unyasi [Lore] Boma

[Bellosh]

Boma - The Fallen Capital

 

Once upon a time, the city of Boma used to be the capital of a great kingdom of Unyasi. The Boma of today though only presents a diminished vision of its former glory, although it’s far from forgotten in the minds of zebradom. Even though the tides of change may not have rewarded the savannah citadel all that much, it has been able to more than adequately adapt to the demands of modern Unyasi.

 

Located in the heart of the zebra lands, Boma was an obvious choice for a long-lived and respected line of zebra princesses and princes to rule from. Tales of their towering earthen citadel of sun-baked mud bricks and the strong wall that kept creatures from the savanna out spread far and wide; the city’s size and prestige once even rivaled those of Canterlot and Talonpolis. Boma’s monarchy met its downfall through the bad luck of the area suffering a years-long drought during the same historical period that zebra political attitudes shifted. Upon once again placing greater faith in autonomous tribes and city-states to govern, zebras saw little need to keep a desertified city heavily populated, and so the bulk of its citizens more to greener pastures.

 

All that remains now of the old city’s earthen buildings are the walls, the citadel where the royal family once ruled from, and a smattering of homes, stores, and inns right outside the Citadel’s main entrance. Rather than live in a deserted ghost city, the zebras of Boma made deliberate chose to demolish nearly all the abandoned districts and neighborhoods. In their place now stand a combination of undeveloped green space and uniquely designed rock sculptures of animals and miscellaneous bizarre shapes. A hospitality industry still thrives in Boma, as travelers heading to Taraju, Clawifax, or Mti Nguvu always require places to rest on their long overland journeys.

 

The story of the Citadel itself took a surprising turn when scholars repurposed the old royal palace into an academy. Banquet halls turned into lecture halls, luxurious bedrooms were remade as spartan dormitories, and basements became occupied by archives. Gifted zebras from every tribe and city-state are encouraged to learn at the Citadel Academy once they come of age; those who succeed in their studies can return home to utilize their refined talents. Those scholars who permanently reside in the Academy strive to make Boma the largest repository of knowledge in Unyasi; with the exception of the arcane wisdom associated with the Mti Nguvu’s sages, these zebras have succeeded.....

~Unyasi and its Mysteries: A Pony's Guide