Bintan

Bintan is an ancient city, deeply rooted in the heart of a vast and unforgiving desert. For centuries, this city has stood as a testament to human resilience and ingenuity, weathering the relentless challenges posed by its harsh environment. The city's towering, fortified walls rise from the golden sands like a mirage, a beacon of safety and strength for those who dwell within. These walls, built from thick, sunbaked stones, have protected Bintan for generations, standing firm against both the forces of nature and the ambitions of would-be invaders.

Bintan is not just a city; it is a fortress, a stronghold of power and influence. The city's defenses are unparalleled, with its walls and gates fortified by the very crystals that have made Bintan famous throughout the known world. These crystals, mined from the northern outskirts, are no ordinary gems—they possess mystical properties, capable of harnessing energy, enhancing magical abilities, and even fortifying the physical structures of the city. The Sulten, the city's wise and formidable leader, has overseen the use of these crystals to reinforce the walls, gates, and even the soldiers who stand guard. This has transformed Bintan into an impregnable bastion, where the harsh desert climate and potential invaders are held at bay by both stone and magic.

The city is approximately 162 years old, and its history is rich with tales of transformation and survival. Over the decades, Bintan has undergone significant changes, evolving from a simple desert settlement into a thriving metropolis and a hub of trade and commerce. Although, the city's location in the desert has made it a vital harsh for various forms of trade, merchants, scholars, and adventurers from distant lands didn't mind traversing the harsh desert to get their hands on the precious resources gotten from the city. 

However, the most significant of these trades revolves around the refining of crystals and the practice of crystosis—a mystical art that is deeply intertwined with the city's identity and prosperity.

The crystals of Bintan are the lifeblood of the city, fueling its economy and its legend. These precious gems are extracted from deep within the earth in the northern mines, a place shrouded in both opportunity and danger. The process of refining these crystals is a highly specialized craft, known as crystosis, is known only to the city's most skilled artisans. These refined crystals are then used for various purposes, from the creation of powerful magical artifacts to the enhancement of the city's defenses. Crystosis, a mystical discipline harnesses the special properties of different crystals, allowing for the production of different materials and ornaments ranging from, jewelry, appliances, Buildings, and even military weapons These practitioners are highly respected, for they hold the key to unlocking the full potential of the crystals, using their knowledge to protect and empower the city.

The city's layout reflects its dual nature as both a bustling trade hub and a formidable fortress. Within the fortified walls, Bintan is a sprawling metropolis, home to approximately 65,000 inhabitants. The streets form a complex maze, with narrow alleyways that twist and turn, leading to hidden courtyards, bustling markets, and grand squares where the people gather to trade, celebrate, and debate. Bintan's bazaar is particularly famous, drawing merchants from across the known world. Here, one can find exotic spices, rare fabrics, and, most famously, the refined crystals that are the pride of the city.

Beyond the city's walls, Bintan's influence extends to several smaller towns and villages that lie within its orbit. These satellite settlements are vital to the city's sustenance and prosperity, providing much of the agricultural produce, livestock, and labor that keep Bintan thriving. In return, they benefit from the city's protection, its trade networks, and the allure of its thriving markets. However, life in these outlying towns is not without its challenges. The desert is a harsh mistress, and the threat of marauding nomads or other desert-dwelling dangers is ever-present. Yet, these small communities are fiercely loyal to Bintan, knowing that their survival is intrinsically linked to the city's fate.

In every way, Bintan is a city of contrasts—a place where the harshness of the desert meets the brilliance of human achievement, where ancient traditions coexist with the pursuit of mystical power, and where every grain of sand tells a story of survival, struggle, and triumph. It is not just a city but a symbol of what can be achieved when human determination meets the mystical forces of the natural world.

It was in this same city, a city of unimaginable history and beauty, that blood would be spilled.

There were a total of ten generals that were responsible for leading the army of Wize, or the sands as they were normally called. When Jai rebelled and killed the King, he took four of them under his wings and imprisoned Farouk another general. Three of them Joined hands with Hadia to fight against Jai while the last one was killed during the rebellion.

One of the three had been sent to help take Bintan, while the rest marched against Amresh and Sworis to face Jai's army.

Although the civil war was the talk of the entire country, tensions were high on how it would affect their daily lives, especially since Rashid had refused to choose a side in the conflict. 

The citizens of Bintan had been on edge after they heard Jai rebelled. Then after Hadia refused to be subjects of a traitor, things grew more intense. Seeing as everything happened, a lot of the people in Bintan looked to their Sulten to observe his response, but to their surprise, or at least to most of their surprise, Rashid had refused to join either Hadia or Jai, along with two other states. Tension grew in Bintan and the whole of Wize. Both Parties gathered their forces and were getting ready to use force to cause the other to surrender. Then the two neighboring countries also got involved. Omi joined hands with Jai while Eru was with Hadia. 

After a while of panic, the city of Bintan went on with their lives, although still on edge, there was nothing they could do but wait on how things were proceeding. Then a month ago, Amresh and sworis joined hands with Jai, leaving Bintan as the only province yet to choose a side. Tensions were getting higher, and people were leaving Bintan, they knew it was only a matter of time before an army was at their doorsteps, but where would they go, it was not as if Bintan was the only one facing war. Dura itself had turned into a battlefield and a lot of people lost their lives before Jai finally took over, same with Sworis. A lot of people wondered what the Sulten was trying to achieve by Staying neutral. As far as some were concerned, being an enemy of either Jai or Hadia was better than being an enemy of both, but some others thought differently. They felt staying neutral was a way to show loyalty towards the real dynasty. They felt that by staying neutral, the Sulten had kept the dignity of Bintan and also honored the family of King Ken. It wasn't as if Hadia didn't have its own agenda.

A lot of mixed opinions were flying around Bintan, and it kept on like that for months until the day they had feared all this while finally came.

It all happened so fast. The soldiers who were said to have been guarding the gates had suddenly turned on each other, one man turning on the next and before anyone knew what was going on, the group of men who had turned on their fellow men opened the gates. At first, they were confused as to why this was happening, but, when they saw an army approaching in the distance, panic set in and people began to run for their lives.