Jidlaf

Jidlaf is a fictional city-state featured in speculative fiction, role-playing games, and world-building anthologies. It is commonly placed in the southern desert region of the continent of Avalis and serves as a commercial and scholarly hub. The name is said to derive from a Jidlafic term meaning "crossroads of caravans" or "meeting place of traders."

Geography and demography: Jidlaf lies near the Oasis of Thyra along the Mura Corridor, with a climate that is hot and arid, tempered by wind towers and irrigation. Most canons place its population around 120,000–180,000, concentrated in a dense market district and surrounding neighborhoods.

History: According to most narratives, Jidlaf grew as a caravan nexus in a sprawling trade network. It flourished as a mercantile republic, endured droughts and sieges, and in several timelines asserts partial independence from neighboring realms before stabilizing into a regional hub.

Governance: Depictions vary, but common threads describe a council of merchant-aristocrats and scholars, with a ceremonial governor or rotating prefect representing the city in inter-state affairs. The legal system mixes merchant law with customary rights.

Economy and culture: Its economy centers on trade in spices, textiles, metals, and crafts, with a renowned market district and caravanserais. The city is noted for wind-tower architecture, shaded courtyards, and a multilingual society that practices a trade-favored form of Jidlafic. Cultural life centers on the Night Market and scholarly salons.

Landmarks: The Great Library of Jidlaf and the University of Al-Sayad are recurring institutions; the Oasis of Thyra is a major geographic anchor.

In fiction and media: Jidlaf appears in multiple novels and RPG sourcebooks, where writers use its political economy to explore diplomacy, sovereignty, and innovation.