This country may or may not play a big part in the Pathfinder campaign. The Sundered Faith ladies walked through it before the story started- they mentioned being stopped at the far border and sent south on a safe detour. But the GM and I have been bouncing ideas back and forth about the city-states' designs, and Bushigesh (and thus Erushfold) came up. So here's a reference center for it. This is still very much a work in progress.
Erushfold favors community/collectivism over individuality. (As a modern-day example of life in Erushfold, check out
Kibbutzim.) Everyone is expected to serve the government a minimum of five years for no pay beyond room and food. (Those supplied are the most basic possible.) Joining the guard and serving in one of the fortresses is the most common choice, but the education and medical systems also get a good deal of their workers this way. This time may be spread out over a twenty year period. Should someone die before completing their service, an amount will be taken from their holdings at death (be it in cash or goods). Should there still not be enough to cover the debt, there is no penalty, though their relations are frequently shunned/shamed until they step forward with the difference- which does not apply to their own required services.
With the level of 'does this serve the community' prompted by their culture, research breakthroughs are very rare in Erushfold, their brightest sparks stifled and pressed into necessary jobs, rather than what they might individually wish. Most do not notice or mind, and those that do serve as outspoken minority voices that help the government better serve the people. (These individualists dislike this unasked-for task and frequently attempt to dodge the system. The system has been dealing with their like for quite some time, and can translate quite well.) This is not to say that the people of Erushfold are stupid, for they are very big on everyone learning the three R's, but their one-in-a-million strokes of genius frequently are snuffed out before being given the chance to bloom, their individuality suppressed.
Thievery in Erushfold can be punishable by death, depending upon circumstances. Murderers must pay recompense to the bereaved, or else be hanged. Depending on circumstances, even if the blood gold is paid, the murderer may still be hung. Judges in Erushfold are very strict.
Architecturally speaking:
Basic examples of Erushfold architecture. Called kumbets, these are actually examples of Seljuk architecture (a branch off of Persian architecture) and serve as mausoleums. At least in real life. Story design-wise, these are everyday buildings, though usually made of brick, not stone. These are two-story designs, one floor built partially into the ground to serve as weather shelters. Buildings are not often see taller than four stories, and even those are more like a slender tower than a building with proper floors.
Bushigesh House of Healing (needs a proper name)
A combination of learning center and hospital, this building is one of the most prominent features of Bushigesh, even with it being a famous trade city. This school teaches mundane forms of medicine so that anyone may be able to attempt to heal another, even without the aid of magic. Their graduates donate the first five years of their post-school days serving as a sort of
Doctors Without Borders both within and without Erushfold. Many currently are in Telubra, whose civil war keeps them very busy. This donation of time is non-negotiable for anyone on scholarship, and is heavily hinted at for those wealthy enough to have paid their own way. Many continue in the program after their term is up. Those who don't easily find places in towns to set up or join healing centers.