Medina al-Afyal, the capital and only real city on Afyal, was beyond compare. While lacking the blue tilework of most Zakharan cities, it featureed polished marble and gleaming hardwoods in magnificient style. Perhaps due to strong influence from Bharata and southeast Kara-Tur, a rigid caste system prevailed on this island. While the concepts of station and honor were important throughout the Land of Fate, they were extremely strong on the Isle of the Elephant. Another peculiarity were Afyal's elephants: They showed more intelligence and were easier to train than others of their kind. To protect this asset, the strongest laws forbid the killing of an elephant, dating all the way back to the island's first padishah, Alon.