Gejlak Beach

Since the establishment of communications between Çeridgul and the rest of Micras, the Çerid puzzled over the idea of how to receive them and their proposals. Having embassies in Gultaj seemed silly - seat of the Vocal Assembly though it was, the latter only met for several weeks each year, and the rest of the time it reverted to being merely a very prestigious village (and no one there would have been willing to part with land to build the embassies).

It was felt that, since the humans had to approach by sea, and any people or goods they unloaded had to be unloaded by ships (the Çerid not having been introduced to the idea of aircraft), it would be best to have a dedicated area for foreign merchants and representatives on the shore itself. This also simplified the property acquisition process - Çer tradition did not consider beaches to be land per se and therefore common property. While this did not mean that any nearby fishing communities might not object to the appropriation of their waterfront, at least it didn't have to be bought from anyone, nor any zerenid appeased.

Gejlak Beach, at the upper western side of the Bay of Winds, was designated for the purpose. Gejlak was not too far from Gultaj, should communication with the Assembly be needed; it was a farming community rather than a fishing one, and therefore did not greatly protest having its beach given to the ovareshid for their use; and they looked forward to the commercial opportunities the foreigners would bring - not only would they be nearby to barter with, but so would any Çer merchants who themselves came to barter with them.

Being a beach, of course, means that anyone wanting to build something there would be advised to put it on stilts, lest they find their ground floor underwater at high tide. At least some missions to the island have found it easier and more comfortable just to park a ship at anchor nearby.

Communications

Correspondence

Seal or Image	Originator	Recipient	Date	Subject	Text
	Household of the Great Speaker	All and sundry	106th year of Unbinding	Opening of Gejlak Beach	To the speakers of, and travellers from, the ovareshid peoples: we are the Çerid, the courageous people! We speak to you! Please be advised that the importunings of your merchants and speakers for a place to do business with our people have been heard and discussed by the Vocal Assembly. On its behalf, I am empowered to say to you that the inhabitants of the place Gejlak have amiably agreed to allow their beachfront to be used for this purpose. Your embassies and docks may be constructed within three hundred meters from Gejlak stream, as measured along the shore, and as far inland as five meters out from the property lines facing the beach. Beyond these borders, the customs and expectations of the Çerid hold sway. We strongly advise that you make yourselves familiar with them should you wish to wander our land freely - the responsibility for the consequences, should you ignore them, is your own, and the Vocal Assembly will not be inclined to entertain any appeals.
	Daryāsālār of the Gulf of Aqabah	The Kalashegtin of the Ekançeridgul-terashedostli	08.IV.1665	Greetings and Opportunities	May the Çerid know that I speak for the Great Khan Tahmaseb, by the Khvarenah of Zurvan, Lord of the Four Quarters, Suzerain of the Blue Horizon, Restorer of the Ancienty Dignity, Graced by the Khvarenah Artaḥšásta, Unconquered in One Hundred-and-One Battles, Despoiler of the Khalypsine, Ever Victorious, Unblemished, Custodian of the Two Ziggurats, Keeper of the Throne. May the Çerid know that the might of Raspur marches to destroy the perfidious and decadent Kingdom of Iteru. The Division of Zjandar will traverse the great wastes and in so doing it will respect the boundary markers of the Çerid, but know that the great hosts of Raspur will need to be fed. The Saint Andre Trading Company of Natopia has been contracted to feed the army whilst it is on the march. To do so we request permission to establish bakeries at the city of Aden, which you have named Ajinkeliç. We seek the blessing of the Kalashegtin to do so and note that by this means we may be able to fulfil the trade proposed by Korad in 1664, with bagels provided for free to the great and noble Cerid in such numbers as they desire whilst the army is passing, and continued thereafter on equitable terms albeit for an equivalent amount of copper instead of goats. Finally, we have heard that there are bands of males amongst the Çerid who look for opportunities to advance themselves in the wider world and gain status thereby. Know then that while the Iteru will prove to be an easy kill there is much honour and profit stood to be gained by those bands of Çerids who would offer to travel along in the vanguard of the army to harass and maul the Iteru - who are wretched water worshipping creatures of the abyss, indeed their entire culture is predicated upon the veneration of the deep waters. It is a holy task to commit their cities to the sacred flames. We hope that there are Çerids amongst you who will be willing to be a part of this great enterprise.
	Household of the Great Speaker	Daryāsālār of the Gulf of Aqabah	121st Year of Unbinding	A Possible Accord	To you who speak for Raspur and its mighty Khan, greetings. We continue to learn of the ovareshid peoples that dwell throughout the world, but we have had word of your people from those who have worked upon the Iron Road. Though your ways are strange to us, we can appreciate those who acknowledge the gift of flame by Taghli, a reflection of the glory of Her Burning Eye. No more strange are the ways of the Iteru. To venerate the deep waters is a troubling thing, but we do not begrudge others their ways unless they are turned against us. The canny Çerid may brawl amicably for belief, but they do war only for honor or livelihood. But behold, you speak of these things, and we may negotiate on that basis. The establishment of bakeries in Ajinkeliç, were it to be allowed, would be required to be done at the waterfront, as is the case with the facilities here at Gejlak Beach, since all other land is owned by our matriarchs, and the matter of negotiating tenancy and rent for multiple facilities would become unmanageable. While we are inclined to permit this, understand that, after the passing of your armies, you may find copper to be an unsatisfactory exchange for the baygull - it is a precious resource to us, and our merchants will not part with it cheaply. Goats are plentiful and make more of themselves, but there are only so many places where copper can be found. We have also received insistent importunings from certain voices among us that lead us to require that a defined term be placed upon the bakeries' operation, which due to the differences in the passage of time between us we are willing to set at 120 Çer years - to be subject, upon mutual agreement, to extension at that time. As for the willingness of our bands to engage in your fight against the Iteru, I have no doubt whatsoever that many of them would salivate at the chance to take up your offer. The Speakers shall circulate among them and spread the news. Those that are honorable members of society will have the opportunity to enhance themselves; those that are troublemakers shall either redeem themselves, hopefully satiate themselves, or possibly get themselves killed. In all cases, may they, and you, have good hunting.
	Household of the Great Speaker	All and sundry	218th Year of Unbinding	Ratification of the Treaty with Alduria	To Çer and to ovaresh and all the world, behold, we speak! Know that by the authority of the Vocal Assembly duly gathered, the Household of the Great Speaker has negotiated a Treaty of Friendship with the Republic of Alduria; and this having been settled to the satisfaction of both parties, the Great Speaker hereby ratifies and affixes her name to both the Treaty and its attached Memorandum of Understanding in the name of Çeridgul. Know also that Auri, daughter of Içti, is hereby appointed Ambassador and Speaker-Permanent to Alduria.

Structures

Watchtower

When the facilities at Gejlak Beach were first being planned, the Çerid found themselves in want of a vantage point from which they could get a better view of the vessels coming and going in the bay. Lacking any particularly high ground near the site, a tower was called for; but the Çerid typically build their structures of wood or drystone, neither of which - at their level of sophistication - was particularly suitable for building a tower that wouldn't immediately fall over on the nearby merchants' lodgings. The main native alternative, mud bricks bound with gypsum mortar, was less problematic in the arid conditions of the north but felt to be a poor choice right next to the ocean. This gave a visiting cargo ship the opportunity to demonstrate the possibilities of modern cement, and to sell some to Çer architects. The result was the first, and so far only, Çer-made concrete building, though an ongoing effort of Çer researchers is to learn how to make their own hydraulic cement to allow mostly or entirely domestic concrete production.

The Watchtower is of a relatively plain design, a gently tapering cylinder painted in red. At the top is a viewing platform with open sides and a thatched roof erected over it on poles. The body of the tower, which is about 61 feet tall, is painted a bright red, and is divided into five floors, it being felt that it would be a waste to have a tower without usable interior space. The ground floor is used for storage, mostly for food for nearby Gejlak but also for various supplies for the enclave. The second and third floors host a small garrison of spearmen, intended to serve as watchmen and as a defense force in the case of invasion (though the unlikelihood of standing up to sustained assault by human weapons is not lost on them). The third floor serves as a sort of harbormaster's office, with the occupant having a role in directing ships but mainly in ensuring that some measure of order is kept in the enclave and that cargoes are directed to their correct destinations when loaded or unloaded. The uppermost two floors serve mostly as the harbormaster's home, as the current one, Soviri, appears to have spawned an impressive brood.

The Broken Wing

If human and Çer can be said to share any great passion, that for alcoholic beverages would surely be among the foremost candidates, and so drinking establishments are among the few locations where the two species can be found mixing socially. The most respectable of these in the enclave - for a given value of 'respectable' - is found under the sign of the Broken Wing. The owner, Yiannakis Demetrios, claims the name was chosen at random, but it is, perhaps, noteworthy that "suffering from a broken wing" is a jocular Çer euphemism for being falling-down drunk. Although Demetrios is a human, his staff includes both humans and Çerid; the latter consist of two males, who serve alternately as bartenders, and their wife, "Jolly" Jolori, whose hulking stature and unforgiving visage make her a fearsome bouncer.

The Wing has a somewhat unusual and eclectic selection of drinks on offer. Included among these are a number of locally-made spirits; these are generally extremely strong, but have also been vetted in terms of potential health risks, a desirable trait given the variable standards of hygiene and quality control in Çeridgul. The most highly regarded, in terms of taste, is ejikad, Çer gin, notable for being sweetened with honey. Most of the foreign imports consist of whatever Demetrios can buy off passing ships (or their crews), though consistent supplies of Raspurid wine have recently become available.

Food is also served, though the selection is limited both by supply and by the specialized Çer digestive system. Green vegetables, for both reasons, are nearly nonexistent, and goat and fish soups and stews are the establishment's mainstays, with significant culinary input both from Çer recipes and the owner's Constancian roots.

Because of its mixed clientele, the Broken Wing accepts payment in barter; although they are often willing to be flexible, not all items are accepted, and local goatherds have consistently decried the absolute refusal to consider livestock.