Manaia : Shamah, The Blind King and The House of Forgetting
Shamah is a city, home to a population of 140,000 people, located in the Southern continent of Aneyes.
The ruler of Shamah goes only by the title of the blind King, and is revered as the wisest of all rulers in Manaia by many. He is said to have burned out his own eyes at age eleven so that he would finally be able to see what was in front of him. Now at age 47, he is loved and respected by his people and spends over half his waking hours offering individual advice of all types to his subjects.
While Shamah was an impoverished city at the time of the blind King's coronation almost three decades ago, the people now live in prosperity, peace and good health. The rise in standard of living can be largely accredited to the decision made by the King to found the House of Forgetting in his first year of power.
The House of Forgetting is a healing centre for the very wealthiest in Manaia. Many influential people throughout the world have sought the miraculous healing powers of the Shepherds of Shamah - often at their most desperate hours and in exchange for favours dictated by the Blind King more often than gold. The Shepherds of the House of Forgetting are said to be capable of healing any ailment, of mind body or spirit, using psychedelic plants and psychological realignment techniques.
The population of Shamah is largely irreligious, but unlike the atheist population growing rapidly in Agamar, do believe in an unseen dimension of reality and the forces of magic. Magic, however, is outlawed in Shamah in accordance with the Aneyesian treaty. Nevertheless, it is known that some continue to practise it secretly within the city.