the foolish, or the very well-prepared. Travelers throng at the well by the southern gate, filling canteens on their way out - or quenching their thirst after a long desert journey.