None but the Sand Elves dwell here. Those few outsiders who are welcomed into Rhaqoum are only temporary guests, often brought in blindfolded. They remain, and leave, at their own peril, though the Abtati are known to be loath to injure guests.

It is a young city, having sprung up only in the last decade. Consequently, the secret of its existence is still quite well kept and it receives few visitors who are not of the tribes.

Situated as it is between the northern coastline, where grow the famed spice trees of Amol-Kalit, and the southern cities of the two mighty rivers, the people of Rhaqoum have used their nomadic knowledge of the desert to monopolize the spice trade and create caravans that take the spices of the coast and exchange them for precious metals in Kherkhana, grain in Annuakat, dyes in Tyria, and ivory and textiles in Ragash. Small Abtati villages can be found at waypoints along these trade routes, some carved directly into rock formations, others built around hidden oases.

They guard their secrets jealously and, while hospitable to newcomers who seek shelter, will not hesitate to kill and plunder any who compete with their mastery of the desert trade routes, including other Abtati tribes.

Any army that would seek to assault the city, as some Kaliti have already contemplated, would need to bring enough provisions to supply an extended siege in the middle of the desert, or else hire magi powerful enough to overcome and obliterate any magical protections the Sand Elves have in place.

The enormous rock formation has been hollowed out inside to form the various dwellings, temples, cisterns, and stables of Rhaqoum, evoking memories of Belgrath. But where Belgrath's buildings are squat and sprawling, Rhaqoum is tall, condensed, and the lines of the buildings bear gentle sandstone waves and curves that make the entire interior seem supple, rich, and alive. Light filters in from slits carved in the ceilings, providing illumination aside from torchlight.

Mouth of Siqal – The entrances to Rhaqoum are ornate affairs, etched into the stone with great attention to detail by the Abtati magicians, who are known as Bonecarvers, for they shape the bones of Abtatu. The primary entrance is called the Mouth of Siqal and can be reached only after a mile long trek through a narrow canyon.

The God Block – In the exact center of the city sits an enormous slab of a strange, dark metal, which the Abtati call the “god block” as it represents their formless, shapeless deity, Abtatu. Those with magical abilities might sense a faint hum emanating from the metal, though the exact nature seems indiscernable.

Described as springing up almost out of nowhere, the city of Rhaqoum has emerged onto the scene of history only recently and has come to dominant overland trade routes, which have given it great wealth and influence. It is said that the city was formed by the three tribes: Al-Hadhra, Al-Qos, and Al-Dushar. Each are led by their own sheikh, but the city itself is governed by the Melech, who oversees the confederation of tribes.

Although outsiders see it as a desolate place, the Abtati have found ways to sustain life in the wadi. They have carved great cisterns into the earth, which hold water from rainfall. Their agricultural techniques have adapted to these harsh climes and they use terraces and create channels in the wadi to irrigate date trees and grape mounds. In times of scarcity, they and their horses can subsist off of dried dates and camel’s milk.

• Rising Sands