Qenan

Qenan is a fictional city-state in the fantasy setting of Aridia, used in literature and role-playing games. It functions as a regional hub for trade and learning, with a long urban history and a reputation for craftwork and scholarship.

The name’s etymology is debated; some scholars link Qenan to the Qenani language, while others see it as a later honorific. The city sits in the Veris Basin along the Veris River, with a harbor on the coast and hillside districts that rise above the river plain. Its geography supports a mix of river trade, market districts, and ceremonial sites.

Qenan was founded in the early second millennium by merchant clans and grew as a free-trade enclave. It is governed by the Council of Asteri, an oligarchic body of guild leaders, with a modern mayor and a council that provides advisory input. The city has historically balanced commercial interests with religious and scholarly institutions, shaping its urban form and legal framework.

Its economy centers on textiles, ceramics, and metals, supported by river and sea trade, caravans, and workshops. The city hosts the Great Library of Qenan and a pair of major temples, reflecting a cultural emphasis on education, craft, and public ceremony. Daily life blends market activity with apprenticeships and study, giving Qenan a distinctive urban rhythm.

In fiction, Qenan serves as a setting for diplomacy, trade disputes, and temple politics, often featuring guild rivalries and urban intrigue. It appears in novels and campaigns as a richly described commercial metropolis with layered civic life.