Asshai is a city built entirely of black stone described as vast enough to house a million people yet its streets are largely empty. Some say the blocks are oily to the touch and strangely warm. The city is eerily quiet with no children playing in its streets and no human flesh sold in its markets. The only sounds are the constant droning of drums and the prayers in a hundred different tongues. The seas around Asshai are as black as ink and the fish including sharks and whales are also black. The waters of the Black River are toxic and the surrounding lands are bleak and blasted inhabited by sightless fish blind and misshapen creatures and birds with malevolent eyes and no song. Asshai is a place of dark knowledge where shadowbinders practice their spells and sorceries. It is a city of whisperers said to possess knowledge of everything that happens in the world. The Shadow Lands beyond Asshai are shrouded in mystery and nightmare with tales of dragons and ancient spells. To enter Asshai one must pass beneath the shadow and it is known for its practitioners of dark arts who reside there in peace. Asshai is a place where even the animals are queer and the stories speak of a land marked by fantastic and nightmarish qualities.