Shapeir is a prosperous Sultanate located to the South of Spielburg, east of Silmaria, and north of Tarna, amidst the vast reaches of the desolate Shapeirian Desert in ancient Arabia. It is a land of golden sand and tall mountains, which contains a city of the same name with tall buildings and winding streets.
The City of Shapeir itself is inset between two large mountain ranges, with the desert stretching outwards to the south. Although Shapeir is usually seen to be an independent, self-sufficient city, it is actually the capital of two cities existing beneath the sultanate of Shapeir - the other being Raseir, which lies across the vast desert. Being located along a major trade route, Shapeir receives a great deal of commerce that comes from imports and exports. Within its walls house a melting pot of exotic Arabic and Persian cultures and colorful city attractions and performers, ranging from acrobats to snake charmers and even elusive mystics.
Most of all, Shapeir is the site of many populous bazaars from which the finest merchants and artisans throughout the land meet to showcase their wares. In all times of year the plazas and streets are crowded with merchants, but in the summer mostly Katta are seen in the plazas, because they can endure the heat.[1] For those seeking to escape from the crowded and chaotic streets, there are also many personal services and lodging/eating establishments located indoors.
It is said to be around 1,000 miles north of Tarna[2], and lies east of Silmaria[3].
History[]
Shapeir and its sister city Raseir were constructed around prominent Katta settlements within the area. The lifeblood of the cities are the magical, never-ending refreshing springs of water which provide the cities with sustenance and shelter in an otherwise dead land. The cities of Shapeir and Raseir were constructed as "mirror cities" of one another, with near-identical layouts. The Sultan's palace in Shapeir was designed to mirror the Emir's in Raseir, and vice versa.
The Djinni War[]
1001 years prior to the events of Quest for Glory II: Trial by Fire, the powerful and malevolent Marid Iblis attempted to conquer the world and enslave all mortal men. The ruling Sultan of Shapeir at the time, Suleiman bin Daoud, created a vast city in the desert from which he made an effort to summon vast numbers of Djinni to his side, binding them in the cause to defeat Iblis. A great war took place between Suleiman's Djinni and Iblis - ultimately, the Marid was imprisoned in a statue and left in the depths of Suleiman's Forbidden City, which has been lost to the sands of time.
People and Places[]
Overview of Shapeir
The city of Shapeir is composed of many different alleys and doors to houses. The alleys actually circulate around several central plazas, where markets and shops are found.
- Gates of Shapeir and Stables
Location of the Saurus Lot.
- Gate Plaza
- The first location one sees arriving to the City, passing the Saurus lot outside. An old inn was closed, until Shameen and Shema bought it as the Katta's Tail Inn; Alichica and Lisha as well as Sitar, the snake charmer.
- Plaza of the Fighters
- On the far western end of the city, Uhura's Adventurer's Guild is found, with Rakeesh often lingering there. Issur's weapon shop and smithery are also there.
- Plaza of the Fountain
- The central plaza of the city and the main source for water. Keapon Laffin's magic shop as well as the Apothecary are there. Scoree and Sloree stand there providing food for the road, Toshur the potter, Tashtari the brass artist and Saba the basket weaver.
- Plaza of the Palace
- On the far eastern end of the city, the Palace of the Sultan with sentries guarding its doors day and night. Sashanan and Tiram are found there.
- City Lookout (City Overlook[4])
Other[]
- Shapeir Magic Carpet Tours
Behind the scenes[]
Shapeir is located in the equivalent location of Persia/Arabia on Earth. Which is actually physically located distantly southeast of Germany (Spielburg), southeast of Romania/Transylvania (Mordavia), and to the east of Crete (Silmaria/Marete). Directions in the games are rather vague (and are generally limited to four cardinal directions), so Spielburg is often described vaguely as being "south" in the earlier games (QFG1/QFG4). In QFG5 at least one character describes Shapeir as being east of Silmaria.
A sign in QFG3 states that Shapeir is 1,000 miles north of Tarna. Athough a mix of Egyptian (& Babylonian ziggurat) and central African cultures (Uganda/Kenya), architexture in Tarna appears to be predominately Egyptian (thus suggesting its located towards Sudan/Nubia in Upper Egypt). The Middle East (where Shapeir is located) ranges from anywhere between 200 miles (from Sudan/Red Sea coast) to over 3,000 miles (from western Sudan).