Region: Central Asia
Population: ~8.4 million (Metro); ~150 million across the Vivekan Federation
Dominant Power: The Great Dragon Vivek
Government Type: Draconic Autocracy / Federal Client State System
Reputation: Black market nexus, mystical crossroads, draconic center of power, shadowrunner haven
Overview
Samarkand in 2097 is a city of contrasts—an ancient Silk Road capital reborn as the political and magical heart of Central Asia. Ruled for decades by the Great Dragon Vivek, it has become both a hub of regional stability and a beacon of deep, unpredictable danger. Nestled along ley lines and the old trade routes that once bridged East and West, the city now functions as the capital of the Vivekan Federation, a loose network of Central Asian states bound more by loyalty to Vivek than by shared governance.
The skyline mixes ancient domes and tiled spires with shimmering arcologies and mana-reactive high-rises. AR overlays blend seamlessly with shimmering magical wards. It's a place where a data broker might meet with a Mongolian shaman, and a corporate smuggler might drink with a Tashkent street mage under the watchful gaze of Vivek’s sapphire-eyed agents.
History and Rise of the Federation
Vivek first appeared publicly during the chaos following the second Matrix Crash, claiming stewardship over Samarkand as “a city forgotten by history but remembered by dragons.” Over the next three decades, through political maneuvering, threats, and acts of terrifying magical power, he brought much of the Central Asian steppes—Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, parts of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan—into a “federation” bound to him.
The Federation’s constituent states retain nominal independence but owe tribute and loyalty to Samarkand. Their leaders are selected or approved by Vivek and often drawn from his growing network of nobles, generals, magocrats, and awakened daughters.
Core Territories
These regions are considered part of the Vivekan Federation, either fully integrated or governed by loyal client regimes.
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Uzbekistan: The Dragon’s Throne. Samarkand is both the political and magical capital. Tashkent and Bukhara have been brought fully into line under his system, with regional Khatuns governing via loyal militias, magocrats, and AI-bureaucracies.
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Tajikistan: The mountainous terrain makes it ideal for magical experimentation, spirit-cults, and defense. Vivek values it as a mystical reserve. He maintains strong influence here via temple complexes and military enclaves.
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Turkmenistan: Despite initial resistance, it was absorbed in the 2070s due to internal instability. Its deserts and ruins now host arcane research facilities, and its gas wealth is quietly funneled through Samarkand.
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Southern Kazakhstan: Vivek controls major trade routes, ley lines, and strategic urban centers like Shymkent and Turkestan. Almaty and the northern regions remain semi-autonomous but send envoys and tribute.
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Northern Kyrgyzstan: Bishkek and the Issyk-Kul region fall under indirect control. Local leaders swear fealty in exchange for access to magical training and economic subsidies.
Fringe Influence (Proxy States, Disputed Regions, or Infiltrated Neighbors)
Afghanistan
Vivek’s influence here is limited and heavily contested. While he controls or funds some Awakened warlords and spirit cults in the north (Badakhshan, Kunduz), most of the country remains chaotic—ruled by local powers, magical militias, foreign-backed militias, and unpredictable awakened zones. Vivek does not control Kabul, though he may hold sway in underground networks there.
Western China (Xinjiang)
Nominally part of China, but Vivek has built strong cultural and magical ties with separatist factions. He’s rumored to support magical insurgents and provide sanctuary to Uighur shamans in Samarkand.
Pakistan
His reach stops short of formal control, but it wouldn’t take much instability in Pakistan for him to start making moves.
Western Mongolia
He has trade and magical research outposts near the Altai Mountains. Vivek has tentative ties with Ulaanbaatar, mainly through Khatun-run diplomatic envoys and spiritual emissaries.
Geopolitical Standing
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Indonesia and the TCA view Vivek’s regime with a mix of caution and admiration. They see him as a rogue power—independent, anti-corporate, but also autocratic and unstable.
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Japan and China officially refuse to recognize the Vivekan Federation.
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Russia is divided—some oligarchs cut deals through Samarkand’s black markets, others consider him a threat to Siberian resource chains.
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Saeder-Krupp (and Lofwyr) have an ambiguous relationship with Vivek. It is rumored that the two dragons have met and that a private accord was struck, possibly dividing spheres of influence between them. It is also rumored that they each harbor a deep distrust and disdain for the other.
Politics and Power
The Vivekan Federation is a monarchy in all but name. Vivek rules with absolute authority from his palace-fortress, Zarminar, which rises at the city’s center like a spiral minaret plated in shifting sapphire stone. His decrees are law, though they may contradict previous laws, and they are enforced by:
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The Jade Guard – Metahuman enforcers with draconic blood or magical talents
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The Sibilants – Vivek’s network of whispering seers and spies
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The Khatuns – Vivek’s daughters, each ruling a different domain or major city with varying degrees of competence, loyalty, and sanity
While Vivek presents himself as a philosopher-king, his rule is often capricious. A trader may be knighted one day and exiled the next. A corporation may receive a free-trade charter, only to have its assets seized a week later "in the interest of magical balance."
Commerce and the Black Market
Samarkand has become a haven for gray and black market activity. Weapons, spells, ritual components, rare reagents, AI seeds, awakened creature parts—you can find it all in the city's vast Night Bazaars, provided you have nuyen, or something stranger. The city’s markets are largely unregulated, save for one law: never trade directly in dragons or dragon-kin without Vivek’s blessing. Violation leads to public execution—or absorption into one of Vivek’s arcane experiments.
Corporations, particularly those too tainted to work freely in UCAS or Europe, operate here under various aliases. Even megacorps like Aztechnology, Shiawase, and EVO are rumored to keep shadow fronts in Samarkand, paying "tributes" to remain in Vivek’s good graces. Saeder-Krupp has only a token presence in the city.
Magic and Mysticism
Samarkand is saturated in magic. Built atop converging ley lines and ancient pre-human ruins, the city hums with astral activity. Vivek maintains a vast Dracotheon, a temple-academy that trains mages, spirit-callers, and adepts from across Eurasia. Entrance is free, but all students are considered bound to Vivek for life.
Vivek himself is known for his obsession with magical bloodlines and dynastic legacy. Believing that dragons must create enduring lines to reclaim their ancient place, he has sired dozens—perhaps hundreds—of children with metahuman women. Though all of these children are daughters (the “Khatuns”), none have yet produced offspring of their own, leading Vivek to dark ruminations and increasingly desperate (and magical) measures.
Rumors swirl that Vivek is conducting arcano-genetic experiments in the Ashmir Vaults, using blood from spirits, dragons, and technomancers in a quest to create a true heir.
Culture and Society
Life in Samarkand is dynamic and dangerous. The city is a melting pot of Turkic, Persian, Slavic, and nomadic traditions, infused with cutting-edge tech and deep magical lore. Augmented street performers juggle mana-flames in bazaars, while techno-dervishes preach strange cyber-mystic doctrines in alleyways. Art, poetry, and philosophy are encouraged—so long as they do not question the dragon.
Metahumans enjoy full rights under Vivek’s rule—so long as they know their place. Awakened beings are given elevated status, and magical knowledge is both currency and weapon. Sentient AI have equal metahuman rights. Even high-functioning bioroids can obtain certificates of humanity and citizenship if they pass a series of tests.
Shadowrunners, meanwhile, find Samarkand both a playground and a minefield. The city's tangled politics and rich underworld offer opportunity—but always under the looming shadow of the dragon.
Law, Surveillance, and the Price of Disobedience
Justice in Samarkand is swift, theatrical, and often nonsensical. Trials are rare. Sentences may involve magical geases, forced conscription, or exile to the Red Desert, a magically scarred wasteland believed to be haunted by Vivek’s failed experiments and exiled enemies.
Surveillance is extensive—but often fragmented. Multiple agencies and Khatuns run competing spy networks. Vivek claims this keeps them honest.
Dangers and Oddities
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The Khatuns: Powerful, unpredictable dragon-blooded daughters. Some rule like saints; others like serial killers.
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The Zarminar Pulse: Once per week, Vivek emits a psychic pulse from his palace that "clears disloyal thoughts." Sensitive individuals have seizures.
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The Vault of Naught: A rumored hidden sanctum where failed draconic heirs and rebellious daughters are imprisoned—suspended between life and death in magical stasis.
Conclusion
Samarkand is a glittering gem half-buried in a sandstorm. It is a place of paradox—both sanctuary and trap, a city of ancient beauty and unpredictable tyranny. For corporations, it’s a free port. For mages, it’s a crucible. For shadowrunners, it’s a maze of danger, contacts, and coin.
But all who come to Samarkand must remember one thing:
The dragon rules. Always.
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